Bad Girls of YA

Here's what Rizzo from Grease has to say...

"There are worse things I could do than go with a boy or two.
Even though the neighborhood thinks I'm trashy and no good.
I suppose it could be true, but there are worse things I could do."

From There Are Worse Things I Could Do, written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey

When I saw that one of my favorite blogger friends, Heather @ The Flyleaf Review, was planning to do a Bad Girls of YA post, I asked if I could join in.

I did a Bad Boys of YA post a while back. In that post, I talked about the difference between a Bad Boy (a charming rogue) and a Bad Guy (a villain).  The best part about the discussion in comments were the real differences of opinion about what made a Bad Boy. It was fun!

I think the idea of a "Bad Girl" is even more complicated. Being a Bad Boy is mostly seen as a positive thing. But when we call someone a Bad Girl, there are a whole lot of moral judgments that go along with the label. 

I think one of the main characteristics of a so-called Bad Girl is that she doesn't care what anyone thinks -- which is, of course, exactly what gets people talking about her. Here's to the bold, fearless girls of YA -- they're not afraid to lose their tempers, tell it like it is, or follow their hearts... 

1. The Girls Who Get Around 

Nothing gets a girl slapped with the Bad Girl label faster than treating romantic relationships the same way a guy would. Guys who play the field are admired, while girls who do the same get whispered about. 

Whitley from A Midsummer's Nightmare loves parties and doesn't have a problem with one-night-stands. 

In This Lullaby, Remy's relationships all have an expiration date, like a carton of milk. 

Audrey from Good Girls doesn't know she's being photographed in a consensual moment with a guy, and when the photo goes viral, she has to deal with the fact that her friends, family and teachers now see her in a completely different way.

2. The Angry Girls


Death -- their own or that of a loved one -- has made these girls pretty pissed off. Anna from Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake,  Velveteen from Velveteen by Daniel Marks, and Harper From Saving June by Hannah Harrington are all really angry, and they don't care who has a problem with that...

3. The Guilty Girls



Good Girls are supposed to be perfect. In Chime, Briony insistently tells the reader that she's evil and deserves to die. Chelsea in If I Lie makes a terrible mistake and tries to make amends. Everyone thinks that Quinn from If I Lie cheated on her Marine boyfriend while he was stationed in Afghanistan.

Give me your thoughts about the Bad Girl label or tell me about your favorite YA Bad Girls in comments. And then be sure to head over and check out Heather's post - I loved it!