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Miss World

by Randi Black (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 51 ratings · 30 reviews

It's 1993. Kimmy Ho's never really been happy (and thinks her life sucks). She's not really good at anything - or at least, that's what her mother says. But music makes her feel better, and gives her something to live for.

Then, she gets raped on the day Kurt Cobain's found dead. And her life begins to suck even more.

From his death comes her cross-dressing imaginary frien...more

Paperback, 346 pages

Published April 30th 2011 by Fire Spirit (first published April 17th 2011)

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Feb 10, 2012 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: are-you-kidding-me, contemporary-fiction, debut-author, incredibly-stupid-choices, own-a-dtb, self-published, reviewed-in-2012

I didn’t even have to read the entire description of Miss World to know that it’s something I desperately want to read. All I needed to know was that it's somehow connected to Kurt Cobain and his death.

I started reading Randi Black’s debut as someone who still remembers what being a misunderstood teen feels like, but somewhere along the line I began reading it as a mother instead. Let me tell you, this book is every mother’s nightmare. It is a horrifying example of failure as a parent and as a...more I didn’t even have to read the entire description of Miss World to know that it’s something I desperately want to read. All I needed to know was that it's somehow connected to Kurt Cobain and his death.

I started reading Randi Black’s debut as someone who still remembers what being a misunderstood teen feels like, but somewhere along the line I began reading it as a mother instead. Let me tell you, this book is every mother’s nightmare. It is a horrifying example of failure as a parent and as a human being. A 16-year-old girl who’s been told again and again that she’s ugly, clumsy and worthless by her very own parents doesn’t really stand a chance – she is bound to get caught up in self-destructive behavior, just as our heroine, Kim Ho, did.

It’s too much to expect of one such girl to build her own self-esteem. It simply doesn’t happen. But I still ask myself this: how desperate does a girl have to be to agree to date a much older guy she secretly finds disgusting? How low her opinion of herself has to be to allow him to do whatever he wants with her? How truly apathetic does she have to be to meet him even after discovering that he gave her Chlamydia? Kim Ho did it all, and she did it because she was, by her own admission, a dead girl.

But let’s start from the beginning: Kim Ho has very little to look forward to in her short and joyless life. Her parents are doing their best to destroy every last shred of her self-confidence, her abusive and much older boyfriend Kevin treats her with no respect and she has no friends to confide in. All Kim wants is someone to love her: a nice, respectful guy, preferably musician, to be Kurt to her Courtney. But of course she doesn’t think she deserves him.

The day Kurt decides to end it all is the day Kim’s suffering really starts. She tries to seek comfort with the person who should be able to understand, but she ends up humiliated, raped and photographed in a cheap motel room. Soon after, she conjures up an imaginary friend to help her cope.

How often do we use the words raw and uncompromising to describe a novel? I, for one, will think twice before using them again. Randi Black took raw realism to a whole new level. She held nothing back. Even though her prose seemed disconnected at times and despite several flaws I noticed on a purely technical level, her book needs to be out there and it needs to be read. Although Miss World tells the story of two young adults (and quite a few messed up adults), it is in no way a young adult book. If you have problems with swearing, extremely graphic sex scenes and abuse, maybe you should skip this debut. It’s not easy to stomach at all, but I dare say it’s worth it.

Just one more quick and shallow observation: I loved the little bombs that marked breaks in the chapters. They seemed somehow appropriate since this is a book that really blows up in your face.

Where were you when Kurt Cobain died? You can read all about how his suicide affected me, enter to win a signed copy of Miss World and an iPod Shuffle, all international, at The Nocturnal Library (less)

24 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Giselle rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish, arc, own, contemporary

I can see some may like this, but it's much too graphic and vile for my liking. I feel very disconnected to these characters too. I don't understand some of the choices Kim has made. I despise her parents, her aunt and her friends - I don't even know why she's friends with these girls. I don't understand her uncle. Is he really an uncle!? And she watches porn with him? That just makes my skin crawl. I would not consider this a young adult novel at all - even if the characters are teenagers. It's...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: children of the 90s

Shelves: indie-author-love

Do you remember the 90s?

The MC Hammer pants, the Vanilla Ice haircuts, that time when we all thought Guns 'N Roses was cool.

Do you remember what happened next?

The flannel, the Doc Martins, the staticy radio stations that started playing a new alternative. the three chorded songs, the primal screams, the way we all formed a mosh pit of understanding before we went midevil on each other just because something awesome was being blasted from center stage?

Ok ok... There's a couple of things I r...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Brianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-read, ya-2012-debut-author-challenge, ya-realistic-fiction-2012-challenge, favorites

Miss World by Randi Black is a about Kim, a chubby 16 year old who loves Kurt Cobain, Doc martins, and wants to become a musician like her idol. Set in the early/mid '90's, we learn about Kim's life, her emotionally abusive parents and her self esteem issues.

OK, I just have to say right away- I LOVE this beautiful and heartbreaking book!! This is the first book in a LONG time that I was truly upset when it ended. I want more. I don't know if its the fact that I was a teenager in the 90's, i wore...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 R. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

As William Burroughs and only William S. Burroughs could have typewritten the brutal report on the 1940s underworld that is Junkie, Randi Black and only Randi Black could have created and unleashed upon the world the raw judgment of the 1990s that is Miss World.

***

When Lolita - a book which at the time of its publication had a similar underground cred and zeitgeist shock value - was originally distributed by Olympia Press, it was a two-parter. Two volumes. Two sick-pale green paperbacks. And Na...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the most raw books I have ever read. Based around the life of Chinese-American teenager Kim Ho, this book takes an unromantic, and gut wrenching look at teen life in the 90s.

Note to prospective readers, this book contains excessive swearing, sex, brutal rape, and domestic violence.

Sort of spoilers ahead.

Kim is chubby, uncool, music obsessed, and slightly delusional. She lives with her controlling, vicious parents, and spends her spare time chatting up adult men on a party line (...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes you'll be reading a really good book, and suddenly the main character will do something so stupid that it makes you start yelling at the pages? And then you grudgingly accept that the character had to be stupid in order to move the plot along? Miss World thankfully doesn't do this to the reader. Don't get me wrong, Kim Ho does some stupid things, but no more stupid than the average teenager who is trying to figure out her life and gets in over her head. Kim Ho breaks down...more

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May 22, 2011 Cortney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is exactly what it claims to be: a fun, messy romp through 90s pop culture, from the death of Kurt Cobain to post-punk and goth. It's also way, way more.

Miss World doesn't just lightly skim the surface of issues like not fitting in, sexual exploration, and growing up in a traditional Chinese household. No, Miss World dives right into the deep end of the pool and smashes its head against the concrete twelve feet below. Sure, all that typical teen angst stuff is a part of it (and a fun p...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Vanessa Wu rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are many different reasons why we like to read books but there is one reason that I prize above all others and that is to feel a connection with someone. It's difficult to predict when this will happen. All the marketing in the world can't drum up an authentic human experience if it's not there in a novel and you can scour a bookshop in vain for something that will reach out and touch you.

It often happens when you're not expecting it and when it happens you're reminded of why you're addict...more There are many different reasons why we like to read books but there is one reason that I prize above all others and that is to feel a connection with someone. It's difficult to predict when this will happen. All the marketing in the world can't drum up an authentic human experience if it's not there in a novel and you can scour a bookshop in vain for something that will reach out and touch you.

It often happens when you're not expecting it and when it happens you're reminded of why you're addicted to reading and why it's the best investment of your time ever.

I downloaded this book to my Kindle some weeks ago and I skimmed through it out of curiosity. At first I didn't think I would like it. But I came back to it after a few days and settled down to read it properly. Then I became totally absorbed.

Usually I discuss what I'm reading with my flatmate. I've got to stop doing that. Sometimes the books I'm reading disappear. This time my Kindle disappeared.

For days.

Luckily I had a backup of Miss World on my computer and my iPhone.

It's also lucky that I am a faster reader than my flatmate, otherwise she would have totally ruined the story for me because she couldn't stop talking about it over dinner every night (even though the events depicted are not suitable for discussion at the dinner table).

We both thought of Amy Tan when we read this novel. In case you don't know her, Amy Tan was born in California to Chinese immigrant parents and is the author of the novel The Joy Luck Club.

Being overseas Chinese ourselves, we enjoy the novels of Amy Tan. But whereas Amy writes about connecting with her Chinese heritage, Randi writes about how it feels to be an American teenager, which makes her writing, to my mind, much more immediate, more raw and more personal.

But the Chinese influence is still there. Anyone who is Chinese will immediately recognise the evil Aunt Tai and the controlling, hypocritical Chinese mother.

It's an uncompromising novel. Everything is laid bare. The tone is deadpan but the writing shows great sensitivity and humour. It is at once irksome and deeply pleasurable. It's compelling, moving and funny. In many ways, it's what novels were invented for.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 26, 2011 the golden witch. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arc-galley, signed, indies, teenage-shennanigans, best-of-11, sexy-tiems, reviewed

My initial interest came with the title for the book – not gonna lie about that. I grew up with Hole and Nirvana on the radio, so it’s a comfort area for me. Luckily, Randi was awesome enough to send me a copy of this for review. The synopsis got me, and I more or less read it in one sitting. Yeah, it was that good. It lets everything hang out, and for that, I must applaud Black for doing what so many authors choose to not do: tell ugly truths about young adults/teens, no matter what the time pe...more My initial interest came with the title for the book – not gonna lie about that. I grew up with Hole and Nirvana on the radio, so it’s a comfort area for me. Luckily, Randi was awesome enough to send me a copy of this for review. The synopsis got me, and I more or less read it in one sitting. Yeah, it was that good. It lets everything hang out, and for that, I must applaud Black for doing what so many authors choose to not do: tell ugly truths about young adults/teens, no matter what the time period.

This book isn’t just about Kim’s journey to healing after an awful event, but it’s about the healing of a hurt generation, a generation that found healing in music more than anything else. Going into reading this, I knew that those born during the 1990s who read this now won’t get a lot of the more obscure (and awesome) pop culture references and thanked my lucky stars that I was a Gen Y/Millennial baby. But Black writes this so well that it transcends the generational divide, the pop culture divide, and speaks to the hearts of hurt and angry girls everywhere. It certainly spoke to mine.

The early 1990s was a very scary time. I was 9 when Kurt Cobain killed himself, and I remember crying about it for days. I had a huge crush on him, and I was nine. Go figure. Reading this book was like comfort food for me, if just for the pop culture content alone. I listened to L7. I wanted to go to Lollapalooza. I wished I was older than I was at the time so I could hang out with people that would ‘get’ me. I felt alien as an Aspie in my GATE classes with the highly gifted, so I pissed off the teachers and my mother got quite a few phone calls from the school.

But luckily, my mom was loving. We had some had times, but she was nothing like Kim’s mom here. I guess you could call Kim’s mom a traditional “Tiger Mother”, the term coined by Amy Chua in her book about Tiger Mothers published earlier this year. The line between wanting the best for your child and abusing your child through that wish is razor thin, and Black really emphasizes this. It makes me wonder how much of this book is autobiographical in content.

Black writes of the Northridge Earthquake as “being a sign”. It felt that way to me too, as if the world was telling everyone to shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down and behave. No more race riots, no more wildfires, no more AIDS patient/LGBTQ bashing. Just shut up and get along with each other. Through Kim’s voice, speaking of the quake really rattled something in me, and in a good way. It’s hard to get that deep with an author of any genre, yet Black cut to the quick of me just with the mention of the quake alone. (Possibly because I still have nightmares about that late night/early morning in Brentwood where we had to flee the building after a gas leak/possible explosion.)

I have to say – I LOVED Joey. I had quite a few imaginary friends myself (and a lot of stuffed animals), but no one as awesome as him. If I could, I’d still love to have an imaginary friend like him, angel food farts and all. He was Kim’s rage, her inability to effectively express that rage and ultimately, the method in which she led herself to becoming whole (or somewhat whole) after the Kevin Incident. (Incidentally, the bit about the ads in the back of Spin and other magazines – I remember looking over those and giggling and wondering what they were on about. Up until I prank called some of the numbers in there one summer.) Just like today’s predators use the internet, back then they used magazine ads and whatnot to catch their prey. Kim, so desperate in her need for validation of a self separate from her parents and to be loved, used those ads until it all bit her in the ass. The moment she accepted what happened to her (even if it didn’t stop the flashbacks), started standing up to Tiger Mom, the need for Joey ceased. The moment she started to love herself, he exploded back into her subconscious.

Ultimately, this book is about Kim’s need to feel a sense of self outside of being a girl, outside of her Tiger Mother, outside of school and friends and what Kevin did to her. And through 1990s American pop culture, her imaginary friend, and her love for music, she gets through to the other side. The music, especially, is important. Those born during the 1990s won’t understand this, but Nirvana and Hole were a force of nature. They healed all of the broken Gen X (and early Gen Y) kids, told them they weren’t alone, that the world wasn’t as fucked up as it seemed. If you listen, even now, that message still echoes across radiowaves from nearly twenty years ago. No one from the 2000s onward has achieved what Nirvana and Hole, L7 and Nick Cave and the rest of the alt-rock movement did. At least, not yet. Kim couldn’t scream, but Courtney Love screamed for her. That’s Gen X – they couldn’t shriek, but their music could and did for them. And that very element of healing through music will always cross the generational divide.

Black, through Kim’s misadventures, tells us that it’s okay to be messed up on the outside, that it’s okay to be imperfect. And as I constantly have self-esteem issues (especially body image issues), this, for me, was a very special/important read. Many authors have tried before and failed to get to me, but Black did it easily. I’m still trying to parse out why, but perhaps it’s because Kim is “unpretty”, yet she’s smart, she’s courageous, and she doesn’t give a damn about what you think about her.

For those of you out there that have your noses up in the air because this is from an indie press that does have small copy edit mistakes involved: swallow your pride and read this book. I hope that some major publisher takes note and makes this more readily available to everyone in bookstores, though it does have free reign over the net (thank god for e-books). If you’re Gen X or Gen Y, this book will bring back memories and immediately put you in a comfort zone that no longer exists. If you were born later, this will all seem very foreign and strange to you. But disregard all of that and read it. This is what the contemporary young adult novel should be. It’s blunt, it’s graphic in parts, but it’s all truth. We need a little less Sarah Dessen (no offense to Dessen fans out there, but…) and more Randi Black in our YA lit. This is what reality looks like, and it’s not always pretty on the outside – but radiant on the inside.

(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)(less)

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Jan 21, 2012 Katrina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well I must say Miss World is like no other book I have read, Saying that its not a bad thing - BUT - The harsh reality of A teenager trying to fit in, feeling uncomfortable within herself and will do anything to escape the life she lives in.. and of course somewhat scary and true.

Blending in the 90's - rockstars, guitars and pop a great mix of everything in quite a book . The era where There was Sex, drugs and rock n roll ! Comes to mind !

Kim ho sleeps with men whom she thinks she can benefit...more Well I must say Miss World is like no other book I have read, Saying that its not a bad thing - BUT - The harsh reality of A teenager trying to fit in, feeling uncomfortable within herself and will do anything to escape the life she lives in.. and of course somewhat scary and true.

Blending in the 90's - rockstars, guitars and pop a great mix of everything in quite a book . The era where There was Sex, drugs and rock n roll ! Comes to mind !

Kim ho sleeps with men whom she thinks she can benefit from to leave home , to having imaginary friends, and suffering sex ploits at the hands of a older man. Randy Black has not held back - has dared to venture into the teenage world where life is not easy.. Sex can be messy, friends can suck, parents trying to hold a teenager under there thumb to follow there chinese customs. Harsh - yet so true...

Its the 90;s - Kim Ho wishes she were Courtney Love, her real life Kurt Cobain, comes along and Kim will do anything to keep him, till she realizes he is nothing like the real thing. He exploits her, uses her but somewhere along the way he has made her feel somewhat special, but to Kims dismay he leaves her with something that becomes every girls nightmare.

Randy has put everything on the table in this book, hasnt held back just gone forth with alot of description and details. If your uncomofortable with profanity, sex talk- details involving sex then this book is not for you.

It can be crude, suggestive, and f***ing is througouht this book, This book is Kim Ho's journey, living within a chinese family, being chubby and feeling ugly and unwanted and constantly reminded so.. Its ugly in some parts, and I must say I felt sorry for Kim on many occassions. Her mother came across a ruthless bitch, uncaring at times , insensitive and the harsh reality is this could be true.

You will laugh, frown, and shake you head on many occassions.. and even want to jump through the book and shake her mother silly .. A book about the becoming of age, and Kim's quest to get back what was taken from her.

I read this book in less than a day, - certainly kept me interested the entire read. I think as a reader I was interested to see if Kim got to see some light at the end of the tunnell. THe storyline contains many truthful facts that young teenagers do come across, the hurt, betrayl, and feeling like an outcast, this was well placed throughout. Defienlty an eye opener.... If you liked the 90's era.... Sex, rock n roll, drugs and Kurt cobain etc then this read will certainly interest you !

I will be reading book two to see how Randy puts forth Kims new life..

Every teens dream is to fit in.. but at what cost to them ? (less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Kathy Ann Coleman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-love

My Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Awesome!

*A copy was provided by the author for review.

I've done quite a few events with my friends Darkfallen and Greta over at Paranormal Wastelands. I've also never been lead astray about a book by these two. So, when they invited me to be part of the Miss World blog tour, I took one look at the summary and went "Hell yes!".

I'm very glad that I did. I have a lot to say about Miss World -- starting with the fact that this book is definitely not for every...more

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Feb 18, 2013 ☆∞Bella's Bookshelf∞☆ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-review, drama, family-drama, met-on-twitter-fb, teen-issues-drama

Visit: http://www.bellasshelf.com/2013/02/mi...
for full review & more.

I wouldn’t call “Miss World” a fun, light hearted, lets gush over the Grunge Era book. While it does take place in the era I grew up in (and loved), it is more about the darker side of a teen girls life that happens to take place during 1993/94. Old school Chines values battling New school American ones, imaginary friends, loneliness, bullying, rape, are a few of the things that take place in main character Kim Ho’s life....more

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Feb 25, 2012 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-review, realistic-fiction, romance

Full, non-spoiler review from {Book Tour} courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

Kim Ho embodies in Miss World the type of new age young woman of more modern times. She's what young adults might see in each other in regards to taste in cool music and what to do for fun. While it may not be completely accurate in every piece represented, it does present quite a few shards of what an adolescent really is. By that, meaning spouting profanity liberally like "Fuck" and "slut". While also being...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Sonia Reppe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sonia by: the author, classmate of mine

Shelves: fiction-contemporary

I love the time period here--the first half of the 1990's: Kurt Cobain, Nirvana; Stone Temple Pilots; me a grundge high-schooler at the time, everything still had a feeling of newness about it, and the world was my playground. Actually the world sometimes seemed to be a scary place, but nothing bad could possibly happen to me, other than bad hair days and pimples, right?

Contrarily, Randi Black's novel, Miss World, is about a Californian high-schooler in the '90's who is dealing with some heavy...more I love the time period here--the first half of the 1990's: Kurt Cobain, Nirvana; Stone Temple Pilots; me a grundge high-schooler at the time, everything still had a feeling of newness about it, and the world was my playground. Actually the world sometimes seemed to be a scary place, but nothing bad could possibly happen to me, other than bad hair days and pimples, right?

Contrarily, Randi Black's novel, Miss World, is about a Californian high-schooler in the '90's who is dealing with some heavy issues, and bad things do happen to her. Carefree days of keds and pony-tails this novel is not. Actually it's pretty profane. The main themes in this book are sex, oppression (mainly the parental kind), and rebellion. Rebellion big time.

The novel has a good pace; the writing is good overall. The imaginary friend/alter ego that Kim, the protagonist, conjures up works well. His snappy, sarcastic dialogue is the best in the novel.

Kim's harsh treatment by her aunt and mother, who is oppressive and seemingly unloving, cause Kim to seek out love wherever she can find it. Supposedly, things get better for Kim when she starts dating a dyslexic boy from school, but the relationship just comes across as sexual and a temporary ego-boost for Kim. I understand that Kim was trying to compensate for feeling violated by that creepy older guy she hooked up with, but when the boyfriend gets possessive and obsessed with the idea of killing the creepy guy, this relationship does not seem to be helping Kim in any way. I would've rather seem Kim forgive herself and find her way to happiness. Instead, she kept acting out in anger. When she meets creepy guy again, she partly stands up for herself, but it's an ugly scene. Why did we (the readers) even have to see him again? I don't know. Some would say the problem with this book is it's a lot of sex without enough else to balance it out.

One part that worked is Kim's confrontation with her aunt and mother at the end, and finding out some family history which revealed their hypocrisy, and showed her that their criticism at her may stem from something else entirely.

Don't read this book if you don't like profanity. An independent press, Fire Spirit claims to print "bad books for bad girls." I guess that about sums it up.

(less)

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Dec 16, 2011 Valentina rated it 4 of 5 stars

At its core a coming-of-age story, this novel will grab you by the scruff of the neck and not let go. It is violent, unapologetic, and shameless in a way that is gutsy.
I’m not going to lie, the beginning of the story was tough for me to read. There’s a lot of violence, physical and psychological, and I actually had to set it aside for a few minutes and get myself prepared for what was happening. Kim, protagonist, is refreshing, a change from many of the female characters we see often these days...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Glenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was such an interesting and entertaining book and once I understoon who "Joey" was it made more sense. I felt sorry for Kimmie as her mother was the worst, alot of it because of cultural differences but also because I think she was just a bad person. I'm glad Kimmie was able to overcome everything that happened to her!!

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Dec 14, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Randi sent me this book in preparation of her upcoming blog tour. When she told me what the book was about, I got super excited to read it. I grew up in Seattle, and was quite involved with the grunge scene.
I will post my full review of this book when I post it on my blog.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 10, 2011 Don't Look rated it 5 of 5 stars

Remember one thing if you read this book: Kim's imaginary friend will kick your imaginary friend's ass. haha.

I would give this book to every 16 year old girl I know.

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Jan 01, 2013 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are a child of the 90's like me, "Miss World" will remind you what it was like to grow up in that time. The culture of the 90's defined an entire generation.

The main character Kim Ho is growing up in a traditional Chinese family in an nontraditional world. She has a rough time and is an outsider in school and at home. She goes through a traumatizing experience and it defines her. She slowly heals with the help of an imaginary friend and new boyfriend.

I know that's vague, but you really...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Ava rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book did not grab me in any way. I strongly believe that this is not a book for children. I was shocked to see the strong sexual "vocabulary" and I was in a way disgusted. It was hard to understand the relationships between the characters and who was who. I didn't enjoy this novel. Would I read it again? No. I guess everyone is different, so why not give it a shot? Don't say I didn't warn you...

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Aug 21, 2012 Janice rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this "Coming of Age" book. Kim is a bright teenager with Chinese parents living in America finding it difficult after being raped and having to conform to her mothers strict ideals and being bullied by her classmates.

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Sep 06, 2011 Cheryl marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Grabbed from a Goodreads ad

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Feb 03, 2012 Racquel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-2012, ya, ya-contemporary, review-copy

Well, I know why this is a self-published book. It's too honest to pass the 'lets continue staying in our ignorant bubble' test of published books. Also it seems ignorant has a negative connotation to it. I do mean ignorant in its denotation of 'lacking knowledge'.

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Oct 09, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This debut from Randi Black is truely unique. I enjoyed the music references throughout this book. I think that this novel will appeal to those in their late teens as it is a 'coming of age' kinda book. It was set in the early 90s in the time Kurt Cobain which also makes me think that it'll also appeal to those who grew up in that era. It was a bit too violent for me though! It offers an alternate viewpoint of Chinese family life, which is great. Looking forward to the planned sequel.

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Mar 10, 2012 Misha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fucked-up, loved-it, novel

I actually finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but have struggled to write a review. Reading it was a raw, visceral experience. I laughed. I cried. I raged. I don't know that I can adequately distill that experience into something akin to an essay after the fact. This book is about what it feels like to be a woman in late 20th/early 21st century America, and that's something you either understand or you don't. I don't know that it can be explained. Just read the book.

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Jul 02, 2012 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I started reading Miss World thinking that I would identify with the time and the setting and the main character, but then I discovered an exceptional writing talent was bringing all those elements together in a way that gives new meaning to the statement "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Thanks for writing this Randi Black. It's a rare opportunity to read an new author whose words get into you like an old favorite.

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Feb 24, 2013 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

A strong book that's graphic and realistic, it's deserving of its 4 stars. The ending of the book was far from happy but shows how life can just be that way.

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Nov 05, 2011 Cassie rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into it, but I'm glad I continued to read it.

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May 15, 2012 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Sadly a DNF for me. Pity :( I really was hoping I would enjoy it.

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About Randi Black

Randi Black is an aging rocker chick with an MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

P.S. If you want to get in touch with me, please email me directly at ms.randi.black [at] gmail dot com, instead of messaging me through Goodreads. I'll get back to you much faster that way.

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“What are you? The Mother Theresa of sluts?” — 5 people liked it

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