Beauty Queens

     Almost completed the book Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray, but I seriously need to get this off my chest. What started out as a goofy ridiculous read, with great comedic voice and a poke-fun-at-self attitude turned into a giant soap box for every issue ever whined about by anyone. At first, the Corporation seemed similarly ridiculous and hilarious, I'm surprised she didn't just come out and call it, "The Man." Of course it's an evil corporation, with lots of clandestine activity, none of it good. And then there's the contestants.
   
     Each contestant dealt with a different issue. One was "not a nymphomaniac" she simply felt sexy more often than others, and of course we have the Abstinence issue. Then there's a lesbian, and a bi-sexual deaf girl who hates "pretending to be happy" when she's not really that happy because she can't hear. (Seriously? I'm going to respectfully ask the author to leave that topic alone. Unless she's dealing with handicaps herself, which I doubt considering her "insights"). Then of course there's damaging the ecosystem of the lone island, which of course was once inhabited by a brave race of proud people who have been relocated by The Man - ahem, I mean The Corporation.

     There's also a transgender named Petra who used to be a singer for a well-known pop boy band until she quit and started the transition from adorable boy-bander to sexy female. And my favorite character, the crazy, off-the-wall Texan. She's strong, she's opinionated, and she holds a card to the club Femmes and Firearms. Of course, we're supposed to hate her. She's crazy and stupid, right?! If I knew I was buying a soapbox, I would have asked it to kindly plead the fifth.