Bad

A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is facing the weight of a significant mistake or struggling with the label of being a bad kid. It is an essential read for navigating the fallout of peer pressure and the complex feeling of being abandoned by a support system. The story follows sixteen-year-old Dallas into a girls detention center after a botched robbery, exploring themes of accountability, restorative justice, and the empathy required to see beyond a person's worst actions. While the setting is a rehabilitation center, the narrative is deeply grounded in realistic emotional growth and the search for identity. It is best suited for ages 13 and up due to the mature setting and the nuanced exploration of the criminal justice system. Parents will appreciate how it humanizes those society often discards, modeling how to rebuild self-worth after a lapse in judgment.