The Other Girl
Emily Barr
What if you could one day swap your identity with a stranger on a train? Such is the idea behind this utterly compelling read. I inhaled it, reading the whole book in one day.
Tabbi and Ruby each have secrets to hide and escaping for a few weeks into the life of each other feels like a perfect, if temporary solution. One is being escorted to an exclusive Swiss rehab centre whilst the other has a go anywhere interrail pass and a rucksack. What neither realise is that they don’t have complete control over their new lives.
Told from the point of view of each girl, this is a thriller with deception, intrigue, and some hold your breath moments, but it is also a story about self-discovery and justice. The issues are extreme, but the resolutions are worthy although fortunately they don’t get in the way of the many twists and turns that continue until the final page.
It was so refreshing to have a location for a YA novel set across Europe and using European trains. It made a slightly unbelievable plot seem very possible and as someone who has travelled a lot by trains abroad, the descriptions and sense of place felt absolutely right.
It’s one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had so far this year.
Published by Penguin, 2025 (355 pages)
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