Bad

Rating:
Summary: This was a very good book!!
Review: Dallas was a 16 year old on her way to a criminal life. She loved the rush she got from "skating" with Ray, Pam, and Sonny. "Skating" was their word for stealing cars, scaring old lady's to take their purse, holding up a Jiffy-Spot etc. Dallas held up a Jiffy-Spot at gun point and gets caught... This was a very good book; it always had my attention. The writer described the characters well, it felt like I knew them.
Then ending of this book SUCKED!!! It made me wonder what happened to Dallas after she left GRC? Did she go back to her old ways on the outs? Did she get better and do what her father had hoped for her whole life? It made me mad!! Other than the ending this was a great book. I recommend it for teenagers anywhere from 14-18 years old.


Rating:
Summary: Mainly for Teen girls
Review: A review by Alison

Dallas is a 16-year-old girl who gets thrills from shop lifting, having sex in public places with her boyfriend, and taking nice cars out for "joy rides." Dallas and her friends called it "skating." Ray, her boyfriend, and her friends Pam and Sonny had a great new idea for skating. They had planned to rob the store Jiffy Spot. They wanted Dallas the hold the fun and get the money. She ended up getting caught in the act and she was arrested. After her court hearing, the judge and her father decided to put her in GRC, Girls Rehabilitation Center. There she makes a really good friend, Shatasia, who helps her out a lot. After her six months is up, she decides that she would rather live in a group home instead of living with her father.

This book was very interesting. The main character, Dallas, was semi-realistic. She seemed pretty sarcastic at times as well. "What do you expect? I'm a felon. And what does that make you, going through my pockets?" At first I was a bit skeptical about reading this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it too much. It had a serious concept to it, but at times, I found myself laughing at some of the things the girls in GRC would do. The author uses pretty simple language. Some parts were hard to follow, especially when dialogue was coming from Shatasia. "My gram says that, and I've seen it happen too much to think she's wrong. That's why I'm turning myself around, if I can. I got me some bad juju pilin' up." The author also uses a lot of slang words. Some conflicts were more realistic than others. I can see how the girls always fought with each other, but I didn't think that they would actually beat up a P.O. The ending of the book really disappoints me; I wanted to know more. When the story is over, it doesn't tell what happens to Dallas when she gets out of GRC. I was really interested in knowing if she was continuing to get in trouble, or if she cleaned up for good. It leaves you guessing.

I would recommend this book to mainly teen girls because almost all of the characters are teen girls or older women. It has a very easy reading level and would be good for those who have trouble reading higher-level books. If you like reading books about teenage delinquency, this is a book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Mainly for Teen girls
Review: A review by Alison

Dallas is a 16-year-old girl who gets thrills from shop lifting, having sex in public places with her boyfriend, and taking nice cars out for "joy rides." Dallas and her friends called it "skating." Ray, her boyfriend, and her friends Pam and Sonny had a great new idea for skating. They had planned to rob the store Jiffy Spot. They wanted Dallas the hold the fun and get the money. She ended up getting caught in the act and she was arrested. After her court hearing, the judge and her father decided to put her in GRC, Girls Rehabilitation Center. There she makes a really good friend, Shatasia, who helps her out a lot. After her six months is up, she decides that she would rather live in a group home instead of living with her father.

This book was very interesting. The main character, Dallas, was semi-realistic. She seemed pretty sarcastic at times as well. "What do you expect? I'm a felon. And what does that make you, going through my pockets?" At first I was a bit skeptical about reading this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it too much. It had a serious concept to it, but at times, I found myself laughing at some of the things the girls in GRC would do. The author uses pretty simple language. Some parts were hard to follow, especially when dialogue was coming from Shatasia. "My gram says that, and I've seen it happen too much to think she's wrong. That's why I'm turning myself around, if I can. I got me some bad juju pilin' up." The author also uses a lot of slang words. Some conflicts were more realistic than others. I can see how the girls always fought with each other, but I didn't think that they would actually beat up a P.O. The ending of the book really disappoints me; I wanted to know more. When the story is over, it doesn't tell what happens to Dallas when she gets out of GRC. I was really interested in knowing if she was continuing to get in trouble, or if she cleaned up for good. It leaves you guessing.

I would recommend this book to mainly teen girls because almost all of the characters are teen girls or older women. It has a very easy reading level and would be good for those who have trouble reading higher-level books. If you like reading books about teenage delinquency, this is a book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Bad Bad or Good Bad
Review: A Review by Sarah

Dallas, a normal 16-year-old trouble maker, gets talked into robbing a convenience store with her fiends. Unfortunately, she is the one who gets caught and her father will not let her come home on probation because he has no control over her. The judge sends her to 6 months at a Girl's Rehab Center.

What I liked about this book is the topic. The topic of getting in trouble is hardly ever boring. For example, when Dallas and her friends were robbing the convenience store and Dallas got caught because she was holding the gun. One thing that I didn't like about this book is when Dallas first goes to the Rehab Center. Here, the author was mainly informative so my mind was left somewhat wandering. However, after that, which seemed like a never ending introduction to the Rehab Center and people, the book was interesting. It was more interesting because at the Rehab Center the author started telling about the different fights. Another thing that I didn't like about this book is how Dallas's father disowned her. This happened when he said that he would not take her back in because he had no control over her. I don't believe that a good dad would just give up that easily.

This book is very rewarding for its ending, so I recommend Bad to any reader that is willing to take the time to get through its mix of informative information and excitement for a meaningful ending. The book is fairly easy to read but may contain some information that may not be appropriate for young readers so I recommend it to reader's from 6th grade and up.

Rating:
Summary: Repentance
Review: A Review by Teddi

Dallas is a 16 year old criminal convicted of armed robbery. It wasn't really her fault was it? Her boyfriend pushed her to do it and then un-loyally ran from the cops when they came. So Dallas gets put in GRC to try and turn her rebellious ways around. While in GRC she meets a large variety of people such as Darius, a Neo-Nazi, and her roommate Shatasia, a single mother. Her visit at GRC forces her to deal with problems rooted deep in her soul-like the death of her mother when she was only 4, and why she did bad things.

'Bad' was a great book mostly because the amount of kids who can relate to it. Dealing with drugs and peer-pressure is a big part of life. The way the book was worded made it really easy to read and interesting. I also liked the large variety of characters at the CRG; it was very realistic because it showed people from every walk of life get into trouble. This book was fun to read, action-packed, and addicting. I especially liked the fact that there was conflict, even in the GRC, where kids are trying to turn their lives around.

I recommend 'Bad' to anyone into realistic books about growing up and the conflict that comes with it. But I do think it would suit an audience with more of a baggage in their lives because they could relate to it more and it would hit home with them. Sensitive people may not like this book because it includes racism and violence. I think as a whole the majority of youth would enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: School Book Review
Review: Bad by: Jean Ferris. The genre of this book was aerial fiction. The theme of the book was that there are always consequences for your actions whether they are good or bad. Bad was basically a story of a girl's life her name was Dallas. She was teenager who had an o.k. life then she got caught with some friends trying to rob a Jiffy-spot gas station. Her friends snuck out unnoticed, but she was caught and held in juvenile detention for armed robbery. She could have gotten out on a first offence, but her dad didn't think her actions or attitude would change. She was then sent to the Girls Rehabilitation Center for 6 months. About 75% of the book is Dallas's life at The Center. But what will happen in her life when she is released?
I enjoyed the book Bad and was disappointed to finish it. These are some of the main points of the book that stood out to me. I really liked how quickly it moved along. I like that there was not a dull spot in the entire book. The fact that some of the situations like family, friends, and boys were easy to relate to made the book pleasurable. There were very interesting characters that lived at The Center that you really got to know.
There were a couple of parts of the book I wish could be improved. Even though the book ended perfectly fine, the point in Dallas's life the book ended in, disappointed me. The only other thing in the book that was weird to me at first was the unique names. They slowed me down, but later got easier once I determined how to pronounce them. Overall I really liked the book Bad.

Rating:
Summary: Bad by Jean Ferris
Review: Bad is a book about a girl, Dallas, who likes the excitment of "skating" or robbing. When she gets caught she goes to Girls' Rehabilitation Center where she learns not only her lesson, but a few others too. From Bad: "So the first time, bam! you must have got nailed with a gun in your hand or something." "Bingo," I said.

Rating:
Summary: GRIM & GRITTY
Review: Dallas has fallen on hard times. Raised by her widowed father, the 15-year-old runs with a questionable crowd and loves to do "skaty," (illegal) things. She enjoys shoplifting and the excitement her streetwise boyfriend Ray and their mutual friend Pam offer.

Pam and Ray quickly prove that they are not Dallas' friends. They set her up to commit an armed robbery. As a result, Dallas is committed to the Girls' Rehab Facility for a 6-month sentence.

While there, she encounters violent girls such as Sylviana who thinks nothing of attacking peers and guards alike; a rich girl who is periodically arrested for making fake IDs for peers and thinks nothing of her short sentence and the strings her politico father can pull; Dahlia, Dallas' Juvie roommate and later jail mate at the Girls' Rehab Facility who espouses neo-Nazi bigotry and hatred. She makes friends with her roommate, a sharp, savvy peer named Shatasia ("a pretty name is all my mama could give me," Shatasia explains) who is the mother of a year-old baby. Shatasia and Dallas bond; the two realize that their values and goals are really not too different. Shatasia is especially appealing; she has a soft side; she loves her daughter and the grandmother who is raising her child and admits that the decisions she made were bad ones ("girlfriend, I don't never go without my .22,") but that she was working to turn herself around. This pairing is good for the girls; they learn from one another's experiences just what bad decisions can ultimately lead to.

The voices, descriptions and environments are all sharp and clear. The experiences and pleas of these girls will long resonate in the memories of those who read this excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Bad
Review: Dallas was wrapped up with the wrong people and the wrong things. ("skating," but not skatebaording. Stealing.) Her mother died when she was young, so she was left with her father who was a saint and always contridicted what ever Dallas did. Her mother was a crazy, wild woman who didn't care that much about anything but partying. But Dallas only remembers the fun they had and wanted to be that carefree woman. This makes her father feel that he can't do anything to change his daughters future. "But when you were a baby you didn't think it was so much fun to have your mother gone all the time, out looking for a good time instead of being with you. Or being so obliterated from the night before that she couldn't get up with you in the mornings. Do you know I used to come home from work and find you alone, screaming in your crib, and her gone off on one of her adventures? I hadn't known that. (P.134" But all of the "skating" seems to be the only way she felt whole. Until all her friends ran and she was left to take the crime and be sent to juvi. I have personally never read anything about girls in a rehab facility but I enjoyed it, because it said in the very begining of the book that the events and story line had come from manys iterviews with teen girls in a center. It's nice to know that authors do reaserch and don't just make it up. This auther is pretty good at making her words detailed so that you can picture it all in your mind. You wouldn't necessarily like this book if you don't like violence or a focus on the youth. But I would reccomend it to people who like to learn something educational and moral values.

Rating:
Summary: Paris's BMS Literary Corner
Review: Dallas, a 16-year-old rebel female, is living a life without a mother. At four years old, her mother died in an automobile accident. When Dallas meets her boyfriend Ray, she starts "skating". Skating is what Ray calls the rush that they receive when they do crazy things. These crazy things include shoplifting, boosting stolen items, hot-wiring cars, robberies, and engaging in wild fornification in public. After being pressured to hold up a local convenience store by her peers, she is caught with a gun when the police arrive. Her friends desert her by running away. When Dallas goes before the judge, she is sentenced to six months in the Girls' Rehabilitation Center.
I recommend the novel, Bad, by Jean Ferris. It contains characters that are both delightful and irritating at times. That is what makes this book so fruitful in diversity. Its eventfulness and style, in this type of environment, captivates your attention. In the beginning of the story, you feel a sense of concern for the misguided children. As you progress further into the plot, the thoughts and actions of the characters, allows the mood to tone down a bit. It calms your agitation with some of the character's actions, as it begins to show signs of hope for some. This novel is thoughtful, empowering, and spirited. You get a feel for what really goes on inside a rehabilitation center. Most importantly, one can understand how and why, some young people find themselves confined to a correctional facility of this kind.