'Beauty Queens' by Libba Bray


What do you first think of when you hear 'beauty queen'? Probably a girl who isn't very smart and is obsessed with her looks, right? Well, that's also what most of the female characters in the book 'Beauty Queens' might seem like at first, but as the plot progresses, it becomes apparent that there's quite a bit more to the girls then that first impression. A theme that occurs rather often in the book is women (and girls) don't have to be stereotypical, nor do they have to be the way other people ('society') wants them to be.

By being contestants for the Miss American Teen Dream pageant, the girls the book focuses around are shown on TV as being very stereotypical beauty Queens. But once their plane crashes on an unfamiliar island, the Miss Teen Dreamers are left to find themselves--as well as food, water, shelter, and as many beauty products as can be salvaged from the wrecked plane.

One of the characters, Petra, used to be a boy. But by changing gender, Petra really becomes herself, and not the way 'society' wants to see people--boys being boyish and girls being girly. At one point in the book, Petra says '' I'd say, I'm too f**king fabulous for one gender". This quote shows how Petra is who she, not he, really is.

And then there's also Nicole, who is the only African American contestant to make it into the Miss Teen Dream pageant. She is constantly being judged at back in her hometown because of her race. " I'd say I'm not a race, I'm an individual". Also, Nicole notices and often thinks about how on many kids TV shows, there's that "black sassy sidekick best friend" to the main character, who is often white, and that this character will have one or two 'sassy' lines, but then just fade into the background. But then when its just the Miss Teen Dreamers working together on the island, Nicole is just treated as an equal to everyone else.

And as a last (but not least important) example, there is Sosie. Sosie is hearing impaired, and a little confused about her sexuality, or at least simply doesn't want a label. She makes a joke at one point about having "majored in straight but with a minor focus in gay". Sosie also says "I'm hearing impaired, not invisible." These are both quotes that show Sosie being herself, and also being tired and annoyed at people stereotyping her.

In conclusion, the book Beauty Queens  by Libba Bray teaches the reader that its important to be yourself, not just the way society 'wants' you to be (especially for women/girls).