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The Other Parker
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.
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.
Audiobook
First published September 16, 2025
About the author
Sarah Zane
15 books68 followersSarah Zane 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 11, 2025
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.
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.
October 3, 2025
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
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
September 17, 2025
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.
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.
December 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
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.
September 14, 2025
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.
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.
May 15, 2026
Oh, my heart 🥹
If you loved bottoms (the movie) moxie (the book and the movie) and always wanted for those two to be a bit more queer with a little more found family - than this is the book for you.
After living with her addicted mom for years bri has finally settled down with her uncle and aunt and is about to start for the first time in her life - the normal high school experience but a couple of days before the school year starts an instagram page posts about a guy named Shawn cheating on bri’s cousin heart and she’s not going to let him get away with it.
So she makes a plan - she’s going to seduce Shawn and ruin his life. After all, she is the best candidate: she’s demisexual and already hates him.
But when the school year starts bri starts to realize that it’s not going to be as easy as it seems. Because where Shawn is - so is his sister, Shannon. And the friendship to make starts to get a little more complicated than anticipated…
I have to applaud Sara Zane for writing such a heartwarming sapphic rom-com and I hope every person who ever dealt with figuring out their sexuality in high school, general bullying and mental health issues will read this book.
This is such an important story not only about finding family, coming out or letting go of your past.
This is also an amazing story about standing up to bullies, to the once that always get away and get their way in the world and honestly? It gave me a lot of courage - seeing all of them empowering each other and being there for each other gave me hope that maybe we will be alright.
The only thing that bothered me in the story is this mentality that Bri has (and yes, I know that she never had a safe space to accept herself and obviously she’s still a teenager) the mentality of “I don’t know why so people want me! I’m obviously not as pretty as other girls!” And I wish we stopped putting that mentality in books since all women (and non binary,gender fluid and gender queer) are so beautiful and we should stop giving in to society’s expectations that someone is more beautiful than the other.
But other than that?
Perfect. The writing was so good and the narration was honestly one of the best I have ever listened to.
Now…
I’m going to shout at my lesbian demisexual friends to read this book since she’s always looking for more representation.
If you loved bottoms (the movie) moxie (the book and the movie) and always wanted for those two to be a bit more queer with a little more found family - than this is the book for you.
After living with her addicted mom for years bri has finally settled down with her uncle and aunt and is about to start for the first time in her life - the normal high school experience but a couple of days before the school year starts an instagram page posts about a guy named Shawn cheating on bri’s cousin heart and she’s not going to let him get away with it.
So she makes a plan - she’s going to seduce Shawn and ruin his life. After all, she is the best candidate: she’s demisexual and already hates him.
But when the school year starts bri starts to realize that it’s not going to be as easy as it seems. Because where Shawn is - so is his sister, Shannon. And the friendship to make starts to get a little more complicated than anticipated…
I have to applaud Sara Zane for writing such a heartwarming sapphic rom-com and I hope every person who ever dealt with figuring out their sexuality in high school, general bullying and mental health issues will read this book.
This is such an important story not only about finding family, coming out or letting go of your past.
This is also an amazing story about standing up to bullies, to the once that always get away and get their way in the world and honestly? It gave me a lot of courage - seeing all of them empowering each other and being there for each other gave me hope that maybe we will be alright.
The only thing that bothered me in the story is this mentality that Bri has (and yes, I know that she never had a safe space to accept herself and obviously she’s still a teenager) the mentality of “I don’t know why so people want me! I’m obviously not as pretty as other girls!” And I wish we stopped putting that mentality in books since all women (and non binary,gender fluid and gender queer) are so beautiful and we should stop giving in to society’s expectations that someone is more beautiful than the other.
But other than that?
Perfect. The writing was so good and the narration was honestly one of the best I have ever listened to.
Now…
I’m going to shout at my lesbian demisexual friends to read this book since she’s always looking for more representation.
October 31, 2025
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!
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!
September 17, 2025
(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.
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.
January 2, 2026
3.5
The premise of this was good, but the writing style wasn’t my favorite. I did like the friend group and the other Parker too.
The premise of this was good, but the writing style wasn’t my favorite. I did like the friend group and the other Parker too.
May 10, 2026
3.75
A sweet, low spice YA romcom with a great message about girl power and queer identity. It’s a fun palette cleanser that will leave you smiling.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook!
A sweet, low spice YA romcom with a great message about girl power and queer identity. It’s a fun palette cleanser that will leave you smiling.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook!
September 18, 2025
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.
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.
May 25, 2026
✧ Genre: Lesbian Romance • YA
✧ Tropes: Friends to Lovers • Found Family • “Boyfriend’s“ Sister?
✧ Rating: 4.25/5 ★
✧ Spice: None
✧ Summary:
Inspired by John Tucker Must Die, the story follows Bri, who is determined to get revenge on popular football player Shawn Parker after he cheated on her cousin. But while the revenge scheme slowly unfolds, Bri unexpectedly becomes closer to Shawn’s sister Shannon.
✧ Thoughts: This was such an entertaining sapphic YA romance. One of the things I enjoyed most was just how fun the story was. It had that classic high school rom-com atmosphere with an over-the-top revenge plans that would only work in teen stories. The writing had a very easy flow to it, and I flew through the book because it was simply entertaining from beginning to end. The humor landed for me and the overall vibe was full of queer joy.
I also really appreciated the demisexual representation through Bri. It was refreshing seeing a main character whose attraction works differently from the people around her, especially in a story so focused on crushes and dating. The queer representation overall was amazing.
The romance between Bri and Shannon was adorable and wholesome. I really really liked Shannon. Their dynamic was sweet and loveable, and I loved how Bri doesn’t experience attraction like other people in romance book.
The characters and friendships are another strong thing. I loved the theater friend group, Bri’s family dynamics, and all the little moments of support and found family throughout the book. I really enjoyed following her journey throughout the story, especially as she became more confident and comfortable with herself. The ending slowed down a little for me compared to the stronger middle part, but overall I still had a great time with this book.
🎧 I really enjoyed the audiobook narration and thought the narrator captured Bri’s sarcastic inner voice very well.
✧ Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
✧ Tropes: Friends to Lovers • Found Family • “Boyfriend’s“ Sister?
✧ Rating: 4.25/5 ★
✧ Spice: None
✧ Summary:
Inspired by John Tucker Must Die, the story follows Bri, who is determined to get revenge on popular football player Shawn Parker after he cheated on her cousin. But while the revenge scheme slowly unfolds, Bri unexpectedly becomes closer to Shawn’s sister Shannon.
✧ Thoughts: This was such an entertaining sapphic YA romance. One of the things I enjoyed most was just how fun the story was. It had that classic high school rom-com atmosphere with an over-the-top revenge plans that would only work in teen stories. The writing had a very easy flow to it, and I flew through the book because it was simply entertaining from beginning to end. The humor landed for me and the overall vibe was full of queer joy.
I also really appreciated the demisexual representation through Bri. It was refreshing seeing a main character whose attraction works differently from the people around her, especially in a story so focused on crushes and dating. The queer representation overall was amazing.
The romance between Bri and Shannon was adorable and wholesome. I really really liked Shannon. Their dynamic was sweet and loveable, and I loved how Bri doesn’t experience attraction like other people in romance book.
The characters and friendships are another strong thing. I loved the theater friend group, Bri’s family dynamics, and all the little moments of support and found family throughout the book. I really enjoyed following her journey throughout the story, especially as she became more confident and comfortable with herself. The ending slowed down a little for me compared to the stronger middle part, but overall I still had a great time with this book.
🎧 I really enjoyed the audiobook narration and thought the narrator captured Bri’s sarcastic inner voice very well.
✧ Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2026
Spice Level: 0/5 Sweet YA Romance
Bri Tanner has a problem with Shawn Parker. Not only did he cheat on and break her younger cousin’s heart but he has done the same with some other girls at Harris High. Bri sets out to get revenge by getting Shawn to notice her and ask her to be his girlfriend, something he has never done with any other girl he has dated, and break up with him in an embarrassingly public way.
However, there is one person that throws a wrench into her plans for ultimate revenge. Shawn’s sister, Shannon. The more time Bri and Shawn spend together, the more time Bri is around Shannon. The more time Bri and Shannon spend together, the more they become attracted to one another. Will Bri be able to carry out her ultimate revenge?
I received this audiobook through NetGalley and the Author in return for my honest review. This book takes heavy inspiration from the movies “John Tucker Must Die” and “Easy A.” The book has more of a theme to “John Tucker Must Die” but at the end, it takes on a lot of inspiration from “Easy A.” I will say it was a bit of a weird mixture of the two but the author was able to seamlessly transition the themes.
This is a sweet YA romance and with the characters being in high school, Bri is still figuring out who she is. She has a good idea of who she is but her encounter with Shannon helps her solidify who she is. Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook. I am a bigger fan of “Easy A” so it was fun finding all of the references to the movie. If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a side of revenge, then this is the read / listen for you.
Lauren Amanda is the narrator for this audiobook. I enjoyed her narration. It made the book easy to listen to.
🏈 Demisexual Representation
🏈 YA Romance
🏈 High School Setting
🏈 Coming of Age
🏈 Unfaithful Character
🏈 Cheating
🏈 High School Parties
Bri Tanner has a problem with Shawn Parker. Not only did he cheat on and break her younger cousin’s heart but he has done the same with some other girls at Harris High. Bri sets out to get revenge by getting Shawn to notice her and ask her to be his girlfriend, something he has never done with any other girl he has dated, and break up with him in an embarrassingly public way.
However, there is one person that throws a wrench into her plans for ultimate revenge. Shawn’s sister, Shannon. The more time Bri and Shawn spend together, the more time Bri is around Shannon. The more time Bri and Shannon spend together, the more they become attracted to one another. Will Bri be able to carry out her ultimate revenge?
I received this audiobook through NetGalley and the Author in return for my honest review. This book takes heavy inspiration from the movies “John Tucker Must Die” and “Easy A.” The book has more of a theme to “John Tucker Must Die” but at the end, it takes on a lot of inspiration from “Easy A.” I will say it was a bit of a weird mixture of the two but the author was able to seamlessly transition the themes.
This is a sweet YA romance and with the characters being in high school, Bri is still figuring out who she is. She has a good idea of who she is but her encounter with Shannon helps her solidify who she is. Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook. I am a bigger fan of “Easy A” so it was fun finding all of the references to the movie. If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a side of revenge, then this is the read / listen for you.
Lauren Amanda is the narrator for this audiobook. I enjoyed her narration. It made the book easy to listen to.
🏈 Demisexual Representation
🏈 YA Romance
🏈 High School Setting
🏈 Coming of Age
🏈 Unfaithful Character
🏈 Cheating
🏈 High School Parties
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
John Tucker Must Die meets low stakes Gossip Girl.
The Other Parker is a John Tucker Must Die (JTMD) retelling for the 21st century. High School quarterback, Shawn Parker, is a player and he is about to be played: but don’t expect the ending to be a JTMD carbon copy. Where JTMD follows the classic romcom story arc with her falling in love with him, The Other Parker does not. Where JTMD has quick coupling followed by numerous public humiliations, The Other Parker plays hard to get. There is a similar set up for the endgame scene, but in The Other Parker, it’s not actually the end game scene at all.
The Other Parker places friendship and a queer coming-of-age tale to the forefront, with the plan to derail Shawn’s womanising holding everything together. I enjoyed this version of the story but was slightly surprised the author chose to circumvent (what felt like) inevitable drama, to keep the cosy, wholesome vibes. It was an unexpected departure from the retelling but did fit the narrative of the story and help make it its own. The final twist was so unexpected that I had to rewind to check I hadn’t missed something. I hadn’t and it was an inspired choice which reframes the entire story. I’m now desperate for a sequel, or some bonus chapters, from both Parkers’ perspectives.
The narration by Lauren Amanda fit well with the high school setting and was an easy listen that kept me so engaged I actually listened to the whole book in a day.
Thanks to Sarah Zane, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for providing me with an advance listener copy in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4⭐ / 4 🎧 / 1 🌶️ (kissing)
The Other Parker is a John Tucker Must Die (JTMD) retelling for the 21st century. High School quarterback, Shawn Parker, is a player and he is about to be played: but don’t expect the ending to be a JTMD carbon copy. Where JTMD follows the classic romcom story arc with her falling in love with him, The Other Parker does not. Where JTMD has quick coupling followed by numerous public humiliations, The Other Parker plays hard to get. There is a similar set up for the endgame scene, but in The Other Parker, it’s not actually the end game scene at all.
The Other Parker places friendship and a queer coming-of-age tale to the forefront, with the plan to derail Shawn’s womanising holding everything together. I enjoyed this version of the story but was slightly surprised the author chose to circumvent (what felt like) inevitable drama, to keep the cosy, wholesome vibes. It was an unexpected departure from the retelling but did fit the narrative of the story and help make it its own. The final twist was so unexpected that I had to rewind to check I hadn’t missed something. I hadn’t and it was an inspired choice which reframes the entire story. I’m now desperate for a sequel, or some bonus chapters, from both Parkers’ perspectives.
The narration by Lauren Amanda fit well with the high school setting and was an easy listen that kept me so engaged I actually listened to the whole book in a day.
Thanks to Sarah Zane, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for providing me with an advance listener copy in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4⭐ / 4 🎧 / 1 🌶️ (kissing)
May 15, 2026
The Other Parker by Sarah Zane is a cute YA high-school drama/romcom following Bri Tanner, who agrees to help her cousin get revenge on the boy who cheated on her by leading him on in a “play the player” style scheme. Bri, who is demisexual, ends up unexpectedly becoming close with Shawn Parker’s sister Shannon along the way.
I was initially drawn to this book because of the demisexual representation, and I appreciated seeing that included alongside a sapphic romantic storyline. As someone who was also confused about my sexuality as a teenager, and actually identified as demisexual, I think a book like this would have meant a lot to me at that age. I can easily see teenage readers finding comfort and representation in Bri’s character and experiences.
The revenge plot itself was ridiculous in a very fun, entertaining YA way, and I enjoyed all the messy drama that naturally comes with the genre, that really shines here. While I think I would have absolutely loved this as a teenager, reading it as an adult made some of the dialogue and plot points feel a little repetitive or unbelievable at times. It also leaned slightly more toward “telling” rather than “showing” emotionally for me.
As for the audiobook itself, I thought the narration worked well enough for the story. I didn’t have especially strong feelings about it either way, but the pacing felt good and it was an easy listen overall.
For me this lands around a 3.5⭐ read; not perfect, but definitely fun, sweet, and likely to really resonate with its intended YA audience.
I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
I was initially drawn to this book because of the demisexual representation, and I appreciated seeing that included alongside a sapphic romantic storyline. As someone who was also confused about my sexuality as a teenager, and actually identified as demisexual, I think a book like this would have meant a lot to me at that age. I can easily see teenage readers finding comfort and representation in Bri’s character and experiences.
The revenge plot itself was ridiculous in a very fun, entertaining YA way, and I enjoyed all the messy drama that naturally comes with the genre, that really shines here. While I think I would have absolutely loved this as a teenager, reading it as an adult made some of the dialogue and plot points feel a little repetitive or unbelievable at times. It also leaned slightly more toward “telling” rather than “showing” emotionally for me.
As for the audiobook itself, I thought the narration worked well enough for the story. I didn’t have especially strong feelings about it either way, but the pacing felt good and it was an easy listen overall.
For me this lands around a 3.5⭐ read; not perfect, but definitely fun, sweet, and likely to really resonate with its intended YA audience.
I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
May 18, 2026
A fun, sapphic YA romance inspired by John Tucker Must die. In this story Shawn Parker is the golden boy quarterback. He gets outed as being with three girls in one evening and none of it reflects poorly on him. Bri Tanner is new to the school this year and is living with her younger cousin and family. The cousin, was one of the ones hurt by Parker’s callous behavior. In a scheme that only makes sense in high school rom-coms the three girls come together to make coach Bri into being irresistible to Parker. The ultimate goal is show him up. Along the way Bri meets Shannon (the better) Parker. She is a theater girl and invites Bri into her friend group and to try out for the school play.
Bri is an interesting narrator. Her character is demi and while she sees friendship she doesn’t necessarily see attraction. It makes her perfect for the plan as her feelings won’t get in the way as she gets to know Shawn. And it also means that she doesn’t see Shannon’s interest in her. But it also reads a little emotionless. Overall this is light fun with nice queer inclusiveness. There were nods to other works like Mean Girls, Gossip Girl, Easy A. I thought the friend groups, and Bri’s aunt and uncle were nice additions to the story.
This is appropriate for younger YA’s, middle school and up. There are high school parties, with underaged drinking (not Bri), and some bullying. There is talk of others hooking up but this is a kissing only story. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the audio book and I am leaving an honest review.
Bri is an interesting narrator. Her character is demi and while she sees friendship she doesn’t necessarily see attraction. It makes her perfect for the plan as her feelings won’t get in the way as she gets to know Shawn. And it also means that she doesn’t see Shannon’s interest in her. But it also reads a little emotionless. Overall this is light fun with nice queer inclusiveness. There were nods to other works like Mean Girls, Gossip Girl, Easy A. I thought the friend groups, and Bri’s aunt and uncle were nice additions to the story.
This is appropriate for younger YA’s, middle school and up. There are high school parties, with underaged drinking (not Bri), and some bullying. There is talk of others hooking up but this is a kissing only story. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the audio book and I am leaving an honest review.
June 17, 2026
3.5⭐️
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC audiobook copy.
I have to admit, I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It is very YA teenage drama and I was not sure I was the target audience for this story. But it was so much fun! I was gasping and giggling in every single chapter. I really liked how all the cliched themes and tropes were executed. They were not heavy and boring; even though you could see them coming, the scenes were nicely built and it made the knowing exciting. The second I heard about the sunset drink (lesbian flag) I knew I was going to have fun.
Bri and her obliviousness to her own feelings was an interesting (and kind of relatable) arc. It added some extra layers to her character and the story. And the conclusion was satisfactory. It was a nice little twist. I do have some complaints about the plot right before the conclusion: I was missing the big dramatic climax. The livestream did not feel like a dramatic enough event after all that buildup. The rainbow round table came out of nowhere and I don’t really see their relevance in the story. Instead of drama, I got a retelling of the book I’m already reading, which is a bit underwhelming. The very end and the final outcome are great. I just think the moments right before were lacking.
As for the audiobook format, it took me a while to get used to the narrator’s style. To me, the rhythm of the reading was very inconsistent. Some bits were read very slowly and other parts were really fast. I’m not sure I liked it.
I think this book is a fantastic read for queer YA readers. It’s cute and sweet and funny. I really really enjoyed it!
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC audiobook copy.
I have to admit, I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It is very YA teenage drama and I was not sure I was the target audience for this story. But it was so much fun! I was gasping and giggling in every single chapter. I really liked how all the cliched themes and tropes were executed. They were not heavy and boring; even though you could see them coming, the scenes were nicely built and it made the knowing exciting. The second I heard about the sunset drink (lesbian flag) I knew I was going to have fun.
Bri and her obliviousness to her own feelings was an interesting (and kind of relatable) arc. It added some extra layers to her character and the story. And the conclusion was satisfactory. It was a nice little twist. I do have some complaints about the plot right before the conclusion: I was missing the big dramatic climax. The livestream did not feel like a dramatic enough event after all that buildup. The rainbow round table came out of nowhere and I don’t really see their relevance in the story. Instead of drama, I got a retelling of the book I’m already reading, which is a bit underwhelming. The very end and the final outcome are great. I just think the moments right before were lacking.
As for the audiobook format, it took me a while to get used to the narrator’s style. To me, the rhythm of the reading was very inconsistent. Some bits were read very slowly and other parts were really fast. I’m not sure I liked it.
I think this book is a fantastic read for queer YA readers. It’s cute and sweet and funny. I really really enjoyed it!
September 7, 2025
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.
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.
October 2, 2025
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.
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.
September 19, 2025
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.
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.
May 31, 2026
grateful to NetGalley, the Author, and Publishers for granting me this audiobook ARC!
⭐️⭐️.75
this novel started off well enough, and for a little while i thought i was in for a really fun YA fiction.
the premise was promising, and i was genuinely curious to see where the story would go. unfortunately, it quickly became repetitive, overly juvenile, and far less emotionally impactful than i had hoped.
the writing was perfectly readable and easy to get through, and the audio narrator did a really good job, but it felt very basic and never offered much depth or true substance.
a lot of the conflict felt redundant and predictable, and the story kept revisiting the same ideas without adding much to the characters or their relationships. i also struggled with how outlandish the plot became, especially towards the end.
as someone who generally isn't a big YA reader, i was hoping this would be the exception, but despite its strong start, it ultimately didn't deliver the emotional depth or substance i was looking for.
⭐️⭐️.75
this novel started off well enough, and for a little while i thought i was in for a really fun YA fiction.
the premise was promising, and i was genuinely curious to see where the story would go. unfortunately, it quickly became repetitive, overly juvenile, and far less emotionally impactful than i had hoped.
the writing was perfectly readable and easy to get through, and the audio narrator did a really good job, but it felt very basic and never offered much depth or true substance.
a lot of the conflict felt redundant and predictable, and the story kept revisiting the same ideas without adding much to the characters or their relationships. i also struggled with how outlandish the plot became, especially towards the end.
as someone who generally isn't a big YA reader, i was hoping this would be the exception, but despite its strong start, it ultimately didn't deliver the emotional depth or substance i was looking for.
June 3, 2026
A younger, queer ‘John Tucker Must Die’ sort of book. It brings together an uncommon group of friends who are all brought together with the goal of taking down a common enemy, Shawn Parker.
Bri wants to take Shawn Parker down after he breaks her cousins heart, so she comes up with a plan and loops in others who have been done wrong by him. Except…there’s the other parker- his sister Shannon and here we get our queer JTMD trope.
Each of the characters were likable and believable in a high school setting, which is something I think has been missing with a lot of the YA books I’ve been picking up lately.
The romantic subplots were interesting, and gave us solid supporting characters to love and get to know.
I really enjoyed the author taking on the subjects of bullying, sexuality, homophobia, both internal and external, and good, queer, coming of age humor. Good demi rep, good exploration of feelings- overall, all of this was a win for me.
I received an advanced reader copy of The Other Parker from Netgalley in exchange for my review.
Bri wants to take Shawn Parker down after he breaks her cousins heart, so she comes up with a plan and loops in others who have been done wrong by him. Except…there’s the other parker- his sister Shannon and here we get our queer JTMD trope.
Each of the characters were likable and believable in a high school setting, which is something I think has been missing with a lot of the YA books I’ve been picking up lately.
The romantic subplots were interesting, and gave us solid supporting characters to love and get to know.
I really enjoyed the author taking on the subjects of bullying, sexuality, homophobia, both internal and external, and good, queer, coming of age humor. Good demi rep, good exploration of feelings- overall, all of this was a win for me.
I received an advanced reader copy of The Other Parker from Netgalley in exchange for my review.
September 30, 2025
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.
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.
June 2, 2026
Content warnings for The Other Parker include: alcoholism, addiction, underage drinking, and bullying.
☆
☆
The Other Parker follows a group of girls who have all been wronged by the same guy, Shawn Parker. And it follows these girls, as well as a few other people. And a plot to bring Shawn Parker down a peg or two, and show him how it feels to be treated the way he treats girls.
~
The first thing to say is that, I really enjoyed the way Bri supported her cousin, as well as the other girls that Shawn had fucked over with hoe he acted. And I also really enjoyed the way these girls stuck together in the face of everything that was being said about and to them.
~
This was an entertaining listen, and the narrators did a great job of brining the story to life. I was thoroughly invested in the stories of these girls. And I enjoyed both the friendships and relationships that form over the course of this story. And the way they make Shawn pay, and try to make him learn his lesson.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ALC copy of this book.
☆
☆
The Other Parker follows a group of girls who have all been wronged by the same guy, Shawn Parker. And it follows these girls, as well as a few other people. And a plot to bring Shawn Parker down a peg or two, and show him how it feels to be treated the way he treats girls.
~
The first thing to say is that, I really enjoyed the way Bri supported her cousin, as well as the other girls that Shawn had fucked over with hoe he acted. And I also really enjoyed the way these girls stuck together in the face of everything that was being said about and to them.
~
This was an entertaining listen, and the narrators did a great job of brining the story to life. I was thoroughly invested in the stories of these girls. And I enjoyed both the friendships and relationships that form over the course of this story. And the way they make Shawn pay, and try to make him learn his lesson.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ALC copy of this book.
May 26, 2026
A cute mashup of John Tucker Must Die and Easy A with a queer twist.
I love the found family aspects and the relationship between Bri and "the better Parker." At first, the shenanigans about bringing down Sean was a lot of fun. I especially liked how she would make him earn digits of her phone number. But over time, it started to just feel mean. In the end, I do think that things managed to resolve without going into full bully territory, which was a big relief to me.
The final chapter of the book was a problem for me. Without spoilers, it didn't land for me and I felt that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes and justified treating others poorly in a way that made me uncomfortable.
The narrator did a 5/5 job on the audiobook!
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ALC.
I love the found family aspects and the relationship between Bri and "the better Parker." At first, the shenanigans about bringing down Sean was a lot of fun. I especially liked how she would make him earn digits of her phone number. But over time, it started to just feel mean. In the end, I do think that things managed to resolve without going into full bully territory, which was a big relief to me.
The final chapter of the book was a problem for me. Without spoilers, it didn't land for me and I felt that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes and justified treating others poorly in a way that made me uncomfortable.
The narrator did a 5/5 job on the audiobook!
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ALC.
September 18, 2025
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.
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.
September 21, 2025
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.
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.
September 8, 2025
'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.
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.
October 17, 2025
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).
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).
September 24, 2025
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
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
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