In this novel by Liane Shaw, you enter the whacky world of Sadie Thompson, a fifteen-year-old anxiously awaiting emancipation from her sucky group home “Number 13”. As per usual, Sadie has had to move towns and start at a new school, but this time she has given up trying to succeed and make friends. From her experience, it never works out. But as hard as she tries to blend into the background, she cannot scare away the overly cheery Rhiannon, who wants to be her friend, or Ms. Jackson, the school guidance counsellor committed to creating a real future for Sadie—one that involves college or university, not eternal solitude. After a few bumps on the road, such as drama with the other fostergirls, Sadie begins to realize her potential. She starts opening up to other people, but perhaps that's just Rhiannon rubbing off on her. After one gigantic mistake leading into an incident, Sadie learns the power of forgiveness and compassion.

The protagonist, Sadie Thompson, has great inner conflict and so is a highly effective example of person vs. self.  It is easily shown throughout the book how she changes and matures. Sadie is a very well written character with a strong and bold personality. Also, Liane Shaw creates a tragic backstory for Sadie, and that reflects her goals and aspirations. The plot is very captivating and appealing. In my opinion, it was a real page-turner. When reading, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. The themes of friendship, family, forgiveness, compassion and perseverance are explored in interesting ways. I think the novel is very realistic and people can easily connect with the characters and plot. The title is also captivating and eye catching; that's what got my attention when choosing a book to read. To me, reading Fostergirls was a real pleasure, and that’s why I rate it five stars.