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meredith_summers's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
smiley7245's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a social commentary on society's obsession with youth and beauty. I never knew where the story was going. There was no one main character, although some characters had more of an impact on the story than others. Teen beauty queens get stranded on a desert island and have to survive. Their survival is not important to The Corporation so even though they are on the literal same island they let the girls deal with it on their own, hoping they die because it will be better for them if they are dead. But, the girls not only survive, they thrive. When they discover the hide out the realize they are not going to be rescued, but sacrificed, and they plan their own rescue. I did not like that when the book ended and they characters were getting their where are they now Taylor was not included. She stayed on the island. Did she die? What happened to her? I like that the book addressed real concerns held by the girls and women of the world. It handled the LGBTQ+ characters well; they were fully developed and not just plucky sidekicks. This book also tackled the inherent racism of the beauty industry. And, it focused on the development of female friendships. I was mad at Libba Bray because of how she ended the "Great and Terrible Beauty" trilogy and avoided reading this for years, but I'm glad that I got over that and finally read it.
sgreenleaf's review against another edition
5.0
Smart, funny, with an awesomely weird inventive structure, this book is a joy to read.
readingmissfroggy's review against another edition
4.0
I have tried out some parody type books and I didn't like them at all so I was a bit apprehensive about trying out Beauty Queens. Luckily for me, I enjoyed Beauty Queens... a lot! Within the first couple of pages I was laughing out loud and I love how this book at the same time feels like a funny book filled with satire and commenting on our current day and age. This was my first ever Libba Bray book and I can't wait to pick up more of her work!
Watch my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvVQGhsHjsI
Watch my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvVQGhsHjsI
eatingwords's review against another edition
5.0
This book was just so amazing!
It had me laughing out loud quite a few times. The satirical story overall was just so much fun.
I loved the commercial breaks, the product placement, the stereotypical beauty queens as well as the clichéd pirates and the black shirts as well.
The Teen Dreamers were all likable. I was empathizing with them, especially after a bit of backstory to each girl was revealed. Their issues were more extensive than a broken nail or a hairy armpit, although it first looked like there could be nothing more important than the beauty pageant.
Also the writing was awesome. It was like The Corporation had a quick read through this novel and then put in all of the information to the different products and the Word from the Sponsor-chapters in it.
This was definitely a great and different reading experience and I enjoyed and loved it so much.
It had me laughing out loud quite a few times. The satirical story overall was just so much fun.
I loved the commercial breaks, the product placement, the stereotypical beauty queens as well as the clichéd pirates and the black shirts as well.
The Teen Dreamers were all likable. I was empathizing with them, especially after a bit of backstory to each girl was revealed. Their issues were more extensive than a broken nail or a hairy armpit, although it first looked like there could be nothing more important than the beauty pageant.
Also the writing was awesome. It was like The Corporation had a quick read through this novel and then put in all of the information to the different products and the Word from the Sponsor-chapters in it.
This was definitely a great and different reading experience and I enjoyed and loved it so much.
peytonm's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I would have liked this book a lot more if I'd read it in high school, but it was a fun romp with good things to say about the societal pressures on women (and men). I looked up the audiobook reader to give her a shout out for being great but then saw it was Libba Bray herself! She did a great job with the various accents and commercials. There was nice character development and some backstories for the beauty queens, but the humor was often overdone. I liked Miss Rhode Island, Petra, and her story line. Taylor was quite a character too. This story took some getting used to at the beginning, but the ending was strong.
gwensapple's review against another edition
4.0
Between 3.5 and 4 stars. It was a really fun YA read. It brought up a lot of discussions (racism, sexism, transphobia, etc) and had quite a lot of laughs as well. There were a couple story elements that seemed a little too convenient, but overall, really enjoyed it.