“BEAUTY QUEENS,” by Libba Bray, Scholastic Press, May 24, 2011, $18.99 (young adult)
They are supposed to be the epitome of poise and grace, the picture of perfection in high heels. But hell hath no fury like a scorned beauty queen. Or, in the case of Libba Bray‘s “Beauty Queens,” hell hath no fury like a beauty queen stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere with none of the “necessities.”
It’s time again for the Miss Teen Dream pageant, and state finalists are on their way to a tropical local where they will sashay down the runway and smile for the cameras. When the plane full of pageant contestants crashes on an island, it looks as if the pageant might be over.
But you haven’t met the Teen Dreamers.
Divided into two teams (Sparkle Ponies, anyone), the girls set out to find survivors and supplies. Luckily, there’s some makeup and sequined dresses that are salvageable. It’s a shame the camera crew didn’t make it. But the girls make the best of things, cleaning up their routines and perfecting their pageant waves.
“Beauty Queens” is a mixture of “Lost” and “Toddlers and Tiaras.”
Really.
And it’s funny.
Seriously.
Sarcasm reigns supreme in this satire. Every stereotypical beauty queen, blonde joke makes an appearance here, but there’s also some depth behind the cynicism.
There’s a lot behind the contestants’ plastic personas, and it seems like every girl is hiding some kind of secret. From the girl who was born a boy and the lesbian who’s in the pageant to stay out of jail to the girl who’s struggling to understand her own physical desires to the girl who plans to bring them all down. Then there are the two overachieving nonwhite girls who are in competition with each other for the one token spot for a minority in the top five.
While “Beauty Queens” is lots of fun, it does feature some mature elements that are more appropriate for teens 14 and up. The pacing also drags toward the middle, but picks up toward the end.
Libba Bray is a chameleon when it comes to writing. She takes on a subject and fully adopts the tone and style appropriate to the scene. Fans of Bray’s Gemma Doyle series won’t even recognize her as the same author behind “Beauty Queens.” Kudos to her for creating a truly unique reading experience.
