Review of Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray (originally posted on Fab-fem.edu)

Hey, everyone. Recently, I joined a feminist “Girl Power Book Club” at my neighborhood bookstore. It is one of the most awesome things I have ever had the good fortune to be a part of. I thought a good first review would be of one of the books that we read there. 

The first book we read was Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray. Before I launch into it, I want to say that I’m glad that this was the first book, because, as one of my all-time favorite novels, it makes an amazing example of a YA book done right. Beauty Queens embraces the best ideals of feminism, and actually helps and supports teenage girls. I’m glad to have the opportunity to make it the first blog post, because it give me hope, both in it’s message and it’s existence. You’ll find this to be a pretty positive review. 

The premise of Beauty Queens is this: A group of “Miss Teen Dream” pageant runner-ups crash in a plane onto a deserted island, instilling a Lord of the Flies-esque situation. However, rather than a bunch of boys, you’ve got thirteen BAMF teenage girls running amok on the island, trying their best to survive. I can say without a doubt that it is one of the most incredible books I’ve ever read. I’m not saying that it’s going to be a classic; I’m not saying that it’s beautifully written or brings tears to your eyes. Someone who isn’t a regular of YA literature might never even see the appeal. But this book gives the reader nine amazing female protagonists: real teenage girls with incredible personalities, all of whom I connected with on a deep personal level.

I will admit that I was ambivalent at the beginning of the book. The cover itself puts people off- the torso of a bikini clad girl, with lipstick lined up on a belt that would traditionally contain bullets. This, of course, is exactly what a feminist book club should be trying to avoid: books about faceless conventional beauties. 
But Beauty Queens isn’t like that at all. The surprise that comes with discovering each girl’s individuality is one of the most important aspects of the book.

Beauty Queens is a parody, a satirical narrative of American pop-culture and beauty standards. Because of this, at the beginning of the book, each girl seems as thoughtless and inanely giggly as the next. Which is something that most people would find it hugely entertaining, yet something that a big group of hardcore third-wave feminists like my book club would generally feel deeply insulted by. It’s probably a good thing that the book didn’t continue like that. At all. 

When you begin the book, it seems to be making fun of the pageant girls. This is partly due to the MC. Adina is the Miss New-Hampshire of the pageant, and, at the beginning, seems to be the only one with her priorities straight. 

Adina is not in the pageant to win- she thinks it’s complete bullshit, and is there to expose it. She plays in an all girl punk band, likes poetry, and wants to be a journalist. 
The culture of objectifying teenage girls isn’t something that appeals to her. 

As the book goes on, Adina sinks from being your favorite character into the background. As the other girls develop, you see that she was wrong about them. 
And you were, too. 

There’s a decent level of diversity in the book. Of the nine girls that are developed throughout the story, there are two WoC, a transgender girl, and a disabled girl. They aren’t the traditional American beauties. Kudos to Libba Bray for that. 

Even more importantly, each girl is a complete individual. They aren’t just caricatures, they are characters.

As the girls get to know each other, they slowly shed their previous prejudices and their own facades. Being alone on the island does not hurt them- it helps them. Over the course of the book each girl has (whether involving quicksand, sexy eco-warriors, or giant snakes), a glorious moment of self discovery. 
And this self discovery isn’t something that they regret. They even talk about it at one point: 

“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.”

As the girl become friends, they realize things about themselves and the world around them. They come to talk about what life is like as a teenage girl in America, and some of what they come up with I had never even thought of before. Their conclusions are painfully true. 

One of the best scenes in the book is one of these realizations. One of the girls begins talking, and after a short monologue, apologizes for sharing her opinion. The response that she receives is one of the best quotes I’ve ever discovered. 

“Why do girls always feel like they have to apologize for giving an opinion or taking up space in the world? Have you ever noticed that? [...] You go on websites and some girl leaves a post and if it’s longer than three sentences or she’s expressing her thoughts about some topic, she usually ends with, ‘Sorry for the rant’ or ‘That may be dumb, but that’s what I think.” 

I sat in shock for several minutes after reading this, because guess what? It’s true. I myself am often guilty of apologizing at the end of rants. Why do I do that? I’m not sorry at all! I feel strongly about my opinion, so I’m going to share it. Boys don’t do this. In class discussions at my school, all the girls will apologize after sharing how they feel, and the boys will go on and on. This is because we seem to think that girls shouldn’t have opinions. That they should always be sorry if they ever think outside the box. I think this line (as well as this entire book) is Libba Bray’s way of saying “Fuck You” to the system.

The girls decide to make an oath to stop saying sorry. 

These aren’t just random realizations. They all add up to one ginormous fact: It’s fucking hard to be a woman in today’s society, and it’s even harder to be a teenage girl. 

Beauty Queens isn’t about them abandoning girlhood, however. It’s not about them becoming rebels like Adina (although some do) and hating all that is girly. Because these are America’s beauty queens, and they will embrace their femininity in any situation. 

This book is about them learning how. 

This is about women taking control of their sexualities and their identities, and about them fucking up society using just what society has given them. Quite literally, by the end of it. 

“You want to know what pain is? Try running out of Advil when you’ve got a Category Five period. I’ve had cramps that would make grown men beg for a bullet between the eyes.” 

This is a quote spoken by Jennifer; one of the main characters while… well, I don’t want to give too much away. But surprising turns of events include piranha tanks, insane foreign dictators that dress like Elvis Presley, and cross-dressing reality TV show pirates. 

Previously, I called Beauty Queens a parody. But it’s also It’s more than that. It’s also an anthem for modern girls all over. 

Beauty Queens is a parody, but you’re not laughing at the girls- you’re laughing with them. And shouting with them, and smiling with them, and crying with them. 

Beauty Queens is a truly unbelievable book, and as a teenage girl, I found it more empowering than anything I’d ever read. So if you happen to be a teenage girl, (whether you identify as a feminist or not), I think you should read it. In fact, no matter what sort of human being you are, I think you should read it. Because this book is revolutionary. 

Libba Bray is moving mountains.

-Razi