The New Girl

Webster Grove #1

by Tracie Puckett

The FIRST in a FIVE-PART series.

Seventeen-year-old Steph has her heart set on a new beginning… for the eleventh time. A move to Webster Grove introduces her to a new school, new friends, and new experiences— including a few tender glances from her sexy English teacher. After signing up for a costuming position on the school production of Romeo and Juliet, co-directed by none other than the gorgeous Mr. Rivera, Steph soon learns the difficulties of withstanding the pursuit of forbidden love.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Novella

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Tracie is an award-winning stage actress, an international bestselling author, and the proud mother of two beautiful boys.

Her debut novel, Breaking Rules, was selected as one of iBooks Best of 2014 in Young Adult.

In the rare occasion that she's not playing matchmaker to fictional characters, you can likely find Tracie zooming down the hills of America's greatest roller coasters!

Reviews

[Carlos De Eguiluz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hace cuatro años leí este libro por primera vez, y sigo opinando lo mismo: Para pasar el rato, para leerlo en una tarde, o durante un viaje de carretera, no mas.

[♥Jessica, ♥Lady of the Library♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abcdef, or Steph, has been moving around the country for as long as she can remember. Her mom is basically a maniac, running from an old boyfriend that isn't even after her any more. And, have you seen what she named her child?
This time, she ends up in a small town called Webster Grove (Sounds like the name of a Dictionary to me.), where she'll attend a new high school with new people. She isn't new to this, though. It's an annual routine nowadays.
But there's something new waiting for her at her new high school. Her teacher, Mr.Rivera, is "the hottest teacher to ever walk the planet." Abcdef's words. Not mine.
(And hey, don't worry. It doesn't turn into erotica here. This is a young adult novel, after all.)

After admiring Mr.Rivera from a distance for awhile, Steph finds out something completely weird. Someday, if her whack-job mother accepts the marriage proposal given by his brother, they might end up being related!
They're spending lots of time together now, and it's kind of unhealthy and creepy to the average onlooker because it seems like there's something going on between them. Something fishy.

But look on the bright side. Mr.Rivera, who's first name is Alexander, isn't 3 million years old like most teachers. He's only 22. And Abcdef's 17. 5 year difference? In my opinion, that isn't too terrible.

Fate is definitely connecting the "hot teacher" and "the girl named after the first few letters of the alphabet." What will happen if there's some kind of tension between them? What if there's something more than just a teacher/student relationship rising to the surface? What the hell?

THE BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK:

There weren't really many bad things about this book. I was kind of indifferent about the whole thing, so the things I'm about to list are just little minor flaws, okay?

The cover looks cheap. This is stupid, but... it wouldn't look good on my 2014-Favorites shelf, which is the featured one on my page. And I was considering putting it on there, because this book was very cute and fun. If you think about it, that's a really great compliment. I've read plenty of books so far, this year, and only 7 have made it onto my favorites shelf.

I really love casual writing style. But this was TOO casual! When I was in elementary school, my favorite books were the ones with low vocabulary, innocent romance, and extremely casual writing style. But now that I'm older? And I've experienced other, more amazing writers that don't publish for middle grade authors? My expectations have been raised and more advanced. The plot was definitely NOT something I'd read in the past, but the style it's written in is.

AND HERE ARE THE THINGS I ACTUALLY LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:

This book was YA! Not full of sex and kinky shit. I don't think I can express through words how thankful I am that Tracie Puckett didn't turn this into some kind of erotic novel. The plot of the book is already almost too sexy or hot or whatever on it's own. And scenes like that between a teenager and a teacher? (A minor and an adult) Yuck! AND ILLEGAL!

The story didn't drag out too long. It ended at a perfect time. I've been reading a lot of books lately, where I read a page and I'm all ready to sigh in content as I close the book, but then a whole 'nother 4 chapters come after it. This usually takes off at LEAST one star from the rating, but this book didn't have that. The timing was perfect. No flaws with that.

The relationship between Mr.Rivera and Abcdef was cute. Not a turn-on or steamy. This is really similar to my first point, but it's a little different. The relationship between the two was completely friendly and casual. You could tell there was something going on between them, but in a cute way.

From the summary of this book..y'know, the whole: Teacher and student thing..well, you'd think it was hot and sexy and steamy. I said this earlier; but this whole book was really cute and adorable.
Something to read on a boring rainy day, y'know?

This was free, but the sequels? They aren't! And this really bothers me. Because I'm under 18 and if I ask to borrow my parents' credit card, they'll find out I'm reading a romance between a teacher and a student.
And then they'll jump to conclusions. And kill me. I cannot handle that kind of embarrassment.
Someday..somehow..I will get my hands on the sequel!

[SHOMPA · Rating 2 out of 5]

*1.5 stars!

It’s not that I don’t like the idea of forbidden teacher-student romance; in fact, I read them from time to time and enjoy them too.

But with this book, I did not expect it to be that flat. On top of that, the book was so short that it ended before anything could be understood. Unfortunately, nothing of any depth was found there either. Maybe I'm a little too old for such extreme teen drama. However, I am not a person who gives up so easily. I will definitely read the next book.

[Paria:D · Rating 2 out of 5]

اگر به دنبال داستاني به زبان اصلي در سطح متوسط و آسان هستيد ، اين كتاب گزينه ي مناسبي است. راحت و قابل فهم
داستان عشق هاي هميشگي دختران دبيرستاني به معلم در يك نگاه، اينبار كمي تخيلي تر، چرا كه معلم خوشتيپ نيز به دام مي افتد ;)

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reread September 2017 down from 4 to 2 stars, comes across a bit too immaturely for me.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read and pretty well-written. I loved how the author broke each part of the heroine's life into a section making it a five part series, which in the end, constitutes one whole book. I usually enjoy the YA genre so I thought I'd try this one since it was short and looked cute. The story line was sweet, if not a wee bit far-fetched. But the concept was realistic. How many gals have had crushes on their young high school teachers? I still remember how handsome Mr. MacDonald was. He looked amazing even 20 years later. Anyway...

I loved the characterization best. It seemed pretty genuine because one could see how moving so often would rattle a girl and make it difficult to feel like she belonged anywhere. Steph's mom was a truly flighty character, and ironically, I had a friend whose mother was exactly like that back in the day. So the way Steph's mom was portrayed made me smile. I loved the tension in the story, but I also appreciated how the author didn't cross any potentially offensive boundaries. The ending had a great twist and it made me smile. I will probably read the next installment in the series because of the clever ending.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what to think of this story. I mean it is a teacher and student which...I don't know about. Plus the story just ended. No lead up to an ending or lead up to a cliffhanger, it just stopped like the author just took a break and said eh that is good enough. It does make me curious as to where the next story starts, but I don't know if I will read it.

[Jaden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steph gets a 4 day suspension after being involved In a fight. When she comes back to school they have the play. Everything goes great with the production. After the play Mr.Rivera calls Steph into a room to talk. After he brings in someone very special to meet her.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying: do not be mislead by the cover. When I found this on goodreads, I admit to thinking that it was probably going to be some tooty fruity love story with nothing really good coming out of it. I feel bad for that immediate judgment because, to be honest, I absolutely adored these short stories. It's a brilliant start to an ever improving YA series - one that I highly recommend that you pick up and try. It's an excellent book to pick up if you need a cheer up, a pick me up, are wanting something light and quick... This book hits all of the right spots and damn, it hits them well!

I love how unique this is - from the main characters name to the romantic storyline; it's something refreshing and something so utterly adorable that I couldn't stop myself from reading on! It has a perfect mixture of drama, angst, fluff, cuteness and meltingly soppy romance! This mixture makes for something that I believe to be an excellent YA novel; one that does what a YA novel should! It's also refreshing to see the romance being focused on opposed to the sex; it's a nice change and it's as refreshing as an ice cold lemonade on a summers day. It's pleasing to see and I think that Tracie Puckett has done outstandingly well to write it in the way that she has - she's written a lovable main character (who I didn't once roll my eyes at; I sympathised entirely), a drop dead gorgeous male lead (who I absolutely adored), and she's got a storyline that's fast paced, keeps the reader on their toes and keeps one interested. She's written a well rounded short story here and I can't wait to see where this story goes!

If you're a fan of YA, romance or both of them together; then I would definitely recommend that you pick this up! It's definitely worth a try - I think it could be far more popular than it is because it's such a light, fluffy, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.

So much love goes to this series, love love love!

[Eva Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one goes to my favorite of 2016. I's surprised it has low rating in Goodreads but awesome reviews in ibook, and thanks to the ibook app I picked it up.

If you're looking for a quick read, contemporary, funny and cheesy book, this one is for you. It took me out of the mood of not reading anything for weeks and I loved every second of it. It was so funny I couldn't stop reading and when I did, I wanted to get the second one right away. Is that good!

So, the book begins when the protagonist (which her name is hilarious but I'm letting you find on your own ;) ) meeting her "hot English professor" on a new town. Yes, it has some cliche but the author's writing is so good that I read the book in almost one sitting. Plus the book is free on ibook, although it was to short *cries* but overall I loved this book and can't wait to pick the second one of this saga.

How about character development you may ask... Well, let me say that I find the main protagonist lovable and not annoying at all. The male protagonist was the perfect balance between a good professor and a good listener. The story doesn't build in just attraction and dreaming in how perfect the other is, which is a plus! As always I loved the friendship between the two girls (I mostly ship the friendship more than the love on books but I guess I'm that hard to convince on love LOL) but I have to say that I'm on board with this ship, I don't ship it yet but I like how is it playing out.

Totally recommend it IF you're in the mood for cliche romance and reading a book super quickly. :)

[Taylor McLemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book, “The New Girl”, is tells a story about a teenage girl and her life. The book gives facts about her and her mother. Steph is the name of the teenage girl. The book starts with Steph and it explains the troubles in her life when she was little. Her mother gave birth to her at the age of 15 and her father was an abusive man. Over the years, Steph had not worried about her father. At the age of 17, she moved to a different state and went to a different school. She made new friends and developed a crush. But, the crush was her English teacher. Steph really didn’t know how her new life was going to be. She just enjoyed the life at her new school.
I would not recommend this book. I would not recommend this book because there wasn’t any adventure to it. The book was good, but it wasn’t good enough. I enjoyed reading the book, but I would not want to read it again. A person in middle school would want to read this book, but not a person in high school.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and easy read.

[Popy Tobing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light book, finish it in 40 mins or so. Helps a bit after reading a depressing book. Light, entertaining kinda chicklit. I love the character name Abcde Ghijk, or she said "just call me Steph"

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book, The New Girl, is about a girl named Steph Ghijk and her mother who is constantly on the move. After moving to eleven different town, they end in a town called Webster Grove. At Steph's new school she meets new friends and a very attractive English teacher. One of Steph's new friends, Bridget, is set on getting her and another friend, Nathan, to try out for the play, Romeo and Juliet. Steph signs up for the lead costume designer and finds out that the co-director is her English teacher, Mr. Rivera.
Before Steph and her mom moved to Webster Grove her mom was emailing a guy named Calvin. He encouraged them to move to the town so he and Steph's mother could meet. One day, Steph's mother invites Calvin and his brother to their house for dinner and Steph finds out that Calvin's brother is Mr. Rivera. Calvin proposes to Steph's mother and Steph flips out because she doesn't want them to be married. Mr. Rivera is there to comfort and tell her that it will be okay. Steph tells Mr. Rivera that she admires Adriana Holbrook, a famous fashion designer, and that she is the reason Steph designs clothing. Mr. Rivera and Steph then come to realize that they have feeling for each other.
Now that the Ghijk family is settled into their house, Steph decides to go to the homecoming dance. Bridget always went with her best friend, Nathan, but when Nathan asks Rachel, Bridget is very disappointed. Steph encourages Bridget to go to homecoming. Bridget say she is going to talk to Rachel and that if she is not back in five minutes, to get a chaperone. While Bridget is talking to Rachel, Mr. Rivera comes up to Steph. He asked Steph to dance but she looks at him from head to toe, whistles and walks away to get her best friend. Steph finds Bridget in the bathroom fighting with Rachel over Nathan. Steph goes to break up the fight, but Miss. Holt thinks Steph is also part of the fighting. All three of the girls get suspended.
Even though Steph and Bridget get suspended they can still be in the play but can not practice while they are not in school. They come back to school the opening night of the play. The play was a huge success. Mr. Rivera then brings Adriana Holbrook, which is his grandmother, to the play. Steph is so happy that he brought Adriana to the play, that all she can do is hug him.
The New Girl is unlike any book I have every read. One thing I like about this book is it always keeps me on the edge of my seat. According to the book Mr. Rivera asked Steph if she believes in fate and then he names all the scenes when he thought fate brought them together. Another thing I like about the book is that there is just enough detail that you can image the scenes like you are there with the characters. One thing I hate about The New Girl is that the love relationship is between a teacher and one of his students. I think this is very inappropriate and unrealistic.
I would definitely recommend this book to one of my classmates. I would recommend this book because it always leaves you on cliff hangers, wanting to read more. This book should only be recommended to a middle schooler because it is a short and sweet book. The New Girl is really easy to read, due to the easy vocabulary. I bought the other books in the series and loved reading them also.

[Jane Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The New Girl, Tracie Puckett tells the story about Abcdef, also known as Steph, she’s a high school student that moves to a new school and a new city. Steph has been travelling around the world going to a total of 11 high schools in her life. She meets her new friends Bridget and Nate. She has a crush on her English teacher, Mr. Rivera. There is a play for Romeo and Juliet and Steph is very good at costume designing, so she signs up because she is forced by her new friend Bridget. The reader follows Steph and her journey to her new school and new experiences.
As Tracie Puckett takes the reader further into the story, the controversies and themes becomes visible. Big ideas like family problems and friendship find their way into the story. Tracie Puckett had a great plot, I thought each character was different and had a different story. I thought that the author made the story a bit slow and boring. I wouldn’t read this book again. The main message of the story is, change isn’t always bad. This is the main message because Steph always moves and she always didn’t really enjoy it but she seems to enjoy her new home in Webster’s Grove. The author’s purpose for writing this book is because it’s very relatable for someone who moves a lot in a short period of time.
Overall, I would rate this book a ⅗ stars on GoodReads. I thought that this book was a bit slow and wasn’t really my type of book. Also, I feel like this story isn’t original and doesn’t stand out. In the story, I got bored, but it slowly got better at the end. I would recommend this book to people in high school, not middle schoolers. This book is for mature readers because it has references to romance.

[Meghan Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free download on my Kobo and I have to admit the blurb caught me... though to be honest, I didn't realize it was a YA and thought it was a little kinky/steamy romance. It isn't.
This is a sweet YA book that reminds me of sweet valley high and babysitters club.

The writing is easy and you can finish the book in an hour or so, it is the first section of a series each about 20k words or so. I ended up purchasing the whole set and it had me captured as a nice light summer read.

The book gets 3 stars from me because while it is enjoyable, it could use some tweaking and editing, I also think she should scrap the sections and make it one big book because the characters really come into their own in the 3rd section Secrets to Keep and if you can get there, it will be worthwhile read. The only part that makes me cringe every time is the name 'Abcdef Ghijk' which may have sounded cute or interesting in the author's head, but grates every time I read it.

[Jenny Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The New Girl" is the first book in a series about a girl, Steph, who moves to a new state because her mom has found another new boyfriend. This first book explains her transition to a new school and making new friends. A quick friendship is made between herself and Bridget. And because of this friendship, Steph finds herself volunteering to design and make the costumes for the school play that Bridget happens to be the star in. Meanwhile, her mother gets serious with a guy she has only been dating for three weeks. And after that, things start to get interesting...

I thought this book was well written and the story line flowed nicely. Also I think the writer payed attention to her audience well because I have experience similar situations or know that my friends have. This helped me relate to the characters in the book a lot easier.

I would recommend this book to most teenage girls, some young adult women, but few guys. For the target audience, I think it is perfect and even people outside that age group. But I would not think many guys would appreciate the book.

[Rebecca Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about this story. Sitting in class with the characters was a bit boring for a while, but then, about halfway through, the plot picked up, and I was interested to find out what happened next.

Steph and her mom have moved around the country so many times, she’s gotten used to not making friends or unpacking her clothes from boxes. But all that changes when Steph’s mom meets a guy, whose brother happens to be one of Steph’s teachers—a teacher all the girls adore, including Steph. Will their relationship progress into something more, or will things fizzle before they even start?

This is a five-part series. I haven’t read the other four stories, but I’m interested in what happens between Steph and Mr. Rivera.

Overall, if you enjoy contemporary romance, then I'd recommend this story.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steph (not her real name, but her real name(s) are...interesting) is starting her 11th school and finds out she really likes things in her new town. She has a crush on her teacher, finally has two best friends who are like the siblings she never had, and is ready to follow her dreams of designing fashion. Caroline, her flighty and young mom, almost seems to be more of the child than Steph is. This story is short and ends abruptly, but apparently there are a few more books in the series, so maybe things will make sense when they're all put together.

Content: there was a little language and some situations that were awkward and almost uncomfortable, relating to her teacher, but no boundaries were crossed. There was a casual comment (that was mostly cut off) about someone being good in the bedr---. Also briefly mentioned, in no detail, is an incident of adultery.

[Namarhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Girl is a book about a girl who has moved around her whole life. She and her mother have moved from place to place. And her mother's constant on and off relationships don't help, and to top it all off her name is the first eleven letters of the alphabet. On her first day of school she encounters new classes, new friends, and a secret crush on her English teacher Mr. Rivera. I would recommend this book to a reader who enjoys a story about a new girl.

What I liked about this book is it leaves you wanting to read more each chapter. It leaves you in suspense while reading. I believe people who like books about romance and friendships would really enjoy this book. This book is kinda similar to other books I have read. Expect this was my first book I have read by this author,and I really enjoyed it.

[✴ eve ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got this as a free e-book on iTunes last night. It was only about 530 pages, so because it was very short it took less than an hour to finish.

I didn't really like it. I didn't get anything from it, didn't connect with the characters, didn't feel like there was a connection between Mr. Rivera and Steph (if there was even one at all, I'm so confused.) I did like Bridget though, she was funny.

Oh, and Steph isn't even her real name. It's Abcdef Ghijk. Yes. As in the alphabet. Fuck me dead, her paranoid mother named her that because they were hiding from Steph's abusive biological father. COULDN'T HAVE CHOSEN A BETTER NAME, CAROLINE? So ridiculous.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable YA novella. The twist at the end is completely unforeseeable, until it occurs, but in context, everything falls into place. It plays with all of the conventions of young adult romance, and appears to be headed someplace uncomfortable, but goes someplace wonderful instead.

[Jessica J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I finished the book! :( it was although short, I loved the story! The feel like the main character really had a lot of stress and personally I was able to understand all! I love love love loved it! (Sound familiar? Haha)

[Trisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

nope. just no.
mom setting her up with a teacher
and not caring about the age difference

the teacher clearly pushing when Steph is nervous about his advances.

ugh.

[Stephenie fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omgg

LOVED IT!! I wished She had been in the fight to and that it www was more romance tho. otherwise...FREAKIN GOOD

[churlot · Rating 1 out of 5]

hate to burst anyones bubble here but her relationship with alex is kinDA IMMORAL AND ILLEGAL WOW

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrible trash but just what I was in the mood for!

[Delores Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely something out of a movie! Haha ready for the next one!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! So cute, couldn't put it down!

[Britt Nichole · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the fuck was this book?

Lol, I originally had it at two stars, but decided one was a better fit. Oh well.
This book was so bad, I can't even put it into words. I don't even know where to begin and I don't think I'm even coherent enough to make proper paragraphs so Imma just go with a good ol' fashioned list of why this book fucking sucked.

Warning: spoilers from here on out.

>The main character's real name. What the fuck. Abcdef Ghijk. That was it. That was her fucking name. But she went by Steph. STEPH.
>The explanation behind her background is so LAZYYYYYY. The author spends all of like two pages to explain that Steph's name is Abcdef Ghijk because her mother wanted her to hide from her father, who was crazy abusive. That's why they moved around a lot.
>But oh, then her mother decides to STAY PUT in their current town after moving around literally a dozen times because SHE MEETS A GUY ONLINE. Oh, and she finds out that her ex (Steph's father) is in prison. Because, you know. Convenience.
>Oh yeah, that guy she meets online? PROPOSES AFTER THREE WEEKS OF DATING. AND SHE SAYS YES.
>And let's not forget that Caroline's (Steph's mother) fiancé is Steph's teacher's older brother. Again. Convenience.
>Should I really point out that Steph hooks up with her teacher? They never actually do the do, but they "cuddle" a lot and it's fucking creepy.
>Caroline is engaged to Mr. Rivera's brother and Steph is (secretly) seeing Mr. Rivera. Can't that, like, be considered some form of incest?
>Nate's character is fucking bipolar or something idk. He completely shuts out his friends with no explanation as to why.
>Oh yeah, and Steph TPs HER FRIEND'S HOUSE WITH HER FUCKING TEACHER
>OH and something I almost forgot. Steph has an interest in designing clothes, right? But they move around a lot. And Steph LITERALLY SAYS that she can't take much with her. So how the fuck does she always have supplies on hand to make outfits???? Yes, the school play is a thing, but she makes the costumes with her own supplies. And she mentions making dresses before, at her old houses. UM.
>AND her favorite designer is her teacher's fucking grandmother, whom she meets at the end. Again. CONVENIENCE.
>Can we please talk about how Mr. Rivera's grandmother does not find the fact that her grandson hugged his student weird at all???
>AND THERE WERE LIKE THREE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY WHO ARE ALL. THE. SAME. PERSON.
>Yeah, Caroline (Steph's mom), Rachel (a student), and Miss Holt (a teacher) are LITERALLY carbon copies of one another. STEPH EVEN SAYS SO.
>One second, Ms. Holt and Mr. Rivera are engaged/a definite thing and the next they aren't. Um.
>STEPH FUCKING PUTS UP A POSTER OF HER T E A C H E R ON THE WALL.
>Um
>Am I forgetting anything else?????
I probably am, but I think y'all get the point.
This book was complete, utter shit.
Its only saving grace was that it didn't have a love triangle (although the whole Mr
Rivera/Ms. Holt thing was questionable). And it was a teeny bit better than that shitty vampire book I reviewed a few days ago, but that ain't saying much.