Material Girls
Author: Elaine Dimopoulos
Average Rating: 3.98/5.0
Personal Rating: 5.0/5.0
Page Count: 336
Finished Reading: April
Published: 5 May 2015
According to Goodreads:
In Marla Klein and Ivy Wilde’s world, teens are the gatekeepers of culture. A top fashion label employs sixteen-year-old Marla to dictate hot new clothing trends, while Ivy, a teen pop star, popularizes the garments that Marla approves. Both girls are pawns in a calculated but seductive system of corporate control, and both begin to question their world’s aggressive levels of consumption. Will their new “eco-chic” trend subversively resist and overturn the industry that controls every part of their lives?
Smart, provocative, and entertaining, this thrilling page-turner for teens questions the cult like mentality of fame and fashion. Are you in or are you out?
Smart, provocative, and entertaining, this thrilling page-turner for teens questions the cult like mentality of fame and fashion. Are you in or are you out?
My Opinion:
I received a review e-copy through NetGalley, but in no way does that have an influence on my opinion.
I was super excited to read Material Girls, because it screamed different. There are not too many books out there that don't center around dystopia, romance, or paranormal. Material Girls takes an industry that impacts all of our lives, and satirically predicts the future. Admit it...we have all fallen into the trend trap that is set by the fashion industry. When I was in sixth grade the peace sign trend came along. Every piece of clothing or jewelry seemed to have a peace sign on it. There have been sock trends. I remember both at my grade school and high school the ankle socks were big, then black ankle socks, and then wearing tall socks became the trend. My high school had a big Vera Bradley bag trend going on when I was a freshman. As you can see there have been quite a few trends in a five to six year span.
The chapters alternate between two point of views: Marla, a judge on the Superior Court for a major Designer House, and Ivy Wilde, a popular pop star. We follow along as Marla realizes that wearing a trend for a few weeks, and then spending a heck of a lot money to buy a whole new wardrobe full of new trends for a few weeks was ridiculous. We watch Ivy's struggle with breaking the norm of following all the trends no matter how painful they are or if she try to change the game by not wearing or purchasing the newest trend. There is a slight love triangle that forms. I was happy that the love triangle didn't take over the whole plot.
I definitely recommend this book due to its fast pace, and unique prediction of what the fashion industry has in store for us.
Fashion does have a lot of trends and it is an industry that impacts all our lives because even if we don't care what we are wearing, we still do need clothes in the end! I know I want to try this one and it does sound unique. If the love triangle didn't take over the book then I don't mind it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice the love triangle at all. I would read the "love triangle" parts and wouldn't even bat an eye. I'm just glad she didn't create this love triangle to overshadow the main purpose of her novel.
Delete