About this book

Bowie is a little bit lost in his small Texas town. As he starts his senior year, the only thing he's pretty sure of is that he has a crush on Comet Jensen, a girl who's such a firecracker that she actually sets off a firecracker on the first day of school.

Since Comet is one wrong move away from getting expelled, Bowie steps in and takes the blame for the stunt. His punishment? Community service at a local radio station run by an anti-social, antiestablishment anti-hero named Marlon. Suddenly, Bowie finds he not only has something to do, but he also has something to say. And, possibly, a future with Comet.

In the tradition of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Eleanor & Park, and any other book or movie that's nailed what it's like to be lost and then found when you're in high school, this is a funny, touching story about how growing up, like love, is never a solo project.

Reviews

Praise for Beauty Queens:

"Beauty Queens is a madcap surrealist satire of the world in which her readers have come of age -- reality TV, corporate sponsorship, product placement, beauty obsession -- but ultimately, it's a story of empowering self-discovery." -- New York Times Book Review

* "Readers will come for the twisted fun and walk away with a whole banquet of questions." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

* "Whip-smart social commentary, surreal plot elements, and feminist themes come together in this bizarre and brilliant story... The empowering theme of self-acceptance and the affirming message that women should not underestimate themselves or others makes this novel a potentially life-changing book for budding feminists." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"Though the jokes fly thick as unplucked brows, Bray also goes deeper into each character to show how our culture's insidious focus on female perfection keeps girls from being who they are... Escaping civilization -- the best thing that could happen to a teenage girl? Sure looks that way." -- Horn Book

"Bray spins this hilarious romp into an examination of femininity and feminism, sex and sexuality." -- Booklist