The New Girl

by Sinéad Moriarty

At school, Ruby is the odd one out. Although Denise and Clara are her friends, they are each other’s best friend and she is the ‘other’ friend. So when new girl Safa, a refugee who has just arrived in Ireland from Syria, joins the class, she is put sitting beside Ruby. Safa and Ruby realise that their lives are very different. But as they get to know each other they soon discover that they have more in common than they might think.

A timely and heart-warming story of friendship from one of Ireland’s best-loved storytellers.

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2021

About the author

Sinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.

After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.

After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.

Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.

Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.

Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.

Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.

Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.

Reviews

[Amy Perera · Rating 4 out of 5]

At school, Ruby is the odd one out. Although Denise and Clara are her friends, they are each other’s best friend and she is the ‘other’ friend. So when new girl Safa, a refugee who has just arrived in Ireland from Syria, joins the class, she is put sitting beside Ruby. Safa and Ruby realise that their lives are very different. But as they get to know each other they soon discover that they have more in common than they might think. ✨

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Safa and Ruby’s friendship and thought the story was very moving. I loved how the duo really supported each other through the tough times. I loved the surprise that Ruby gave Safa and I cried tears of happiness towards the end. 4.5 🌟

[chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was good and the moral is great but really not my type of book 🤍

[Chiara Ferrari · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a nice story about friendship, hope and courage. But you can read it only if you are thirteen years old! It's a book for children, don't expect too much.

[sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this one!!! I haven't yet read a Sinead Moriarty book that I haven't enjoyed, and this one was a beautiful story that had me emotional, especially at the end!!! I adore the friendship between Safa and Ruby, and although i can't say how realistic it really is because I don't have a personal experience with it, I thought Safa's story and the specific trauma she and her mum both have was handled very sensitively and very well by Moriarty.

would have been 5 stars, but I feel slightly uncomfortable about two things in this book.

- the use of the word “tantrum”. in my eyes, a tantrum is used to describe what a child has when they want something they can't have, or they are testing boundaries, etc. they can also often easily stop if they want to or with a little bit of help. Robbie wasn't having a tantrum. he was having a meltdown. they're completely different things. Robbie's meltdowns usually came after changes to his routine or what he felt comfortable with (like going out, etc), frustration because he couldn't communicate (there's a scene where he wants milk but can't say the word for it and the others don't know what he means until Safa realises), or being scared by something. he was in distress, not testing boundaries. I don't think tantrum was a good word choice here.

- the part where, during Safa’s party, they tried to put Robbie down for a nap, so that he wouldn't have a meltdown etc. that felt really uncomfortable to me. same with the part where Ruby made a comment that Robbie getting into the school would mean she could “have her family back” - that also felt wrong, though I know she's meant to be young and frustrated/feeling neglected by her parents

also this part doesn't affect the rating, but i noticed Moriarty frequently repeats names. i know they're likely just common Irish names (I'm British btw) but she has three characters called Annabelle, Frank and Fiona in this book: she had a Fiona in “in my sister's shoes” and an Annabelle in “pieces of my heart”, and Frank is the name of Riley's dad in “The Truth about Riley”. She's also repeated the name Ali/Alison in two of her books, Charlie in two books, Bobby in two books, etc. I know that they are just popular names, but i just find it funny that so many are repeated lol

[Caoilo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book and I did enjoy the friendship between Safa and Ruby. I think the refugee story was good but I would love to get an option from some who has been through it. I did think that Moriarty could have shown what an issue Direct Provision is in Ireland. Not all refugees get homes. Many stay in terrible conditions for years or decade's.
However there is undeniable abilisim in this book. At first it was a little gray so I persevered. How ever by the end it was clear that Safa's problem was that she was separated from her dad, and that Ruby's "Problem" was Robbie. There were several times when Robbie and his disabilities were quite clearly the families "problem" as some one with disabilities (thought they may be different) the problem was not Robbie or his disabilities. Yes caring for someone with disabilities can be difficult, and hard work but they are not "problems" the problems are access to services, money, treatment ect. It is never the person!!!! Moriarty said the opposite with this book. She even had Ruby think that if Robbie went to a specially equipped school she would "have her family back" there by implying that Robbie was not part of the family.
Also she has Safa go to the school and demand that Robbie get a place. Again showing that Robbie was the "problem" why did Safa not do a fund raser for the therapist or start a go-fund-me. Because Moriarty didn't see money as the true problem. And as for the laungage she used! Fit and tantrum are not modern words for what Robbie was going through. A fit, or having a tantrum is not the same as STIMMING. Along with this the family at time seem borderline abusive, to put him down. For a nap so he is out of the way?! No not for me, bore will I be giving it to ANY child I know.
Moriarty should have stock to writing about what she had researched.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨Book Review✨
The New Girl by Sinéad Moriarty
YA Realistic Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
-
Dual Point of View story about a group of 11 year old girls in Ireland. One is a refugee from war-torn Syria, the other is an Irish native experiencing familial stress due to having a significantly impacted special needs brother. Both are struggling with the challenges of learning to build empathy and understanding for people with differences. I love how the friend group evolves as their knowledge and perspectives change.
-
Moriarty’s first foray into YA fiction. A simple read with many relevant themes that could definitely speak to younger YA readers. Includes themes and ideas such as war-torn countries and refugees, bullying, what it’s like being a in a household with a special needs sibling, familial challenges, tolerance and acceptance of those from a variety of religions or cultures.

[Emily Guinane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely friendship story of two girls who grow in friendship despite being born in different parts of the world. They go out of their way to show courage and kindness by making each other’s wishes come through.
☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
I definitely enjoyed reading this lovely book.
Five stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Tata · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was eleven, I would've benefitted a lot from a book like this. We moved to Ireland when I was about six, and I never had a book about racism and fitting in at Irish school. I would have related a lot to Safa. I'm glad she's there now.

[Rebecca Storr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not the target audience, but still a good read. Nicely written but a bit forced in places to get the message across. Bit unrealistic but probably right for children, I'm just too cynical 🤭

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book and read about friendship, opening your heart to people and being the best version of yourself, even in hard times.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok as an adult, I was clearly not the target audience of this book, but did it make me cry? Yes.

[~Emma~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The important message about refugees was explained and showcased amazingly much credit to Sinead Moriarty

[Sienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down and read it all the way through the day, waiting to see what happened next, and when I put it down, all I could think about was it! Amazing Book! 5 ⭐️

[Lesley Puncher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book highlights the plight of child refugees and children brain damaged at birth, along with affect on the rest of the family.
As an adult I felt this book was perfect for young readers to help them gain understanding of other children's lives.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really enjoyable read. It really went through how hard it is for a young refugee girl Safa from Syria to move to Ireland after her school was destroyed and start again with all new people and a completely different culture to her own. I loved how the book was based on a real life experience and I feel all the challenges and discrimination were handled delicately and accurately, especially for a YA book. It showed how Ruby from Ireland had her own struggles that were just as valid as Safa’s and how a problem shared really is a problem halved. With the times we’re in, that is as important as ever.

[RACHAEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING SAFA HAS THE BEST PERSONALITY AND SO DOES RUBY

[Émer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest story about friendship I’ve ever read.