Review: Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos

Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos
Published: May 5th 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Number of Pages: 336 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   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?



* I was given an eARC by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

   Material Girls is a quite unique spin on the dystopian genre. It focuses greatly on fashion and a dystopian society in which your life is dictated by the "Tap" and what clothes you are wearing, if they are trendy (prime) or not.
   I have to admit that it took me roughly 50-60% of the book to really get into the story and start to actually care about the characters. The beginning of the book features various quite long descriptions of what everybody is wearing and if it follows the current or previous trend. Personally I don't care much about what is currently trendy nor do I really know many of the names for various clothing items which meant that I was just skipping paragraphs as I didn't really care who is wearing what.
   The basic idea behind Material Girls, that the big fashion houses, the so called Big Five, rule the market and do with their workers whatever they so want to do, without shying away from drastic measures like drugging you to get you to agree to their agenda, was quite interesting and definitely quite different from the usually governmental oppression which we can find in most dystopian novels. Also it had this very realistic feel to it due to the fact that, thanks to Marla, one of the two protagonists, we got to see "the basement", the place in the fashion house where the designs are created and drawn, which had a very sweatshop like look and feel to it.

   Another problem that I had with the story was the naive level it had due to the way it was written and the quite young age of the protagonists, which were merely 16 years old. Also, for me personally, it was quite hard to accept the very shallow way in which people looked at each other, judging each other by their clothes and position. This was very nicely shown by Marla's mother who, when Marla was moved from her position in the Supreme Court (the court that decides which clothing item will be featured in the upcoming line or not) to the basement, wanted to persuade Marla to quick her job all together and wait until she can start a family because that's her fate anyways so might as well do it now instead of working in a shameful position. Also the romance in this book didn't really have any build up, it just happened which I found a bit unnecessary. Personally I think the small romance aspect could have easily been left out.

   Marla and Ivy, the two protagonists, were interesting characters in their own way. Marla was more of a creative soul which found herself once she accepted her new path of working in the basement and being part of a group that wanted something more, while Ivy is a Pop Star who slowly starts to realize just how fake and disgusting the entertainment business is in terms of fake relationships, unneeded shopping tours for insane amounts of money and playing the role of someone you are not.
   Both of them tried to fight for a better world in which fashion would be more fair and in which the heads of the corporations wouldn't have the power anymore to treat their workers badly.

   My last issue thatI had with Material Girls was the ending which felt somewhat rushed and too light and easy for my taste. I would have wished for something more serious and less "happily ever after". Also the ending for Ivy felt very unsatisfying and almost made me feel like I just wasted my time with reading her part of the story because it didn't really lead anywhere in the end. As much as Marla has learned from what has happened over the course of the story, Ivy didn't seem like she learned anything at all. I think that was quite disappointing and sad.

   All in all, Material Girls was an entertaining read once you really get into the story and the action starts. One thing you have to be aware of, before going into it, is that fashion is very important in this world so if you are not really into it and don't have much knowledge of it like I do, you might find getting into the story a bit hard. But, if you get past the first 35% of the book you'll be rewarded with more exciting events and fun things. Material Girls is unique in its own way and presents a very "girly" version of the future which, in itself, could show a actually more possible version of our own future.

 

I give Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos 3 out of 5 Stars.

Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Die for Me by Amy Plum
Published: April 3rd 2012 - HarperTeen (first published May 5th 2011) 
Number of pages:  354 Pages (Paperback)
Series:Yes, #1 

   My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. 
   Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were moving to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my life would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.
    Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, he put me in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen ... until I realized that Vincent Delacroix is no normal human—that he has a terrifying destiny and enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind. 
   Can I risk everything for love? (goodreads.com)

 "Yeah, right, like Catherin Deneuve has her own hot-guy SWAT team trolling the neighborhood for celebrity stalkers with swords." (Kate)

   I've been eying this book for weeks and two days ago I finally found time to pick it up and read it. I didn't hear much about it before I started to read it but i definitely feel in love with the gorgeous cover when I first saw it. Unfortunately what's inside isn't as gorgeous as the cover.
   On the back of the book I found a few comments from reviews of this book where one of them mentions Twilight, which made me think that maybe this will be just another Vampire story. It ain't, though I can see why one would compare the two. There are a few similar features, like the Vincent's 'family' constellation.

   But, let's start with the things I did enjoy about this book.
   I love that it plays in Paris, because I didn't read much yet that played outside of the US or Germany, so Paris was a very welcome diversion. Throughout the book one can really get a good look at the city and its charm, which caused me to really want to go there myself and visit all these wonderful places which the book described.
   Furthermore, I liked the whole idea and history behind the "Revenants". It was something new and different from the typical creatures, like Vampires or Werewolves. I like how their history was nicely woven into out actual history, mentioning World War One and Two, while mostly focusing on the events that took place in France, which was refreshing.

   The characters were fairly likable and I did really enjoy the sister dynamics between Kate and Georgia. I also liked their grandparents who, as for being grandparents, planed a very subtle and open-minded role in the story. They gave Kate, who is only 16 soon turning 17, a lot of freedom, more then I think normal grandparents would give their granddaughter. But hey, that's fine; it's YA and nothing unusual for that genre.
   Kate is a likable character who suffered a great loss, being the death of both her parents. Throughout Die for Me she struggles to deal with it but as the story progresses she manages to find a possibility to come to terms with it, as far as one can with something like that. Fortunately, she wasn't one of those typical heroines who is naive and passive, she was strong and able to make her own decisions no matter what. 

“My mom said I was an escapist at heart.... that I preferred imaginary worlds to the real one.” 

    Vincent was the hotty of the story. The mysterious boy with the dangerous aura, which pulled Kate to him like magic, despite her better judgment. I liked him; he was a good main male character with a unpronounceable French last name.

   And now to the things that I liked a little less.
   The plot was sometimes a little too predictable for me, which took the fun out of it at certain parts. Also the evil villains was quite easy to spot, especially because of his name which was like a glowing sign that just made noticing it inevitable. I would have wished that the author would have giving him a less obvious name, which would have made the revealing a little more exciting. Also spotting Kate's sisters role in the whole thing was easy to guess, but that was all right.
   Besides that I had a good time reading Die for Me and despite the rating I give it, I might pick up the sequel in the future and give it a chance. Maybe it'll get better?

All in all, if you are interested in a supernatural read, which for once isn't about Vampires, Angels or Werewolves, Die for Me might be something for you.

I give Die for Me by Amy Plum 3 out of 5 Stars.