Review Detail

Three very different girls. One bad boy that they all meet up with and who changes their lives. All three stories told in poetry that feels real, like the kind of things a teen girl might have going through her head on any given day.

(Warning: there will be some spoilers in this review. But they wont tell everything and youll get a lot out of reading this book. So whether you read on here or not, definitely go read the book.)

The tale starts with Josie, a freshman, who has always fancied herself to be a smart girl cool and confident. But this is high school now -- and the bad boy? Hes a senior. Sexy. Slick. He knows just the right things to say. Even when his lines are cheesy, they still work, coming from him.

Josie falls hard, but isnt ready to give up everything to him. Shes still holding on to that self-confidence. In the end, shes glad she didnt because she figures out he was only after one thing and one thing only. He drops her like a rock when he figures out he isnt going to get it.

Josie is reeling, but also mad. She decides to take some action. She adds a warning note about him to the back of Forever by Judy Blume in the school library and starts telling other girls in school about it. Hey, every girl in high school reads that one sooner or later, right?

Next up is Nicollete. Shes a junior and shes got some experience with guys. She thinks she has all the answers and all the control but soon our bad boy has her tied up in knots. Shes in love for the first time, but his actions speak louder than his words. He doesnt take her out on any real dates, but somehow always winds up just hooking up with her, even at school.

Their romance ends when Nic finally calls him out. She is devastated and a total wreck, but finally confides in her mother, who helps her to regain some self-esteem. She winds up adding more to the back notes in Forever that Josie started, after Josie herself pushes her gently that way.

Then theres Aviva, a well-balanced senior. She considers herself a criss-crosser; popular enough with everyone. Even so, its a surprise to her when the bad boy comes calling. She works to keep her distance, but she does find him charming. And hanging out with him means shes suddenly hanging out with the A-list crowd, something she thought she didnt really care about. But now&popularity has its charms too.

Things are up and down with Aviva. She keeps overhearing things that just dont seem quite right. But she cant help feeling this is it and she decides he is the one to lose her virginity to.

The predictable thing happens and soon, Josie is there again to offer some comfort and point Aviva to Forever, which is becoming a chronicle for a lot of girls in school. There is comfort in knowing that youre not alone and that no matter how smart you try to be, things sometimes happen.

I found A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl to be a very strong and emotional read with flashes of both humor and seriousness. All three girls learned something from their experience and you, the reader, can benefit from their trials. Trust yourself, trust your instincts, trust your friends. As Josie says, forewarned is forearmed.

Given the sexual content, Id recommend this book primarily to readers aged 14 and up. I highly recommend it to all girls in high school. The bad boys are out there, even the ones who dont have a clue how bad they are. In the authors words, dont let them get you down.