The New Girl

Twelve-year-old Lia is not happy when she leaves her home in Romania to move to Canada with her family. As if leaving everything and everyone she loves behind isn’t bad enough, while waiting to board the plane Lia experiences debilitating pain and discovers that she just got her first period. Miserable and alone, Lia tries to make the best out of a bad situation.

But things only go from bad to worse for Lia once she starts at her new school in Montreal. She doesn’t understand French and is having difficulty communicating with her classmates and teachers, and, not surprisingly, she is having a hard time making new friends. On the other hand, her little brother is flourishing, having no problems fitting in, which only makes matters worse as Lia feels like an outsider.

As the months pass, Lia slowly starts making new friends. She first meets Zi Mei, a young girl from China who communicates with her through Google Translate. Then, one day at lunchtime, Wan Yin joins their little group. Slowly, Lia’s friend group starts to expand as she also befriends her locker buddy Ivana and art classmates Amy and Sarala.

With her new besties supporting her, Lia starts to feel more comfortable in her new home. She is not as lonely, her grades are improving, she can understand more and more French, and she learns how to cope with her period. Life could not be any better.

This is when things take a turn for the group of friends as they face their first major obstacle. After Lia tells her friends that she’s crushing on Julien, her school magazine colleague, she doesn’t expect Wan Yin, one of her closest friends, to get cozy with him. After catching Wan Yin hugging Julien, Lia cuts her out of her life. But, after an emotional confrontation, Lia learns that she misunderstood. Wan Yin is not in love with Julien; they are just friends. After they make up, Wan Yin discusses her crush on Lia, not Julien, with Zi Mei, but readers learn that Lia is not aware of her feelings.

In the end, Lia finds her happy ending. She reunites with Wan Yin, and her friend group is still supportive as ever. And let’s not forget about Julien who arrives at Lia’s house on Christmas Day with a very special gift – Lia’s favourite graphic novel!

Based on the author’s real-life experiences immigrating to Canada, The New Girl is a very touching coming-of-age story that is perfect for middle grade readers. Lia is a very relatable character as she struggles with growing up in a new country, with no friends and no knowledge of the language. The scenes where she first meets Zi Mei and communicates with her through Google Translate are not only poignant but believable as well. And when they share their lunches, what kid cannot relate to that!

Adding to the story’s appeal are Calin’s gorgeous illustrations. Not only are her designs realistic, but they are heightened by her colourful palette choice which creates a very enjoyable reading experience.

Overall, a truly Canadian story, The New Girl is highly recommended.