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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
“But the truth is if I’d never become a bad girl, I never would have met Diane. And I never would have learned the honest truth that sometimes bad girls are the best friends a girl could ever have.”
From the acclaimed author of MOXIE comes BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE, a gender-flipped reimagining of S. E. Hinton’s classic THE OUTSIDERS that strikes all of the same notes of rebellion, loyalty, and yearning to belong but with a new, deep exploration of the bonds of female friendship. Set in 1960s Houston, BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE is a YA novel following Evie Barnes and her group of friends — “bad girls” from the wrong side of the tracks who skip school, wear dark eyeliner, and run around with boys.
Their parents and teachers might scoff at their rejection of gender norms, but they don’t care. Being prim, proper, and pink is for the rich “tea sippers,” anyway. They’ve got each other and that’s all that matters. But when Evie finds herself being saved from an attempted assault by a rich girl from the “right” side of the tracks, she is forced to reconsider everything she thought she knew about what makes a girl bad.
BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE stands on its own two feet, offering a version of 1960s Houston that reads as a work of historical fiction exploring the class, race, and gender roles of the time period. If you are familiar with THE OUTSIDERS, however, Mathieu’s reimagining does a fantastic job running parallel to its inspiration.
In my experience, THE OUTSIDERS is the one required book that students tend to enjoy and seek out readalikes for. I look forward to being able to recommend BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE to those who come into the library looking for their next read after THE OUTSIDERS.
Keep your eyes peeled for BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE, hitting shelves this October! Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Potential spoiler alert in the content warnings:
CW: attempted sexual assault, violence, death, forced adoption
From the acclaimed author of MOXIE comes BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE, a gender-flipped reimagining of S. E. Hinton’s classic THE OUTSIDERS that strikes all of the same notes of rebellion, loyalty, and yearning to belong but with a new, deep exploration of the bonds of female friendship. Set in 1960s Houston, BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE is a YA novel following Evie Barnes and her group of friends — “bad girls” from the wrong side of the tracks who skip school, wear dark eyeliner, and run around with boys.
Their parents and teachers might scoff at their rejection of gender norms, but they don’t care. Being prim, proper, and pink is for the rich “tea sippers,” anyway. They’ve got each other and that’s all that matters. But when Evie finds herself being saved from an attempted assault by a rich girl from the “right” side of the tracks, she is forced to reconsider everything she thought she knew about what makes a girl bad.
BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE stands on its own two feet, offering a version of 1960s Houston that reads as a work of historical fiction exploring the class, race, and gender roles of the time period. If you are familiar with THE OUTSIDERS, however, Mathieu’s reimagining does a fantastic job running parallel to its inspiration.
In my experience, THE OUTSIDERS is the one required book that students tend to enjoy and seek out readalikes for. I look forward to being able to recommend BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE to those who come into the library looking for their next read after THE OUTSIDERS.
Keep your eyes peeled for BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE, hitting shelves this October! Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Potential spoiler alert in the content warnings:
CW: attempted sexual assault, violence, death, forced adoption
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This may be a gender-bend reimagining of The Outsiders set in the 60s, but the most telling aspect of the story is that much of it could remain true today. Double standards, murder in self-defense, women expected to 'act like a girl' and any form of emotional vulnerability is inherently at the fault and detriment of the girl in question. Now, if you're familiar with the original text, you know things only get worse. But along the way unlikely friendships blossom, and these relationships will change the lives of all of those involved. I liked how it twisted the original story into a tale that felt timeless and kept me really engaged the whole time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Racism
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
Thank you so much to Bookishfirst! I received my copy using my bookish first points and chose this book because of the Netflix film Moxie. I loved that movie and have yet to read the book but it is def on my TBR. This is the first book I have read from this author and I definitely plan to check out her other book, Moxie. The authors writing style leaves you wanting more and this was a really good book.
The time setting is in the 1960s and I agree with most of the other reviews that say it reminds you of the outsiders but instead of a bunch of bros there are chicas being badass. Anyone who liked the outsiders should check out this read because the author did base the story on the classic novel so that's why it is super similar. And if you love zines Jennifer Mathieu's book Moxie is perf for all the riot grrls out there and the movie is directed by Amy Poehler!
The time setting is in the 1960s and I agree with most of the other reviews that say it reminds you of the outsiders but instead of a bunch of bros there are chicas being badass. Anyone who liked the outsiders should check out this read because the author did base the story on the classic novel so that's why it is super similar. And if you love zines Jennifer Mathieu's book Moxie is perf for all the riot grrls out there and the movie is directed by Amy Poehler!
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual assault, Abandonment
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes