Much more than a female version of The Outsiders

Bad Girls Never Say Die is well-written historical fiction for middle school readers, describing a time before cell phones and helicopter parenting. Although this book does have similarities to The Outsiders, it's so much more than that. It's about young women coming of age on the cusp of the 1960s feminist movement, living in a time when choices for women were limited, yet there was the possibility of more. It's about realizing that patriarchal societal norms influence women no matter what side of town they're from. It's about teenagers finding their way in the world regardless of whether their parents know how to love them or not. It's about the depths of female friendships and the lengths we go to support those we love. Mathieu weaves in these themes without shoving them down the reader's throat, letting them support the plot rather than dictate it.