Hm... I guess I didn't quite realize the problem with this title in the case that I review a non-fiction book in the future. Eh, we'll deal with that later. For now, let's get on to my first book review, which I am SO EXCITED about. I have really been getting into audiobooks recently after being a NEVER-GOING-TO-TRY-THIS attitude. I don't know what I was missing! I think my first audiobook was Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and it's been a love affair ever since. There's just something magical about audiobooks, and I feel that - even in 2x speed (which is the speed that I listen these books too, not even joking. I need the book going a mile a minute). And not even the practicality of them. I listen to them everywhere, and I get through reading the books I want SO much faster. Yes, OF COURSE, I have those books that I tell myself can only be in book form for me to read but just the music and the characters and the heightened suspense is amazing. I've got to try SO many books in a time where sometimes I don't have a chance to sit down! I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS AND I CANNOT WAIT TO LISTEN TO MORE!
On that note, OF COURSE I would only be talking about this because I listened to Libba Bray's Beauty Queens! It's quite amazing because the person who was the, what do you call it (speaker of the audiobook), did an AMAZING job. There were quite a lot of characters and she was able to distinguish each of them perfectly, both male and female. It was so funny with the footnotes and commercialized breaks with music and sound effects, JUST WOW!
Aside from the specification of the type of this book that I read, I rate this book in the 4 range out of 5. I came into this book thinking it was going to be lighthearted, funny, and full of satirical comedy, but it had such a deep meaning on true beauty and being yourself. And this wasn't cheesy at all! So shall we get into it?!
Aside from the specification of the type of this book that I read, I rate this book in the 4 range out of 5. I came into this book thinking it was going to be lighthearted, funny, and full of satirical comedy, but it had such a deep meaning on true beauty and being yourself. And this wasn't cheesy at all! So shall we get into it?!
The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.
What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?
Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.
- Goodreads
Firstly, the plot was what drove me to this novel. I mean beauty queens on an island? I mean, you can't get more ironic than that. And this book definitely served it's purpose. IT was a hilarious story, poking fun at our norms of beauty today and trying to show a truer meaning of beauty. The plot was quite interesting and moved at a good pace. You got to learn about the setting, the characters, etc. As well, this book was SO much fun. Literally, Libba Bray is A COMEDIC GENUIS. She created her own little world, basically, and explained it to us - if you get what I'm saying. There were footnotes to explain products the girls use and just, oh gosh, it was hilarious. And then there were little character cards at the end of each chapter where the girls reflected on their best qualities, their fears, etc. And the commercial breaks were quite funny. It was really creative and I really hope I get to see more of this comedy in future books!
You really get to learn about the characters as they try to learn the truth about themselves, which is what I truly enjoyed. I mean, they're on an island and NOBODY is judging them. They start to find their real selves, and realize why they even decided to do this pageant at all. They realize their insecurities and the true meaning of sisterhood. But underneath all that, they're under the biggest surprise of it all. Aside from that, I really loved how each character is SO different. Libba Bray really took the time to choose different personalities, different insecurities - I MEAN, COME ON, AMAZING. They were so significant in each chapter and you saw how each girl reacted to things differently.
The writing of this was amazing. Though I listened to it, it was so free-flowing. Each of the different girls' voices (aha xD) just fit together perfectly. They were so great together, and their separate monologues were also so meaningful. You just have to read it to see it!
The tone of this book was just awesome. It could be totally satirical at times, and you could laugh but then it would get serious and you would just want to hug these girls. It was hilarious yet meaningful. SO,SO, SO meaningful. It sent a great message in a comedic way. I extremely loved how so much changed from the beginning to the end, You really got to see the difference between the girls and their goals and see them stand up.
The conclusion was very cool and interesting. I really liked the way the author did it. I'm trying not to say too much here, because though there are little shocks throughout the book, the end is majorly shocking. I was literally holding on for the last parts (It's quite hard to say this in terms of an audiobook, if you get what I'm saying. xD)
I definitely recommend this, and just to note, this book does contain mature language and themes! In short, SUPER FUNNY BUT SUPER MEANINGFUL. XD SERIOUSLY, READ IT!
You really get to learn about the characters as they try to learn the truth about themselves, which is what I truly enjoyed. I mean, they're on an island and NOBODY is judging them. They start to find their real selves, and realize why they even decided to do this pageant at all. They realize their insecurities and the true meaning of sisterhood. But underneath all that, they're under the biggest surprise of it all. Aside from that, I really loved how each character is SO different. Libba Bray really took the time to choose different personalities, different insecurities - I MEAN, COME ON, AMAZING. They were so significant in each chapter and you saw how each girl reacted to things differently.
The writing of this was amazing. Though I listened to it, it was so free-flowing. Each of the different girls' voices (aha xD) just fit together perfectly. They were so great together, and their separate monologues were also so meaningful. You just have to read it to see it!
The tone of this book was just awesome. It could be totally satirical at times, and you could laugh but then it would get serious and you would just want to hug these girls. It was hilarious yet meaningful. SO,SO, SO meaningful. It sent a great message in a comedic way. I extremely loved how so much changed from the beginning to the end, You really got to see the difference between the girls and their goals and see them stand up.
The conclusion was very cool and interesting. I really liked the way the author did it. I'm trying not to say too much here, because though there are little shocks throughout the book, the end is majorly shocking. I was literally holding on for the last parts (It's quite hard to say this in terms of an audiobook, if you get what I'm saying. xD)
I definitely recommend this, and just to note, this book does contain mature language and themes! In short, SUPER FUNNY BUT SUPER MEANINGFUL. XD SERIOUSLY, READ IT!