What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I forgot the author's name. Fiction, realistic, not necessarily YA but it was about a "mysterious, glamorous" teacher who moves to a small-town co-ed school. A friend group of three girls has one girl who dyes her hair to imitate the new teacher's out of admiration, and a mean boy with a lisp in their class tries to make a book report for Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the easy passing grade. The big twist at the end


SPOILER


is that the teacher character had an affair with the husband of a university colleague, and that colleague to save face and ruin her career spread a rumor that the teacher plagiarized from her.

The student girl who dyed her hair is implied at the end to have lost her mind and wanders the streets of the city she moved to (to follow the teacher) singing and laughing.

Was it told from the perspective of the teacher?

Or one of (or all of) the students?

Rainbowheart wrote: "Was it told from the perspective of the teacher?

Or one of (or all of) the students?"

Omniscient, focused sometimes on the teacher and other times on the students.

Do you think it was more likely teen or adult fiction?

It sounds familiar. I'm pretty sure I've come across it before.

Rainbowheart wrote: "Do you think it was more likely teen or adult fiction?

It sounds familiar. I'm pretty sure I've come across it before."

I would say it was about a 60/40 split with only a little more emphasis on the teenaged characters, but enough focus on the adult in this situation and the backstory she never divulges to the students that it isn't really teen fiction.

I notice your profile says you're in the Philippines.

Is that where you read this book? Was it in English or another language?

Rainbowheart wrote: "I notice your profile says you're in the Philippines.

Is that where you read this book? Was it in English or another language?"

It was in English. I got it in a bookstore when I lived in Indonesia, but the book itself was imported and not local. So I'm guessing it was by an American author, but I don't remember the author's name.

Thanks, I'll keep looking!

Do you remember if this was a public or private school? Did the students wear uniforms?

Rainbowheart wrote: "Thanks, I'll keep looking!

Do you remember if this was a public or private school? Did the students wear uniforms?"

I think it was a small-town public school, that's why the university-educated teacher from the big city was considered so mysterious and glamorous.

SOLVED!!!!! The New Girl by Emily Perkins.

Glad you found your book, Poe. Here's the link - The New Girl by Emily Perkins.

I copied book details to the topic header - as an example of the information we need at the topic of the page.

Awesome news, glad it's solved!