Author; Jennifer Mathieu.
Format: Audiobook.
Read By: Sandy Rustin. Date: 2021.
ISBN: 9781250232588.
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press.
Genre: Drama.
Reading Level: Grades 8-12
Trailer: When you're a young woman in a Texas town in the 1960s your options are limited. You can be just what everyone wants you to be: a Good Girl. Good Girls are sweet, sober, properly quaffed and pleated, popular, focused only on school, and -more than anything- virginal. If that boring fate doesn't interest you there is only one other option: you can be a Bad Girl. The rules to being a Bad Girl are simple: Bad Girls Never Say Die--no matter how many people want them dead.
Fifteen-year-old Evie Barnes is not your typical Texas white girl. First of all, she isn't embedded with the rich, popular "tea sippers" at River Oaks High. She doesn't primp herself with delicate makeup, she doesn't pine over the mean rich boys, she isn't planning a future as a housewife. Attending Eastside High with the rest of the poor kids and kids of color Evie has forged a different path. She's more concerned with her group of Eastsider gal pals who spend their time smoking cigarettes, drinking booze pilfered from parents, cutting class, and generally not caring about Houston's rigid rendering of what a woman should be. Despite her family's disapproval Evie is happy with where she is and what she is doing. That is until that night at the drive-in. That is until that night at the drive-in. The night when everything changes.
Everything was going as it normally does on a night out with Evie and her Eastside friends. They were partying, having a good time, and ignoring the catty comments from the rich "tea sippers" from River Oaks High. When Evie wanders off to the bathroom by herself everything changes. Cornered by a boy from River Oaks, Evie is sure that she will be sexually assaulted if not killed. That is until Diane, an unlikely ally from River Oaks, storms in and saves the day. Maybe "saves the day" is the wrong way to phrase that. Diane saves Evie from the assault, but she simultaneously creates other problems when she accidentally kills the would-be attacker. Evie, Diane, and the girl-squad from Eastside High must come together to navigate the events of that night and the implications they have for the future.
A major theme in Bad Girls Never Say Die is the oppressive gender roles imposed on people at the time. Check out this video about teenage girls at the time. Notice some of the characteristic of this video. Are the teenagers featured diverse or do they all seem like the same race, class, style? Are the questions featured in this video deep or superficial? Does it seem like these people are portrayed as well rounded people with multitudes of ideas and thoughts?
About the Author: Jennifer Mathieu is a successful YA author and high school teacher in Texas. Most of her books revolve around teen girls navigating gender roles throughout various ages in American history. According to her bio on Goodreads she is particularly fond of the 1980s. Her fourth novel, Moxie, was adapted into a film directed by comedian Amy Poehler and is available to watch on Netflix (Goodreads, n.d).
Check out the trailer for the movie based off of Mathieu's book, Moxie:
Analysis: Mathieu is clear about the origins of this story: this is a feminist retelling of the classic YA novel The Outsiders written by S.E Hinton in 1967. The source material here is thematically similar to the new work, of course, but the gender swapping of the main characters adds a refreshing element. While the 1967 version is focused more on class disparity, the updated version focuses on the intersection of race, class, and gender in 1960s America. Readers/listeners will be transfixed by the protagonist's internal struggle to reconcile her own desires with those of the society she was born into. Evie experiences significant personal growth throughout the story, and the audience will feel the empowerment coursing through their veins by the end of the story.
The hard thing about gender swapping an already popular book is there is an unavoidable comparative element. Some audience members will love the refresh of this classic, and some will find it redundant. While there is obvious value in gender analysis there is not much about this book that is significantly different from the original. Both are character driven period pieces that deal with the juxtaposition of the "haves" and "have-nots". Mathieu's writing is clear and she does not hide her gender discourse behind complicated metaphors or After School Special style morality tales. Her lucency throughout this book makes it a great read for anyone who struggles with picking up on social queues or social dynamics.
In the Library: This novel provides young people a great opportunity to examine their ideas about gender. What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a man? What exists in between and beyond those designations? How have those roles changed over time? I would use Bad Girls Never Say Die to lead a discussion about gendered expectations and how they have changed over time. I would also love to discuss where young adults see gender roles headed in the future. How do they think they will look back on gender roles in their youth when they are older with their own kids?
Potential Issues: This story could potentially cause issues because it does involve young characters drinking and smoking. The classic book this is based on has it's own issues within the library for the same reason.
Reasons for Inclusion: One of the most valuable things we can do as people is reflect on our own personal histories and the histories of the world to inform meaningful changes in ourselves and in society at large. I think Bad Girls Never Say Die provides ample opportunity for people to reflect about gender roles and how they have evolved over the years. By examining the toxicity of gender roles in the past we can better understand our current situation and hopefully create a better future.
Sources:
Bad girls never say die.(n.d.). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55780548-bad-girls-never-say-die?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=KkMO224R1f&rank=1
glamourdaze. (2020, February 13). Most asked questions by teenage girls in the 1960's. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKEXD8aDBv8
Jennifer Mathieu. (n.d.).Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6549106.Jennifer_Mathieu
Netflix. (2021, February 2). Moxie | official trailer | netflix. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf34qI1hjKU
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