Beauty Queens

You must not take this book serious, otherwise it'd be a one star from me. It would've been great as a trashy comedy-movie but it was alright to read too.

Ahrg!! I wanted to love this book so, so MUCH, but I ended up not quite liking it at all. Which is sad, because the description sounds just like my cup of tea: the contestants of the upcoming Miss Teen Dream peagant land on a (almost) deserted island in the middle of nowhere due to a plan crash. The entire story - as promissed within the first few pages - will be quite sarcastical and satirical. While reading the book desription on GR, I was constantly thinking 'This is a book written for a sarcastic person like me.' Turns out the novel is not as sarcastial and satricial as it could have been. I agree that it deals with some important topics in a nonchalant way and addresses some important sterotypes and how those have an impact on young girls but still ... firstly, I personally think the story could have been told in half the amount of pages. I still don't get why the 'pirates' had a role in that novel in the first place. Was that to lengthen the book? I don't know man, but these guys have been the most unnecessary characters in the history of unnecessary characters. Ever. Secondly, from the first page onwards the 'humour' fell really, really flat. Okay, Miss New Mexico has a tray stuck in her forehead. Haha. Not really funny or a unique 'storyline' to begin with. But hey, let's mention that tray at least ten times during the 400 pages. Slapstick. Funny, isn't it? Well, spoilert alert: it ISN'T! See my point? The 'jokes' in this book aren't funny at all. And yes, I am perfectly capable to understand both sarcasm and satire. I remember reading a short story by Libba Bray in '27 dresses' and not liking it. I was desperately hoping that an entire novel would change my mind on her writing, however, it feels like the author's humour just isn't my cup of tea. It's a two star rating, though. As I said, the book addresses some quite important issues. Sadley, that could have been done way better.

Nachdem ich zwei Minuten dieses Hörbuches gehört hatte, dachte ich nur: Das ist geil! Nachdem ich zwei Stunden dieses Hörbuches gehört hatte, dachte ich nur: Ich liebe das! Libba Bray ist herrlich satirisch und steckt den Finger direkt in die offenen Wunden unserer Gesellschaft. dann dreht sie darin herum, während sie ein fröhliches Liedchen pfeifft. In etwa so fühlt sich dieses Buch an. Wie immer bei Satire spalten sich die Meinungen. Man muss ein Ding für diese Art Humor und Zynismus haben. Bray hat bei mir eingeschlagen wie eine Bombe und ich konnte von den Mädels einfach nicht mehr genug kriegen. Dabei verleiht die Autorin im Hörbuch ihnen sogar ihre ganz eigenen Stimmen. So wurden mir die Mädels zu Freundinnen und ich erlebte, wie ihre Charaktere immer mehr an Tiefe gewannen und wie sie durch ihre Erlebnisse ihr wahres Selbst fanden. Eine Mischung aus Sozialsatire, Lost und Germany's Next Topmodel - gut durchgebrutzelt über offenem Feuer. Einfach nur genial vom Anfang bis zum Schluss.