Bad Girls Never Say Die
| Modern Age |
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 Bad Girls Never Say Die
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| Content Warning |
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| sexual assault, teen pregnancy, violence |
American History > Modern Age > Women's History
From the acclaimed author of Moxie comes a gripping gender-flipped reimagining of The Outsiders that explores the deep bonds of female friendship and what it takes to be a "bad girl."
1964. Houston, Texas.
Evie Barnes is a bad girl. So are all her friends. They’re the sort who wear bold makeup, laugh too loud, and run around with boys. Most of all, they protect their own against the world. So when Evie is saved from a sinister encounter by a good girl from the "right" side of the tracks, every rule she's always lived by is called into question. Now she must redefine what it means to be a bad girl and rethink everything she knew about loyalty.
In this riveting story of murder, secrets, and tragedy, Jennifer Mathieu puts a female twist on S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Bad Girls Never Say Die has all the drama and heartache of that teen classic, but with a feminist take just right for our times.
Emily's Review
I absolutely loved this book. I was initially excited by the premise - a gender-swapped reimagining of The Outsiders. Maybe it's because I didn't love The Outsiders and wanted more from that story? I feel like Bad Girls hit all the notes I needed. Star-crossed lovers, amazing female friendships, a great coming-of-age story, and feminist commentary about what it was like to be a teenage girl in the 1960s.
I loved Evie as our narrator - she's innocent and maybe a little naive, but sees herself as being a bad girl. She's the youngest in her group of friends, and they treat her like their pet. I loved watching her come into her own over the course of the story. I also really enjoyed Evie's relationship with her mother. I loved the discussion about what makes a girl a "bad girl" in the 1960s. I loved the parallels and nods to The Outsiders as well. I read that first because I wanted to be able to compare and while I'm glad that I did - it isn't necessary to enjoy the story.
I thought this book was fantastic and I recommend it for teens ages 16+.
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- Bad Girls Never Say Die (by: Mathieu, Jennifer, YA, A)
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