Ordinary Girls - by Blair Thornburgh (Hardcover)

About the Book

Ideal for fans of Sarah Mlynowski and Jenny Han, this heartfelt and humorous contemporary take on "Sense and Sensibility" follows two sisters--complete opposites--who discover the secrets they've been keeping make them more alike than they'd realized.

Book Synopsis

*A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019*

*A Booklist Editors' Choice for Books for Youth 2019*

Perfect for fans of Sarah Mlynowski and Jenny Han, this heartfelt and humorous contemporary take on Sense and Sensibility follows two sisters--complete opposites--who discover the secrets they've been keeping make them more alike than they'd realized.

For siblings as different as Plum and Ginny, getting on each other's nerves is par for the course. But when the family's finances hit a snag, sending chaos through the house in a way only characters from a Jane Austen novel could understand, a distance grows between them like never before.

Plum, a self-described social outcast, finally has something in her life that doesn't revolve around her dramatic older sister. But what if coming into her own means Plum isn't there for Ginny when she, struggling with a hard secret of her own, needs her most?

Review Quotes

"A consistent joy for lovers of well-wroutght, understated prose." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"The sisters' relationship--what pulls them apart, what draws them together when their connection is strained--is the story's beating heart. A well-told, universally human--regardless of gender--tale about teens discovering who they are, where they want to go, and how to get there. The wise, funny, thoroughly contemporary coming-of-age tale earns bonus points for acing the Bechdel test." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The sisters' relationship--what pulls them apart, what draws them together--is the story's beating heart. A well-told, universally human tale about teens discovering who they are, where they want to go, and how to get there. Wise, funny, [and a] thoroughly contemporary coming-of-age tale." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Thornburgh's novel offers a charming riff on Sense and Sensibility. Readers will happily lose themselves in the warmly realistic family dynamics, the sisters' laugh-out-loud banter, and the sweet, low-key romance. [A] remarkably nuanced look at the intimate, and at times claustrophobic, bonds of sisterhood. A smart, character-driven contemporary novel with a timeless feel. Highly recommended for all collections." - School Library Journal
"Thornburgh's novel offers a charming riff on Sense and Sensibility. Readers will happily lose themselves in the warmly realistic family dynamics, the sisters' laugh-out-loud banter, and the sweet, low-key romance. A smart, character-driven contemporary novel with a timeless feel. Highly recommended for all collections." - School Library Journal
"The author of Who's That Girl, Thornburgh offers a story that's as witty, intelligent, and perceptive as its narrator. A rewarding novel that revolves around change, reflection, and, yes, sisterhood." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
"A realistic depiction of siblinghood proves deeply dynamic as each falters and grows. Most of all, Thornburgh's exploration of the power of social comedies and books by and about young women--works often deemed insignificant--shines. A funny, beguiling story of sisterhood, burgeoning self-awareness, and first love." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)