Who's That Girl

by Blair Thornburgh

Overview

This laugh-out-loud debut is filled with hilarious awkward encounters, a supportive LGBTQ organization, and too many cheesy lyrics to count—all with the compulsive readability of Audrey, Wait! and Boy Meets Boy.

Junior Nattie McCullough has always been that under-the-radar straight girl who hangs out in the cafeteria with her gay-straight alliance friends. She’s never been the girl that gets the guy, let alone the girl that gets a hit song named after her.

But when last summer’s crush, smoking-hot musician Sebastian Delacroix—who has recently hit the mainstream big-time—returns home to play a local show, that’s just what she gets. He and his band, the Young Lungs, have written a chart-topping single—“Natalie”—which instantly makes Nattie second guess everything she thought about their awkward non-kiss at that June pool party. That it was horrific. That it meant nothing. That Sebastian never gave her another thought.

To help keep her mind off of Sebastian and his maybe-about-her, maybe-not-about-her song, Nattie throws herself into planning the school’s LGBTQIA dance. That proves problematic, too, when Nattie begins to develop feelings for her good friend Zach. With the song getting major airplay and her once-normal life starting to resemble the cover of a gossip magazine, Nattie is determined to figure out once and for all if her brief moment with Sebastian was the stuff love songs are made of—or just a one-hit wonder.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062447777
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/11/2017
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Blair Thornburgh is the author of several books for kids and teens. Her first novel, Who’s That Girl, was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Ordinary Girls was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019 for teens as well as an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth. A graduate of the University of Chicago and of Hamline University’s MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, she lives outside of Philadelphia (in real life) and at www.blairthornburgh.com (online).

Editorial Reviews

05/08/2017
Nattie and her friends all belong to their suburban Philadelphia prep school’s small gay-straight alliance, aka the OWLALGBTQIA; they aren’t persecuted or harassed—that would require being noticed. But that’s just fine with junior Nattie, best friend/club founder Tess, and the two Zachs, one gay, one straight. Then the much cooler Sebastian Delacroix—already graduated, and fronting a band that’s getting airplay—writes a song that might be about Nattie. They had a moment once, and he texts her occasionally, but does he like her? And what about the infinitely patient “Zach the Anarchist” (actually a vegetarian liberal)? Does he want more than friendship? Nattie would like to keep the Sebastian part of her life separate, but this proves increasingly impossible as the alliance struggles to sponsor a school dance that the popular kids will attend. Although the story can skew a bit too cute, debut author Thornburgh thoughtfully charts the tensions and loyalties among a solid group of friends. Rom-com-savvy readers won’t be surprised by how things turn out, but getting there makes for sweetly offbeat and entertaining reading. Ages 13–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada U.S. Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Lively and smart, Blair Thornburgh’s debut will hook you like a pop song and then proceed to win your heart.” — Nina LaCour, award-winning author of We Are Okay

“Blair Thornburgh’s debut is the perfect mix of music and heart, friendship and romance. Like a classic song, Who’s That Girl will stick in your head long after turning the last page.” — Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Better Off Friends

“I should write a love song about how much I adore Blair Thornburgh’s fresh and funny debut. Charming, quirky, and full of heart.” — Sarah Mlynowski, New York Times bestselling author of I See London, I See France

“Clever. A light, funny romance that offers a fair degree of satisfaction.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Thornburgh thoughtfully charts the tensions and loyalties among a solid group of friends.” — Publishers Weekly

“Thornburgh deftly balances snark and optimism in this thoroughly delightful [novel]. Readers will root for this intelligent heroine surrounded by terribly clever and articulate friends. The snappy dialogue, extremely likable characters, and daydream-worthy plot make this fun romance with Gilmore Girls-esque humor a perfect summer read.” — School Library Journal

“Charmingly awkward and rooted in the bonds of friendship more than romance, this is a sweet, funny debut. — ALA Booklist

From the Publisher

Charmingly awkward and rooted in the bonds of friendship more than romance, this is a sweet, funny debut.

ALA Booklist

Lively and smart, Blair Thornburgh’s debut will hook you like a pop song and then proceed to win your heart.

Nina LaCour

I should write a love song about how much I adore Blair Thornburgh’s fresh and funny debut. Charming, quirky, and full of heart.

Sarah Mlynowski

Blair Thornburgh’s debut is the perfect mix of music and heart, friendship and romance. Like a classic song, Who’s That Girl will stick in your head long after turning the last page.

Elizabeth Eulberg

06/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Thornburgh deftly balances snark and optimism in this thoroughly delightful novelization of the song "Hey There Delilah." Brainy and adorably awkward Nattie leads a fairly average life: she's an active member of the LGBT club and has a group of quirky friends, enchantingly eccentric parents, and a mountain of Latin homework. Normally, her biggest enterprise would be pulling off Operation Big Gay Dance Party. Yet when Nattie's unrequited crush Sebastian Delacroix becomes an indie rock sensation with his sultry hit "Natalie," life takes a turn for the crazy. Is Nattie Sebastian's muse? Nattie becomes the subject of much social media speculation amid a quasi-flirtation with Sebastian, which turns her world topsy-turvy. Thornburgh manages subtle social media commentary. Afternoons spent baking and translating Catullus with good friend Zach the Anarchist muddy the waters further with Sebastian. Whom does Nattie like? Who sincerely cares for her? Superficial character development, a fairly stereotypical entourage, and soon-to-be-dated cultural references keep this novel lighthearted, which is Thornburgh's aim. Furthermore, there are few surprises in the lead-up to a happy ending. However, teens will want to read every page. VERDICT Readers will root for this intelligent heroine surrounded by terribly clever and articulate friends. The snappy dialogue, extremely likable characters, and daydream-worthy plot make this fun romance with Gilmore Girls—esque humor a perfect summer read.—Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX

School Library Journal

2017-04-17
A teen is unwittingly vaulted into the limelight by her old crush when his band hits the charts with a song that he seems to have written about her. Seventeen-year-old socially awkward Natalie "Nattie" McCullough-Schwartz is most comfortable with her tightknit group of friends: extroverted Tess and the two Zachs (known affectionately as Tall Zach and Zach the Anarchist), who, with Nattie, make up the core of Owen Wister Preparatory Academy's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual Alliance. However, the unresolved events of an evening the year before, when cute, mysterious Sebastian approached her at a party, land her in a complicated scenario in which they keep exchanging somewhat flirtatious texts after the song about her debuts. At the same time, she and Zach the Anarchist also have a history that won't seem to stay in the past. The main narrative is predictable, but this is balanced by clever dialogue and welcome subplots involving Tess coming to terms with telling her family she is gay and the OWPALGBTQIA running a disastrously funny bake sale to raise money to sponsor their school's winter formal in order to make it more inclusive. The lead characters seem to be white, Tall Zach is Jewish and gay, and Nattie's family has a Chinese exchange student, Sam Huang, living with them. A light, funny romance that offers few surprises but a fair degree of satisfaction. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews