Beauty Queens in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Sep 20, 2012 Renata rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, we-need-diverse-books, humor

This was not what I was expecting, and I totally love what it ended up being. I thought it would be like, I don't know, Survivor but with teen beauty queens. But it was more like Lost with teen beauty queens (but without the super annoying ending of Lost).

I loved all the characters and their stories, and Libba Bray shows off some really smart feminist takes on beauty pageants, beauty products, sexuality, virginity, body acceptance, etc... It's kind of like Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate ...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult-and-kids

Beauty Queens imagines that a plane full of teenage beauty pageant competitors crashes on a remote island, killing most of them and forcing the survivors to band together to figure out how to keep themselves alive long enough to get back to civilization. It's full of snarky humor and criticism of societal expectations for teenage girls, though it falls short on character development and didn't quite work for me for that reason.

I love Drop Dead Gorgeous and wouldn't have minded if this book was b ...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Monica rated it liked it

Shelves: teen, 2012

I've read most of the Libba Bray catalogue and I'm still not sure how I feel about her. She is preachy, funny, broad, profane, didactic, and silly. Its an odd style, but at least she has something of her own and she's always swinging for the fences.

Beauty Queens is too long and at times my eyes were ready to roll out of my head at the absurdity of the story. But I kept with it, and I did end up being invested in this deeply weird story. Odd and fun. ...more

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May 29, 2011 jen8998 rated it really liked it

Libba Bray skewers the beauty industry in this satire about pageant hopefuls stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. Initially the girls focus on pageant pointers while awaiting rescue. Once they realize rescue isn't coming, they pull together and work to save themselves. Amusing throughout and a significant departure from her previous work. ...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Nora rated it liked it

I wanted this to be amazing, but I'm afraid that after a while it got a little tiresome. The premise is fantastic. It's funny, it's clever, but it's also just a little much. As always, everything is timing. When you're not in the mood, you're just not. ...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Suzanne Hamilton rated it liked it

A funny combination adventure story/satire whose target audience is teenage girls. It takes aim at the superficiality of our beauty-worshipping culture, with side swipes at corporate greed, rampant commercialism, and 21st century imperialism.

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Jun 06, 2011 Abby Johnson rated it really liked it

I laughed out loud throughout. LOVE!

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Dec 03, 2011 Leslie rated it liked it

Shelves: youngadult, audio

My favorite thing about this book is the cover. It really is fabulous. I also love the premise of this book.

I think maybe it was too long for me. What I thought was funny and satirical at the beginning, by the end became tiring: the stereotypes, the footnotes, the wackiness.

Bray did the reading of this audio version and I enjoyed her many voices. I also really enjoyed the "interview with the author" at the end. ...more

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