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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
CW: Assault & attempted rape (very early on), mentions miscarriage, death
Everyone and anyone should read this. Absolutely loved it from start to finish
Bad Girls Never Say Die is well-written historical fiction for middle school readers, describing a time before cell phones and helicopter parenting. Although this book does have similarities to The Outsiders, it's so much more than that. It's about young women coming of age on the cusp of the 1960s feminist movement, living in a time when choices for women were limited, yet there was the possibility of more. It's about realizing that patriarchal societal norms influence women no matter what side of town they're from. It's about teenagers finding their way in the world regardless of whether their parents know how to love them or not. It's about the depths of female friendships and the lengths we go to support those we love. Mathieu weaves in these themes without shoving them down the reader's throat, letting them support the plot rather than dictate it.
Thank you to @bookishfirst and @roaringbrookpress for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to @bookishfirst and @roaringbrookpress for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! It was really nice to read a historical fiction where the main plot point is that it's historical. The characters all felt like real people and seeing their relationships grow and change really hit me. I had such a hard time putting this down, that I ended up reading the entire thing in one day! Super interested in anything this author writes in the future.
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review
Thank you to the publisher for kindly provided me a finished copy in exchange for an honest review.
A feminist young adult novel laced with anger and hope, Bad Girls Never Say Die depicts the gritty reality of being in a world where autonomy is not a given for women. Although our “bad” girl protagonist Evie Barnes is fighting back in the 1960s, the themes of this novel will remain familiar today.
Evie and her friends defy the rules as they wear makeup, skip class, and smoke cigarettes, branding them as a group of “bad” girls. However, when Evie is saved from a violent attempt at sexual assault by a “good”
girl, her life spins into a new direction. As lies, secrets, and a murder plot unfold, the lack of choices a woman has and the tendency to not be believed becomes more obvious.
This is a great novel to read if you’re looking for strong female friendships, violence and drama, social commentary, and a healthy dose of hope! Although the plot and dialogue did feel a bit too mechanical at times, this book is face-paced and easy to read in a sitting or two. I found the first chapter or so a bit difficult to get into, but things immediately pick up as the novel is plunged into a series of heart-racing events. This book does feel like it would be best suited for a younger teen audience, but overall it was engaging and inspiring!
TWs: attempted rape/sexual assault, murder, teen pregnancy
A feminist young adult novel laced with anger and hope, Bad Girls Never Say Die depicts the gritty reality of being in a world where autonomy is not a given for women. Although our “bad” girl protagonist Evie Barnes is fighting back in the 1960s, the themes of this novel will remain familiar today.
Evie and her friends defy the rules as they wear makeup, skip class, and smoke cigarettes, branding them as a group of “bad” girls. However, when Evie is saved from a violent attempt at sexual assault by a “good”
girl, her life spins into a new direction. As lies, secrets, and a murder plot unfold, the lack of choices a woman has and the tendency to not be believed becomes more obvious.
This is a great novel to read if you’re looking for strong female friendships, violence and drama, social commentary, and a healthy dose of hope! Although the plot and dialogue did feel a bit too mechanical at times, this book is face-paced and easy to read in a sitting or two. I found the first chapter or so a bit difficult to get into, but things immediately pick up as the novel is plunged into a series of heart-racing events. This book does feel like it would be best suited for a younger teen audience, but overall it was engaging and inspiring!
TWs: attempted rape/sexual assault, murder, teen pregnancy
This held little intrigue for me. It wasn't atmospheric, I didn't love any of the characters, and the storyline felt predictable in all the wrong ways.
Took me a bit to get into but this turned into a great book. Felt like the inner circle from Grease meets The Outsiders × Dirty Dancing meets Romeo & Juliet??? Yeah, think that about covers it.
adventurous
emotional
Everyone considers Evie a bad girl. Evie and her friends wear a lot of makeup and spend too much time with boys. Even if they are bad, they take care of each other. Evie’s world gets turned upside down when she is attacked and her rescuer is a good girl. Is there really such a thing as a good girl and a bad girl? What are the definitions of loyalty and friendship?
Bad Girls Never Say Die is a stand-alone realistic story with a historical fiction feel. The story does take place in 1964, but I don’t believe it is historical fiction. Mathieu has taken the storyline of The Outsiders and flipped it into the female perspective. With that said, readers may want to read (or re-read) The Outsiders after this book just to enjoy the parallels … I know I am planning to do that next. The storyline flows smoothly and the book ended way too soon. I recommend this book as a thoughtful escape read whether you know anything about The Outsiders or not.
Bad Girls Never Say Die is a stand-alone realistic story with a historical fiction feel. The story does take place in 1964, but I don’t believe it is historical fiction. Mathieu has taken the storyline of The Outsiders and flipped it into the female perspective. With that said, readers may want to read (or re-read) The Outsiders after this book just to enjoy the parallels … I know I am planning to do that next. The storyline flows smoothly and the book ended way too soon. I recommend this book as a thoughtful escape read whether you know anything about The Outsiders or not.