Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 400 Pages (May 24th 2011)
From: the Publisher/Amazon Vine Program, Thank You!
Synopsis: From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.
Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to email. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.
Review: 4.5 Stars - Beauty Queens by author Libba Bray was unexpected in its complete wackiness. It’s a punch line in 400 pages, with a huge heart. I laughed out loud with the turn of just about every page. Bray has a knack for writing over the top characters with some real issues, melding the two together to crate a book I’ll never forget.
When a group of teen beauty queen’s plane crash lands on an island on their way to a pageant, they are left to fend for themselves. It’s a group of girls who have pageant life in common and just about little else. They each bring some kind of knowledge to the table and somewhat work together as a group to survive. Each of the girls has their fair share of issues, and working through them while stranded on a desert island without any of the pressures of everyday life, proved to be some major growing moments for each of them.
Enter into a world that’s pretty much run by “The Corporation” and it’s products that’ll make you sometimes laugh and sometimes shake your head to - it’s unbelievable commercials and TV shows… to the Dictator and his obsession with Elvis, to the band of Pirates from a reality TV show that take their job to the extreme… to the female grooming product “Lady ‘Stash Off” and it’s use as a high explosive once one of the chemicals is changed… what can I say, it’s a wild, wild read.
Insane comes to mind when I think of the plot and each of the characters. From the first few pages to the last I often thought that this was a joke on me because of how witty and magical Bray’s writing is. Seriously, Bray’s writing is magic, characters over the top, all rolled into one making this, hands down one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. I don’t even feel I’m able to do this book justice with this review. It’s just something you need to experience for yourself. Being that this is my first book by Bray, I can’t wait to read her other titles and then to see what comes next for this imaginative and vastly creative author. What can I say, I’m a HUGE fan. Enjoy!
FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.
I'm surprised no one has commented on this wonderful book and review. I didn't know what to think when I heard the Queen of historical magical awesomeness (Libba Bray) was doing a book about teen beauty queens stuck on an island. I had waited a while (impatiently) for her new work and then I find out it's this. I'm like WHAT?!
ReplyDeleteBut. I want to read this. Not because she's my favorite author or anything but because it sounds really good. I like insanity. :)
Thanks for the review! New follower!
Trish <a href= "http://justayagirl.blogspot.com>(Just a YA Girl)</a>
This was such a super-crazy book that I just loved! Thanks for the review of this awesome book.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to read this! I just picked this book up last week, and am really looking forward to reading it, especially after your review! :)
ReplyDeleteBeauty Queens sounds so funny and different and it debuted on the NYT Best Seller's List this week. All those things tell me this is a must-read and I'm planning on reading it very soon. It's next on my list and I can't wait to start it. Your review only makes me want to read it more :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome review- can't wait to read this one!
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