Giveaway for Libba Bray's Beauty Queens

Thanks to the Scholastic and Big Honcho Media, I have two copies of Beauty Queens to giveaway!

I recently posted a review of the book, but if you haven't had the chance to check it out, here's some info about the book:

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and complete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eye liner. What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program – or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan – or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up? Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

Scholastic has also launched a new online community called This Is Teen to connect readers with their favorite YA authors and books. Visit their page on Facebook for all the latest news on Libba Bray and her new book Beauty Queens: www.facebook.com/thisisteen.


To enter, please fill out the following form.

Official Giveaway Rules:

~ Must be 13 years or older to enter
~ Must have a US mailing address
~ This giveaway will end on June 18, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER!*

Scholastic and Libba Bray have also teamed up to bring readers and fans the Beauty Queen giveaway!

Ladies and gentlemen, we want to know WHAT MAKES YOU A BEAUTY QUEEN? Being a Beauty Queen like the ones in Libba Bray's new novel means being true to yourself and who you want to be. Tell us in 500 words or less what makeyou a Beauty Queen, and you could win a $250 Amex Gift Card to use towardwhatever makes you feel most awesome. Or you could opt for a $250 gift card to Sephora. Whatever you choose, we will also send you a signed copy of the book and your very own tiara!

To enter go to http://www.thisisteen.com/Contest.htm 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal US residents ages 13 to 18. Deadline to enter 5pm EST on July 1, 2011. Void where prohibited. For complete details and official rules go to www.ThisIsTeen.com

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.

Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"- like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

Review:

I clearly remember gobbling up every single book in the Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy when I was younger, and being thrown in to such a fabulously creative world filled with lovable characters and plot events like no other. Therefore, when Beauty Queens, her newest YA release landed on my radar, I knew I would have to read it. Thankfully, Beauty Queens was brilliant. Sarcastic, empowering, and full of girl power, Beauty Queens is an absolute must read for girls out there, young and old!

Beauty Queens starts the story of the Miss Teen Dream beauty pageant contestants who are on their way to yet another round of the intense competition, but what they were not expecting was a plane crash let alone being stranded on a desert island with no beauty products, food, and well, everything. Left to fend for themselves, the girls are soon to learn some surprising truths about teamwork, each other, and more importantly, themselves. However, what happens when you throw in a vicious corporation and a ship of lost pirates hiding their own deep secrets? Only time and more pages will tell in this intense yet hilarious read that will have readers laughing aloud every step of the way!

The characters in this book are crazy but in the best kind of way. When I first started reading this, I could not believe these girls were for real because of how superficial they appeared to be. However, as the story moved on and each one developed, I began to adore every one. Because when it came down to it, these girls are real, surprisingly enough. They all have their insecurities and their fears. They have been beaten down and brought up again by this hard world. They are just trying to be themselves, even when it is the hardest thing to do. Basically, these girls were some of the most real girls I have come across in YA, and I have a feeling many will be able to relate to them in some way.

Another high point of this novel was the premise. Libba Bray is known for her crazy and unique imagination, and with Beauty Queens, this rang especially true. There wasn’t a moment in this book were I wasn’t completely blown away by the way Libba made this such a fascinating novel with not only hilarious moments but touching, heartwarming ones as well. Because at the core of this novel, there are plenty of social issues, ones that were presented with such heart that I never once felt like I was being preached at, instead each was worked in perfectly into the story and the characters’ lives.

In all, prepare yourself for a long and fun journey, as Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens is quite the novel. Funny, heartwarming, and kick butt, every scene will not only leave you wanting more but also change the way you look at the world one beauty queen at a time. 

Grade: A+

Beauty Queens is now out!

Source: Publicity Firm/Publisher- thanks Chelsy and Scholastic!