Bray, L. (2011). Beauty Queens. Toronto, Canada: Scholastic Press.
William Golding has his reasons for writing about British schoolboys being stranded on an island in Lord of the Flies (see video below) but what if that island was populated only by valley girls?
Libba Bray offers an answer in Beauty Queens, which sees a plane carrying 50 teen beauty contestants crash on a tropical oasis. The 13 surviving girls are without adults, working cellphones, or *gasp* hair dryers. What follows is so outrageous, smart, and brimming with many allusions to Golding's 1954 classic.
Bray writes her 42 chapters from various perspectives, interspersed with "commercial breaks" and short profiles of the individual Teen Dreamers. The breaks, courtesy of the Corporation, push "Lady 'Stache Off" and the reality-TV show "Captains Bodacious IV: Badder & More Bodaciouser."
The book seems very lighthearted and silly, but don't let that fool you. Beauty Queens deals with a lot of serious issues with swipes at gender expectations, pop culture, politicians, advertising, racism, and the fashion industry, along with themes of empowerment and self-acceptance.
Looking for a fun summer read that will have you giggling out loud? This is it. Looking for something to listen to on a roadtip? This is it. I read that the audiobook is narrated by Libba Bray herself and it is just fabulous. Lord of the Flies is one of those must-teach high school texts, but if you're looking for a contemporary alternative to hook students who just aren't buying into the classic, this is it.
William Golding has his reasons for writing about British schoolboys being stranded on an island in Lord of the Flies (see video below) but what if that island was populated only by valley girls?
Libba Bray offers an answer in Beauty Queens, which sees a plane carrying 50 teen beauty contestants crash on a tropical oasis. The 13 surviving girls are without adults, working cellphones, or *gasp* hair dryers. What follows is so outrageous, smart, and brimming with many allusions to Golding's 1954 classic.
Bray writes her 42 chapters from various perspectives, interspersed with "commercial breaks" and short profiles of the individual Teen Dreamers. The breaks, courtesy of the Corporation, push "Lady 'Stache Off" and the reality-TV show "Captains Bodacious IV: Badder & More Bodaciouser."
The book seems very lighthearted and silly, but don't let that fool you. Beauty Queens deals with a lot of serious issues with swipes at gender expectations, pop culture, politicians, advertising, racism, and the fashion industry, along with themes of empowerment and self-acceptance.
Looking for a fun summer read that will have you giggling out loud? This is it. Looking for something to listen to on a roadtip? This is it. I read that the audiobook is narrated by Libba Bray herself and it is just fabulous. Lord of the Flies is one of those must-teach high school texts, but if you're looking for a contemporary alternative to hook students who just aren't buying into the classic, this is it.