Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 480
Synopsis:

All sixteen-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum effort. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s going to die.

Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there’s a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of Gonzo, a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf, and a yard gnome who just might be the Viking god Balder, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America…into the heart of what matters most.

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The second book I've read of Libba Bray's, and again I fell in love! This was a hilarious and sad story that makes you think about life and how quickly it can be taken away from you.

Cameron was one of the best MCs I've met. He was honest and didn't care what people thought of him. He was just so real and he didn't pretend he was something he wasn't. I think that Libba did a great job of writing Cam so that later on you felt happy for him, or you mourned with him, or you laughed with him. The same goes for Gonzo and Balder. I didn't think that we saw a ton of Dulcie. She popped up here and there and Cam's relationship with her grew, but I thought it all came on so fast. I wasn't as hooked onto Dulcie as I was with the other characters.

Libba described every scene perfectly! Cam, Gonzo, and Balder's adventures were so vivid and I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to see how everything turned out. I was flipping pages so fast that once in awhile I had to look back and see what exactly had happened. She did an amazing job of knitting every experience together so that no detail was unimportant.

Overall, this was freakin' hilarious! I laughed so much and I was sad and I was rooting everyone on. Libba is seriously one of my all-time favorite authors. I can't wait to read her Gemma Doyle series. I recommend that you READ THIS BOOK! Like, don't wait. This is a perfect summer read that will have you doubling-over with laughter and realizing that you should live life to its all-time fullest. One of the best books I've ever read. 'Nuff said.

The Cover: The cow, the feather, the yard gnome.... It just brings back so many memories.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Genre: adventure
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 390
Synopsis:

Survival. Of the Fittest.

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 compete 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 eyeliner.

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.

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This book was a riot! Libba Bray had it all: a colorful cast of characters, an amazing setting, some form of mystery, and a ton of humor!

Libba had so many diverse characters, ranging from your typical beauty queen to a complete tomboy. Every Miss Teen Dream had a unique personality and a story behind her that I think Libba did an amazing job elaborating. The contestants changes from being all about winning and pageants, to being themselves and following their dreams was pretty awesome. During the beginning, I was like What is this, a book that makes girls feel bad? because off the obsession to be skinny, tan, and drop-dead gorgeous. But this is a book showing you that its okay to be yourself and that you should be yourself, or you will be miserable.

Overall, this is a book you cannot miss. Libba is an amazing author who makes the setting and the memorable characters come to life while adding interesting elements such as commercial breaks, words from your sponsors, and classified information. This is such a great story that has a wonderful message attached to it.

The Cover: I loved it from the moment I saw it! First, the ribbon, second the ammunition belt full of lipstick!