Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Natalie Sterling knows just what kind of girl she is.  She’s a girl who just won the election for Student Council President.  She’s a girl who doesn’t go out to the stupid parties on weekends.  She’s a girl who works hard to please her parents and her favorite teacher, Ms. Bee.  She’s a girl with big plans, lots of energy and plenty of intelligence to get what she wants.  But in her senior year, everything changes.  Her best friend doesn’t seem to appreciate her advice anymore.  A kid she used to babysit is now a freshman and seems determined to flaunt her sexuality for everyone even though Natalie is trying to stop her and show her what’s right.  And worst of all, Natalie may just have fallen for a boy.

Vivian’s newest book explores the complexities of being a teen girl with a lot of honesty.  The tension between the “good girls” and those who are sexually active is evident here.  It’s handled with a wonderful sense of humor, all seen through the lens of Natalie’s perspective.  The book delves into the experience of the teen girl and offers up the right of all girls to be exactly who they really are.

Natalie is a great character, who changes throughout the novel, becoming not only more self-aware but pleasantly less sure of herself.  Natalie is a tough girl (a moniker she herself enjoys) with a clear perspective on life, who excels and expects others around her to try too.  But at the heart of much of what she does is a mask that protects her from gossip, a shield she puts between herself and others, though she doesn’t realize it. 

Winningly written, the book reads as a light novel, but deals with issues that are serious and have depth.  This is a book with appeal to that kind of girl and many other kinds as well.  Highly recommended for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Push.