by
Kelly Vincent
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GENRE: Contemporary YA
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BLURB:
Knitting nerd Sarah Redmond is always the new
girl, never the popular one.
Moving all over the country with her flighty mom
seemed to be her lot in life, but her junior year at Sierra Vista High School
feels like it could be different.
She's finally on the verge of a social
breakthrough.
But when she gets publicly punked at her first
party, she and her new friends find a creative way to use their shared
obsession with knitting to exact sweet revenge.
And when their efforts lead to a lucrative
business, Sarah knows she's set.
But when her deadbeat dad comes back around she
starts to wonder if she should try for a different life, instead of following the
paths her parents have chosen.
She'd always half thought her small-time knitting
channel could grow into a big-time knitting channel, but maybe college as a
backup plan isn't such a ridiculous idea, after all.
But is that something a girl like her can really
make happen?
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EXCERPT
To cope, I did what any reasonable person would have done—I
holed up in my room after work and started a new series of knitted weapons.
First I made a dagger because it seemed simplest, but it still took me a while.
I stabilized it with cardboard from a cereal box.
Naturally, I recorded how to make it. I even demonstrated
what I’d like to do with the dagger. Stabbity stab stab.
Screw everybody at school. My thousands of subscribers
thought I was cool. There were more of them than students at the school.
Of course, the comments exploded with trolls from school,
with things about my contortionist face. Which, again, was so stupid. Some of
my regular followers were flip‐ ping out and fighting back. One of them said,
“Do you know who you’re making fun of?” like I was a big-time celebrity.
Someone else said, “I’d like to see *you* make a giant celeriac!” That cracked
me up. Still, I had to turn comments off on my whole channel because of all the
trolls, which sucked.
A couple days later I was called into the principal’s
office. Mr. Peterson—a middle-aged balding man—gave me this stern look when I
got there. I had to wait for my mom in this tacky and squeaky wooden chair with
frayed blue fabric arms. My stomach was roiling while I waited, because I had
no idea what was going on, and I’d never been in trouble before.
We went into his office, where they had matching wooden
chairs.
“Sarah and Ms. Redmond, we take threats of violence very
seriously here.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Review:
4.25 out of 5 stars
always the new girl by Kelly Vincent follows teen Sarah Redmond
as she struggles to fit into her life as her mother flits from one new guy to another
all over the country. High school is tough enough without being the new girl,
but add in bullying, finding a niche, and dealing with less-than-stellar-parents,
and the stresses threaten to overwhelm. Sarah’s not a quitter, but her trust
issues will have to be conquered if she’s ever going to grow into the person
she’s meant to be.
This young adult story is both heartwrenching and heartwarming,
but definitely makes one think about actions, consequences, and responsibility.
It’s told in a slightly episodic fashion, so I suspect it was originally
published in sections, as there’s a quick review at the beginning of each part.
I was immediately drawn into Sarah’s world (and jealous that she’s so adept at
knitting, which continues to confound me, lol) and sympathetic to her because
of her insecure lifestyle due to her mother’s poor life choices. The cruelty of
her peers was dismaying, but I cheered at the response crafted by Sarah and her
newfound friends.
Sarah’s adventures were easy to follow, and the challenges
she faced, even when they were of her own making, were realistic and
compelling. As in life, there isn’t a fairytale ending, but rather one that
will continue to evolve, hopefully in another book. This story underscores the
need for kids to have a strong loving support system and someone they can trust
wholeheartedly to provide them with a bedrock they can grow from as they
navigate through their early years. I love that this message is conveyed in an
entertaining story that is relevant and intriguing and will appeal to adults as
well as teens. This is the first story I have read by this author, but I’ll
definitely be on the lookout for others.
A copy of this title was provided for review
