May/June 2024 Kids’ Indie Next List
Read This Next! Kids: March/April
Southern Indie Booksellers Alliance (SIBA)
⭐️ "Edgy and authentic, this stunning gut-punch of a novel unravels the complexities of teen girlhood, toxic friendships, and trauma... a timely, suspense-building thriller and a powerful story of healing."
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
⭐️ "Adamo breaks through the teen-sleuth genre with outstanding takes on themes of consent, power, and the devastating end to friendships. It hits all the right notes to make a gripping and impactful book, from its compelling voice to its hurtling enigma of a plot, all while juggling several themes with nuance and profundity. "
— Booklist (starred review)
⭐️ "Whether crafting authentic and immersive narration, spinning a sweet and sexy fake-dating storyline, or building a suspenseful and twisty mystery, Adamo proves herself to be absolutely an author to watch."
— BookPage (starred review)
not like other girls
Bloomsbury YA — April 30, 2024
"Jo is an updated version of Veronica Mars in all the best ways as the damaged but resilient heroine, and the layered mystery will likely keep readers guessing through a well-paced series of reveals"
— BCCB
"A thoughtful and thought-provoking feminist tale woven into an expansive mystery."
"The mystery has all the elements of a good thriller: characters you can’t necessarily trust; nail-biting suspense; and a twisty, surprising conclusion . . . Adamo writes with compassion for 'girls like me' who deserve to be listened to, believed, and loved—and nothing less."
— The Horn Book
A girl risks everything to find her former best friend in this powerful debut mystery about trauma, girlhood, and what we deserve.
When Jo-Lynn Kirby's former best friend—pretty, nice Maddie Price—comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it's some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked—and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.
But then Maddie is gone.
Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can’t shake the feeling there's more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind—and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo’s with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she’d rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie’s disappearance, she’s left to wonder who she’s really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.
Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.
praise for not like other girls
