You're Going To Kill Us? That's So Mean!

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought their only worries would be evening gowns and getting through their speech without stammering. When their plane crash lands on a deserted island, the remaining girls are left with little food, no water, and worse, no mascara! The group decides they must combine their resources to provide shelter, and hope they are rescued reasonably soon.

Days turn into weeks, and although they are losing hope, the girls begin to discover a few things about each other, and themselves. Sometimes it's not about how smart or pretty you are, sometimes it's just about being yourself and breaking the stereotype. You may not be able to be what everyone wants, but maybe it's better to just be you.
But, there is more to this island than meets the eye. Turns out, it's not so deserted and there are a few conspiracies no one could have imagined. Add in some sexy ship wrecked pirates, and you have yourself a big ball of crazy; complete with sequence and high heels.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray was absolutely hilarious! It takes the stereotype of the typical pageant girls and creates an amazing story of survival, both in a literal and a figurative sense. Some of these girls have been so programed to do these pageants that they haven't had an opportunity to really live. Others joined the pageant to make a statement, or to help a loved one believe in them. Each girl has a story, and eventually they all embrace each other as friends, and allies. When the girls fight back against the "bad guys" it is completely like an Austin Powers movie, but there's a slight sense of empowerment. They may be pretty, but that doesn't mean they can't kick butt.
The writing is very clever. Bray is a great author, so this is by no means a "trashy fluff" book. She uses her wit to create a book describing the valley girl trash that is our society. Bray creates t.v. shows, books, clothing, etc. that are so similar to our society and makes fun of it. You can see the connections, and it makes it even funnier to know there are people who actually partake in this garbage.
There were times when I felt as if I was watching a VH1 trash show and should be slightly embarrassed for myself. But this book is far from trash. It is funny and the perfect beach read. It's quick, it will get your interest, and you will find yourself laughing out loud. Just be careful where you read it, or people may believe you're insane.  Like, totally.