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[amazingphysiques]

[jenjosbookclub]

Beauty Queens, Libba Bray

Survival. Of the fittest.

     The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.      What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program- or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan- or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?      Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness.

~~      Where to begin? I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from this novel, but any expectations I had were blown out of the water. The book does not shy away from reality- these girls have survived a plane crash. It’s not a spoiler to reveal that the cast of characters we follow is much less than the fifty who were on that plane. 

This book is satire; if you’re not comfortable with that, then you definitely shouldn’t read it. It takes the idea of beauty pageants, and the beauty standards required by them, and the world at large, and pokes through them at every turn. It’s confronting, it’s funny, it’s relatable.

After all, they were the best of the best. They had lived through the pageant circuit, which was no place for wimps.

These girls don’t immediately get along- they were about to do battle against each other, after all. It’s difficult to put aside a lifetime of strategy, even in the face of overwhelming odds. As the story unfolds, we meet each character more, her reasons for entering the competition, and how she interacts with the competition and the wider world. The characters are real, without feeling forced. Information you find out later, informs previous decisions. Characters grow; none of these girls is the same. Also included are “Miss Teen Dream Fun Facts!” pages, filled out by the contestants. Seeing them,a s well as The Corporations “suggestions” for edits, is illuminating.

The world building is amazing- Bray uses footnotes, to give meaning to things the characters talk about; television programs, beauty products, celebrities. Everything comes through the lens of The Corporation- they seem to have a finger in every pie, and it is disturbing. The Corporation is constantly there, watching your every move. The book even includes “commercial breaks”, giving us a glimpse into the world that the girls of Beauty Queens inhabit; or, more precisely, used to inhabit.

Only on the Corporation Network: Giving you what you don’t even know you want. UConnect, a social networking site perfect for wasting time posting quizzes and party pics, until you discover that your mom and dad are on there reconnecting with old high school friends and leaving you hideously cutesy messages on your wall.

Weaponised beauty products, a world against them from the start, constantly being underestimated by everyone around them- you’ll be cheering for these girls to escape the mysterious island.

There’s also a side-plot about evil corporations, and governments being shady. But that’s all I’ll say about it- it’s well worth finding out for yourself. 

Worried about the book not being diverse, given it’s setting as a group of beauty pageant contestants? Don’t be. The book even acknowledges the inherent racism of the pageant;

she knew the Top Five would not hold both a black and a brown contestant. No matter what they claimed, the pageants were not multicultural-friendly.

Bray doesn’t shy away from this, and has the characters grow as they build a life together on this island. 

One contestant is hearing impaired, and uses sign language. (She also loses her hearing aid in an unfortunate incident with a giant snake.) Another contestant is lesbian, there is a transgender contestant, and a Jewish daughter of two men. 

Three of the contestants are only referred to by their states; this was odd, until the reveal in the late stages of the book as to why this was. It was humourous, and added a light touch to the action of those pages.

Final point- some of the names of background characters are amazing. Dr. Du’bios is the highlight. 

“Everybody lies about who they are. Name one person here who isn’t doing that and I will drop out right now!”

~~

Warnings: The transgender contestant is outed against her will; however, she takes control of the situation, using the above quote. She is accepted into the group again, after some “concern” from others.  Audience: Young Adult.  Cover Design: 8/10. Weaponised beauty products, the beauty queen sash- the focus is not on the beauty, but on the words. Language: Very easy to read.  Do the teenagers sound like teenagers?: Yes. Final rating: 8/10. I could keep reading, it was so easy to read. It felt like a journey, one I couldn’t put down. I would happily re-read it.

Final thought- do you hate the word sorry, and all it’s connotations? You’ll find a surprise in this book.

[amazingphysiques]

Book 2 of the series is out. Free on Kindle for the weekend. Heart & Muscle 2: Rise of the Reluctant Giant continues the adventure of Alexandrie of Riverbend, a towering, muscle-bound heroine whose strength rivals legends, and her brilliant strategist girlfriend, Yvette.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGJM3B3N