Though my least favorite of Libba Bray's novels, Beauty Queens was sharp, refreshing and endearing, with complex characters and a witty position om society's unfortunate corruption - perhaps too witty, as Bray's incessant fake advertising and snidely humorous jabs at American culture become rather exhausting after a while. I agree with you 100% and do dearly adore you, Libba, but we get it already. This besides, I loved her plot and effortlessly beautiful descriptions of female friendship. I particularly enjoyed that she delved into and addressed topics people still consider "sticky," like lesbianism, transgenders, masturbation, and freedom of sexuality. I mean, if I have to read another vanilla tween girl romance that is so NOT TRUE to real life feelings and confusions, I might poke my eyeballs out with sticks. No, seriously. That's how edited, glossed, and PG half of teen reads have become. I appreciate the effort to include more of an audience, but these topics are part of real-life growing up, and I think it's important to let teen girls know it's okay to come into and develop themselves, and not feel ashamed about cultural taboos like sexual appetite and bi-curiosity. This book gave so much empowerment to its characters, and this was what I appreciated the most. Despite some of its reckless humor (used more cleverly in Going Bovine), I found that Libba Bray, as usual, did not fail to deliver in Beauty Queens.