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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4.5/5
Omg I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the setting and the characters. My only reason why it wasn’t 5 stars for me was because I wish there was more to some characters. The book reminded me of Grease in a way and I heard it is similar to The Outsiders, so naturally I now have that book on hold at my local library.
Omg I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the setting and the characters. My only reason why it wasn’t 5 stars for me was because I wish there was more to some characters. The book reminded me of Grease in a way and I heard it is similar to The Outsiders, so naturally I now have that book on hold at my local library.
marieintheraw's review
4.0
The book advertises itself as a genderswapped The Outsiders, and as someone who didn't super love the Outsiders, I felt this did a good job covering the same themes. Fans of Mathieu will enjoy the writing and how she continues to use her words, but Outsiders fans maybe a little disappointed.
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
literaryk's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is advertised as a feminine Outsiders, and I would agree that people who loved the Outsiders would love this book. There are some elements and call backs to the original story, but the plot and perspective on the gender and economic issues of the 70s are fresh.
love_luci's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cara_ready's review
4.0
It was refreshing to read a book about a group of girls who stick together and don’t unravel over dumb shit. I feel like this book had well developed, deeper conflict that wasn’t just petty drama so many people assume of young girls. I really liked the main character, Evie, I thought she was complex and smart and had realistic worries. This is not to say I don’t think girls have realistic worries, you just don’t typically read about them in literature. It wasn’t the most original story but I still enjoyed it.
atrailofpages's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! It is like a mix of The Outsiders and Grease, a gender-bent version which just makes it even better!
This story follows Evelyn, or Evie as she likes to be called, who is friends with the “bad girls”. She runs with the “bad girl” crowd that her mom refers to them as, but she does because they accept her. They don’t look down on her, and treat her equally, despite her young age. Amongst the kids, there are the “bad” kids, and the “tea sippers”, basically the poorer kids and the rich kids. One evening, Evie is almost assaulted by one of the upper class boys, but is saved by Diane, a girl who once was a part of the upper class, or a “tea sipper” by desperate measures. After the incident, they each have to keep this secret of what happened to that boy, or be arrested. Which they attempt to keep until someone innocent is accused and they have to decide what to do. Tell the truth, or not.
I love Evie. What she almost went through, and how she copes with it afterward is heartbreaking and yet so admirable how she handles it. Her relationship with her best friends, Connie, Sunny, and Juanita, is just lovely. They’re like a found family, always sticking up for each other and protecting each other no matter what. When Diane is introduced, Evie changes so much as a person. Diane really shows Evie she can be a nice person, and yet still be “tuff”; she can still cry, and yet be a “tuff” person. It’s amazing to see how they all transform as friends, and all become so much closer in order to save each other and protect each other.
This book was an emotional read, especially towards the end. It really focused on friends and family, and those bonds you make with them and what you are willing to do to protect those bonds and those people you love. The book broke my heart, but it also made me feel good and really appreciate the friends and family I have. I highly recommend this book, especially if you love The Outsiders, or Grease, or just a unique retelling or twist on an original story. Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for a free digital copy. All thoughts are my own, and I left this review voluntarily.
This story follows Evelyn, or Evie as she likes to be called, who is friends with the “bad girls”. She runs with the “bad girl” crowd that her mom refers to them as, but she does because they accept her. They don’t look down on her, and treat her equally, despite her young age. Amongst the kids, there are the “bad” kids, and the “tea sippers”, basically the poorer kids and the rich kids. One evening, Evie is almost assaulted by one of the upper class boys, but is saved by Diane, a girl who once was a part of the upper class, or a “tea sipper” by desperate measures. After the incident, they each have to keep this secret of what happened to that boy, or be arrested. Which they attempt to keep until someone innocent is accused and they have to decide what to do. Tell the truth, or not.
I love Evie. What she almost went through, and how she copes with it afterward is heartbreaking and yet so admirable how she handles it. Her relationship with her best friends, Connie, Sunny, and Juanita, is just lovely. They’re like a found family, always sticking up for each other and protecting each other no matter what. When Diane is introduced, Evie changes so much as a person. Diane really shows Evie she can be a nice person, and yet still be “tuff”; she can still cry, and yet be a “tuff” person. It’s amazing to see how they all transform as friends, and all become so much closer in order to save each other and protect each other.
This book was an emotional read, especially towards the end. It really focused on friends and family, and those bonds you make with them and what you are willing to do to protect those bonds and those people you love. The book broke my heart, but it also made me feel good and really appreciate the friends and family I have. I highly recommend this book, especially if you love The Outsiders, or Grease, or just a unique retelling or twist on an original story. Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for a free digital copy. All thoughts are my own, and I left this review voluntarily.
little_ducky237's review
5.0
*May Contain Spoilers*
How can I not like a book that combines the Outsiders with a Feminist touch. If you haven't read the Outsiders, I highly recommend it before reading this book so you can see all the comparisons and how she changed them. Especially the usage of the word "tuff". It's a small detail but yet it's such an important wording to keep in. Now to the more spoiler part of this review! I had the feeling that Jennifer was going to break my heart at the end like the Outsiders did! After Diane died, I was so sad that Evie didn't talk to Johnny. I get the main story is about her, but I wanted to get to see his side of the story. How did he handle her death besides crying alone? Even guys need emotional support too. Maybe that could be a small story the author could make later. (wink wink) All the characters,in some form, are realistic to the life of different teenagers. This is a great book that represents the problems girls can go through (beside murder on accident), from the range of rape to teen pregnancy and parent expectations/control on life. I loved the style of this book, so I can't wait to read Moxie!
How can I not like a book that combines the Outsiders with a Feminist touch. If you haven't read the Outsiders, I highly recommend it before reading this book so you can see all the comparisons and how she changed them. Especially the usage of the word "tuff". It's a small detail but yet it's such an important wording to keep in. Now to the more spoiler part of this review! I had the feeling that Jennifer was going to break my heart at the end like the Outsiders did! After Diane died, I was so sad that Evie didn't talk to Johnny. I get the main story is about her, but I wanted to get to see his side of the story. How did he handle her death besides crying alone? Even guys need emotional support too. Maybe that could be a small story the author could make later. (wink wink) All the characters,in some form, are realistic to the life of different teenagers. This is a great book that represents the problems girls can go through (beside murder on accident), from the range of rape to teen pregnancy and parent expectations/control on life. I loved the style of this book, so I can't wait to read Moxie!
haleymurkin97's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
hitechredneck's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hayleybeale's review
3.0
It’s an intriguing idea to remix S. E. Hinton’s iconic The Outsiders with young women instead of young men. But for me, this didn’t quite hit the spot as I found it overly stylized and a bit of a trudge.
Evie, Connie, Juanita, and Sunny are “tough girls”, which, in 1964 Houston, means that they wear heavy eye makeup, smoke, and skip school. They have contempt for the “tea-sippers” from the other side of the tracks.
15 year-old Evie is the youngest of the group and the most innocent. She is almost raped by one of uppercrust boys, but is rescued by Diane who stabs him and accidentally kills him. Though Diane presents as a tea-sipper, she is living with her aunt in a small dingy house on the wrong side of town and goes to the same school as Evie. United by their shared trauma, Evie and Diane become friends, though the shadow of what happened looms over them both.
I read The Outsiders a long time ago and had very little recollection of it (probably not helped by getting it confused with Francis Ford Coppola’s film version), so I did a quick read of the Wikipedia page to see how the two books compare. While the set up for both books is similar, Bad Girls diverges on a major plot point, introducing a star-crossed Romeo and Juliet relationship.
The author intelligently highlights issues that were relevant to girls at the time (and still resonate today). The novel is very strong in its advocacy for the power of female friendship in an era when girls and women were more defined in relation to the men in their lives. Evie’s mother’s ambition for her daughters is for them to be married and settled with nice, steady men. But Evie doesn’t want this and it takes much of the book for her to be able to articulate the desire she has to just be able to choose for herself and make her own decisions.
I found much of the novel to be rather slow-paced and somewhat repetitive. Though written in a style that feels somewhat appropriate to the 1960’s and to pulp novels, the novel also has a modern sensibility that doesn't always sit comfortably. I thought the feminist ideas were a little shoehorned in (Evie’s sister is reading Betty Friedan) and Evie’s ideas about desegregation and civil rights, while admirable, felt rather too contemporary and adult, and seemed out of character (though I suspect this would be unnoticed by today’s teens). Conversely, thoughts about sex and sexuality are noticeably absent.
So, overall this was an okay read for me, but I have already purchased it for my library as I know many of my students really loved Ponyboy, Johnny, and the other greasers, and will be excited to read this new iteration.
Thanks to Roaring Brook and Netgalley for the digital review copy.
Evie, Connie, Juanita, and Sunny are “tough girls”, which, in 1964 Houston, means that they wear heavy eye makeup, smoke, and skip school. They have contempt for the “tea-sippers” from the other side of the tracks.
15 year-old Evie is the youngest of the group and the most innocent. She is almost raped by one of uppercrust boys, but is rescued by Diane who stabs him and accidentally kills him. Though Diane presents as a tea-sipper, she is living with her aunt in a small dingy house on the wrong side of town and goes to the same school as Evie. United by their shared trauma, Evie and Diane become friends, though the shadow of what happened looms over them both.
I read The Outsiders a long time ago and had very little recollection of it (probably not helped by getting it confused with Francis Ford Coppola’s film version), so I did a quick read of the Wikipedia page to see how the two books compare. While the set up for both books is similar, Bad Girls diverges on a major plot point, introducing a star-crossed Romeo and Juliet relationship.
The author intelligently highlights issues that were relevant to girls at the time (and still resonate today). The novel is very strong in its advocacy for the power of female friendship in an era when girls and women were more defined in relation to the men in their lives. Evie’s mother’s ambition for her daughters is for them to be married and settled with nice, steady men. But Evie doesn’t want this and it takes much of the book for her to be able to articulate the desire she has to just be able to choose for herself and make her own decisions.
I found much of the novel to be rather slow-paced and somewhat repetitive. Though written in a style that feels somewhat appropriate to the 1960’s and to pulp novels, the novel also has a modern sensibility that doesn't always sit comfortably. I thought the feminist ideas were a little shoehorned in (Evie’s sister is reading Betty Friedan) and Evie’s ideas about desegregation and civil rights, while admirable, felt rather too contemporary and adult, and seemed out of character (though I suspect this would be unnoticed by today’s teens). Conversely, thoughts about sex and sexuality are noticeably absent.
So, overall this was an okay read for me, but I have already purchased it for my library as I know many of my students really loved Ponyboy, Johnny, and the other greasers, and will be excited to read this new iteration.
Thanks to Roaring Brook and Netgalley for the digital review copy.