Fresh, fierce, and fabulously funny. That's really the only way to describe Libba Bray's satire of modern pop culture and gender roles, "Beauty Queens". The 50 contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pageant crash on a desert island, where the girls fight for survival and learn about themselves free of pressures society has placed on them. It's equal parts eye opening and utterly ridiculous. Miss New Mexico spends the entire book with an airline tray stuck in her forehead. There is an evil dictator named Mo Mo Cha Cha. There are bodacious pirates. But underneath the jokes, there is a beautiful heart to this story. I love that every kind of girl is represented here. "Beauty Queens" is modern day feminism at its finest. We have the punk rock bassist/journalist, a Toddlers &Tiaras-esque Miss Texas, a young black girl struggling with white beauty standards, and so many more than are just too good to spoil. These girls start out as competitors, but soon grow to understand each other and themselves better. I can guarantee that you'll see yourself within one of these girls as they come of age, and kick some serious ass in the process.
Bray's wit is biting and brazen. She took what you'd expect from a novel about beauty queens and smashed it into the ground so hard I'm still reeling. Her take on pop culture is fearless and honest. The book is broken up with "commercial breaks" sponsored by The Corporation. There is so much going on here and it's wacky and wonderful. I'm putting this one on my favorite's shelf, without a doubt. Writing a funny book is hard. Writing something so hilarious with a deeply meaningful and beauty message is even harder.
Seriously, you have to read this. I cannot stress it enough. There is explosive hair remover. A stuffed lemur named General Good Times. It's going to make you laugh until you cry, and fill your heart up with enough girl power and awesomeness to make you soar.
