Beauty Queens in ENGL 596 / EDCI 551

Feb 15, 2015 Logan rated it really liked it

The Corporation would like to remind you that when reading this book, take care to remember the ways good girls behave. The things the beauty queens do in this book (they get dirty, they forget to spend time on their appearances, they curse, and they have sex) represent everything a good girl is not. The Corporation allowed this book to be published, then, as a lesson to all its readers about the dangers of liberal feminism and the allure of socialism-atheism-communism-Satanism. The Corporation The Corporation would like to remind you that when reading this book, take care to remember the ways good girls behave. The things the beauty queens do in this book (they get dirty, they forget to spend time on their appearances, they curse, and they have sex) represent everything a good girl is not. The Corporation allowed this book to be published, then, as a lesson to all its readers about the dangers of liberal feminism and the allure of socialism-atheism-communism-Satanism. The Corporation recommends that all readers experience this book through the just-released FreedomGoggles™, which will automatically block all content not conducive to American freedom (including, but not limited to, dangerous ideas, radical concepts, different opinions, and female underarm hair). Remember, dear reader, that The Corporation has your best interests in mind. America. Where freedom comes to make purchases.

Libba Bray's Beauty Queens follows a troupe of beauty queens stranded on a (seemingly) deserted tropical island. A witty satirical take on global capitalism, conservative politics, and the homogenization of the United States, the novel departs from traditional prose and incorporates at various times built-in "commercial breaks," which take the form of written scripts advertising products, examples of the girls' pageant forms, and brief messages from The Corporation, a seemingly omnipresent entity which rules the capitalist market of the United States. Though Bray works hard to deconstruct traditional middle-class 'American' values and perceptions of the world, working through a diverse cast of characters who ask the reader to consider his or her (or hir) own biases about sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, class, and more.

While Bray's intentions are good, and her determination to attack head-on social stereotypes and prejudice is admirable, her diverse cast can, at times, be read as nothing more than that. The beauty queens fall too neatly into every necessary category, challenging almost too effectively institutional bias and the prejudices of their peers. Though this feels forced at times, it is also the novel's greatest strength, and works within the satirical context Bray has established. Her book can feel forced, because it knows it is forced, and it revels in it. The meta-nature of Bray's writing makes the book enjoyable to read, and even more fun to think about after finishing it. A must-read for young adults. ...more

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Jan 23, 2015 Jawaria rated it really liked it

Hilarious. Witty. Satirical. Amazing. Deep. Thoughtful. Daring. Many many more awesome words come to mind with this book. I loved it!!

Every female should read this, cover to cover, and repeat again!
And definitely males too, please.

Beauty Queens, a simply wonderful and wholesome book! Everything about it was remarkable: the satirical style, the underlying themes addressed, the story, the characters, the make-up of the book itself, with varied chapters, 'classified' information, commercials, membe Hilarious. Witty. Satirical. Amazing. Deep. Thoughtful. Daring. Many many more awesome words come to mind with this book. I loved it!!

Every female should read this, cover to cover, and repeat again!
And definitely males too, please.

Beauty Queens, a simply wonderful and wholesome book! Everything about it was remarkable: the satirical style, the underlying themes addressed, the story, the characters, the make-up of the book itself, with varied chapters, 'classified' information, commercials, member profiles - everything. I couldn't put it down.

Yes some parts/issues required the reader to get out of their comfort zone, but that was an integral part of the novel's 'beauty'. It put a nice mix of beauty queens, of girls, women, onto a hostile island and explored them. It brought everyone onto the same plate and identified them. It brings the reader's attention to pressing societal issues of various kinds, and implicitly draws the reader out into realizing the normalcy of it all - invoking tolerance, opening minds. Empowering women - yay! Breaking that glass shell around them, that forcefully cocoons females in endless stereotypes.

Just the array of beauty queens, (and there were more out there before the plane crash), showed the many kinds of versatile females exist, and the many outfits a girl dons in order to conform to society and be 'accepted' - world over. Libby Bray highlights dominant stereotypes through each of her beauty queens, bringing us closer, understanding, and wanting a different, better outcome for each girl. Even the cover illustration is the perfect portrayal of the antidote to cover-girl. We say 'beauty with brains', why can't we say 'brains with beauty', personality with beauty, so many things that make up the intricate, complex entity of a woman. Oh yes, beauty matters, didn't the sparkle ponies keep their composure, the lip gloss on, the three-quarter stance intact, the pageant attitude in works, even salvaging all-important hair curlers, straightening irons and evening gowns. Yes lets move on from that and note their real composure, courage, sisterhood, survival, strength, intellect -- and it goes on! Beauty is important, so is pretty hair and lady-like etiquette, but after mind and personality and strength of character.

Beauty pageants do just that, objectify the female. And life in current society is just another beauty pageant. These Teen Dreams were aching to break out and defy the sorry constructs that society thrusts upon the female gender. Each blossomed into a stronger, confident person, pursuing what she wanted to become, accepting herself in the varied ways that makes us all unique. Each girl is special, not in the colour of her eyes or wave of her hair, but in the attributes that make her. In the non-conforming ways that she breaks societal stereotypes of 'girlness'. The author expertly handles prevalent gender constructs along with social issues like racism, queerness, and just being different. Unique. Finding out who they really are, want to be and how they truly shine.

"Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one's watching them so they can be who they really are.

There was something about the island that made the girls forget who they had been. All those rules and shalt nots. They were no longer waiting for some arbitrary grade. They were no longer performing. Waiting. Hoping.

They were becoming.
They were." (pg.177)

No numbers for dress size or how miniscule the reading on the weighing scale or how correctly form-fitting an evening gown and what the 'judges' will comment. Rather a whirlwind of discovery: of empowerment; of being strong, courageous, invincible; of deep meaning; of internal reflection; of pursuing ambitions; of realizing the most far-fetched dreams; of confidence; of being indestructible; of self-esteem; of accepting oneself; of true understanding on becoming a woman, beautifully blossomed. ...more

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Feb 25, 2015 Morgan rated it liked it

I would like to begin my review by listing the different texts that came to mind while reading this novel. In no particular order:
Lost (the TV series)
Lord of the Flies
Pretties series
Couples Retreat (movie)
Blood and Chocolate
Miss Congeniality (movie)
James Bond (movie)
Taken (movie)
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
50 Shades of Gray
The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Among others that I forgot to write down.

Beauty Queens is a novel that leaves out nothing. There are a wide variety of elements that I would like to begin my review by listing the different texts that came to mind while reading this novel. In no particular order:
Lost (the TV series)
Lord of the Flies
Pretties series
Couples Retreat (movie)
Blood and Chocolate
Miss Congeniality (movie)
James Bond (movie)
Taken (movie)
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
50 Shades of Gray
The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Among others that I forgot to write down.

Beauty Queens is a novel that leaves out nothing. There are a wide variety of elements that manage to come together to create a novel that blows the mind. Bray threw together every form of feminism I have ever encountered; she brought in a many of the LGBTQ society; she questioned the role of women in society and whether or not they need men to define them; it can be argued that she even questioned the way men think about themselves and women. There were strains of mental disability and parent-child issues (abandoned child syndrome anybody?); members of non-white races and ethnicities questioned their race/ethnicity; standards of beauty were assessed and re-evaluated. Action, stress, anger, sadness, injury, acceptance, fear, all of these elements and more. Bray layered them to create a novel that can stand and move on its own.

I read Beauty Queens through a feminist lens. As there were several brands of feminism endorsed throughout the small group of girls, I found my own definition of feminism clashing with and influenced by the other forms. No form of feminism is perfect, just like no form of government or people in general or anything is perfect. Feminism (and everything) has flaws. Bray did a remarkable job of not choosing just one side of feminism. She gave each girl something special and unique, with an accompanying background story that justified their feelings. The character development was quite beautiful to witness. And if there were a few cliches, I managed to forgive her; she created something that speaks to a wide variety of people.

And yes, I did find her depictions of blondes (even if they were bleached and not real) offensive at times. Because not al blondes are dumb, thank you very much.

Would I introduce this novel into my classroom? Perhaps. If I felt that it would bring something more to the specific students I was teaching. I can see how some students would miss the glaringly obvious hints scattered throughout the novel and would continue to objectify women and would miss the huge "finding yourself" theme that runs strong in the book. However, the satirical qualities (sen most often in the advertisements for The Corporation's various products/television shows) presented in Beauty Queens would make for an excellent study. This novel could be paired with "A Modest Proposal" for an interesting view in the world of satire. Or choose a novel about a different ethnicity or race (Brown Girl Dreaming? Yaqui Delgado? Born Confused?) and follow the development of the minority character. Studying the feminism theory through this novel would prove a delightful experience for teenagers as well (or so I would imagine). As mentioned in my first paragraph, there are a wide variety of elements that a teacher could choose to focus on. And the wide variety of elements allows for a wide variety of tiered texts to be incorporated. There would be challenges in successfully bringing in this novel (several in-depth sexual encounters, language, etc.), but if done with care and enough pedagogical background, one could build a solid foundation for incorporating Beauty Queens into the classroom.

I'll end with a few closing questions:
Despite the fact that we did receive snippets of their adult lives, can we truly assume that the girls took life into their own hands when they returned home? Most of them were between the ages of 15and 17; that's young enough for parents to hold control over what the girls do with their everyday lives. Also, what ever happened to Taylor (plot-based question, but I want to know!)? She was not rescued and we did not receive a snippet of her life. So that ended on a slightly darker note. ...more

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Feb 26, 2015 Hannah Alexander rated it liked it

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray is full of cheap laughs and feminist undertones; I thought it was great. The best parts of this book were in the footnotes and commercial breaks. The satirical comedy mirrored a not-so-different reality to the one women are faced with every day. I laughed mostly because of the real-life parallels that existed. Not many books have the capacity to make me laugh out loud while directing and maintain focus on femininity and society. I think this book allows us to see the Beauty Queens by Libba Bray is full of cheap laughs and feminist undertones; I thought it was great. The best parts of this book were in the footnotes and commercial breaks. The satirical comedy mirrored a not-so-different reality to the one women are faced with every day. I laughed mostly because of the real-life parallels that existed. Not many books have the capacity to make me laugh out loud while directing and maintain focus on femininity and society. I think this book allows us to see the ridiculousness of how we view women, particularly strong females.

Even though this text was filled with hilarity I thought that the character development was rushed, the plot was predictable, and its mere length created redundancy. I think that this book bit off more than it can chew in the sense that it had dozens of characters and only 400 pages to develop them. However, character development is a personal preference; I also see how utilizing basic stereotypes (instead of detailed and original characterizations) carried deeper meaning.

The problem with stereotypes is that they make situational circumstances very predictable. I found that after I learned that there were agents of some sort on the island with the girls that the whole story would revolve around a scandal. I just felt as though this text was the film “Miss Congeniality” on an island setting. Beauty queens being more than their stereotypes and saving each other from murderous end of a political (undercover) operation. I mean in the movie the pageant was a setup, the bomb was the crown, and the women were used as satirical stereotypes. In the book the pageant was a setup, the bomb was the Lady ‘Stache Off, and the woman were used to exploit feminine stereotypes. I don’t rate this book very high in terms of predictability, but just because something is predictable does not mean it is not enjoyable.

Even with the “bad” things I pointed out, I really did enjoy this book, but I wish it was a little shorter. I found that because it was predictable, it became redundant. I don’t know what I would have cut-out, it just felt long. But all-in-all I give this book a 3 out of 4 because I found that the meaning and use of cleaver use of satire cannot be overlooked.
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Feb 18, 2015 Jacob Mroczkiewicz rated it it was ok

Disclaimer: There will be no political ramblings in this review. So, let's stay within the text. Shall we? (But, really, isn't it time time to leave Palin alone?)

In a condemnation of corporate moral depravity and American consumerism, Bray positions her characters -- thirteen surviving beauty queen hopefuls -- on a seemingly deserted island where they must learn to survive without the crutches that have hamstrung their lives in the States. Through their intertwined struggle for survival, these Disclaimer: There will be no political ramblings in this review. So, let's stay within the text. Shall we? (But, really, isn't it time time to leave Palin alone?)

In a condemnation of corporate moral depravity and American consumerism, Bray positions her characters -- thirteen surviving beauty queen hopefuls -- on a seemingly deserted island where they must learn to survive without the crutches that have hamstrung their lives in the States. Through their intertwined struggle for survival, these thirteen beauty contestants must first deconstruct the calculated nature of feminine disenfranchisement that ultimately dehumanized them, and raise from the ashes of their former selves to create the people they want to become. Finding freedom and a liberation of the self in the face of corruption and internal confusion, the beauty queens find that they can be who they want to be, that they weren't even themselves before being cast into seclusion.

I found a good bit of hilarity in Bray's characters. Their interactions were often times the brightest spots of this novel. I found myself especially following Sophie (Miss Illinois), the girl with the hearing impairment. I thought her -- along with Taylor's eventual role of new-age Adam on the former Republic of ChaCha -- were the most endearing characters in the book. But that was not the point; these characters are not meant to be endearing. Rather, they are meant to deconstruct the identities that were forced upon them and grow into a previously unbeknownst sense of self that was entirely of their own creation. In that sense, I thought these characters were uplifting. Their universe was constructed around flawed ideals, and they dared disturb it.

At times, though, I felt the character became caricature. I know, I know -- it was meant to be humorous. And for the majority, it accomplished just that. But it did begin to grind on me after awhile. I do think, however, that this novel would be useful for young female readers to be reminded that the images constantly being hurled at them does not mandate the manner in which they are 'supposed' to live. I greatly respected that message. In terms of identity formation and the notion of freedom of choice in the construction of oneself, I thought that this was a provocative (for many reasons) and worthy read.

I do not, however, see this text being suitable for the secondary classroom, on account of the sex and language. Before anyone says it, I know that that sounds hypocritical after just having spouted how worthwhile this novel would be to young female readers, and after previously writing that Looking for Alaska should be read by adolescent readers. But, for some reason, I could see this book eliciting some strong responses from some. I would rule out suggesting this book to adolescent readers, though (a sort of "If anyone asks, you did not get this from Mr. Mroczkiewicz" kind of deal).

I know previously conceived notions of my own may have gotten in the way of my reading this novel, but I did quite enjoy the characters and their blatant disregard for feminine hegemony. Libba Bray, we may agree to disagree, but I respect your art nonetheless.

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Feb 26, 2015 Mykala rated it liked it

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray is a satirical look at a group of beauty pageant contestants abandoned on an island after their plane crashes. The girls struggle to regroup after realizing that they have lost half of the other contestants and all forms of older supervision. As the girls get to know each other beyond their pageant personas they begin to work together in order to survive island life. They are resourceful and independent as they face storms, pirates, and corporations wanting to take ov Beauty Queens by Libba Bray is a satirical look at a group of beauty pageant contestants abandoned on an island after their plane crashes. The girls struggle to regroup after realizing that they have lost half of the other contestants and all forms of older supervision. As the girls get to know each other beyond their pageant personas they begin to work together in order to survive island life. They are resourceful and independent as they face storms, pirates, and corporations wanting to take over at any price. These girls discover themselves, form friendships, and break stereotypes all while using their pageant supplies and smart wit to save the day.

Though this story starts out with what you think are “typical” pageant girls we get to know them on a deeper level, which uncovers several counter stories. Each girl has a unique personality and is a strong woman. There are several stories not often told in young adult literature such as those of transgender, lesbian, bisexual, and physical disability. Though I don’t think these girls would be as readily accepted in today’s society as they seem to be on the island, I believe it shows how we need to stand by one another and refuse to be judgmental of what we might consider “other”. Not everyone fits into the mold of what society has told us is beauty and we should embrace our differences as these girls do on the island.

This book had me laughing out loud and kept me intrigued with the insert of “commercials”, pageant forms, and creative endnotes. The product advertising points out how far fetched the beauty standards are for young women in today’s society and how it sets young women up to fail. The traditional pageant format tells young women that they are not good enough just as they are and that they need beautifying to achieve success. This also speaks to the stereotypical portrayal of women as dumb, submissive, passive, and measured solely by their beauty instead of their intelligence. Though I found this book silly at times, I think Bray did a good job of addressing issues of gender division, sexuality, self-confidence, and hidden political agendas in a way that was easily accessible to readers.
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Feb 26, 2015 Michelle Parsons rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-lit

I was already familiar with Libba Bray as the author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and the rest of the Gemma Doyle trilogy. Those books I enjoyed due to the combination of carefully researched Victorian life with strong female characters and supernatural threats. Having read those, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Beauty Queens, given the very different setting and style. However, I actually liked Beauty Queens better. The strong female characters were present. And the restrictions in I was already familiar with Libba Bray as the author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and the rest of the Gemma Doyle trilogy. Those books I enjoyed due to the combination of carefully researched Victorian life with strong female characters and supernatural threats. Having read those, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Beauty Queens, given the very different setting and style. However, I actually liked Beauty Queens better. The strong female characters were present. And the restrictions in place on the Miss Teen Dream contestants were actually not that different from those experienced by Gemma and her friends in Victorian England. The challenges, however, were none of them supernatural, but all-too real, which made the results all the more satisfying. It is not necessary for these girls to inhabit a different world or remain out of the world to maintain their strength once they realize it is there. And that, for me, was the real beauty of the book.

There were a few things that did bother me about the novel. While I understand that Libba Bray was playing with stereotypes, I felt that she did not go quite far enough in overturning them. (view spoiler) Adina's position as the Jewish feminist daughter of two gay fathers reminded me a little too much of a certain character on Glee. I did appreciate Bray's attention to the interiority of many of the girls, including the much-maligned Tiara. While not every character got to have an inner voice in the text, enough did to give a range of backgrounds and experiences for the contestants and their many reasons for entering the competition. My favorite characters were Mary Lou, Adina, Shira, and Nicole. My least favorite character was Duff.

Probably the satirical commentary provided by the Commercial Break and Corporation sections were my favorite sections of the book. I like finding something funny because it makes me think. What I did find sad was just how true many of these stereotypical messages can be. I have been reading many articles about female celebrities and the de facto misogyny that faces these women on a daily basis, even or especially from other women. The tendency is to ask a female about her preferred designers, her clothes, her hair, her manicure, her weight loss. Female celebrities who are overweight or underweight are forced to defend themselves. Male celebrities are more likely to be asked about their roles, their political views, or their future plans. The challenges facing Shira and Nicole are to be ethnic but not "too ethnic" in a way that reminds me of recent comments about a female celebrity and her choice of wearing dreadlocks as smelling of "patchouli or weed." The racism, sexism, and discrimination against anyone who is "different" are terrifyingly realistic in this satirical novel.

Of course, the plot was contrived, over-the-top, and all-too full of ridiculous situations and characters. That was the point of the satire. As the girls developed their community, however, it became less and less a satire of them, and more a satire of everything else in society that had shaped them.

And now to talk about the ending. (view spoiler)

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Feb 26, 2015 Lauren H. rated it liked it

Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens demonstrates the possibilities of what feminism can be. She demonstrates how being a “girl” is a choice, and with it, comes even more choices about who that girl would like to be. She gives her pro-feminist message showing the personal growth of a number of beauty queens, all trapped on a deserted island (or at least, until they realize it’s not deserted after all). They learn to be both independent and to embrace who they are, instead of conforming to their beauty pag Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens demonstrates the possibilities of what feminism can be. She demonstrates how being a “girl” is a choice, and with it, comes even more choices about who that girl would like to be. She gives her pro-feminist message showing the personal growth of a number of beauty queens, all trapped on a deserted island (or at least, until they realize it’s not deserted after all). They learn to be both independent and to embrace who they are, instead of conforming to their beauty pageant personas. Also, this book has some laugh-out-loud funny moments, which are both engaging and work to show how ridiculous societal norms and expectations can be.

I especially enjoyed Bray’s ability to tear apart the seams of the “one size fits all” feminism model. Feminism can exist with mud or fancy dresses, and it is all about the choices, not pre-defined terms. A girl does not need to reject societal “female” things (like heels and sparkles) in order to be a feminist; instead, she must make conscious choices about why she does what she does. The girls in this book represent people who are usually “othered” by society, whether it by race, gender (specifically transgender in this case), sexual orientation, and personal beliefs. Because of this, almost all readers who encounter this book will have a touchstone character whom he/she can relate to.

However, as a reader, I didn’t find myself truly connecting with any of the characters, not because I couldn’t relate to the feminist issues (those I really appreciated), but rather because I didn’t feel like I could truly tap into the full, intricate personalities of the characters. I read the characters as simple stereotypes of diversity. It seems like the characters’ depths are based mostly on what made them a societal “other,” as opposed to seeing all sorts of varying facets to their individualities. I realize that this choice fits with the satire genre of this novel, but as a reader, I just didn’t have the connection I hoped for. I’d be interested to see how young adult readers in particular respond to this novel. I think it would certainly be empowering for young girls who are struggling with breaking out of their societal box, but I wonder if they would, like me, miss the close connections with characters due to the large number of sometimes-stereotyped characters within the book.

In the end, I am grateful for the messages this book brings to readers. I would recommend this book to readers who don’t necessarily look for the same plot and character connections that I do, since I love the book’s message that being “different” isn’t bad, and being “different” is actually really more empowering than being “normal.”
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Feb 26, 2015 Nancy C rated it liked it

Libba Bray’s “Beauty Queens” definitely made a conscience effort to oppose all stereo-types and constrictions placed on girls by society—touching on many issues concerning sex, identity, LGBT and gender. From the beginning of Bray’s novel, readers can tell this is a nontraditional story-telling style and that themes are take on a parodical tone. She starts with one extreme example, and kind of lumps all the girls together under one category, being pageant girl—then throughout the story she break Libba Bray’s “Beauty Queens” definitely made a conscience effort to oppose all stereo-types and constrictions placed on girls by society—touching on many issues concerning sex, identity, LGBT and gender. From the beginning of Bray’s novel, readers can tell this is a nontraditional story-telling style and that themes are take on a parodical tone. She starts with one extreme example, and kind of lumps all the girls together under one category, being pageant girl—then throughout the story she breaks down this construct by showing each girl is different and are dealing with similar and at the same time dissimilar issues. Just as Bray’s characters are over the top in the beginning with the pageantry things, their personalities are also over done when they are discovering their identities and thoughts, in a humorous sort of way.

The issues that stood out to me the most were the LGBT girls who were dealing with their LGBT identity. We have Sosie who doesn’t directly identify with bisexual, but does state she has always been into both boys and girls. That is probably my favorite part in the novel, when she refers to herself and neither straight nor gay, but “Jenniferian” or Jennifer—the girl Sosie likes and ends up having sex with. Jennifer on the other hand does identify as lesbian—she is also the one who poses the question to Sosie. Then we have Petra, who was born a male, but identifies as a female and is in the transitioning process.

These are themes and discussions are not brought up very much in most people day-to-day and are also not dealt with in literature, especially not YA literature and though this book might deal with them in a humorous way—perhaps it is because it is easier for teens to understand it in a more comical approach. This book definitely had me laughing the entire way and also the way that the book was styled to seem like a television series made it very interesting. The between chapter “commercials”, endnotes, and forms that each of the girls “filled out” for the pageant was interesting. It really gives a sense on how much The Corporation tries to control the media in the girls lives. That is a whole other beast though and it felt very realistic to me. I could see it or imagine it in my head, as silly as that sounds. The way media and politics are portrayed in this novel could become a sort of basis for a study or academic paper. All in all book did such a good job of bringing up issues concerning females and the societal restrictions placed upon them,
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Feb 20, 2015 Michelle rated it it was ok

In her novel "Beauty Queens" Libba Bray touches base on several issues deemed important not only to young adults but to society as a whole: gender identity, sexuality, gender equality, even political strife, and self-fulfillment being among them. However, despite the severity normally associated with such topics, Bray incorporates them in a style that is light and unique rather than overbearing. I found myself laughing aloud at several different points throughout the book simply because the char In her novel "Beauty Queens" Libba Bray touches base on several issues deemed important not only to young adults but to society as a whole: gender identity, sexuality, gender equality, even political strife, and self-fulfillment being among them. However, despite the severity normally associated with such topics, Bray incorporates them in a style that is light and unique rather than overbearing. I found myself laughing aloud at several different points throughout the book simply because the characters were enjoyable to read and I appreciated the style in which they responded to any discriminations thrown their way.

Our main cast of characters in the novel are a group of beauty queen contestants stranded on a 'deserted' island after the crash of their flight. In their struggle to survival they also form close bonds with one another, break down social discriminations that stand in everyday society, and learn that life is deeper than beauty pageants. It sounds kind of cheesy (and even reading it is kind of cheesy to be honest) but the heart of the story is a great one and I think its extremely important to involve such issues, particularly issues of gender and sexuality, in literature for younger readers. The number is a sad few of YA novels I have read that include a transgender character-- or even lesbian characters. It is important that these minorities, and others, be included in YA literature in order to represent more than just the straight white population.

While I did very much enjoy the theme of female power throughout the novel, I also thought things were maybe boxed up just a little too nicely. Each of the girls fits into their assigned role predictably and I would have liked to have been surprised by at least one person's reaction to the inequality that the group struggled to disband, or perhaps just have had the topic of identity focused upon more rather than splitting it up with fantastical social and political issues. But I can most certainly appreciate the spectrum of identities presented in the novel and the style in which it was presented as well: a bit lighthearted and humorous, even, perhaps so such heavy topics would be easier to digest by a younger audience. But do youthful readers truly need such "protection" from these ideas? Or perhaps Bray's intent was more focused upon making the story light-hearted and enjoyable rather than heavy with the plethora of issues involved in the novel. Either way, the aim of the book was appreciated and agreed with, even if the exhibition was a bit silly. ...more

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Jan 31, 2015 Jung Han rated it it was ok

This is a story of teenage girls’ journey towards their self-discovery and growth into individuals who they did not realize who they could be. It was interesting to me that all the girls in this novel are obsessed with winning the beauty pageant for their success in life and that each girl stands for her specific situation such as skin color, sexual orientation, and physical disability. All these conditions as well as social environment affect them confuse their self identities. They were under This is a story of teenage girls’ journey towards their self-discovery and growth into individuals who they did not realize who they could be. It was interesting to me that all the girls in this novel are obsessed with winning the beauty pageant for their success in life and that each girl stands for her specific situation such as skin color, sexual orientation, and physical disability. All these conditions as well as social environment affect them confuse their self identities. They were under family and societal pressure that made them become people who society wants them to be. In the beginning of the story, I was not hooked on these girls who are compliant with social and family expectation, not self-reliant, and imbued with desire of fame and beauty. But as I found the girls grew into a solid people, I sympathized with their struggling to find their self-esteem and opening their minds to one another.

This novel is filled with sarcastic satire and subject matters; the author scathingly skewered our materialistic, misogynistic, and consumer-driven society in a derisive and mocking way, portraying beauty pageant contestants as “a window display for an empty store” (p.189). This satire supports the author’s critique about modern day society effectively. The girls grow to know there is more to life than what they have thought was important. They realize not only they should defend themselves against the threats they face on isolated island but also find their real selves against societal pressure and social standards, to which they originally conformed. They say, “Why do girls always feel like they have to apologize for giving an opinion or taking up space in the world?”(p.151) .They feel so stressed as to say that they want to burn down all the rules and start over. As I mentioned earlier, each girl is struggling with her particular situation: skin color, physical disability, and sexual orientation. Shanti knew she would have to work twice as hard as the other girls. She says, “I’m not Indian enough for Indians and I’m not American enough for the white people” (p.191), and say, “I’d say I am not a race. I’m an individual.” (p.151). She was confused when her mother gave her bleaching cream and told her to brighten her skin. Also they are not free from their image made by male-dominated society, which says, “Beauty pageant system rewards girls for being pretty and it values compliance and conformity rather than the boldness and rule-breaking that we pride in our boys and which often help them feel entitled to success, to getting ahead in life”(p.57). Also adults’ expectations of their children bother them too. “Nicole’s mom had been a Lake Girl. She’d enjoyed being in the spotlight, and when her own ambition hadn’t work soul, she’d turned her attentions to making Nicole a star” (p185).
These girls need a space for rest and the deserted island they landed on is a perfect place for them to think about themselves away from societal pressure which impedes them from thinking about more important matters in their life. “Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. They need a place where no one’s watching them so they can be who they really are, as they say, “I came out here to have an adventure and find myself” (p.188). They come to realize who they had been, wanted to be, and really are now, saying, “I’m always somewhere between and I can’t seem to make it to either side” (p.191). They were becoming. They were (p177).
Finally, they reach their own conclusion that they could be honest with their inner desire, not to show off to others but to love themselves, through insightful journey for finding themselves through life on the deserted island. Even though I was annoyed with the lascivious scenes and swears which I felt overt in a sort of way, I appreciated their self acceptance and friendship. At the end of the book, I was enthralled with these brave girls who have learned to love and embrace themselves and others. I think our society and adults should embrace teenagers who are wandering between themselves and surroundings. “Everybody crashes sometime” (p82), but we should not make them to be crashed by societal and adults’ values.
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