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May 31, 2011

Penny rated it:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the plots from Drop Dead Gorgeous, Austin Powers, Mean Girls, Lost, and Lord of the Flies. Whip until nice and fluffy. Stir in equal parts Bollywood, Boy Bands, Pirates, An Evil Corporation, Crappy Parenting, Reality TV, Miss Teen USA pageants, and commercials aimed at teens. Next add 4 cups Teenage Sexuality (all types), 2 cups Feminism, 1/2 cup Identity Issues, 1/2 cup Self-Esteem Issues, 16-Teenage Beauty Queens (all types. Just make sure More...

30 comments like (157 people liked it)

Oct 09, 2011

Nancy rated it:

I was on the fence about this book. A story about teen beauty pageant contestants stranded on a desert island just doesn’t do anything for me. After reading Stephanie’s review, I decided to try the audio version. At first, I thought it was ridiculous, irritating and just plain stupid. It wasn’t long before I was laughing and snorting in public places.

In the beginning, it was a little difficult to get to know the characters. The story is told from different perspectives and it More...

14 comments like (20 people liked it)

Jan 26, 2012

Stephanie rated it:

Kayso, like, after three books in a row that kinda sorta made me angry, I wanted to, like, read something totally funny and ridiculous. And I was like "Beauty Queens" a book about teen beauty queens on a plain, that like OMG, crashes on a desert island and they have to survive and stuff, wouldn't make me, like, have to think and stuff....none of that politicy stuff either....yuk.

But I was wrong. Yes this is a story about 50 beauty contestants for a pageant called Miss Teen More...

9 comments like (18 people liked it)

Jul 13, 2011

Sparrow rated it:

In most ways, this book was absolutely written for me. It is LOST + Miss Congeniality + Susan Faludi’s Backlash. Sarah Palin and GW stand-ins make appearances to be generally villainous. It has lovely, lovely girls, lots of action, and some pretty hilarious jokes. Oh, and hilarious jokes in the footnotes. (Because why use endnotes, people? No need to be coy.) There is one about putting dolls on a pedestal that is my favorite joke in the book, if you want to know. The odd thing about the More...

53 comments like (25 people liked it)

Apr 05, 2011

Caris rated it:

A group of teenage beauty queens board a plane headed for a photo shoot in some tropical destination. En route, something bad happens and the plane crashes. Amid the rubble and bodies, a relatively small group, maybe fifteen or so, survives. Any hope of rescue quickly proves pointless.

Imagine for a moment that everyone on Gilligan’s Island was Ginger, or that the island in Lord of the Flies was populated only by valley girls. At first, it’s strikingly stupid, isn’t it? Instead of foc More...

25 comments like (39 people liked it)

Nov 28, 2011

Madeline rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

8 comments like (22 people liked it)

Nov 26, 2011

Amanda rated it:

Meh. Just meh. Beauty Queens is not at all what I expected. What I expected was a group of beauty queens crash land on an isolated island and it's not long before the ruthlessness of the pageant morphs into a violent "survival of the fittest" mentality, a la Lord of the Flies. I would have also settled for a dark and biting satire on consumerism and pop culture. Alas, what I got was an increasingly irritating "Girl Power!" message that never quite got off the ground as i More...

4 comments like (12 people liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

Jackie "the Librarian" rated it:

Hate reality tv and think the world is going to hell because of how shallow the American culture is? Libba Bray agrees with you. Beauty Queens is an awesome, extremely strong satire sending up:
- reality tv
- beauty pageants
- advertising
- arms dealing
- international diplomacy
- and Gilligan's Island

Beauty contestants crash land on an island, and it's a battle for survival with nothing but beauty products! Yes, it can come across like Libba Bray More...

7 comments like (9 people liked it)

Jan 31, 2012

Paige rated it:

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker. I received my copy through Amazon Vine. Rewritten in July 2011.

After their Corporation plane crashes on a desert island, the fourteen surviving beauty queens of the Corporation-sponsored Miss Teen Dream beauty pageant must fend for themselves and find a way to either make a home out of the island or be rescued. Between their clashes and practicing for the pageant, they come to rely on one another and discover themselves now that they're away f More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Aug 01, 2011

Tabitha rated it:

I’ve read all of Libba Bray’s books so far, and have enjoyed most of them. Well, sort of. After her last book, I decided that her style just isn’t my taste and figured that would be that. But then I read the summary above. Sounds fantastic, right? Plus, the cover is hysterical. So, I got sucked into reading this book. And…

…Libba Bray’s style just isn’t my taste. I know this now, clearly and unmistakably, and I won’t be picking up another of her books. So, keeping that in mind, here a More...

5 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 14, 2012

Paulina rated it:

Beauty Queens was a fun book to read. But it was also very, VERY frustrating!
At times I just wanted to scream: "Miss Teen Dreamers, CALM YO TITS!" Geeeeez! Definitely WAY too much estrogen in the air & poor me who forgot to bring an oxygen mask along got choked up in the process.

THE GOOD:

1. The book's hilarious! The "footnotes" were an absolute delight to read.
2. Tons of pop culture reference.
3. There were some very interesti More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 22, 2011

Krys rated it:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray was the perfect book to read as a follow up to City of Fallen Angels... not too hard, not too soft... wait, strike that, very soft. Very fun...it's satire after all.

A plane of contestants from the Miss Teen Dream Beauty Pageant has gone down in the ocean, the inhabitants washing up on an island paradise. They are all determined to maintain the pageant perfection, spurred on by the spunky Taylor Renee Krystal Hawkins...from Texas, of course! Adina Greenberg More...

4 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 21, 2012

Emily rated it:

Why I picked it up: The cover is awesome, the premise sounded hilarious, and I’ve heard Libba Bray speak, so the idea of listening to her read her own book had me giddy with anticipation.

A plane carrying the contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pageant to a remote island crashes on said island. None of the camera crew or adult chaperones survive, and only some of the contestants do. Those who do survive must figure out how to survive, and since the show must go on, they also prepare More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 22, 2012

Carol rated it:

2 stars. Which is sad, because when I started the book, I was thinking I'd give it 4 stars. I love Libba Bray's zany humor--I laughed aloud and chuckled and snickered a lot. She also has some places of lovely, super writing, with fresh descriptions.

Examples:
p. 12 "The jungle sounds were what they noticed first: Thick. Percussive. A thrumming heartbeat of danger wrapped in a muscular green."

p. 33 "As it fell, the snake's expression was one of surprise More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 04, 2012

Patricia J. rated it:

When I started reading Beauty Queens I wondered if I'd get through almost 400 pages peopled by shallow girls, whose biggest concern is outward appearance and public acceptance. I worried that even Libba Bray's wit and biting style wouldn't make me care about them. I was wrong. One of the beauties of this book is that the girls shed their secrets, overcome their fears and use whatever skills they have to stay alive after a plane crash on a deserted (or so they think) island. The survivors transfo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 31, 2011

Malissa rated it:

I really liked this book. It's about girls who kick but while breaking all the stereotypes but not for the sake of breaking them (if that makes sense).

The book is about a plane full of teen beauty queens who crash on a (very Lost-like) island on their way to a national competition. At first Miss Texas, who declares herself leader, keeps the girls practicing their opening statements, dance routines, etc. Eventually though, the girls find out (I won't say how) that the whole world ass More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 25, 2011

Vicky rated it:

There are no words to describe the awesomeness of this book. Even now that I've finished reading it I am still laughing.

Beauty Queens is a laugh out loud book whose main message is about women empowerment. The book is full of crazy characters who go through crazier situations that could only happen in a Libba Bray book or a Lady Gaga music video, but Libba B actually makes it work!

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 22, 2011

Heidi rated it:

Three stars. I recommend this book with reservations. This book is not for everyone. The best way to describe this novel is that it is a satirical, modern day Lord of the Flies with sparkle, lip gloss and caricatures. The first half of the book was amazing. Twelve beauty queens survive a plane crash on an island. At first glance the girls come across as stereotypical teen age beauty contestants. As the book progresses an intimate portrait of each girl is revealed and you understand the unde More...

5 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 28, 2011

♫ נєηη - ѕσυℓ σƒ ѕσυη∂ ♫ rated it:

If anyone else had a plot like this, I would put it in the category of "stupid" just as I would with Going Bovine.

But hey, that was amazing. So why not this?

{after reading review}

I will say it.

Beauty Queens was disappointing. I expected superawesomespectacularosis (is that a disease? Because it should be. The disease of awesomeness!) from Libba Bray, but instead, I got amazing. What the hell? After reading The Gemma Doyle series and GOING More...

6 comments like (7 people liked it)

Jan 11, 2012

Caitlyn rated it:

Those of us who have aged out of the young adult bracket need note that this is, in all shapes and forms, a young adult book, teen fiction. I think Libba Bray is a fantastic writer, which is why I picked up this book in the first place and it did not disappoint. I needed to go back to the mindset of my 14-year-old self in order to truly appreciate the book. As I began reading I found myself scoffing at some of the things the characters would say and rolling my eyes all too often. As an adult rea More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 09, 2011

Lyndz_♥ rated it:

Picture in your mind, Lord of the Flies with beauty queens instead of boys. Mix in sexy reality tv pirates, and an evil corporation. Add in a dash of humor, a sprinkle of crazy, and a dollop of life lessons.

First off, I LOVE Libba Bray. She is awesome.
BEST. AUDIOBOOK. EVER.
This is one of the best audio books I have ever listened to. With the exception of Neil Gaiman, when I get an audio book that is read by the author I grown a bit inwardly because they don’t normally More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Feb 07, 2012

Abbey rated it:

This book is pure genius! Laugh out loud, darkly satirical, per Sarah's recommendation, I'm now going to listen to the audiobook as well because it was just that good in text!

So, the set up: a corporate plane carrying the contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pagent crashes on an island that seems deserted. GO!

<spoiler> Some of the things that make this book really spectacular are the very pointed ways Bray makes fun of that which you could see happening as reality TV. More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 23, 2011

Tina rated it:

The premise of a group of beauty queens who crash land on a deserted island and what happens thereafter is an elegantly simple one. It also has a metric ton of plot & characterization possibilities. I bet if you gave that basic outline to ten different authors, you'd get ten very different books.

This author took the premise and made it a collage of LOST, Gilligan's Island, Austin Powers, a touch of Lord of the Flies, and a bit of Joseph Conrad all spackled together with essence of More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2011

Laura rated it:

I loved the premise of this book, but the heavy-handedness of the satire got to me by the middle of chapter three.

The Miss Teen Dream pageant contestants' plane crashes and the survivors are forced to survive (or not) on an island they think is remote - yet findable. What they don't realize is that The Corporation has decided that they're expendable, and aren't really looking to save anyone. Their determination to not reenact Lord of the Flies leads to a whole lot of empowerment, a More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 09, 2011

Sarah ~Slow reader, or slowly reading? ;) rated it:

Okay, I think it's time to review this... finally. I've been so busy with school that I haven't had much time to do anything! Be warned: I'm not very good at reviews. But anyways, back to the book. I LOVED this book. A lot more than I thought I would, actually. When I won it on Goodreads "firstreads," I had a complete fan-girl moment, because I absolutely love Libba Bray.

Even though the title says it's like Lost, it doesn't have many other similarities besides the plane cra More...

6 comments like (4 people liked it)

Aug 13, 2011

nancy rated it:

With Beauty Queens Libba Bray has created a truly twisted and hilarious novel that is a fantastic mixture of Lost, Austin Powers and Miss Congeniality gone totally wrong.

Imagine a plane full of teen beauty queen contestants on route to a photo shoot, then they crash. Tragic, right? Yet tragic does not even begin to explain what happens next as the survivors of this plane crash come together, join forces and survive in the wild. The insanity escalates with explosive beauty products a More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 22, 2011

Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) rated it:

For more info and reviews please visit my Book Review Blog here - A Life Bound By Books

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 o More...

5 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 29, 2011

Heather rated it:

If there is one book that might help me get beyond my literary crush on John Green, this Libba Bray book just might do it. Her writing is so varied, but her skill is undeniable. Spunky protagonists galore, but that's about all this book shares with ...Bovine and ...Beauty. A romp of a read!!!

Again with the five stars only a quarter of the way through? Yup. Me, pop culture, liberal musings, and witty commentary = joy!

After finishing, the 5 stars aren't quite enough. More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jun 27, 2011

Undesirable#1 rated it:

This book manages to be comedic, while having strong underlining tones that question the societal and cultural expectations and receptivity that we as a whole have to people, or more specifically, women. Beauty Queens parodies the lifestyle of post-Cold War America and its adolescent inhabitants. Libba Bray is a genius because this book teaches the teens of American to question their authority, their peers, and what people expect of them to go beyond their social restrictions.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Apr 15, 2011

Rachel rated it:

Lost meets beauty pageant contestants. When a plane carrying Teen Dream beauty pageant contestants crash lands on an island, only a few of the girls survive. One of the girls wants to do everything they can to survive, while another one wants them to practice their talents and the dance numbers so that they will be ready for the pageant when they are rescued. Add in a secret base and some ship wrecked pirates and you're in for a fun read.

I liked the satire and tongue in cheek feeling More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)