Bad Girls Never Say Die

Jennifer Mathieu

Oct 2021 · Sold by Roaring Brook Press

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

Follows a group of "bad girls" around Houston, Texas during the 60s. The "bad girls" stick together and look out for each other. A "good girl" from the other side of the tracks is causing trouble and loyalties will be called into question. Mystery, suspense, & intrigue. Pegged as the feminist/female version of The Outsiders. Unpopular Opinion: I thought The Outsiders was just 'OK.' This is the first title I've read by the author but I'm planning on checking out her book - Moxie - because it is being developed into a movie by Amy Poehler for Netflix TAGS: fiction, historical fiction, young adult, ya, coming of age, romance, suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, feminism *Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan's Roaring Brook Press & Jennifer Mathieu for providing a free eARC in exchange for my honest review #BadGirlsNeverSayDie #NetGalley @NetGalley #RoaringBookPress #MacKidsBooks @mackidsbooks #AuthorJenMathieu #JenniferMathieu #JenMathieu @jenmathieu @authorjenmathieu

Bad Girls Never Say Die is a novel set in the 1960's about self-proclaimed "bad girl" Evie and her "bad girl" group of friends. It's been toted as a gender swapped, feminist version of The Outsiders with a splash of Grease and The Goonies thrown in and while reading, I could definitely see those aspects portrayed. Everything changes for Evie when she meets Diane, a "good girl" who saves her life in a "bad girl" way. This novel examines what it means to live on both the "right" and "wrong" side of the tracks and understand what it means to be a friend. Jennifer Mathieu wrote a brilliant story that is easily recommendable to young teens, especially those reading The Outsiders. The story had good pacing and a nice flow, but at times felt a little easy to predict the outcomes of some situations, which is why I didn't give it a fifth star, but would have given it 4.5 had that been an option. I really like Jennifer Mathieu's writing style and look forward to reading more from her.

About the author

Jennifer Mathieu is the author of Devoted, Afterward, The Liars of Mariposa Island, and The Truth About Alice, the winner of the Children's Choice Teen Debut Author Award. Her 2017 novel Moxie was developed into a film by Amy Poehler for Netflix. Jennifer teaches high school English in Texas, where she lives in the Houston area with her husband and son.