Stevie‘s review of Any Other Girl by Rebecca Phillips
Contemporary Young Adult Romance published by Kensington 26 Jan 16
Being the odd one out in a group is tough, especially so for teenagers, and I really feel for Kat right from the start of this book, as she does everything she can to distract people from her unconventional family and to try and fit in better with how people think she should act. It’s not that she wants to be the centre of attention, necessarily, it’s just that she doesn’t want her fathers to either be ostracised or to find out that people are treating her differently because of them.
Kat likes sports and outdoor pursuits, but quit the soccer team in favour of being a girlie girl after she heard her team-mates’ mothers blaming her father for Kat’s ‘roughness’ (i.e. over-enthusiastic competitiveness). Now she just cheers on her cousin, who still plays, and rides her ATV early in the mornings while holidaying at her family’s summer cottage.
On one excursion, Kat nearly collides with a jogger, who turns out to be the son of her family’s new neighbours. She thinks he’s cute, but before she can say anything, her shy, soccer-playing cousin admits to having a crush on the new guy, Emmett. So Kat resolves to do everything she can to get the pair together and not act in any way flirty around Emmett, since she’s already lost one set of friends by acting too friendly around the boyfriend of one of them. Even after Kat learns that Emmett is attracted to her rather than to her cousin, she keeps on trying to push them together, while simultaneously keeping the secret of Emmett’s less-than-happy home life, because she doesn’t want anyone getting hurt.
Eventually all Kat’s plans to ensure everyone’s happiness fall apart, and she has to learn the adult techniques of compromise and true diplomacy.
I love the variety of families we see in this story; Kat’s two fathers are quite different personalities, and she shares traits with both of them. There are times when I feel Kat could have worked out what was really happening around her a little more quickly, but perhaps that’s just my age showing.
I’ll be seeking out more books by this author.
Grade: B
Summary:
After a disastrous, reputation-destroying party at the end of junior year, Kat Henley has a new plan. When it comes to boys—especially other people’s boys:
Don’t touch.
Don’t smile.
Don’t charm.In the past, drawing attention to herself helped distract people from what really makes Kat different—having two gay parents. But it’s also cost her friendships. Kat can’t afford to lose any more of those, especially not her cousin, Harper. They’re spending one last summer together at the lake, where they run into an intriguing newcomer named Emmett Reese. After years of trying to prove she’s just like everybody else, Kat has found someone who wants her because she’s not. A boy who could be everything she wants too—if Harper hadn’t liked him first…
Read an excerpt.
