This story is summed up neatly in “three average girls become extraordinarily beautiful and have all their fantasies come true … or do they?” It’s billed as hilarious which is always a risky thing to do because ideas of what’s funny vary a great deal. I didn’t find it remotely funny.
I found the characters decidedly stupid, especially Krista, who was annoyingly so. Had someone who went off to buy a dress when already 40 mins late for a job interview really been studying for a degree? I expect her stupidity in that scene was supposed to be funny—and maybe for an American market it may be—but not for me. Take away the degree and it might, at least, have been believable. Her disrespectful behaviour on the movie set was also extremely unlikely in a new actress given the chance she’d been given. I was embarrassed for her stupidity just reading about it, and apart from not being remotely funny, her extreme behaviour was entirely unnecessary for the story. Something more believable and less gross would have provided the necessary plot point just as well.
Yes, my first impression was not great, but I did keep reading, perhaps because I was in the mood for a quick, light read. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when the book moved from being silly to being more of an exploration of the role of feminine beauty in our society. The subject matter is, of course, the perfect vehicle for such an exploration, and in this respect the book worked well, and the author skilfully built the story to a satisfying conclusion.
I did enjoy the concept of Willow’s art, and could see why it was considered so extraordinary and powerful, but I didn’t agree with Evie’s assessment of it. Perhaps it was simply saying that beauty is not all it’s cracked up to be.
I personally did not bond with the characters sufficiently to enjoy the book enough to give it more than 3 stars, but if you find stupid and shallow funny in your characters, then you may love it. Other than that, if you can weather the dim-witted behaviour until the deeper meaning kicks in, it’s a worthy and even interesting read.
There is some sexual content.
