Librarian's Choice: Meat Market

Title: Meat Market

Author: Juno Dawson

Young fans of The Devil Wears Prada would enjoy Meat Market, a stand-alone novel by award-winning YA writer Juno Dawson. The novel follows college student Jana Novac, whose gangly posture and androgynous looks earn her many a rude nickname at campus – until they get her scouted for one of the country’s most prestigious modelling agencies. Jana suddenly finds herself at the centre of a massive beauty and fashion industry – with edgy photoshoots, catwalks, expensive dinners and designer goodie bags becoming part of her daily life. Jana tries to embrace her glamorous new job but soon learns that under the saccharine veil of stardom lies an uglier side – and takes us into a deep, dark, raw and meticulously researched dive into the vicious world of beauty.

Style

Meat Market is an impactful novel that goes beyond a rags-to-riches story and presents an intelligent look at the modern world of beauty. Issues related to addiction, body image, relationships and personal boundaries are handled sensibly. It is uplifting to follow Jana on her journey to self-growth in taking a stand on them. The novel is not without its cosy parts, and it is those scenes of girl-talk with fellow models on cold steps, long-distance calls to doting parents, and grabbing coffee with the barista boyfriend that will make readers feel at home.