Synopses & Reviews
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 personal doubt, each girl struggles with how much to give up and what ultimately to keep for herself. How do girls handle themselves? How much can a boy get away with? And in the end, who comes out
on top? A bad boy may always be a bad boy. But this bad boy is about to meet three girls who wont back down.
Reading Group Guide
Find a theme song for each character. Choose lyrics and music that best represent each girls story. In a short journal entry, explain your choices.
Continue the novel in the authors style by writing Kristens story in free verse
1. Discuss the title of the novel. Do you agree with it? Why or why not? How did the bad boy in this novel end up being “good” for each girl?
2. Josie admits that “lately/I dont have as tight a grip/on my confidence” (page 3). Do you think her insecurity affects her actions? If so, how? How can a girl maintain her confidence in unsettling situations?
3. Josie says, “Its pretty amazing/to find out new things about yourself/when you think you already know every inch/of your own personal landscape” (page 78). What does she learn from her relationship with a bad boy? What can you learn from her?
4. Nicolette believes that sex is power. Do you agree? If so, who wields that power? How do you think attitudes about sex have changed over time? Is Nicolettes belief a modern notion? Would your mother agree with Nicolettes opinions? Your grandmother?
5. Both Aviva and Josie end up ditching their girlfriends for a guy. What do you think of their actions? How can you keep your friends and have a boyfriend?
6. Nicolette and Aviva believe that what they are feeling is love. But as Kristen tells Aviva, “. . . we call it making love, they dont” (page 205). What do you think she is implying? Do you agree with her?
7. Compare the actions of the three girls. What can you learn from each of them? Whom do you feel most sorry for? Why? Whom do you relate to the most?
8. Each of the girls begins to lose her identity as she becomes wrapped up in this bad boy. Josie has to concentrate to remember her favorite things, Nicolette loses her sense of control, and Aviva lets him call her by a name she hates. Is letting go of yourself inevitable in a relationship, or can it be prevented? If so, how?
9. ·The author never names the boy who has wrought such havoc in these young womens lives. Why do you think she made this decision? Do you think a lot of young men treat women in this way? Do young women hold any responsibility for the way their boyfriends treat them? If so, how much?
10. How can reading a book like this help prevent a girl from making the same mistakes as its characters?
Author Q&A
Q: How did you get the idea for
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl?
A: The title came to me first. I remember scribbling it in my notebook on a big slant and underlining it. As soon as I saw it in black and white, I knew what ideas I wanted to explore. Next came the voice of Josie, although she did not yet have a name.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
A: I hope it makes readers introspective about aspects of love and relationships, that they think about who they are, who they want to be, what is right for them. I hope it sparks discussions about love and sex, gets people talking about their experiences–past, present, and future. And I hope it resonates with women of all ages, since most of us have had at least one relationship that taught us something new about ourselves.
Q: What do you want young women to know about themselves?
A: That they can trust themselves. That they should listen to their own voice and not doubt it so much. That they can make mistakes and still be okay. Sometimes you have to take a misstep in order to learn what the right next step is. Following your own instincts will always serve you better than following someone else’s.