The Other Parker

by Sarah Zane

Bri Tanner has one goal for her junior year: destroy Shawn Parker.

After the no-good lousy cheat broke Bri's younger cousin's heart, she's determined to make him pay. He might be able to charm every other person at their school, but not her.

Bri has a secret weapon: she's demisexual and already hates him.

There's nothing he can say or do to make her fall for him or his tricks. Shawn might be Harris High's star football player, but Bri Tanner is about to show the player how it feels to be played.

The only problem? The more time Bri spends with Shawn, the more she's around his sister Shannon. Shannon always has a goofy smile, a joke, and a helping hand ready for anyone who needs it.

Shawn Parker has no chance at her heart, but the other Parker? She might be a problem.

This sapphic coming-of-age story inspired by John Tucker Must Die and Easy A is packed full of queer joy, found family, girl power, high school hijinks, and a little bit of revenge.

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2025

About the author

Sarah is an author of happy endings for traumatized queers. As a bisexual, it should be shocking to no one that she has more than one genre she loves and writes. She writes across genres but guarantees that a Sarah Zane book will always be queer and always have a happy ending eventually. She has a particular fondness for writing sapphic pairings since they tend to be underrepresented in books. She lives in New England with her 2 black cats named Gatsby and Mr. Darcy. When she isn't writing, she can be usually be found taking forest walks, visiting castles, planning exotic trips she can't afford, or cuddled up with one of her cats crying over fictional characters or yelling at them about how badly they need therapy.

Reviews

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell hath no fury like teen girls who were scorned, and these girls weren’t ones to be messed with. A revenge story about an unlikely group of teen girls — and Gavin—who form an alliance to take down a common enemy, Shawn freaking Parker. It was an entertaining coming-of-age read that was similar to some teen comedies from the early 2000s, so I loved that. The resolutions to some of the conflicts they ran into were alike to something a teenager would do which was both realistic and frustrating. The characters were likable, charming, well-developed, and together they had comedic moments. Teen/YA genre isn’t a favorite of mine, but after reading the book description, how could I not read it?

Bri Tanner wants to knock the school playboy Shawn Parker down a peg or two after he broke her cousin’s heart. So, she, along with a few others who fell for his charms, devise a plan. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and it’s about time Shawn got a taste of his own medicine. Hook, line, and sinker. There's just an unexpected variable in the form of a pretty girl from her class, Shannon. Most commonly known as The Other Parker…Shawn’s sister. If you enjoy movies like ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘John Tucker Must Die’, then you’ll probably love this and I recommend giving it a read. 


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This definitely reads YA / teenage girl to me!

This entire book is telling, no showing and it is exactly like being on the receiving end of a conversation from my teenage niece 😂 It's an endless saga of who's doing what when you don't know enough about the characters to truly be invested.

There's no hint of emotion whatsoever from Bri, the chosen teen narrator. At no point do we get any real internal monologue about how she's feeling, and the conversations between the friends are extremely superficial.

The whole book is just focused on revenge and honestly it didn't seem feasible in the slightest! I need more substance and emotion in a book, but I can see why this would appeal to teens!

*****
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot! This was a very easy reading story, with relatively low conflict, that was exactly what I needed right now. It was clever, which I love, and provided a refreshing new twist on stories I have seen before. This novel was a mash-up of several different elements: John Tucker Must Die, Cinderella, Bridgerton (or Gossip Girl? IDK never saw it), some serious Mean Girls energy, and probably several others, yet I didn’t feel like it was lazy or stealing tropes as much as creating an affectionate homage. This was fun, it was clever, and at times it was incredibly extra (in the best way).

Rating: A/5-Stars

There were multiple nice romance subplots, the very entertaining main romance plot, a (controversial) school play, a hidden love triangle and a very oblivious protagonist, and of course a fun revenge plotline. Plus, a little shoutout to a few subjects that are more serious like having family members with addiction issues (and the ways that affects a person), dealing with bullying and homophobia, and navigating these issues in the era of social media. This novel was well done.

This wasn’t perfect, although few are. There was a lot of exposition dumping at the start and some sections of internal monologue were a bit repetitive. Yet, the overall package was one that I would recommend.

Also: this author certainly has RANGE, considering the last book of theirs I read was an epic fantasy about pirates fighting against a religious cult!

Thank you to BookSirens and the author for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[milena · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book reminded me that there is nothing better than revenge. I absolutely LOOOVED the Mean girls and gossip girl vibes!! This was such an entertaining read!!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc! <3 I left this review voluntarily.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Other Parker by Sarah Zane is a cute teen sapphic take on stories like John Tucker Must Die. It is fun, sweet, and rife with teen drama. High school golden boy Shawn Parker goes through girls like tissues, and this time, the slighted girls team up for revenge. The demisexual Bri is determined to avenge her cousin and others, and she becomes their secret weapon. There is no way she will fall for his charm or develop feelings for him; however, the wrench in the plan is his amazing sister, Shannon. Getting Shawn's attention is easy, but she also attracts Shannon's attention. What will Bri do when she begins experiencing unfamiliar feelings for the other Parker?
The writing style is simple and well-suited to the characters’ ages and situations. I enjoyed the plot that included a few twists. Some of them were predictable, but still a lot of fun.
I have mixed feelings about the way Grace is used as a prop in the story.
Brie and Shannon are adorable together with sweet, flirty banter. The main character group makes a solid found family with depth.
I really enjoyed this novel. I am happy with the ending. I also appreciated the moral of the story: live life authentically.
#YA #teen #highschool #queer #demisexual #foundfamily #supportivefamily #revengeplot #richkids #theater #football #cheerleading #addiction #homophobia #bullying #gossip #liveyourtruth
I received this free ARC from BookSirens. This is my honest opinion.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Well written and entertaining story! I appreciated the throw back to John Tucker Must Die and Easy A, quite nostalgic for me lol. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

With her cousin freshly cheated on, it’s perfect timing for Bri to have recently moved into her cousin’s home for the foreseeable future. Being a fresh face at a new school, her cousin’s school, Bri takes on becoming the main character of a revenge plot to take the High School’s golden boy down a peg or two or several. She may some amazing new friendships along the way, especially with someone she wasn’t counting on… the other Parker otherwise known as the cheater’s sister Shannon. Bri wasn’t counting on her connection to Shannon to develop and deepen even as Bri is trying to play the player and avenge her cousin.

This story is a fun, cozy, well paced, scheming delight with lots of rep and blooming sapphic romance. Recommend!

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

(rounded down from 3.25)

This was a fun sapphic take on John Tucker Must Die, which I always enjoy. I enjoyed the cozy little found family with a vested interest in taking down Shawn Parker, the local playboy. Possibly due to the demisexual angle for the main character, but Bridget and Shannon didn't really seem to have much chemistry and there was a lot of telling instead of showing for their friendship turning into more. Besides that, this was a fun little romp, if a bit too bogged down in subplots that could have been edited out.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find the full review with representation information and trigger warnings on my blog.

Bri discovers shortly before starting her junior year at a new high school that her cousin, who she will be living with, has been being two-timed by the boy she's been seeing. After meeting the other girls he's been two-timing as well, the group decides that Bri will make him fall in love with her using her demisexuality as a secret weapon and then publicly break his heart, but she doesn't expect to find herself falling for his sister.

This was a fun, fast-paced romcom book of sorts that was reminiscent of the movie Do Revenge, but with a lighter tone. Despite the ending seeming to serve to excuse Shawn's behavior, I wasn't convinced, but I do appreciate that even the antagonist had some character growth in this book. I'm just not sure how realistic it is, especially considering how manipulative he had already been shown to be prior to the end of the book. I liked that Bri and Shannon got their happy ever after, and I liked the nods to the other characters in Sarah Zane's previous books (the biconic Savannah Hollywood, and the characters from Cosplay & Confrontation). This was a quick book that was overall enjoyable to read.

It did feel like at some points that the author had a problem with telling what happened instead of showing it, and some of the chapters were very short — it's 64 chapters in a 300-something page book, for context, and some of the chapters are only three pages. I think this book could've benefited from more editing. I also don't really understand why the author shied away from using the word lesbian for a character who to me seemed to be so clearly a lesbian. With the main character also identifying as demisexual partially due to never having been able to form a connection with people at her other schools due to constantly changing schools due to her mother's addiction, there could've been some deconstruction of how comp het and homophobia was impacting her. She's never really had feelings for anyone, and despite a guy who all of the girls want pulling out all the stops to try to get her to fall for him, she has no feelings for him, but she quickly falls for his sister. She seems like a lesbian to me — and it's not like there is not such a thing as a demisexual lesbian, so it wouldn't have contradicted her main identity label. There's often an attitude that lesbians should be open to the possibility of loving a man if they happen to fall for the right one, which feels a bit like what's going on with the implication that if she just formed an emotional connection with a man instead of a woman, she would fall for him, even though she never shows any genuine interest in guys. It's not totally problematic or anything, but it did confuse me, especially since the author says on her bio that she writes sapphic characters because of the dearth of representation of them. My experience is that there has been less representation of lesbians in media than of unlabeled/fluid/bisexual sapphic women, so it would be nice to see representation in a main character instead of just a side character.

Overall, though, this was a cute YA book and does have a variety of gay representation. I'd recommend this if you want to read a sapphic high school romcom similar to Call Your Boyfriend.

The Other Parker releases September 16. Thank you to BookSirens and Sarah Zane for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Montes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shawn Parker is the resident golden boy who can do no wrong. Even when the school’s gossip account exposes him as a three timer (Lynds, Ava and Roxy), he’s not to blame. Enter Bri, Lynds’ cousin, who’s ready to put her acting skills to the test to give Shawn a taste of his own medicine until she meets the other Parker, Shannon. Will the plan to play the player and destroy his reputation work or will her growing affection for Shannon derail the entire plan?

It was a quick, fast paced read that I enjoyed. The book is really cute and kind of campy. I thought it was cute that Shannon and Bri formed a quick, quite flirty friendship and that they got their happy ending. I enjoyed the found family aspect within Bri’s own family and within the group of friends that devised the destruction plan. I really disliked Shawn, which means he was definitely written well as an antagonist. He was so manipulative and self centered, which is definitely what I expected from a rich, high school football captain character. For long time Sarah Zane fans, I liked that characters from previous books were seamlessly included.

Some of the chapters were a bit short, but I didn’t mind it, I used it as an excuse to read more before sleeping because I could get them done in one or two minutes.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and the author and I most definitely agree that this is how John Tucker Must Die should have ended.

Thank you to Sarah Zane and BookSirens for providing me with an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Doe Is Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read this is literally because this was advertised as "John Tucker Must Die" but make it gay, and I was all in. Friends, the description did not lie. This book was such a fun read. First of all, I got all the nostalgic feelings from this book, it did genuinely feel like watching an early 2000s girlypop movie like John Tucker Must Die, Mean Girls or Easy A. We truly don't make media like that anymore and it makes me so excited to see it coming back. This had everything I wanted in a queer story. The found family in this story was incredible and I loved that the characters friendships were built around what happened to them instead of them tearing each other down. The group was a feminist powerhouse and the wit and banter between them all was hilarious and so much fun to read and feel a part of. There were quite a few twists and turns that I was absolutely was not expecting, but once again just added to the story and made it so much more enjoyable to read. I genuinely laughed out loud so much with this story and kept wanting to pick it up any time I wasn't reading it. This was honestly just such an easy read, and I had such a good time with it. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who just wants a quick fun little read which gives off those y2k girlypop movie vibes, whilst being incredibly queer. I will definitely be picking myself up a physical copy of this book as well as reading Sarah's other books when I get the chance to.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm and inviting story of love, revenge and friendship. First off, I absolutely loved this book. It was well written, the plot and characters were exciting and had enough depth to keep the story flowing, and interesting.

Following a post by anonymous gossip page 'Tiger Shark Tea' - Bridgette, Linds, Ava, Roxy and Gavin - a group of high school students brought together under humiliating circumstances - set out to exact revenge of love-rat and high school quarterback, Shawn Parker.

From the outset the writing of the characters and their world easily made me feel not only an outsider reading about the exploits of the group, but an active member sitting right there on Bri Tanners' bedroom floor formulating plans amongst friends. The characters wholesome qualities, flaws and open-minded natures really did help make me feel a part of this 'ragtag' group of students as they come together to form unlikely friendships and relationships.

I would highly recommend this book for young adults, both male and female and whether they identify with the LGBTQIA+ community or not.

I would certainly read more of Sarah Zane's work, as i really enjoyed her writing style and story-telling.

[Ele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun and easy read, it is a mix of ‘Mean Girl’, John Ticker Must Die’, ‘Easy A’ and ‘The Breakfast Club’.

I thought the characters were well rounded and the group of friends were the type of people I wished everyone could have in their corner.

Apart from the fact that it’s a sapphic book giving away that Shannon and Bri would end up together, it was really interesting seeing the relationship develop through the eyes of someone who is Demi, who it just doesn’t occur to that someone would fancy them because they can’t feel it themselves. The Demi aspect of this is book is why it should have scored higher that it did.

I’m sorry I didn’t score it higher but I couldn’t get past the many references to other stories, with the final one being ‘The Breakfast Club’ which (possibly controversially) I do not like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the chance to read this interesting and unique story.

[Madyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the vibe of John Tucker Must Die and Mean Girls wrapped up in this book with demi and other LGBTQ+ representation. This book was full of lighthearted romps and high school hijinks with an edge of seriousness and capitalizing on the contemporary way of news spreading through social media. I could barely wrap my head around some of the events and dialogue; it felt too cheesy, quippy, and a tad bit unrealistic. The pacing was a little abrupt, and I would've liked more time on other scenes rather than quickly moving on. However, it was a fun read even when I had to put the book down and pace to think things through.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! This has major John Tucker must die vibes but make it queer. Bri and her friends were all amazing characters and I loved how they all supported each other and became such good friends with Bri and Lynds almost instantly. The plan to bring down Shawn Parker after he mistreated all the girls was a great plot and I loved watching how it all unfolded.

I also loved the friendship Bri made with Shannon Parker aka the better Parker and I could tell right from the start how down bad for Bri Shannon was and it pained me how utterly oblivious Bri was until Gavin had to spell it out for her. This book is just so wholesome and also provides an important message about female friendships and empowerment and I loved every second of it.

[Martez HB · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Other Parker' is a great revenged book reminiscent of 'Mean Girls'. The characters were interesting and well developed.

I especially liked Bri's thoughts, like when she was kissing: pondering techniques, style and counting the length of the kisses, these thoughts felt real. These cognitive insights later cemented our understanding when her sexual orientation was revealed.

I gave this book 4 stars. It's a great read. However, I would have liked to read even more about Shannon (the Other Parker) as well as Bri and Shannon's romance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amy Minett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good revenge story? Bri Tanner is determined to get back at the boy who hurt her beloved cousin, but in the process, she finds herself growing closer to someone else--said boy's own sister. There's a lot of heart, support, and acceptance throughout this story, which was both surprising and delightful to me. Bri and her friends face a lot of trials and struggles as they set out to enact their revenge plan, but their unwavering support of each other really made this story shine.

I recommend this to readers looking for a fun, lighthearted high school revenge story-turned-romance (because while revenge is the instigator of the plot, there's plenty of romance too).

[Cally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you like the movies, "John Tucker Must Die", and "Easy A", this is essentially a sapphic mashup of both movies. At times it was pretty cheesy, but other times it was fun and sweet to read. I enjoyed the friendships between all the scorned girls, and thought Shannon and Bri made a cute couple. Overall, this book is a bit silly, a bit sweet, good for YA readers, and full of queer characters. 3.4/5 stars

[Jasmine Shouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

When Bri's cousin gets her heart broken by a cheating player, they and the other girls involved scheme to make him fall for Bri, only for her to break his heart. Everything gets more complicated when Bri starts to fall for the guy's sister.

I enjoy a good revenge plotline, especially when it's Sapphic. I liked the demisexual rep too. Connecting with the writing was a bit challenging, but there were some funny lines throughout that helped. This is good for a younger YA audience, maybe 14-16.

Thank you to NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read and review.

[Looby Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bri is a new face at school thanks to moving in with her cuz, so is the perfect person to use to get revenge on the boy who thinks he’s gods gift to women which in his book (not the bible obviously) means he uses and discards then.
The only problem is that it’s the other S Parker (Shannon) that catches Bri’s eye whilst trying to avenge the heartbreak suffered by one of his harem - her cousin.
It’s a fun read and well aimed at the teenage/young adult audience. The only problem for me was the lack of showing and too much telling. Still an enjoyable book though

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it

I am way to old to be reading about kids my own kids ages but I loved Sarah’s other books and this one sounded too cute to pass up, I’m so glad I read it. It’s very cute and the storytelling is amazing Sarah really knows how to wrap a reader in the story. Her characters are so relatable and lovable I definitely recommend this book or if you want older characters her other books are amazing as well.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

After her cousin has her heart broken by Shawn Parker, Bri is shocked that his cheating is ignored, and the three girls are slut shamed. Bri along with the other girls decide to get revenge by getting Shawn to chase Bri, then for her to publicly turn him down.

However, Bri meets Shannon Parker, his sister, and is instantly charmed by the nice, pretty young woman. She starts to fall for her, but what will this do to the revenge plot?

Solid 3 out of 5. Not outstanding but a solidly ok book.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived for the nostalgia of this book. It was so fun reading a sapphic retelling of “John Tucker Must Die” and “Easy A.” I loved all the characters and their development throughout the story, and while I knew where it would go because of what it’s based on there were still scenes and things that pulled me in and made me not put down the book because I wanted to know what happened. I also loved the addition of the gossip column sprinkled throughout the book. This is a great YA sapphic read!

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall good book and worth the read. I felt a bunch of different things throughout the book… happy, intrigued, frustrated and excited at a few parts.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I think for me I would have like an epilogue showing months or years later to see where the characters were at the point. I like to see how things change. It’s a good sapphic book and I think people will be glad they read it.

[Urszula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy a well written Young adult story. The one is good. Interesting plot full of action twists and turns. And an easy plan od revenge becomes ….less easy. Lots of emotions flying around.

Its definitely a good read.

Enjoy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[PN_booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and was sad to see the story end. The story line is a John Tucker must die meets Easy A, but a LGBTQ version. I liked all the characters and would watch this if it was made into a movie. Would recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michael Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridgett becomes involved in a scheme to pay back an arrogant boy who uses girls and dumps them. While doing the payback, she falls in love with his sister. A very enjoyable book with a good but long plot. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a cute YA. I loved the found family and girl love. It read like teenage girls having a conversation.

[Bayley Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Sarah Zane for a fair review

3.75

This was such a fun queer YA romance that read really quickly and I was really obsessed with the book