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A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl

by Tanya Lee Stone (Goodreads Author)

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 1,031 ratings · 179 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 o...more

Hardcover, 228 pages

Published January 10th 2006 by Wendy Lamb Books

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DCPL 's Teen Love & Sex (Some Romance) Booklist, for OWL

127th out of 360 books — 1,503 voters

Novels in Verse

43rd out of 144 books — 391 voters

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Apr 29, 2008 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, jens-personal-read

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Don't let the title of this book fool you. The "bad boy" in question is definitely bad, and the "can be good" part is more in the vein of "thank God I learned something out of this" rather than "oh, he's so gooood to me." That being said, every high-school age girl in the world needs to read this book, before they meet the proverbial bad boy who, although good at breaking your heart, isn't really good at anything else.

Told in verse, A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Sherylt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Independent Reading
A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl

Every girl in a point in time has been a teenager, and during that period of time known a little something about a Bad Boy. A Bad Boy is usually the hot good- looking guy in school that all the girls want to be with, and knows he is only after one thing, but can’t resist his charming ways. This takes place in the fictional novel A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stones. Three girls named Josie, Nicolette and Aviva crumble to the...more Independent Reading
A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl

Every girl in a point in time has been a teenager, and during that period of time known a little something about a Bad Boy. A Bad Boy is usually the hot good- looking guy in school that all the girls want to be with, and knows he is only after one thing, but can’t resist his charming ways. This takes place in the fictional novel A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stones. Three girls named Josie, Nicolette and Aviva crumble to the charms of a cute high school senior. Throughout the book, these three girls share the experiences they had with the hot jock and the misfortunes of it. We are first introduced to Josie, a freshman, whose hormones rise when she comes upon the hot jock of their high school. Josie falls for him and in the end learns that her only use to him was for sex.
Angered at herself for being foolish to fall for such doings, she decides to head to the library. There, she finds a way to make girls aware of this Bad Boy. She does this by retrieving the book Forever by Judy Blume, knowing that it is the most read title in the library. At the back of the book are blank pages where she alerts girls of the Bad Boy. She spreads the word of the book around to girls in hopes that it will warn them of what he is up to.
The hot jock moved on to more girls, one being Nicolette, a junior. Nicolette has not read the book and unfortunately, she was already worn down by the Bad Boy’s charms. Nicolette uses her sexuality as a way of having power. When she sees that she is noticed by the hot jock, she cannot resist him. She too is fooled by the jock, and once again he moves on. Aviva is the next girl he makes his move on. Unlike the other two girls, she does not have a clique, but rather is a criss- crosser, meaning she does not belong to any one clique. She has friends in all the different cliques. Aviva is pretty, but not cheerleader pretty, smart, but not geeky, artsy, and plays the guitar, which people fine cool. She is completely surprised to find that the hot jock has interest in her. She gives up her virginity to him and says the words “I love you” while making love. He is turned off and separates herself from her. Disappointed by this, she displays her anger towards him. Nicolette tells Aviva about the book Forever, and is shocked to see what so many girls have written.
All three girls regretful of being gullible, warn others of the Bad Boy. Practice does in fact make perfect, and his ways has made him a professional at what he does. He does this in a way that makes it hard for girls to control their desire, causing them to act out romantically towards him. Once he has what he wants, he drops them like they never existed. The book Forever, definitely symbolizes the important information needed to be passed from girl to girl.
I loved reading this book. It relates to many teens and tells the stories that many have experienced. Others should read this book because the language used in this book is very realistic. It gives a lot of descriptions which allows the readers to easily visualize what is happening. There are at times sexually content, however it is mild. I highly recommend this book to girls that are in high school. I think this book would be very enjoyable and relatable to them. The way it is set up makes it very quick and easy to read. I for one hate to read, however, this novel changed that. Its simplicity made it a success.
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Jan 12, 2009 Jaemi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Josie, Nicolette and Aviva have one thing in common. He goes by the intials T.L., and he misled them all.

Josie, who never cared much for boys or what others thought of her in the word of Middle School, finds herself slightly less certain upon entering High School. And even though she balks are her own reactions when a hot Senior jock starts paying her attention, she finds herself somehow unable to resist. But he continually pushes her boundries, trying to move beyond where she’s prepared to go....more Josie, Nicolette and Aviva have one thing in common. He goes by the intials T.L., and he misled them all.

Josie, who never cared much for boys or what others thought of her in the word of Middle School, finds herself slightly less certain upon entering High School. And even though she balks are her own reactions when a hot Senior jock starts paying her attention, she finds herself somehow unable to resist. But he continually pushes her boundries, trying to move beyond where she’s prepared to go. Unwilling to give in, she eventually finds herself left behind. Her situation reminds her of the book Forever, and she seeks it out in the Library in order to begin her payback.

Nicolette has always gone with boys from other schools. She knows what she likes, and knows that in High School it would be bound to lead to a bad rap, since she’s not a guy. But the story of Josie travels the halls, and Nicolette is sure she must not have had what it took. T.L. seems mighty fine to her. She steps right up to be next in line. And even though there are no dates, and she’s never invited to sit with the crew at Lunch, the fact that they have their own special place within the school soothes her.

Until she hears about Aviva.

Until the day with the frog in Biology, Aviva is pretty sure she never entered into T.L.’s radar. But they seem to hit it off, and when he asks her to a party, she says yes. Soon, weekends with the boy become a regular thing, and Aviva’s other life is forgotten. Old friends try to warn her, but she sees things differently. She’s sure this is different. She gives him what he wants, only to find out she gave too much.

One more of many to be left in tears, Aviva takes Josie’s advice and heads to the library to check out Forever. She finds all empty space covered with stories and warning of the one and only T.L. and wonders how it can be possible. And yet, for all that, the girls he’s damaged have all come out for the better, with a little more knowledge to help them along the way. It’s a pretty safe bet that in the end, all he’ll get out of it is a list of empty names.(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Thea marked it as to-read

This novel, written by Tanya Lee Stone tells the the story from the perspectives of three teenage girls; Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva. The three girls share one thing in common:they all fall for the same guy. One of the most popular guys at their highschool,a jock and very hot! His charm made it very difficult to resist his temptation.

Josie, a freshman was the first girl he pursued. She being a freshan and he was a senior was all the more reason she like him so much. She began to think about him...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Jen Metyko rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 492-books

T.L. could stand for any number of characteristics when referring to the most popular (pig)boy in high school... "totally lame, etc." Josie decides to put this on display for all girls to see via the novel Forever. As each girl is secretly told to check out this book, a new story is added to explain how the (pig)boy is more "pig" less "boy."

Throughout this novel (told in verse), we experience the typical relationship told from a series of different girls, all in a relationship with the same boy....more

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Dec 03, 2012 Sex in the Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sex, cussing

16-year-old Anya is the heir to to the "family business": chocolate.

In the year 2083, chocolate is a controlled substance, and Anya's family is a modern mafia, importing chocolate and other prohibited luxuries to New York. Her parents were both killed in mob hits, leaving Anya in charge of a younger sister, a brain-injured older brother, and a dying grandmother. Anya considers herself the least romantic girl in the world...until she falls in love with Win Delacroix, the son of New York's new as...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Amanda Childs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: engl-420-fall-2012

POETRY CATEGORY
Contains adult content. Probably best for 15-up.

Parents read first perhaps?

A novel told in verse through the eyes of three high school girls, A Bad Boy can be Good for a Girl is a book about girls who get mixed up with the same bad guy. He's manipulative, after sex, and willing to sweet-talk and lie his way to his goal. Each girl is different in her background and personality, and each girl handles his advances differently, to different ends. The story is about sex, love, and the...more POETRY CATEGORY
Contains adult content. Probably best for 15-up.

Parents read first perhaps?

A novel told in verse through the eyes of three high school girls, A Bad Boy can be Good for a Girl is a book about girls who get mixed up with the same bad guy. He's manipulative, after sex, and willing to sweet-talk and lie his way to his goal. Each girl is different in her background and personality, and each girl handles his advances differently, to different ends. The story is about sex, love, and the loss of innocence, with the overall message being: STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, and THINK before you jump into bed. And if you do end up making decisions you wish you hadn't, remember you aren't alone and there are people there to help you figure things out and make better choices.

I'll be honest, I liked this book. The free verse was engaging and accessible. The varied perspectives were as interesting as they were revealing. And because the girls involved are so different from each other, the book and its message are likely to resonate with a wide range of young adult girls. That said, I know that some parents and educators would be upset with the book, not just because it talks about sex, because it does so in such a realistic way. While not overtly offensive, the emotions, feelings, (physical and emotional) and urges of girls are accurately described. In some ways, I felt this accuracy was the strongest part of the book. Teens know and will relate to these visceral feelings. In my opinion, this explicit description is what makes the consequences of the actions described so real for teen readers.

That said, had my own mom flipped through and read some pages of the book, she likely would have thought I was reading some sort of pornographic romance novel. Then again, had she read the thing all the way through, she would have found a message about waiting to have sex, and about turning to trusted adults (like your mom) for help when you need help navigating the perils of predatory males and your own budding sexuality. (less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

Very rarely do I not like a book. Unfortunately, this is one of those rare books. I will admit that I am biased, and I dislike girly books about boyfriends and relationships, which is perhaps why I didn't like this book from the begining. However, as I continued to read, I did not find any redeeming qualities to this book at all.

My main issue with this book was how unbelievable it was. It is basically about three girls who date the same "bad boy," and their relationships end horribly. However, e...more Very rarely do I not like a book. Unfortunately, this is one of those rare books. I will admit that I am biased, and I dislike girly books about boyfriends and relationships, which is perhaps why I didn't like this book from the begining. However, as I continued to read, I did not find any redeeming qualities to this book at all.

My main issue with this book was how unbelievable it was. It is basically about three girls who date the same "bad boy," and their relationships end horribly. However, each girl seems to recover from her relationship with the bad boy awfully quickly. This really concerns me because two of the girls have sex with the "bad boy" before things go awry. For many girls, getting dumped after giving herself over completely to a guy is not just something that she can recover from quickly. It can leave lasting, damaging scars that could take awhile to heal. Each girl had about one or two pages devoted to how sad and depressed they felt after their relationship ended, but after that, they suddenly felt empowered and happy and better off than they had before the relationship. I almost feel like the message of the book was that girls should go out and have sex with bad boys because they can learn from the experience and will be better off because of it. This is not a message we want to be sending to young teen girls.

Secondly, I did not like how this book was written in verse. It seemed far too short for me, which is perhaps why I had issues with the believability. I didn't feel I could really connect with any of the characters or get to know their true, inner feelings. Plus, I didn't like the idea of how it was narrated by three different girls. If the book had just been narrated by Josie and had been an in-depth look at her relationship, the mistakes she made, and how she grew from it, perhaps I would have liked the book more. However, it felt so rushed, and, as a consequence, unbelievable.

I'm not sure the appropriate age group for this book. One of the characters is a freshman, but I do not feel like this book is appropriate for such a young audience. There are several sexual scenes which make this book better off for older readers. I, personally, would not recommend this book to anyone, though, just because of my issues with the believability and the message it seemed to send.(less)

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May 25, 2011 Patrick Yecha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some people call them players
But I'm far from terrified
Cos somehow I'm drawn to danger
And have been all of my life
It feels my heart's divided
Half way 'tween wrong and right
I know I'm playing with fire
But I don't know why.
Bad Boy by Kano

Following the story of three girls, and their dealings with the same boy, I have to say that I feel sorry for them, but part of me knows in a way, they brought this on themselves. I will probably be lambasted for saying this, with everyone of the girls, th...more

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May 11, 2009 Jamila rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teens, high-school, sex-sexuality, women-girls

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a quick read in verse, thus, I never really got to know the "three very different" young women who fall for the same "bad boy." Each girl is unique and has her own strength . . . and of course, her own weakness in the form of lust for a super hot jock. The book ends so quickly that each girl isn’t given the opportunity to really triumph or rise or re-gain her strength after being used by the bad boy. So, how good can the bad boy really be? Great title! Stone should have written more to r...more This is a quick read in verse, thus, I never really got to know the "three very different" young women who fall for the same "bad boy." Each girl is unique and has her own strength . . . and of course, her own weakness in the form of lust for a super hot jock. The book ends so quickly that each girl isn’t given the opportunity to really triumph or rise or re-gain her strength after being used by the bad boy. So, how good can the bad boy really be? Great title! Stone should have written more to really prove her title worthy.

One great thing is Stone’s use of Blume's "Forever." Josie, one of the main characters warns her high school peers about the bad boy’s sexual, heartbreaker motives on the last pages of her high school library’s copy. However, “Forever” and its classic brilliance isn’t really important to the plot. Josie could have just written her warnings on the bathroom stall (like “Speak,” which I loved).

There was an opportunity for Stone to really allow the young women to use their voices to fight back – to reclaim their bodies, etc. Yet, the only true discourse or empowerment occurs on the pages of “Forever.” There should have been more of that experience – how each unnamed girl in the school felt when she wrote about that one “bad boy.”

And, give me a break: how common is that? It would have been more realistic if different girls were empowered to speak about different boys. One other flaw – it appears that this bad boy really gets around and has scarred more than ten girls. However, our three main characters are oblivious to this and willingly become his prey. Yes, we, girls & women do this all of the time. But, come on – the same guy, boring.

After saying all of that I will recommend this to a mature teen who enjoyed “Forever,” likes edgy titles or enjoys books about dating/romance. Virginities are lost, reputations are ruined, hearts are broken, friendships are developed and there’s foreplay & condoms (yaay) in between.
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Feb 27, 2009 Janib rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book is so good sometimes when your reading you just wont put it down

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Aug 03, 2010 Handd51 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2010-how-many-can-i-read, ya

This novel in verse is a powerful essay on high school pressure on girls to be sexually active. Three different girls get taken by the same bad boy who is just building his stats at their expense. The first and youngest is angry enough to start a warning/commiseration commentary in the back of the library's copy of Judy Blume's forever. Despite that fact that I'm a librarian and normally frown on marking up library books, I found this touch perfect - and the three stories interweave easily and r...more

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Jun 06, 2009 Adele rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not long ago I wrote a guest blog (My Square Heart) for Liz over at My Favourite Books about the impact Forever (Judy Blume) had on my in my teen years. Soon after, British author Luisa Plaja suggested I read this novel as it involves Forever. a few months later and a book swap with the glorious Alea from Pop Culture Junkie and I had this novel in my hands.

The thing is...I didn't realise it was a verse novel. I am not a great fan of this style as I have read plenty of bad verse, free or otherwis...more

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May 04, 2010 Allison added it

I read A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl. This book was pretty interesting actually. I thought I would have not liked it, but turns out, I loved that book. I only checked it out because i had to choose a book, and it was worth checking it out. Anyways, this book is about this girl named Josie, she's a freshman in high school. she met this guy named t.l (they dont say his real name in the book, so those are his initials.) anyways, they start hanging out, kissing and everything.. his friends would...more

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May 29, 2011 Renae rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 02, 2011 Cynthia Benin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hmmm... so you are thinking that that the hot, popular senior in your school is over the moon about you and can't get enough of your wit and charm mixed with a bit of sexiness? Well join the club! Because chances are if he is romancing you, he has romanced others and you won't be the first or last! Join the "broken hearts club" ladies because some guys just want you as a trophy- and the game they are playing is you.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl is the terrific story of three high school girl...more Hmmm... so you are thinking that that the hot, popular senior in your school is over the moon about you and can't get enough of your wit and charm mixed with a bit of sexiness? Well join the club! Because chances are if he is romancing you, he has romanced others and you won't be the first or last! Join the "broken hearts club" ladies because some guys just want you as a trophy- and the game they are playing is you.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl is the terrific story of three high school girls who don't have anything in common except for the betrayal and embarrassment they feel when they are used and dumped by a guy known only as, T.L. Each girl has her reasons for being attracted to him and each girl will discover why other girls have been left confused, broken-hearted and angry thanks to, Josie who tries to save the others from going through what she went through by leaving a note in her favorite book in the library, Forever, By Judy Blume.

I connected with the characters in this funny, and yet at times, pathetic story about girls who when it is all said and done, just want to be liked intensely by a “cute guy.” Each girl is naive in her own way (Josie is a Freshman who is wooed by T.L’s smooth talk; Nicollette sees herself as a “guy magnet” and is somewhat invincible when it comes to getting hurt; Aviva is a “granola/hippie” who finds herself inexplicably attracted to T.L., though she professes to know how bad boys operate) but what they all have in common is the belief that they are special- special enough to win the heart and full-time attention of a guy who has a reputation of not sticking around, especially if he has sex with you. It just goes to show what happens when we let our hormones dictate what we do instead of our brains!

What’s particularly familiar for me as a reader is that even adult women tend to have this idea that we can “save” a man or that we are somehow able to turn a bad boy into a good one. Ladies, this doesn’t happen anywhere on the planet except on TV or in a book.
What I enjoyed about this misadventure is that eventually the girls get it- they know that they were used by T.L and yes they are hurt, embarrassed and feel rather foolish, but in the end, they don’t turn on each other, they turn toward each other and make him the outcast. Indeed they learn the most valuable lesson about how good girls can actually be helped by a bad boy.

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Jun 05, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This one was really hard to rate, because I'm not quite sure what I think of it. First off, I have a slight problem with the phrase "bad boy" used to describe the slimeball (called T.L.) our three female protagonists all fall for. "Bad boy" brings to mind a leather-jacket-wearing, cigarette-smoking, blue-streak-swearing punk from a few decades ago who corrupts the ponytailed, cardigan-wearing, nice girl. The one in the book is a popular, attractive, manipulative jock who uses girls for his own p...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Corinne added it

What if you find these thoughts in your teen daughter's text messages or on her Facebook wall?

"but then he walked right over and fit himself right into my puzzle."

"I hope I remember these feelings forever: stupid, humiliated, foolish, stung, heartbroken, pissed off, and a little bit wiser. I hope I remember forever, so I never fall for this kind of boy again."

"Nobody calls boys whores. Why is that?"

"The phrase "nail her" flashed like a huge neon sign in my brain."

"And I am so pissed at myself b...more

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Apr 15, 2010 Adriana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars. Read this in about an hour. Three stories told in verse from the points of view of three different girls at the same high school who all go out with one bad boy. I thought the format worked exceptionally well for the story. Although the topics that are explored are very sensitive (sex, love, virginity), I thought they were treated in a realistic way and in the end all the girls learned a lesson, which all relates back to the title. There was one moment in particular that stood out whe...more

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Dec 18, 2008 Smaileh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Josie is a freshman when HE notices her. HE tells her she's the only one that HE can open up to, the only one HE can tell his reveal his deepest, truest feelings to. Nicolette is older, more experienced (though she mostly hooks up with guys from another school so she doesn't get a reputation) when she meets HIM and breaks her own rules. Aviva, too, falls under HIS spell. And each of them discovers that HE was just playing them, racking up points.

The girls do get a bit of revenge. No, they don't...more

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Apr 16, 2008 Stacy Davis-White rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book in an hour. It was a very easy read and I could see why teens would love it. It is full of sex and teenage jargon. I didn't like the message that it sent to young girls though and I think the girls would have been a little better off had they not had that encounter with the "bad boy." He is more like every boy out there!

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Oct 24, 2009 Alanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva are three young High school students from point beach high. They all have had sexual actions with the same guy T.L one of the hot senior jocks at there school. He is blonde and full of muscles and the girls can't resist all his charms and he can't resist there. T.L is hot on the outside but on the inside he is a player looking for the next girl to have sex with and most of all he's a bad boy. The three teens are faced with major drama when T.L has them on his side. Th...more

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Sep 01, 2008 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved this free verse novel that explores how one guy in his quest to conquer as many girls as he can effects love and sex with 3 high school girls. What did I learn- this is a good book for girls to read so they can see how a guy can make you do things you don't want, but also how the girls can ignore all the signals.....

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Jan 07, 2012 Ms Anderson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: src-05-winter-2011, formystudents, 2012-01-jan

I thought this book had an interesting premise, but the follow-through could've been better. I had a hard time telling some of the voices apart (usually, I had to rely on clues like "Oh, this character's personality is based only on music, so she must be talking"), and I didn't particularly care for any of the narrators as they got themselves in deep with this jerk of a guy. Also, there was one stray "Nicolette" bit in the middle of Aviva's section, and that threw me off because it appeared out...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Clover (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-month, own, verse-novels, ya, books-read-in-2011

Without a recommendation from a friend on this one, I probably would have never picked up this book. And that would have been a shame. Even though it's quite a slim book and made for a quick read due to the way it's written in verse, A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone is really powerful look at relationships in high school, with a specific focus on three girls and the same boy they each fall for and deal with the pressures of a sexual relationship.

Each of these three girls, Josi...more Without a recommendation from a friend on this one, I probably would have never picked up this book. And that would have been a shame. Even though it's quite a slim book and made for a quick read due to the way it's written in verse, A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone is really powerful look at relationships in high school, with a specific focus on three girls and the same boy they each fall for and deal with the pressures of a sexual relationship.

Each of these three girls, Josie, Nicholette and Aviva are very different, and have certain ideas of the type of person they'd be in a relationship with this particular charming boy at school. And each girl must then struggle with their own doubts and insecurities and must deal with the ways in which this boy handles each girl, always after one specific goal. Will the girls buckle under his pressure to take things farther and farther? Will the girls compromise themselves or their values in order to feel special and important to this popular, charming and good-looking boy?

I loved how each girl is from a different social circle, and these three different 'types' of girls could really encorporate all girls. From Josie, the freshman girl, innocent of any relationships. The girl who abandons her close group of friends in order to be The Girlfriend. Then there's Nicholette, who believes she holds the power between her and him because she's more forward and goes after what she wants. But the shift is fairly evident as we see how He treats her and how he doesn't acknowledge her in the hallways or in front of his friends. And then there's Aviva, the quirky girl who flits between groups of friends, always staying on the fringes, the one who wants to give Him another chance despite being warned off. The three may not normally be friends, but over the course of this verse novel, they have one major thing in common. They've all fallen under the spell of one Bad Boy.

I'm actually a little surprised at how filled with emotion and hormones this book is. I knew there would be sex involved, but there are some really hot scenes there. All the hormonal teenage urges to kiss and press against each other and have sex are very present here. But so is all of the doubt and insecurities as each girl wonders 'why is with me?' to 'what have I done wrong?' My heart ached for each individual girl as Josie, Nicholette and then Aviva all fall under his charms and even though each are strong, intelligent and grounded teenage girls, each one makes mistake after mistake and lets this one boy control and take over.

I do also really love the offensive that is taken during the course of this book and how each girl stands up for herself and for others in order to lessen this boy's hold on them and any future girls he might take a fancy to. It's a wonderful message to give to young girls today - respect yourself, stand up for yourself and look out for those who might make the same mistakes. A wonderful read, I'm very glad to have read it!(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Sean Mccambridge rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: engl-492

I am the gay best friend to a lot of girls. I have heard the three stories in this book time and time again. Bad boy meets girl, uses girl, breaks girl's heart, and moves on to the next girl. I always offer my advise, and just as this book does, I remind them that they are not alone, and tell them that everything will be OK. Then I usually go off to either be the bad boy or the good... well you know, all depending on the situation. The point is, this is a great book for all of those girls out th...more

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Dec 11, 2009 April Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl was a very easy read for me! It took me only one night to start and finish the book. I liked this book because it was very persistant, it got straight to the point. The topic was very realistic in today's world for teenagers.

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Apr 04, 2013 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl is written in verse and tells 3 different stories from girls who have dated the same high school senior.The first girl, a freshman named Josie, writes about how horrible he is in the back of a book in the library after he is done with her. Two other girls also fall for this boy's charm, one giving him her virginity. Although all the girls get hurt, they survive it and warn others via the book who may be at risk to this heartache.

This book tells stories that every...more

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Jul 09, 2009 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

Josie, Nicolette and Aviva, all ranging between 14 and 18-years-old, are three strong bright girls, but when the same guy enters their lives at different times, he worms his way under their skin and into their hearts and they ignore their gut instincts warning them against him. Everyone gets hurt. Josie is first, and decides to do something about it. She checks out Forever by Judy Blume from the library, and writes a warning to all girls in the back of the book, and tells every girl she meets to...more Josie, Nicolette and Aviva, all ranging between 14 and 18-years-old, are three strong bright girls, but when the same guy enters their lives at different times, he worms his way under their skin and into their hearts and they ignore their gut instincts warning them against him. Everyone gets hurt. Josie is first, and decides to do something about it. She checks out Forever by Judy Blume from the library, and writes a warning to all girls in the back of the book, and tells every girl she meets to check it out. Some listen, some don’t. Everyone learns something; about themselves, how to be stronger, and what to look out for in the future, and it turns out a bad boy can be good for a girl.

This book was just so awesome. Being a verse novel from the point of view of each of the three girls in turn, it feels very much like you’re reading someone’s diary, so feels very personal. Because of how personal it feels, you can’t help but be drawn into it all; you really get into the heads, and hearts, of these three girls, and it was so unbelievably powerful. It also made it hard to read when you know, you just know how things are going to turn out for each girl. The girls are all very different, and so have a different take on the “same old story”- the story being boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, boy breaks girl’s heart – but with each girl, you want to shout and scream at them for their own sake not to fall for it, beat the crap out of this boy, and then give them all a big hug. It was also brilliant that the boy wasn’t named; without a name, he can become the embodiment of every single bad boy out there, and all female readers who know a bad boy will see him in this guy, like I did. The book then becomes your story too as you relive your own experiences while reading about Josie, Nicolette and Aviva’s. As upsetting as it can be, it’s also comforting to think that you’re not the only one.

It’s difficult to talk about the sex in this novel, as it’s all connected with the behaviour of the boy, the feelings of the girls, and the choices the girls make. Before I read the book, I had heard that it was graphic, and it is, but not as much as I thought it would be. The intercourse and oral sex scenes aren’t overly detailed, but there is no steering clear of the desire the girls feel for the boy, and their enjoyment during sexual acts. I found the desire and the enjoyment to stand out and was very believable, but it didn’t overshadow the pain each girl felt when the boy hurt them, which I think is just wonderful. Although there are only a few small mentions, masturbation is brought up, but in a way that makes it seem completely normal, like brushing your teeth, and not taboo, which is great and different from Deenie by Judy Blume, in which the main character gets a bit embarrassed when the topic is brought up in class discussions on sex I don’t think anyone who was to read A Boy Can be Good for a Girl would take the view that sex is fun and they can go and have it, and everything will be fine; this is a story where the sex and the feelings are one and the same, and not two separate things. Although the girls find enjoyment in sexual acts, there is regret when they get so hurt.

I got the feeling that the story wasn’t necessarily moralistic with a message, as in “this is what you should do...”, but more along the lines of being informing as to what can happen, so readers are aware, and can hopefully avoid similar situations. A Bad Boy Can be Good for a Girl is such a powerful, poignant book, and struck such a chord with me. It was just brilliant. All teenage girls should read this book; they should be forewarned. As Josie says, “Forewarned is forearmed. Forever.”
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Jul 26, 2012 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, summerthrowdown

Review initially posted at Wyz Reads.

I knew when I read Angela Quiram's Nerdy Book Club review of this book, I had to check it out. It seemed like it had all the things I needed for my incoming 8th grade girls: high school girl drama (which they can't seem to get enough of), it's written in verse (which I want to try to expose them to), and it might have a good message (and who doesn't want that?). So I picked it up from the library, and read it. In about an hour or so. Or maybe it was two. I th...more Review initially posted at Wyz Reads.

I knew when I read Angela Quiram's Nerdy Book Club review of this book, I had to check it out. It seemed like it had all the things I needed for my incoming 8th grade girls: high school girl drama (which they can't seem to get enough of), it's written in verse (which I want to try to expose them to), and it might have a good message (and who doesn't want that?). So I picked it up from the library, and read it. In about an hour or so. Or maybe it was two. I think I slept in between.

Anyway, the story is told to us through the poems of three different girls: Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva. They're each different, spanning some of the common high school cliques. But they all have one thing in common: they dated T.L., the school all-everything jock and all-everybody jerk.

T.L. is a bad boy -- the bad boy from the title. Each of these girls fall for him as he plays his games, and as soon as he gets what he wants (sex or the realization that sex isn't going to happen), he's moving on. To T.L., girls seem to be nothing but something to use, and to put up on a tally sheet. But this isn't some John Tucker Must Die-esque story of him and how he sees the error of his ways. This is the story of the girls he has cast off.

Josie is the first in the story, but certainly not the first in T.L.'s string of girls. She falls -- hard -- and is hurt -- badly. But she's not going to just take it lying down. She's going to warn others. So she begins to send messages to other girls, using a particular Judy Blume title in the library. Not everyone heeds the warnings, though, however true they are.

Each of these girls has her own story, and each of these girls learns a very important lesson about themselves and about boys along the way.

What I really liked about this book is that it does go through just how the girls end up falling for him -- seemingly eating out of the palm of his hand before they knew what was going on, not matter what their intentions were upon meeting T.L. They learn their lesson from this. Hopefully readers of this book can learn the same lessons without going through all the same experiences.

What I didn't like about this book was how graphic it is at times. I think the message of the book is a good one for 8th graders heading off to high school next year. But I don't think some of the scenes in the book are appropriate for 13- and 14-year old girls. Some will be just fine with them, but some won't. I'm not sure if I'll have this in my classroom or not; I'm leaning towards no.

I do recommend this book for high school girls, though. It's a quick read, and it's a good exposure to novels in verse. It may be a way for some of the Pretty Little Liars fans to get into books written in poetry, whereas they may not get into the same edgy stuff that Ellen Hopkins writes.(less)

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About Tanya Lee Stone

Tanya Lee Stone is an award-winning author of books for kids and teens. Her work, which includes YA fiction (A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl), picture books (Elizabeth Leads the Way and Sandy's Circus), and nonfiction (Almost Astronauts and The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie) has won national awards such as the ALA's Sibert Medal, SCBWI's Golden Kite Award, YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction, Jane Add...more

More about Tanya Lee Stone...

Books by Tanya Lee Stone

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us

Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote

Sandy's Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder

Courage Has No Color, The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers

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Quotes from A Bad Boy Can Be Good ...

“Josie

Now, I have never understood all that
he’s-my-other-half
soul mate stuff
or when people sometimes talk about
having an empty pace inside
or that they’re missing pieces or something.
But then
he walked over
and fit himself
right into my puzzle.

Nicolette

It never occurred to me I couldn’t change
the way things are
whenever I wanted to.
I mean, I’ve always been the one calling the shots…

Avivia

He has a way of sliding out of trouble,
plays the innocent really well.
Grown-ups seem to think he’s such a good boy.
They are so wrong.
This boy gets any girl he wants.
Why does he want me? ” — 3 people liked it

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