Good Girls: A Novel

Good Girls is the story of Allie and Octavia, two young women trying to figure out who they want to be. Welcome to Anne Bradstreet College, an all-girls prep school in Boston, where a high SAT score is the ultimate status symbol, followed closely by a string of Tiffany pearls. At ABC, as the school is affectionately known, high school isn’t just about shoes, boys and weekend getaways; it’s about becoming more accomplished than Joan of Arc.

Good Girls follows the various personalities of the ABC Debate Team, a collection of high-achieving young women who never break curfew, always do their homework, and all have plans of attending Ivy League colleges. Perhaps the most over-achieving of all her friends is Allie Denning, a tenth grader who is the youngest captain of the ABC Debate Team in the school’s long history. Little does Allie know, her tidy life is about to change. Enter the 15 year-old Octavia Irving, a wild party girl from Montreal, and daughter to now-estranged trust fund-baby parents, Sophie and Mordecai. Allie is the perfectly polished over-achiever; Octavia is the consummate cool girl. After unexpectedly ending up as debate partners, these very different young women must find a way to work together, while balancing school, family conflict, and romance.

Ultimately, Good Girls is a feminist coming-of-age story about two very different young women. Allie is a consummate rule-follower, while Octavia loves to break any rule she can for the sake of it. By getting to know each other, both girls influence and change one another. Ultimately, each girl must decide whether to embrace the life she’s been living, or rebel against her current reality.

Good Girls is the first book in a planned series of witty, daring and feminist- first YA novels that will follow Allie and Octavia throughout their time as students at ABC.

What People Are Saying

“Good Girls is as refreshing as it is original, and it’s definitely one of a kind. Every teenage conversation and snarky aside in the book is completely genuine, and makes the reader feel like they are right back in high school, even if they did not experience the trappings and social hierarchy of an all-girls private school or academic competition. Good Girls not only captures the thrill of a first kiss, but also the thrill of finally finding your way at school. It’s Mean Girls and Never Been Kissed except the nerds are not mathletes or social exiles, they’re the coolest kids in the room. While the book is perfect for its audience, it also transcends beyond the demographic as a piece of contemporary nostalgia. Lines like “trust fund loser,” “gateway academic drug,” and most importantly, “girls can be ambitious without being freaks” feel like instant classics. It’s Type-A Gossip Girl-esque gold, and will hopefully serve as the first in a series of books chronicling what life can be like at or outside of ABC.” Joanna Adams, TV producer, The Huffington Post Canada assc. news editor, online columnist

“This story adds complexity to the good girl/cool girl tropes with a swagger that will have you cheering by the end. Octavia and Allie are a force to be reckoned with as they break down the social rules that are holding them back.” Rebecca Diem, author of the Tales of the Captain Duke

“Good Girls is an exciting and heartfelt introduction to the world of the prestigious Anne Bradstreet College, where two very different girls are pushed together as teammates, then friends. Reading about Octavia and Allie – and the many other quirky and endearing ABC denizens – is not just entertaining, but also gives us an opportunity to think about our own relationships with others, and celebrate our unique strengths.” Jarrah Hodge

About the Author

Shalta Dicaire Fardin has a degree in Gender Studies from Queen’s University; her area of academic focus was primarily in constructing identity through physical presentation. Shalta lives and works in Toronto, in advertising and technology, and is passionate about promoting women in STEM fields. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, and for her four-legged child Jasper.

Sarah Sahagian is a PhD Candidate in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies at York University in Toronto. In her academic writing career, she is the co-editor of Mother of Invention: How Our Mothers Influenced Us as Academics and Activists (2013) and The Mother-Blame Game (2015). During her time off from academia, Sarah is a regular contributor to the award-winning feminist blog Gender Focus, writing feminist critiques of popular culture and meditations on various feminist issues of the day. She moonlights as a comedy writer for the Canadian satirical news magazine, The Beaverton. Good Girls is her first novel. She lives in Toronto.

Book Details