Beauty Queens

Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens. 2011. 396p. ISBN 978-0-439-89597-2. FIC BRA on the library shelves.

Adina, Miss New Hampshire, is on a plane with 49 other girls heading to the Corporation’s Miss Teen Dream pagent when it crashes on the beach of a deserted island. Sixteen girls survive the crash, and find themselves stranded. Adina, who only joined the pageant to expose its dark underside for the school newspaper, finds herself quickly outvoted for leadership in favor of Taylor, Miss Texas. At first, the girls attempt to maintain their pageant routine and continue to backstab each other, but as it becomes clear that they will not be rescued, the girls begin to adapt to their environment.

At the same time, the Corporation is planning an illegal arms deal with MoMo, dictator of the Republic of ChaCha, and is using its secret volcano lair on the same island to effectuate this transaction. The girls’ presence complicates the matter for the Corporation, but Agent Jones, who is charged with this operation, does not believe the girls to be a threat.

Based on Lord of the Flies, over the course of this book the girls explore and master their environment, deal with different ideas of beauty and sexuality, confront gender roles, rescue TV pirates, and eventually must confront the Corporation head on. The lesson, that girls can be whatever they want to be, is well crafted in a hilarious storyline that will leave you wanting more.