The Other Girl-Sarah Miller

This is Sarah Miller’s second book about Molly McGarry. Molly is now going out with Gideon Rayburn and her ability to see inside his mind means she can give him what he wants in the relationship. However, she soon realises that there are disadvantages to seeing her boyfriend’s inner thoughts. Pilar Benitez-Jones, the hottest girl in the school, always flirts with Gideon and Molly can see the effect of this attention in her boyfriend’s mind. The knowledge Molly receives has disastrous and bizarre consequences in her life and Pilar is not Molly’s only problem. Molly is a scholarship girl at Midvale Academy. The school needs its richer pupils so their disregard for rules will not result in expulsion but if Molly pushes her luck too much it could cost her her place in the school. Her relationship with Gideon causes her to break the rules. When she is caught her house-mistress does not talk about punishment but about wanting her to be on the school’s team for the ATAT, an intellectual competition between schools. The prize for the winning this year is the enough for four years college tuition. Molly needs the prize if she wants to go to a top university but her grades have been slipping since her relationship with Gideon started. She doesn’t want to use time she could be spending with her boyfriend studying for the competition. Her life is slipping out of her control. How can she have everything she wants?

                Available since the 21^st June, this is a great book for girls in the 14+ age group. Miller competently deals with teenage relationships showing how difficult it can be to balance love and other aspects of life. The book touches on teenage issues like body image and sex.

I really enjoyed this book. Molly’s unorthodox approach to solving her problems is absorbing and often hilarious. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good book that engages with teenage problems and has a more relaxed side to the storyline as well.

I would like to thank Bloomsbury for providing me with an advance copy of this book for review.

Reviewed by Roisin