9780062914019
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Ordinary Girls audiobook

  • By: Blair Thornburgh
  • Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
  • Length: 8 hours 21 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperCollins
  • Publish date: June 04, 2019
  • Language: English
  • (889 ratings)
(889 ratings)
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Ordinary Girls Audiobook Summary

*A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019*

*A Booklist Editors’ Choice for Books for Youth 2019*

Perfect for fans of Sarah Mlynowski and Jenny Han, this heartfelt and humorous contemporary take on Sense and Sensibility follows two sisters–complete opposites–who discover the secrets they’ve been keeping make them more alike than they’d realized.

For siblings as different as Plum and Ginny, getting on each other’s nerves is par for the course. But when the family’s finances hit a snag, sending chaos through the house in a way only characters from a Jane Austen novel could understand, a distance grows between them like never before.

Plum, a self-described social outcast, finally has something in her life that doesn’t revolve around her dramatic older sister. But what if coming into her own means Plum isn’t there for Ginny when she, struggling with a hard secret of her own, needs her most?

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Ordinary Girls Audiobook Narrator

Jorjeana Marie is the narrator of Ordinary Girls audiobook that was written by Blair Thornburgh

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).

About the Author(s) of Ordinary Girls

Blair Thornburgh is the author of Ordinary Girls

Ordinary Girls Full Details

Narrator Jorjeana Marie
Length 8 hours 21 minutes
Author Blair Thornburgh
Publisher HarperCollins
Release date June 04, 2019
ISBN 9780062914019

Additional info

The publisher of the Ordinary Girls is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780062914019.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Samantha (WLABB)

June 06, 2019

From the opening, where Plum lamented how she had never been good at beginnings, I found myself totally engrossed with her storytelling and this tale. There was something about Plum's voice, that made me want to get to know her better, and I could not the resist the charm and allure of her quirky world.This was a tale of two sisters - one very dramatic, the other quite pragmatic. They had their ups and downs with each other, but their relationship was the heart and soul of the story for me.I adore the exploration of the sibling bond, and this one was indeed, very special. Plum had always felt overshadowed by her sister. She thought Ginny was more attractive, popular, intelligent, and likable, and she was often tired of being compared to her sister. However, via flashbacks and tender and humorous interactions between the two in the present, I got to bask in the beauty of their sisterly love. I had so much fun at their movie nights, and greatly enjoyed their shared love of Romantic period literature. Yes, literary references abound in this novel, and they were so well placed, never failing to delight me. During the time of this story, the family was under more stress than usual. The house was falling apart, cash flow was becoming an issue, and Ginny was often in a state of hysteria involving her college plans. Plum found an escape from the chaos via the oddest source - Tate Kurokawa, one of the "loud sophomore boys" she usually tried to avoid. Their odd friendship was one of the most precious parts of the book for me. I wore a stupid grin on my face almost every single time they shared the page, and could not get enough of their sweet and awkward encounters.One of the biggest things plaguing this family was their grief. They had lost their father a decade ago, but still hadn't really come to terms with that loss. This pain of it ran deep and it festered within the family, finally coming to a fever pitch at one point during the book. It was quite a profound moment, and I found it very moving.Ordinary Girls was a delightful tale filled with interesting family dynamics, sisterly affection, first love, and two young women finding their own sense of self. It was charming, witty, amusing, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and throughly entertaining. *ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

Tina

June 14, 2019

A funny, smartypants exterior conceals a loving and emotional center in this angst ridden tale of two sisters at the end of the school year, the brilliant eldest awaiting college entry news and the younger trying to find a way to let her own light shine. Loss, grief, jokes, literary allusion, mini lessons on writing and story, delicious kissing, and intermittent disaster speckle this wonderful novel by a talented YA author.

17wynnh101

September 11, 2019

I really enjoyed this book because it was about everyday life so I could relate to it. I found it funny and relatable however not much went on throughout it. There was a good ending because at the struggles the girls were going through were resolved. I would recommend it to girls.

Kalie

November 11, 2018

The characters in a Blair Thornburgh novel feel as if they’ve escaped from an episode of Gilmore Girls and that should annoy me. It really should. However, as with her last book, WHO’S THAT GIRL, I found ORDINARY GIRLS inherently charming and brimming with so much heart that any initial annoyance I felt disappeared early on. It’s occasionally over-the-top and melodramatic as any loose retelling of an Austen classic can be, but it’s near impossible to not be immediately invested in the plights of Plum and Ginny. It’s a book that takes unabashed pleasure in its own love of literature. If you’re in the mood for a little hyperbole, literary references in abundance, and a sister dynamic that’s both loving and exasperating, then ORDINARY GIRLS ought to be on your list. For me personally, I enjoyed her previous novel just a bit more (it was more inclusive and hit more of my sweet spots), but Thornburgh is fast becoming one of my favorite contemporary voices in YA who definitely deserves more notice.

Kate

June 11, 2019

This book is so "sisters" it had me calling mine to tell them how annoying/wonderful they are. It's hilarious and genuine, perfect for fans of old movies, weird families, and creaky beautiful houses. Go get it, you can thank me later.

Laura

April 05, 2021

A story of sisters living their best life. I loved the drama that came from every day events, the love of family and the budding romance that was hardly part of the story at all. I will be coming back to this book again!

Patricia

September 03, 2019

Holy cats, this book was fun! We've got a sister story, we've got a large, rambling, moldering house story, we've got a quirky family story, we've got an outsider story and we've got it all packaged together with sparkling writing, and astute observations.If you're a Jane Austin fan this is a book for you.Also, what a great cover!

Tasha

June 29, 2019

Plum could not be more different than her excitable sister, Ginny. Ginny has a group of friends at their private school, while Plum doesn’t have any at all. She’d much prefer to do advance reading for her classes than engage with others her age. Ginny is about to graduate from high school and longs to get accepted into her university of choice, but it’s not that simple. First, she has to be accepted and then she needs enough financial aid to attend. While they may live in a large home, it’s filled with clutter and day-to-day life rather than being a show piece. Feeling more and more distant from her ever-more-agitated sister, Plum finds herself in a position to help, but only because of a secret romance. Now Plum has her own life, but it may take her away from her family right when they need her.This is a contemporary tale with a classic heart. Riffing on Sense and Sensibility, this novel for teens takes one rather old-fashioned young lady and her sister who is her opposite and flings at them the trials of modern life. There are the costs of living when their mother loses her royalty payments, the grueling college application and financial aid process, bullying, and of course, kissing too. It’s a book that offers two great female characters. Plum is introverted, wildly funny and wise. Ginny is anxiety-ridden, loud, dramatic and loving. The two together make an ideal look at sisterhood.Thornburgh writes with a specific style here. It even more tightly ties the story to classic literature and also reveals Plum’s thoughts and her own way of thinking. The story never drags, instead it is filled with drama and disasters large and small. The writing is a delightful mix of classic and modern with plenty of humor too.A deep look at sisterhood that is funny and rich. Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Rebecca

August 13, 2019

In her family of three (her father died ten years ago), 15 year old Plum is the sensible, logical, not-brilliant one. Her older sister Ginny is the hyper-sensitive, melodramatic, brilliant one, whose moods rule their lives. Right now, Ginny is panicking about college (she's always panicking about something), and her desperate need to get into Penn and get financial aid and become the brilliant scientist their writer father predicted back in the day. Plum is more concerned with keeping their crumbling Victorian house in the face of her artistic mother's almost non-employment, and wishes there were some way she could become a Jane Eyre-type governess so she could earn some money. That chance pretty much falls in her lap, thanks to a plumbing disaster, a winter dog-walk, and one of the Loud Sophomore Boys who happens to live in her neighborhood. Plum always knew Tate was one of the sporty, loud, obnoxious, unfortunately attractive boys at her school, but she's surprised to find he's quite different when he's at home. As Ginny's histrionics ramp up and up and up and their financial situation becomes ever more precarious, Plum finds herself escaping to Tate's more and more often, and she tutors him in English and finds herself watching televised sports (WTH?) with him. So what will happen next?I really enjoyed this one, particularly all the small, quirky details of intimate family life, like childhood names for rooms, small Christmas traditions, etc. The romance was surprisingly sweet and charming and not cloying at all, and I love that it happened without them hating each other first. True, Plum found him as part of the obnoxious group at first, but that was pretty much one scene and she didn't hold that against him later. He was a delightful mix of confident and stumbling; used to girls, but not to girls like Plum, who is wryly hilarious, logical, and "hard to talk to." The plotline with the sister was a bit unclear and could have used a bit of pruning (she's annoying to spend time with), but the author is clever in setting you up for something that almost happens that you should have expected but didn't, because Plum didn't. One thing that I simultaneously enjoyed and rolled my eyes at was the girls' intimate knowledge of classic children's/YA books, like Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, etc. It was nice for me that I knew all of the books they referenced because they were books from my childhood as well, but it's a pet peeve of mine (as a school librarian) that authors rarely reference CURRENT children's/YA books, or books that would have been current when their characters were younger (ten years ago, not forty, fifty, or a hundred!). I know authors think that by using classic books they won't date their own books, but there are absolutely wonderful modern books that will and have stood the test of time and would make more sense for characters to have read. My soapbox rant!

Sasha

March 10, 2019

Ordinary Girls is an original, heartfelt story about two sisters in high school. Their circumstances are relatable but the setting is fresh - they live in a crumbling house from the 1800's that is a character in itself. Plum and Ginny's financial troubles are a compelling force in the story, but the family drama also allows for satisfying character arcs.While the blurb called this a "take on Sense and Sensibility," it's important to note that it's more inspired-by than a direct retelling. Also, the author has a very original voice which was almost aristocratic at times, so have your dictionary handy to get the most out of the book. There were a lot of references to classic literature, but the story itself and the setting were contemporary.I really looked forward to parts with a certain boy who liked to wear sweatpants, as the dynamic between him and Plum was so fun. Like Jane Austen's work, this story did have elements of clashing social classes, which lent additional depth to the romance and other events in the story.Also, the cover is just gorgeous, and it really drew me in.Overall, I found Ordinary Girls to be an entertaining drama, and an original take a family drama between two smart, well-intentioned sisters.Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

Erin

July 01, 2019

An adorable, quirky young adult book perfect for every angsty teen (or adult) that read Jane Austen, Little Women, and Jane Eyre on the reg. Two sisters could not be more different; Ginny, the older, smarter, more frazzled sister is forever getting on Patience's (aka Plum) nerves. Patience has forever lived in the shadow of her older sister's intelligence and there are times when she can't wait for her sister to go off to college in a year (if the family can afford it). They live in a gorgeous, old, crumbling down Victorian home, that Patience wishes she could never leave (stupid school). It's her, Ginny, her exuberant and artistic mother, a feisty cat, two rowdy dogs, and their "almost doctor of music" renter who lives above the carriage house. Little does Patience realize how much her fifteenth year is about to change; from boys, to finance woes, to English reading assignments; this will be a year that Plum will never forget. Funny and unusual in the most awesome of ways.

Jill

October 08, 2019

This was a great story about sisters.I flew through this book. I loved the way that Patience narrated it. She was very mature. It sounded like a Victorian novel, though the subject matter wouldn’t have been in a novel in the nineteenth century.I enjoyed the family dynamic of the story. Their mother was an artist who often had too much on her plate. The house was also an important part of the story, because it was falling apart, which kept interrupting their lives when they had to fix it. The relationship between the sisters was also important. Though they are very close, they kept big secrets from each other, which only come out after they are threatened with a tragedy.I really enjoyed this story!Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Misti

June 17, 2019

It’s a tumultuous year for sisters Ginny and Plum, as Ginny agonizes over college applications, their family struggles financially, and Plum forms a secret friendship (or maybe more?) with one of the most unlikely boys she can imagine.I had heard that this was inspired by Sense and Sensibility, and while there is a practical sister and a high-strung one, a dead father and problems with money, don’t go into this expecting a retelling. That’s not to say it isn’t charming! I thought the relationship between the sisters was particularly well done, and the story revels in classic literature references (Austen, the Brontës, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Rilke, Rossetti, Dickinson...) and a handful of film and classical music grace notes. (They also watch a lot of HGTV, which cracked me up a little every time.) If this sort of family drama is your thing, you’ll love this book.

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