The contestants of the Miss Teen Dream Pageant ™ have a tiny problem. Their plane crashed into a deserted tropical island en-route to the competition. To survive they must band together, drawing on each of their skills and background knowledge. But each girl is there for very different reasons, with different hopes, dreams and opinions about the whole thing. How can a group of people that are so different possibly come together? Will they ever be rescued? Then there is the question of the island itself. How could a place that is so beautiful truly be deserted?
Let’s start with the fact that I unabashedly a Libba Bray fan girl. I love how she writes interesting stories that at their most basic deal with everyday issues. Beauty Queens is no exception. The context for the story is hilarious to start with, sounding more like a punch line than the means to write a novel. While it definitely deals with survival, it does so much more. It addresses stereotypes that teen girls face every day. Heady concepts like beauty, femininity, and intelligence, just to name a few. Bray also takes aim at consumerism, materialism, and the way that society pressure and manipulates us. Everyone reading this book will find a character or issue to which they can relate. It will have you laughing, cheering, and thinking.
I highly recommend Beauty Queens, not just for the funny, but for the masterful story telling.
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Date of Publication: May 24, 2011
