The Beauty Queen

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Playing the role of a happy pageant winner is not exactly the acting career Kit had in mind

Kit Carson keeps trying to tell people that she didn’t do anything. All she did was put on a bathing suit in front of the judges, and suddenly she’s a beauty contest winner. It’s true that the money will come in handy—new dresses and college educations don’t grow on trees when your mom is a nurse and your dad doesn’t always remember to help out—but all Kit really wants is to try out her dream of being an actress. Not a famous one, just successful enough to have a career in a modest theater and make a living doing what she loves.
 
But now that Kit’s a beauty queen, people seem to expect a lot from her. Above all, they seem to think she should gratefully accept the limited roles she’s being offered, which are mostly those of beautiful, not-too-independent, all-American girls. Between pageant ambitions and romantic interests, Kit gets the sense that there could be plenty of opportunities in her future—as long as she’s willing to play the part. 

Genres: Young Adult

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Susan Beth Pfeffer was an American author best known for young adult and science fiction. After writing for 35 years, she received wider notice for her series of post-apocalyptic novels, officially titled "The Life as We Knew It Series", but often called "The Last Survivors" or "Moon Crash" series, some of which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[Erica Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a plot, but I appreciated the frank discussions around what she wants in life and her desire to escape her controlling/emotionally abusive mom + rejecting traditional paths in favor of creative pursuits. Susan Beth Pfeffer really was ahead of her time and wasn’t afraid to question and criticize women’s roles in society.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just remembered this book because the name "Kit Carson" came up and I remembered I had read a book where the main character was a girl named "Kit Carson." I remembered she was in a beauty pageant, so I typed in "beauty queen," and there was the book. How did I remember that? Why didn't I remember it before. (As soon as I saw the cover, I knew this was the book I was thinking about.)

I don't remember much more about this book, but I do remember I enjoyed reading.

[Leslie]

I found a list of books I read during the summer when I was about 14. This was one of them. I don't remember anything about it, but I read it.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very dated.

[Rose 'I Have Too Many Books To Read And No More Room' Barrientos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so this book is a product of its time.

And I didn't think it was possible to find a worse mother than Dumplin's but yeah...totally was.

[Tricia Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!