Bad Girls is a book by Jacqueline Wilson , originally published in 1996. It revolves around a ten-year-old meek girl called Mandy who is bullied at school, and who befriends a troubled teenaged girl called Tanya.
Tropes:
- Absurdly Elderly Mother: And father. Mandy's parents are 55 and 62; it is revealed she was born through IVF.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Mandy thinks her parents come off as this, as they treat her like a baby.
- Alpha Bitch: Kim is a primary school version, but fits the trope to a T. Popular, confident and incredibly bitchy.
- AM/FM Characterization: Tanya likes Nirvana.
- Bespectacled Cutie: Mandy. Her friend Arthur is a male version of this trope.
- Big Sister Instinct: When Kim confronts Mandy after school, Tanya gives the bully a piece of her mind.
- Bittersweet Ending: More on the sweet part; while Tanya has been taken out of foster care for her previous criminal convictions, Mandy becomes more confident in herself through sessions at school, and she and Tanya remain in contact through letters, hoping they'll see each other again.
- Boyish Short Hair: Tanya has cropped red hair and is very tough.
- The Bully: Kim, obviously.
- Co-Dragons: Sarah and Melanie are this to Kim, at least until they cut ties with her.
- Color Motifs: Mandy wears a yellow shirt; yellow is frequently associated with cowardice, appropriate for Mandy's meek, shy personality.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Tanya was taken into foster care after her mother killed herself.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After everything she goes through, Mandy becomes more confident, and is allowed to make her own decisions; on top of this, Kim stops bullying her.
- Fictional Fan, Real Celebrity: As mentioned above, Tanya loves Nirvana.
- Fiery Redhead: Tanya has red hair and can be quite hot-tempered and moody.
- Freudian Excuse: It is implied Melanie bullies Mandy as a way of coping with her parents' divorce.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Mandy's bedroom is FULL of monkey plushies.
- Girl Posse: Kim is usually accompanied by Melanie and Sarah.
- Heel–Face Turn: Melanie and Sarah cut ties with Kim and befriend Mandy at the end of the book.
- Huge Girl, Tiny Guy: Mandy's mother is a large, obese woman and her father is quite thin.
- Kick the Dog: Kim and her friends love to make fun of Mandy's parents, as if bullying her for her unfashionable clothes wasn't enough. Melanie even leaks Mandy's private secrets and weaponizes them against her.
- Punny Name: Arthur's name is Arthur King and his parents apparently chose it after the mythical King Arthur.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Kim has black hair and fair skin.
- My Beloved Smother: Mandy's mother comes off like this, dressing her in unfashionable clothes and treating her like a baby.
- Open-Minded Parent: Mandy's dad sees no problems with her hanging out with Tanya.
- Shared Universe: Tanya and Pat reappear in Dustbin Baby.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Mandy and Tanya's friendship comes off this way.
- We Used to Be Friends: Mandy was once friends with Melanie, before the latter befriended Kim. She ends up rekindling her friendship with Mandy at the end of the book.
