I had the absolute delight to get a signed copy of the novel, through a goodreads giveaway. So, when I started reading the book I had somewhat high standards for it, as a lot of you guys told me how lucky I am to have it signed, and how just amazing the book is. I have to back all of you guys up and say that you are 100% correct. :D
I heard about Libba Bray when I first got into the entire YA books. She's very popular among the YA readers, and I'd like to imagine her, Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Scott Westerfield being the best English teachers and authors anyone could as for. Beauty Queens is not a quick read at all. It took me several sittings to get through the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The novel is written in third-person with some epistolary documents sporadically spread about. I just enjoyed the humor of pretty much everything.
Having a bunch of beauty contestants is difficult to remember each and everyone of the characters, but I think because of how the novel is kind of written in pieces of the girl's personality, it showcases them one at a time. Because this novel is pretty much satire of the pageant world, it was like having an argument with my best friend about how stupid and brain-washed those girls are.
One of my favorite things about this novel is, as a teenage girl, you look and see Hollywood starlets looking 'beautiful' because they do this, and do that and look like a certain way, when they aren't nearly as awesome as you are. I guess what I'm trying to say is, not every teenage girl is going to look like a size zero, 5'8 model straight out of the runway, and we as teenage girls should take that in stride, because I don't want to be as skinny as a stick, and be hairless like mole rate, just because the tv says I should be. So this book is pretty much a f*** you, media, and your idea of what makes a girl beautiful.
Uhh...I hope this review made sense, and the weird part is the day I'm writing this review, is the day I got a letter by National American Miss asking me to go to their casting call. Somehow they got my name and address, even though I don't do pageants. If some of you guys have gotten a letter from them too, and you don't do pageants please let me know. I'm really freaked out that they even have me in their database. Oh well, I give Libba Bray's Beauty Queens a head nods, thumbs up. (4 out of 5)
I loved this book. Reviewed it on my blog too.
ReplyDeleteThis is a book that's upfront about what it thinks, who it is and it pretty much rocks. It is also hilarious.