This book is a feminist twist on the famous novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. You can see the homage in the times, the characters, the story; but, this book breathes its own sort of life into a volatile time for young women. Combatting sexism, misogyny, and a patriarchal society that has a specific place for good girls and bad. It is set in 1964, but sadly seems so prevalent to today. With the talk of 'loose' girls, of teen pregnancy, of a girl's or a woman's place. The book made me so terribly sad for the future my daughters must navigate, that is steadily getting worse and worse. But, this book also shed light on the need for women to stand up for each other, to fight oppression together (and let's note we need to do this for all women, especially trans women). We have been fighting for centuries, and we will keep fighting, because we all deserve to feel safe, to own our own bodies, to have freedom to be who we are and love who we love. Evie is such a fantastic character, she is so worried about being brave and courageous when she does it all without thinking. She shows real growth throughout the novel and eventually is able to confront all of the doubts she has about her life and what she hopes for her own future. Diane has been through hell and has returned only to put herself in another perilous situation. But, it really highlights her character and shows that even with her past she is willing to fight for what is right. I love the friendship that develops between these two young women, how both are able to positively shape the other through encouragement and compliments. This 'gang' of women that Evie belongs to are a found family and would do anything for each other. They are proud, passionate, loyal, and brave. They face down anyone who would mock or belittle them, they love each other fiercely. I also loved how each of them had a different family dynamic, showing how diverse poverty truly can be. Evie lives with her mother and grandmother, and has a sister that got married and moved away after becoming pregnant as a teen, Connie's parents are abusive alcoholics, Sunny's stepfather is a pervert, and Juanita's immigrant family is large and loving. Each of them come from different situations and hold each other up when they are falling. Evie's relationship with her sister is also so important in this novel, because it was her sisters pregnancy and moving away that led Evie to realize she wanted something different with her life. And because of that she befriended her neighbour Juanita and joined Connie's group of bad girls. Her sister is floundering away from her support group, she is trying to make friends, but Evie can hear the sadness in her letters and her voice when she calls. Evie's relationship with her sister also makes her more protective of Diane and pushes her to confront her friends into helping Diane, even Connie (who scares her). A lot of this novel is about female empowerment. It is about the role women play in each others lives, from mother, to sister, to friend. All of them important in shaping the way a woman views herself and her self worth. Diane's mother abandons her, her aunt is a drunk, and her best friend distances herself from her; so, she feels alone, trapped in a hard situation, desperate to find the boy she loves and to change her fate. Like Evie's sister, she too lost her support system when she needed it most, so she is so grateful to meet Evie, and to find a group of women who stick by her even in the harshest of circumstances. Highly encourage people to read this book. It is at times heartbreaking, but also hopeful.
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