BAD BOY, by Tanya Lee Stone, was a quick, powerful read. I blew through it in one afternoon. This is the first novel in verse that I've read, and although it took me a few pages to get used to the style, I soon became comfortable with it and enjoyed the story. From Goodreads: Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva all get mixed up with a senior boy--a cool, slick, sexy boy who can talk them into doing almost anything he wants. In a blur of high school hormones and person doubt, each girl struggles with how much to give up and what to ultimately keep for herself. A bad boy may always be a bad boy, but this bad boy is about to meet three girls who won't back down.
Here's what I learned from this book:
- Economy of words = major impact. The book begins, "I'm not stuck up. I'm confident. There's a big difference." So much voice and character in those three lines. The author didn't waste words on unnecessary scenery or backstory.
- Choose a title that asks a question that begs to be answered. Throughout the entire book I kept wondering how in the heck a bad boy, this guy who is awful to these girls, could possibly be good for them. That alone kept me glued to the pages, and the ending didn't disappoint.
- Tie a current book into the plot. In this case it was Forever by Judy Blume. One of the scorned girls uses the pages of this book to warn other girls about the bad boy, which I think is something teens can relate to. And besides, I've never read Forever and now I must!
- If done right, sex in YA can be a powerful tool. (Insert sex joke here). But seriously, in this book, sex serves a unique purpose. I'd imagine many teen readers related to what these characters went through.
Libba Bray wrote the following: "Meet Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva--three girls who've got something to tell you that you definitely want to hear. Tanya Lee Stone has written a book that's crawl-under-the-skin true, filled with humor, hope, and a little heartbreak, and the kind of tell-it-like-it-is wisdom that comes from your best girlfriends. It's irresistible."
What do you think of the above points? And if you've read this book, what was your opinion?