Reviews

Meat Market by Juno Dawson

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katykelly's review against another edition

5.0

Warts-and-all look at the modelling industry in the light of #MeToo.

Juno Dawson covers topics applicable and of interest to Young Adult readers with honesty and realism. This latest looks at the experiences of a novice model, plucked from everyday life to be a superstar, and gives us the highs and lows of what the life behind the glamour would entail.

Jana Novak has never thought herself attractive - tall and unfeminine, she has a loving boyfriend but can't believe it when a scout approaches her at a funfair and tells her she has the perfect physical qualities to be a model, the Next Big Thing. Agreeing with her parents to give it a go, needing the money to improve her family's lives, she puts her sixth form studies on a back seat to enter the world of not-quite-diets, make-up and hair calls before sunrise and exhausting worldwide assignments.

Meeting other models along the way who show Jana the hidden side of this seductive world, Jana battles hard to remain down-to-earth and in touch with her boyfriend and those back home, while coping with the intense pressure, loneliness and temptations of her new life.

I admired the frankness in witnessing Jana's relationship with her boyfriend (some very real issues there that readers will appreciate seeing written about), as well as pitfalls and problems a young, vulnerable model is likely to have to face.

Jana tells us the story herself, making the Audible version a very upfront and immediate account, with her London accent and young voice, the audio version was hard to put down. Jana is recounting her experiences to someone, so we too are following the events of what she has recently experienced, wondering to whom she is explaining and why.

Jana is decent and sincere, though of course flawed and susceptible, and the plot builds slowly, gradually removing the layers of glitz and allure until the stark reality is left.

I was impressed with the creation of Jana's model world and hope it shows the raw reality of what so many 'aspire' to. There is some fairly graphic content, meaning this is best suited to readers aged 14 and above, and it is very likely to excite questions and discussion.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition

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4.0

I was 50 pages into Wonderland when I realized I should have saved the book for August so I could use it for the prompt "Might be impactful". However, I was already too involved to quit reading so that was no longer an option. Luckily Dawson wrote more books and this one also really spoke to me. And today, even though I wasn't exactly in the mood for something heavy, I decided that it was time to pick it up.

This book is in a lot of ways like the Wonderland book, even though it's set in a different part of London society, it has the same "discussing very heavy topics without actually becoming too heavy" vibe that I really liked about the first book. Of course, I personally know nothing about the fashion world, but this is the kind of world I expect. Both the glamorous and amazing parts and the sickening parts that should be thrown out of the window.

What I liked about this book is that the writing also really fit the story this book was telling. At times things went very fast, at times things were very detailed and all of it seemed to have to do with the state of being of our main character, Jana. The moments she was really there, the moments that really made an impression on her, were written in great detail. The moments she was just going from one place to another, high on drugs she didn't understand mixed with alcohol, were written down in one or two sentences. I can understand that doesn't work for everyone, but it did for me.

It made me feel connected to the main character. Even though were are truly worlds apart and have like absolutely nothing in common, I felt for her. It was so sad watching her lose herself more and more in this world, seeing things as normal that were clearly not, slowly losing contact with her friends, with the amazing boy clearly in love with her, starting to drink more, starting to use drugs. And even though I'd like to think I'd never do that, it felt very natural for her to do so. I never had the feeling this was extreme or weird. I think, in her circumstances, I would have done it too.

And that was the sad part of the story. In the end I was almost crying, because even though this is a fictional story I'm sure it's not as fictional as we would like it to be.