Nobody's Girl

Jul 24, 2011 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I got this book from the library and didn't know whether I'd enjoy it because I don't usually enjoy books like this. I have quite alot in common with Bea and her life/the story really enthralled me and I couldn't stop reading! I read the majority of it in one day.
I love the adventures that they got up to in Paris, with the little french cafe's and learning how to bake. It made me want to go to Paris and see all of the places like Pont Neuf and the cafe from Amelie (even though I haven't even se...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 27, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, y-a, feels

Sarra Manning has become one of my favorite Y.A authors. It started with "Let's get lost" which left me sobbing, and I do mean sobbing, like a little girl. I think this is my second favorite Sarra Manning book. I love everything about it. I love the travelling and descriptions of Paris! It reminds me of "Anna and the french kiss"(or rather, "Anna and the french kiss" reminded me of this book), which is obviously a great thing.
Basically, it's a great story. I read it in one sitting. I could NOT...more

like 2 likes · see review

Dec 19, 2012 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: five-stars, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, apparently I'm never going to get around to doing a proper review for this, so have some sketchy bullet points instead:

* Gorgeous cover. ♥
* Loved how BRITISH it was! Having a Plymouth Brethren friend! Charity shops!
* The abundance of strong female characters was awesome. (Grandma Major and Grandma Minor in particular!)
* Bea herself was pretty amazing. I was completely sold on her voice, and her character arc was all kinds of wonderful.
* The American gang were great -- loved that Jess, Erin...more Okay, apparently I'm never going to get around to doing a proper review for this, so have some sketchy bullet points instead:

* Gorgeous cover. ♥
* Loved how BRITISH it was! Having a Plymouth Brethren friend! Charity shops!
* The abundance of strong female characters was awesome. (Grandma Major and Grandma Minor in particular!)
* Bea herself was pretty amazing. I was completely sold on her voice, and her character arc was all kinds of wonderful.
* The American gang were great -- loved that Jess, Erin, and Bridge all had their own personalities.
* Toph was adorable! I feel sure that boys like this don't actually exist irl, but the romance between him and Bea set my heart a-flutter.
* The WRITING!!! It utterly transported me. The sense of place was fantastic -- the sunshine of Spain, the cobbled streets of France, even the suburbs of London. I could eat this book up, the writing was so good.

However, while I liked this a whole lot, it wasn't quite perfect. I'm giving it 5 stars because I'm rounding up, but I want to set out what bugged me:

* Not 100% sure about the pacing? Felt like it was kind of slow to get going, and after the stuff with Ruby it just randomly switched directions to ~European roadtrip yeah~
* The whiteboard scene was... really not that dramatic. I mean, the bit where Bea realises she's not upset, she's angry was so powerful it gave me shivers and I had to re-read it to savour the moment a bit longer. But after throwing Ruby et al's clothes out of the window and pouring all their booze down the toilet, to then write up a TIMELINE of their indiscretions felt a bit... amateur... and slightly anal. :\ I guess I just didn't get what the big deal was? For it to have had such a huge impact on Ruby and her gang seemed bizarre, since they went through boyfriends so frequently.
* I thought it was a mistake to have the week with Toph in London. I mean, yeah, nice for the reader to see that Bea's confidence transferred back to home soil re: Ruby, but the awkwardness between her and Toph seemed to take away from what they had in Paris. The pacing began to drag at that point.
* For Bea to still not be as close to her mum after a year seemed wrong? You get over these things. I wouldn't have minded if Bea was just growing up and becoming independent, but not forgiving her mum leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Everyone makes mistakes, and at the end of the day her mum was the one who was always there for her, trying to do the right thing and bring her daughter up not to make the same mistakes she did. Not knowing who your father is isn't the end of the world.

P.S. Can anyone explain the last sentence of the prologue? "I just never realised my destiny would have a really thick Spanish accent." Who on earth is that referring to?? Surely not Iban-the-lecherous-creep that Bea met in a club? Or is it supposed to be a red herring? Because all it's done is left me baffled.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 Pcroacr rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Bea thinks she's the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world. She's not pretty or popular or funny, unlike her mother who had Bea when she was 17. The only glamorous thing about Bea is the French father who left before she was born and lives in Paris.

She yearns for la vie Parisienne every moment of her dull existence. So when Ruby Davies, the leader of her school's most elite clique picks Bea as her new best friend and asks her to go on holiday with them, she's wary but delighted. If nothin...more Bea thinks she's the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world. She's not pretty or popular or funny, unlike her mother who had Bea when she was 17. The only glamorous thing about Bea is the French father who left before she was born and lives in Paris.

She yearns for la vie Parisienne every moment of her dull existence. So when Ruby Davies, the leader of her school's most elite clique picks Bea as her new best friend and asks her to go on holiday with them, she's wary but delighted. If nothing else it's two weeks away from her over-protective mother.

But when the gang arrive in Spain, Bea is crushed to realise that Ruby and her posse have simply been using her. Bea wreaks vengeance on her so-called friends, and plans to decamp to Paris to find her father. But when she falls asleep on the train and wakes up in Bilbao, she meets a group of American students who are backpacking around Europe and bonds with them straight away, especially the gorgeous Toph who helps heals Bea's hurting heart.

Though Bea has a shock in store when they finally get to Paris. The 'City of Lovers' really works it magic on Bea and Toph who spend a week wandering the sun-dappled streets of Paris, talking, holding hands and falling in love. When it comes time to go home to confront her Mum about her mysterious father, the new version of Bea is determined that she'll never go back to her old, boring way of life - she's no longer Nobody's Girl; she belongs to herself and to Toph...

But with an ocean between them, will he wait for her?
I loved nobody’s girl it was a pure delight to read i really enjoyed it. It is an all round book that can be read anytime of the year. I have actually lost count how many times i have read it. You wont want to finish it in one sitting it is that good. If i could describe it in two words i would say just WOW and Exciting.
You will feel so many different emotions reading it you will be broken hearted one minute and it will be glued back together in the same sentence
shout out to sarra manning for writing such a brilliant book!(less)

like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Kate Lomas Glendenning rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would consider this a 5 star book and one of Sarra Manning's best novels, I just finished reading 'Adorkable' by Manning and it's a close second to my favourites by Manning, this book obviously the first! It's a book that I love to re-read!

This book follows 17-year-old Bea who has a crazy obsession with France, who has a father from Paris that she has never met! Bea is a quiet, shy girl then all a sudden the popular Ruby takes an interest in her and Bea agrees to go on holiday to Spain with h...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Hallie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

A very rare thing - a YA book I read that made me wonder why an adult (that'd be me, for the record) would read YA. I've certainly read worse, but that isn't a great criterion for reading for pleasure. Thought this might be a new, British Sarah Dessen, but not even close.

Writing isn't great.
Length of time given to the Mean Girls Adopt Unpopular Me?! part of the story was ridiculously long.
Bea wasn't the sharpest of heroines, but even so - not seeing that the holiday with the Mean Girl pack would...more

like · see review

Apr 20, 2011 Bobby rated it 5 of 5 stars

I went through a Sarra Manning phase when I was younger, and in a recent fit of self-inflicted reminiscing, I borrowed and read Nobody's Girl. Suffice it to say that over the years, her books have lost none of their innate ability to drag me into the story and keep me there until it's good and ready to let me go. I started reading it at gone one in the morning, so confident was I that I would soon be putting it down again, but when I closed the back cover at half past four, I didn't have a singl...more

like · see review

Dec 27, 2010 Jim From YAYeahYeah rated it 5 of 5 stars

17 year old Bea is obsessed with France. Who wouldn't be, when they had a Parisian father they'd never met? Especially when life back home with an over-protective mother and rather boring friends is so, well, dull. At least it is until Ruby takes an interest in her. Falling under the spell of her school's most glamorous girl, Bea finds herself agreeing to go on holiday to Spain with Ruby and her mates. Except when she gets there, she's suddenly kicked out of the in crowd. What's a girl to do? Cr...more 17 year old Bea is obsessed with France. Who wouldn't be, when they had a Parisian father they'd never met? Especially when life back home with an over-protective mother and rather boring friends is so, well, dull. At least it is until Ruby takes an interest in her. Falling under the spell of her school's most glamorous girl, Bea finds herself agreeing to go on holiday to Spain with Ruby and her mates. Except when she gets there, she's suddenly kicked out of the in crowd. What's a girl to do? Crawl home to her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother? Or head off to Paris to search for her long lost dad?

Of course, she chooses Paris, and meets a new group of friends, some American backpackers - rather nicer this time, especially the gorgeous Toph. Ignoring her mother's demands for her to return home, Bea finds solace in her new companions and falls completely in love with the city - and possibly with a certain boy as well. Are they meant for each other? Or is Bea destined to be Nobody's Girl forever?

Sarra Manning is one of my favourite YA authors and delivers another funny, romantic and fast-paced read here with lots of great characters. I thought Bea's family - especially the grandmothers - were particularly strong and liked the way the two groups Bea travelled with were fleshed out as well; it was interesting to see the way Bea's impressions of some of her companions changed throughout the book.

The romance develops nicely and I also thought it was interesting that Toph was such a nice guy generally - compared to some previous Manning leading men he's an absolute angel. Bea, as I've come to confidently expect from Sarra, is a fantastic narrator who really comes of age during the course of the book.

A final thing - Manning's descriptions of Paris are particularly strong - so much so that I've caught myself considering leaping on a plane at least two or three times since finishing the book!

High recommendation, particularly to fans of Sarah Dessen, Simone Elkeles and Cecily von Ziegesar. (less)

like · see review

May 05, 2010 Sophie Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

This gets four stars in my book: and the detraction of one star is only because I'm quite choosy about that fifth star. It's one of the best YA books I've ever read, but in saying that, I have been reading some truly astounding books of late so my comparisons are tainted.

I cannot pick many flaws out in this book: it was atmostpheric, quirky, funny, intelligent... Sarra Manning's writing is improving (I fell in love with her writing when I read "Guitar Girl"... and then I devoured "Pretty Things"...more

like · see review

May 03, 2010 Emilyandherlittlepinknotes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, young-adult, chick-lit-for-a-twenty-something

I love everything about Sarra Manning’s books: writing style & characters & references (songs and general culture). J’adore Sarra Manning and I have all her books on my bookshelf.

Nobody’s girl is a coming of age story in which 17 years old Bea, the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world, embraces in a journey that will take her to Paris backpacking with a group of american students.

Every time I pick up a book from Manning I feel a perfect connection between me and her characters, sh...more

like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012books

Bea thinks she's the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world. She's not pretty or popular or funny, unlike her mother who had Bea when she was 17. The only glamorous thing about Bea is the French father who left before she was born and lives in Paris. She yearns for la vie Parisienne every moment of her dull existence. So when Ruby Davies, the leader of her school's most elite clique picks Bea as her new best friend and asks her to go on holiday with them, she's wary but delighted. If nothin...more

like · see review

Jul 02, 2010 Mikaela rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book leaves me upset and hurt. Sarra Manning will always be the author who made me fall in love with books, however this book to me puts her name to shame. It started out boring, with a boring character and a shitty story line. Things got better when they went overseas, especially the multiple bitch fights, and when Bea was throwing clothes out windows and writing scandals on whiteboards i have to admit i couldn't put it down.

Then we meet Toph and his gang (Just quietly i love jess, there s...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Elena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ya-fiction

Hmm! This is a 2.5 stars rating. I don't like to be a harsh rater, especially when it's a book by the author who wrote the book that shaped my teenage years (Guitar Girl), but I just didn't connect with this one. Perhaps it's to do with me not being a teenager any longer and not being able to identify with the whole 'I hate my mum' thing, but I didn't connect with Bea, the main character, and I found her bratty and irritating.

However, I've stated before that Sarra Manning has a fantastic ability...more

like · see review

May 10, 2012 Resident Optimist rated it 2 of 5 stars

Very unrealistic, no parent would let their seventeen year old daughter go to a foreign country if they didn't want to and definitely would not give in to peer pressure from a 'famous star'. The likelihood that she DID go, all that drama happened and then she met some American tourists that she got along with was unrealistic too. In reality, she'd probably find a police officer/figure of authority and explain her situation, get directed to the British embassy and be on the next flight home. How...more

like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Michelle Sallay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites, on-my-blog

Originally on my blog: http://ilovedthisbook.blogspot.com

I'm kind of in love with Sarra Manning these days. In fact, I feel like I might be having some kind of one-sided book affair with her. I picked up my first Manning book on a whim, and devouring her past books has been ever so wonderful.

Nobody's Girl might be my favorite yet. A lot happens in this book, and it is one of the best coming of age stories that I have read in a long time. It might have been a bit slow going for me at first becaus...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, stand-alone

First off, I loved Bea. Not because she had amazing gifts, or because she kicked arse. But because she was like me when I was her age. Bea was kind, nice, and too shy to stand up for herself. She had a completely overprotective mother, like mine, who wouldn’t let her out of the house without some sort of emotional chastity belt on. I could completely relate to Bea, and what it felt like to be in her shoes, so when I was reading about how she stood up to the mean girls in Malaga, I practically ‘y...more First off, I loved Bea. Not because she had amazing gifts, or because she kicked arse. But because she was like me when I was her age. Bea was kind, nice, and too shy to stand up for herself. She had a completely overprotective mother, like mine, who wouldn’t let her out of the house without some sort of emotional chastity belt on. I could completely relate to Bea, and what it felt like to be in her shoes, so when I was reading about how she stood up to the mean girls in Malaga, I practically ‘yippeed’ for her! Bea's narrative voice was also very real and genuine, perfectly portraying teenage anxieties, dreams and the occasional drunken nights.

Her relationship with her mother was fraught with tension, usually around Bea's relationship (no matter how imaginary) with boys and her mother's constant worry that Bea might lose her virginity and get pregnant as a teenager like she did. The parental chains felt so real, and I was glad that the mother's push about abstinence was tempered by Bea's physical feelings for Toph.

Bea's love interest, Toph, really won me over too. I'm getting really bored of gorgeous, sexy guys that have no substance or character to them; but Toph was different. Manning squeezed in so much about his personality, little details about the curve of his eyelashes and his quirky habits such as wearing 'I LOVE...' hats that I actually felt like I knew him as a person without thinking how hot he was.

As part of her mistaken, forbidden travels Bea ends up in Paris. References to Amelie, Audrey Hepburn and French music showed how well Bea (and Sarra Manning) had obsessed over and learnt about all things French, and even though I didn't get all the references I still loved the idea that Bea decorated her room to look like Amelie's and wanted her first kiss on the Pont Neuf! Reading about Toph and Bea's days spent wandering the streets of Paris and visiting cafes and restaurants made me want to jet off to Europe, sip coffee with a pain au chocolat and travel around with my own set of amazing but absurd rules.

Despite being a 'girl meets guy' type scenario, the plot still managed to surprise, intrigue and interest me. When Bea was confronted by the mean girls' final act of abuse, I was literally hooked to the pages and spent several nights going to bed late because I couldn't put the book down.

Genuine and true to life, Nobody's Girl had me hooked from the start and took me right back to my teenage years. My love affair for Sara Manning has now officially started.

Rating: 5*(less)

like · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Lyndsey Rushby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

When I started reading this book, I really wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. I was actually contemplating not carrying on with it after a while but I always like to try to finish books when they have come from the publisher so I decided to stick with it for a little longer and I am damn glad I did. It took around 100 pages for this book to really get into the swing of things and to get to the parts that really mattered, the times when Bea was on her own and ready for a big adventure.

As s...more When I started reading this book, I really wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. I was actually contemplating not carrying on with it after a while but I always like to try to finish books when they have come from the publisher so I decided to stick with it for a little longer and I am damn glad I did. It took around 100 pages for this book to really get into the swing of things and to get to the parts that really mattered, the times when Bea was on her own and ready for a big adventure.

As soon as Bea leaves the mean girls, I was so much happier. Stuck, Bea comes across a group of Americans who are heading to Paris anyway and ask if she wants to go with them instead of on her own. Bea was a lovely girl, if not a bit dull to begin with, so I was happy to finally see her come out of her shell a bit more with her newfound friends and start being the girl she wanted to be. Being older, the American characters had experienced more life and did a lot more fun things so they were great for getting Bea to do more exciting things. I really enjoyed watching Bea change from being completely shy to having a great time and getting drunk in a club and dancing the night away. I was kind of a bit proud of her for standing up for herself and setting out to do something that she really wanted, all by herself.

Bea and Toph were great characters to read about together. Due to certain circumstances, they find themselves alone in Paris and decide to make the most of it even though their friendship has been far from smooth up until this point. Being the only two characters left gave Bea and Toph a lot of time to develop and for me to get to know a lot more about them and I really enjoyed discovering the little things which made them tick and also the things which made them both extremely happy, even if they were only silly little things like taking the metro instead of walking around. Their friendship was one of the best parts of this book for me and it was a lovely thing to discover for me as well as them. Yes, there is also a very slow building romance between them but it was truly perfect. There is none of this love at first sight rubbish. Bea and Toph actually spend a lot of time getting to know each other before even admitting that they like each other.

When I read this book, I had been going through a bit oh a phase of reading books set in either France in general or Paris. This was not intentional though apart from one book and it was pure chance that the publishers sent these books and that I happened to read them within the space of a month. Anyway, this was the book that inspired me to take my own trip to Paris next summer and to have myself a bit of an adventure, even if it is only for a week or two. Of all the places I have been, Paris is not one of them and now, I am dying to go and explore and all because of this book. The descriptions of the places that Bea and Toph go are wonderfully written and many of the places are now where I want to go myself. I also think I may write myself a list of rules like they did for while I’m there. If you haven’t read this book and have no idea what I’m talking about, some of the things that Bea and Toph had on their list was:

Take pictures of everything…preferably in black and white
Make the most of Paris at night
No eating in places where the signs aren’t in French

I know these may sound a little bit silly, but I think it will be quite fun to have a check list for my adventure and to see how many of the things I actually do.

Sarra Manning’s writing is impeccable so there is no wonder that she is dubbed the Queen of Teen. She knows exactly how to write teenage characters and has their mannerisms, speech and thoughts down perfectly. After reading Nobody’s Girl, I immediately added every other book she has ever written in the YA genre to my wish list and cannot wait to get around to buying them. Manning is definitely a new favourite author of mine and I completely and utterly loved this book!
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Kyra rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I went to the library a few weeks back I saw Nobody's Girl sitting on the library shelf. It seemed like whenever I went to the library, Nobody's Girl would always catch my eye. A few weeks back I finally took it out, the premise sounded really intriguing and I'm kind of obsessed with reading Young Adult travelling books that are situated in different parts around the world at the moment. When starting Nobody's Girl I noticed they had quite a few swear words that put me off reading it but I'...more When I went to the library a few weeks back I saw Nobody's Girl sitting on the library shelf. It seemed like whenever I went to the library, Nobody's Girl would always catch my eye. A few weeks back I finally took it out, the premise sounded really intriguing and I'm kind of obsessed with reading Young Adult travelling books that are situated in different parts around the world at the moment. When starting Nobody's Girl I noticed they had quite a few swear words that put me off reading it but I'm glad I continued reading as I absolutely loved the story! Nobody's Girl might be one of my favourite contemporaries this year.

The first page of Nobody's Girl was interesting and grabbed my attention, I could just tell that the character, Bea, was going to have a major turning point in her life and that she was going to have an amazing adventure, therefore dragging us along for an exhilarating ride. Nobody's Girl was a book that kept me reading up until eleven at night, a book that I was reading while I was supposed to be doing other things and a book that kept me hooked and had me turning the pages at neck-breaking speed, okay, maybe not that fast, but close to it ;)

The plot definitely had a few surprising events. There were parts where I was gawking, mainly at Bea's hilarious tactics and I was exclaiming that I couldn't believe Bea, Bea of all people, had just done that, there were parts where I was chortling out loud and parts that had me close to tears. I also love the way Sarra Manning writes, her writing has such intense emotions that when Bea was spitting with anger, I could feel my anger rising too, when Bea was upset, I had tears brimming in my eyes, you really experience the all the characters' emotions when reading Nobody's Girl. The plot flowed at the right amount, not too fast and not too slow, there was always something happening to keep me interested and not let my attention be diverted from reading the book.

I loved Bea. I really did. I think every teenage girl can relate to her. We all go through those times where we feel plain, frumpy, dull and unpopular. I could empathise with Bea and at some parts in the story I was like "Oh my gosh, I know exactly what she means" and its always nice when you can relate to a story. Most of the time Bea was a really good role model, she had her flaws but she tried to correct them and at the same time trying to be her own person. Towards the end she realised she was perfect the way she was and accepted herself for who she is. A lot of the time in contemporary, chick-lit fiction, the main character is a shallow, selfish person who keeps running themselves down, it was so refreshing to see Bea discovering herself and accepting herself. She really changed and matured throughout the book and when I finished the book, sat back and thought about what I just read I realised just how much she had changed (in a good way) and I loved that Sarra Manning took us on this journey to travel along with Bea and help her find herself.

The mean girls were just horrible, I could not believe how atrocious they acted towards her, their schemes, their lies and everything else about them was just mean and vicious. The author really got into their minds and I could imagine the girls perfectly. When Bea got revenge on them I was so astounded that she actually did what she did - and I loved every minute of it.

The romance was stunning. I haven't actually read a Young Adult book that is like that sugary sweet romance you sometimes see in soppy, romantic comedy films. But the romance in Nobody's Girl was perfect. The ending had tears welling up in my eyes and I was close to sobbing and was like "Toph, don't do this to meee!" It wasn't insta-love and I loved how they took things slowly. A major plus as well was that the Bea and Toph were actually friends, usually in YA books all the romance is about kissing, but Bea and Toph could really speak to each other and pour out their emotions, which had earned a cupcake from me!

There are two other great things I loved about Nobody's Girl:
a) There was actual, parental mention in a Young Adult book! I don't know if you've noticed but most of the YA books out there have little to no mention of the parents. I really liked that the mother was involved and that there were limitations to what Bea could and couldn't do, even though sometimes she ignored her mother and did what she wanted, but if she didn't do that, it wouldn't have really made her a realistic character.

b) The scenery of Paris <3<3 I read a book a couple of weeks ago called 13 Little Blue Envelopes, I really enjoyed it but it was just lacking the European feel, the author didn't really describe any of the places in detail, so when I read Nobody's Girl I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of description of Paris and London. I could imagine walking down the cobbled streets, hearing the exuberant French language and seeing the little cafes serving delicious French foods. From now on I am going to try and read as many Children's/Young Adult books that are based in different countries around the world.

The one and only thing I didn't like about Nobody's Girl was the amount of swearing. I really, really hate books with swearing in and from my point of view, it completely ruins the book. Thankfully the amount of swearing decreased as the book continued and I fell in love with Nobody's Girl all over again because of the interesting characters, the lovely plot, the funny sayings and the great romance.

Nobody's Girl is a book that I would highly recommend to fans of Pushing the Limits and 13 Little Blue Envelopes. A journey of a girl who wants to find out who she is and where she belongs. The setting and description was stunning and I could imagine the Parisian cafes, the gorgeous food and the beautiful Parisian land marks. The characters had depth and exposed raw emotion throughout the book. A friendship that begun a sweet romance. Nobody's Girl has everything you could ask for in a book and, maybe,even more...

I give it: 5 CUPCAKES!(less)

like 1 like · see review

Mar 01, 2010 Sophie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: uk-author, signed, favorites

I’ve loved Sarra Manning’s books for years and I wasn’t surprised when Nobody’s Girl became one of my favourite books of the year so far.

I see Sarra Manning as the darker, edgier and quirkier UK version of Sarah Dessen. And like Sarah Dessen’s novels, Sarra’s focus on normal, every-girl characters who are (usually) completely lovable, easy to relate to and find out who they really are. In Nobody’s Girl, Bea is a former shy and boring doormat (or so she thinks) who turns into a strong and feisty...more

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 08, 2010 Nomes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

Recommended: About first kisses and love and friendship, this is a book for any girl who has daydreamed about finding adventure, a knight in shining armour and discovering a world bigger than the worries of high school.

Nobody's Girl has just been short-listed for The Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010 which is a prestigious UK based award

This was my first Sarra Manning novel and being the contemp girl that I am, I loved the sound of the premise. Europe, romance, coming of age, etc, etc.

The book defini...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jan 01, 2013 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: uk-author, favourites

Where's do I start with the gushing about how much I loved this book because quite honestly I don't think I can say enough good things about it.

I loved nobody's girl and I think a bit reason why I did was because I really 'got' Bea. Quite honestly the way she describes her life, her social situations etc this book could have been lifted from pages of my diary at the same ages (had I kept one that is). She was brilliantly written and I thought this was especially the case when you saw the way in...more

like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 Mel (who is deeply in love with Hal) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yes! I wept like a little baby (and not a very cute one) in Let's Get Lost. I was kinda expecting the same sort of strong emotional reaction from this book of Sarra Manning's, because those are my expectations now, but sadly I didn't. And yet I still gave it a 5....because it was just so damn addictive! Man, everything was just so...good. So right. Even the usual bitchy girls in the book were not over-the-top cruel or unrealistic. I actually recognised them as people, not "people who behave in a...more

like · see review

May 22, 2011 Evelina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, favorites, wishlist, to-buy

Nobody's Girl totally surprised me. I didn't have very high expectations, and I only read it because I didn't have anything else to read at the moment. But since Anna and The French Kiss, I've become this total sucker for anything French. So it was kinda obvious I was going to fall in love with this novel too.

Lets just start with the fact that this books just tells us how EVIL girls can be. Ruby and her gang are so mean, you think it just exists in fiction but thats the thing. It doesn't. I can...more

like · see review

Mar 27, 2010 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2010

Bea thinks she's the most boring teenager in the world and even her Saturday job - at Wilson's - is boring. So when Ruby and her posse (Ayesha, Chloe and Emma) invite her into their gang, Bea wonders if it's supposed to be some kind of joke. She hesitantly joins the group and it turns out that Ruby and co. do really like Bea. They even invite her on holiday to Malaga with them. Within 48 hours of being in Malaga though, Bea finds herself at a train station and she decides, on a whim, to head to...more Bea thinks she's the most boring teenager in the world and even her Saturday job - at Wilson's - is boring. So when Ruby and her posse (Ayesha, Chloe and Emma) invite her into their gang, Bea wonders if it's supposed to be some kind of joke. She hesitantly joins the group and it turns out that Ruby and co. do really like Bea. They even invite her on holiday to Malaga with them. Within 48 hours of being in Malaga though, Bea finds herself at a train station and she decides, on a whim, to head to Paris to find her absent father. Bea hooks up with a group of American backpackers on the way, including gorgeous Toph, and the group head off to Paris. Is Bea in danger of falling in love with more than Paris, though?

For a while now I've been getting into the genre that is Young Adult (YA) and Sarra Manning is billed as the Queen of Teen so who better to introduce me to a new genre? Sarra has a great writing background and Nobody's Girl is her 11th book so since Nobody's Girl was her most recent release, I decided to buy it for myself. It was one I was really looking forward to reading and after completing Dorothy Koomson's new book I decided to give this a go!

As I mentioned, I'm relatively new to the YA genre but I've been told many a time that some YA books are similar to the chick lit books I love so much so I wasn't too worried about giving Nobody's Girl a try. Especially since the blurb makes the mention of a potential romance between Toph and Bea and who doesn't love a good romance? The book starts as Bea is at the train station in Malaga but quickly goes back to when Ruby and co. suddenly wanting Bea as their new best friend. Like Bea, I was wary of what Ruby was up to and as it came clear exactly what it was, I felt so sad for Bea. What Ruby does to Bea is something everybody hears of all of the time - not to mention a lot of people have experienced it - so everyone will be able to relate to just how angry Bea gets about the whole thing before heading off to the train station.

As Bea decides that she is going to go to Paris to find her absent father - and defy her mother in the process since her mum so is anti-anything that could relate to boys and going to Paris could certainly bring boys into Bea's life - Bea buys herself a train ticket and rushes off to find her train. After falling asleep Bea wakes up confused and finds out she isn't exactly in Paris. Turns out Bea is still in Spain. In Bilbao in fact. A group of young, American travellers then take Bea under their wing as they're heading to Paris, too, and the group set off. Bea immediately takes a shine to the beautiful Toph but does he feel the same way?

That may sound like a lengthy plot but so much more happens in this book that really, my description is nothing! What I mention above is all on the back of the book and I thought that was all that would happen but there is so much more. There are quite a few secrets revealed - particularly concerning Bea's dad - which really surprised me. What also surprised me that on the blurb of my book it says Bea and Toph search for Bea's father in Parisian cafes and that is every so slightly misleading. In fact, it's very misleading and a strange inclusion to the blurb.

I immediately warmed to Bea and I think that's mainly because I'm kind of a dull teenager and I sometimes wonder if I fail at being a teenager. Like Bea, I'm not really into parties or anything like that so I could relate to her right from the off. Although I haven't yet gone on holiday to Malaga before running off to Paris and I don't think it's going to happen! Most teenagers will be able to relate to Bea because not only does she feel incredibly dull but her mum is rather over-protective and worries constantly. It's no bad thing, of course, but if it happens to you, you'll know and understand why it irritates Bea. Bea's family seem very important to her and I really liked her family unit. Her mum was over-protective, yes, but she was still a lovely character. James and the twins were also great characters but my favourites of Bea's family had to be Grandma Major and Minor. I adored them and thought they were hilarious. I loved Toph right from the off although there were a few scenes where he appeared to be off with Bea. Bea and Toph seemed to sink into their friendship really easily and I wondered how long it would take for Bea to fall for Toph.

Sarra Manning's writing is really fantastic. She very easily conveys what it's like to be a teenager and I'm always astounded how writers who aren't still in their teens are so able to get into the mind of a teenager. The book spends a lot of time in Paris and the descriptions were outstanding. I've never been to Paris but Nobody's Girl took me a lot lot closer and I could practically see everything Bea was seeing. Manning must have really done her research and she made Paris sound as magical as Bea seemed to believe it was.

I hugely enjoyed reading Nobody's Girl and it seems I am falling in love with the YA genre. I'm now sorely tempted to buy the rest of Sarra's books although that would be a hugely expensive thing to do but I'm sure it would be totally worth it. Nobody's Girl is a fantastic read and I'm so pleased to have found a YA author who has quite a few books out so I get the chance to read all of her previous works. If you love a good teen romance book then Nobody's Girl is definitely for you! (less)

like 3 likes · see review

Mar 09, 2011 Helen Capstick rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Women

Shelves: favorites, 2011-books-read

Nobody’s girl was an interesting read, very insightful into the ways of teen girls. I liked the storyline of the fight in Spain with Ruby and the girls. I think this was a really exciting bit in the book.

I think the characters were believable and could relate to some of the storylines. The written language was easy to follow also. I think the message to just be you and also stick up for yourself was cool.

Before reading this I’ve never read any books by Sarra Manning, however after reading Nobod...more

like · see review

Nov 13, 2011 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, romance, tear-jerkers, young-adult, 2011

This book left me in tears as soon as I finished it. This book is about a unbelievably romantic holiday to Paris and a under-average 17 year old girl who's life is so dull and boring you wouldn't believe who eventually looses her heart. His name is Toph (short for Chistopher) and he loves Bea and her unusal english ways and it's good to see her happy as well.

I loved this book so bad and really recommend it to people who like laid-back writing.

like · see review

May 25, 2012 Cassidy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was literally devoured, by moi. I loved every second of the wonderful, inspirational journey of the not so boring Bea and Troph. This story is one that I would call "close to perfection" it made me angry,sad, happy and yeah if I drank diet coke I might have snorted some up my nose from those quirky little sentences that make u laugh during times like silent reading. It was fantastically written I give it a big thumbs up!!!

like · see review

Aug 02, 2012 Chelsea Gaspard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well written, and in my opinion well paced. Some people complained that the beginning was dragged out a little too long but I felt like it was just right. Minor spoilers nothing big at all but for those of you that are very "sensitive" to spoilers (like me lol) don't read!

Tbqh Bea pissed me off in the beginning her willingness to just be friends with Ruby and all of them ugh so annoying but in the end they got what they deserved (; Anyways Toph was of course, likeable in my opinion he wasn't swo...more

like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Nourah Al-Seikhan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarra Manning never fails to amaze me, she nailed every book she wrote which i read
And by the way who in the right mind would hate a book that is set in PARIS ?!!
I'll give this book a 4.9/5 just because of certain events that happened

Edit: i forgot to add That i really like how Toph gets all jealous,cranky when she's near other boys 3

like · see review

Oct 19, 2011 Mellissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the book however I thought for the a 17 year old girl she was a rather immature teenage with some of her vocabulary at the start of the book. Once she met the very awesome americans I thought her maturity grew and made me like her more and loved the love story :)

like · see review

title link	preview: Nobody's Girl
avg rating	preview: Nobody's Girl Goodreads rating: 4.07 (434 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2447010.Nobody_s_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348046925l/2447010.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2447010.Nobody_s_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning[/url]

Nobody's Girl

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Sarra Manning

Books by Sarra Manning

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Nobody's Girl

Nobody's Girl

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Sarra Manning

Books by Sarra Manning

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Nobody's Girl

new topic
Discuss This Book