How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle & Sarah Mlynowski

Once again, I find myself reading books so that I can find great books for the school library. I read We were Liars by E. Lockhart last year (or the year before... these things just merge after some time) and I thought it was pretty good - there were some kids I knew would be interested in it. I thought I would try this one in the hope that I would feel the same.


In this story we follow three girls as they go on a road trip together. They each have their own problems and issues, and it is through the trip that these things are revealed and in some cases, overcome or at least understood.

There were somethings I did like about it. For starters, I liked how the three girls were clearly different characters. I liked how we saw them (incorrectly) through each other's eyes until we spent a chapter in their heads. They each had their own insecurities, their own griefs, and their own guilt. But having said that, I found the boys in this book very unrealistic. Some were far too perfect, far too 'Prince Charming' (or else they were far to stereotypical sleaze-bucket). For a book that covers so much depth with girls, it really did not touch on that with the male gender. Personally, I am tired of stories where 'perfect' men (or women) exist. There is no such thing. And I am not talking about the one boys choice to not sleep with a drunk girl. That decision should be the expected one. I am talking about the fact that he didn't judge her after the poor choices she had made.

Oh, and let me just add that I was irritated by the fact that "enter male" equals "happiness for girl". I really wish books would start promoting the idea that happiness is created internally, by coming to terms with one's own strengths and weaknesses and not because 'one feels loved'. How about girls judging themselves on their successes and not on their pretty faces and the string of boys interested in them?

I didn't really enjoy the read. Maybe it is that I am older and felt that in some cases they were being stupid. I also was irritated by the lack of valuable communication in other parts. Although, I suppose in the books defence, when it gets to the important things, we tend to not want to communicate.

For what it is worth, I gave this a 2 rating. It was an OK read. I won't be buying this one for the school library though. I think there are many better books out there which have handled these themes far more maturely.