How to Be Bad is a novel written by three authors. Three brilliant and successful YA authors, two of whom happen to be among my absolute favourites (the third, Lauren Myracle, I have been assured that I will also love as soon as I get around to reading one of her books).
How to be Bad is also the story of three girls: Mel, Vicks and Jesse, who all work at the Waffle House and all have problems they want to run away from. And so they do. Albeit temporarily.
Following a row with her mother (following her mother winning first prize in a wet t-shirt competition – yikes!), Jesse just wants to get away. So when she learns that Vicks's boyfriend hasn't called since leaving for university two weeks ago, she suggests that they take a trip to Miami to visit him.
The only problem is neither of them has much money. But Mel does. Plenty of money and no friends. So she suggests she pays for everything if she can come along.
And so off they go. Two best friends (one of whom is behaving rather oddly) and a new girl who wants to be friends, but who they don't know very well.
Of course, a road trip isn't a road trip without adventures on the way and the girls call in to see an old stuffed crocodile, the world's smallest police station and, of course, go to a party and meet a boy.
I wasn't sure about this book at first – I didn't feel like enough was happening – but the personalities of the girls sucked me in and, by the end, I felt like I knew them. The book touches on all sorts of issues, including virginity, Christianity, drinking, sibling rivalry, family relationships, money.
Incidentally, even though I think the three authors have very distinctive individual styles, you can't see the joins in this book; I have no idea who wrote what, which is pretty impressive.
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart or Me vs Me by Sarah Mlynowski (not YA) or something by Lauren Myracle!
