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    Material Girls: A Novel
    Material Girls: A Novel
    Material Girls: A Novel
    Ebook334 pages4 hours

    Material Girls: A Novel

    By Elaine Dimopoulos

    4/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    In this dystopian thriller, fashion is making everyone a victim: “A captivating and fast-paced ride” (Joelle Charbonneau, New York Times–bestselling author of The Testing trilogy).
     
    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. Now they’re joining forces to subversively resist and overturn the industry that controls every part of their lives . . .
     
    Smart, provocative, and entertaining, this thrilling page-turner questions the cult-like mentality of fame and fashion. Are you in or are you out?
     
    “Through its likable characters, sly humor, and smart, fast-moving plot, this entertaining debut raises serious questions about the costs of disposable fashion and pursuit of celebrity.” —Kirkus Reviews
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateMay 5, 2015
    ISBN9780544556898
    Material Girls: A Novel
    Author

    Elaine Dimopoulos

    Elaine Dimopoulos is the author of Material Girls, a young adult dystopian novel about sustainable fashion. She served as the Associates of the Boston Public Library’s Writer-in-Residence and teaches writing for children at Simmons University. Elaine lives in Massachusetts with her family.

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    Reviews for Material Girls

    4/5

    20 ratings5 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I wanted to check this book out because it did hint to similarities of Project Runway. A show that I used to be obsessed with. So I wanted to see what this book is all about. First for the good things that I liked about this book:Well I did like the dystopia theme of this story. It was well written and felt believable. I would not call myself a fashionista so it was fascinating to see how quickly trends changed. It really is like Heidi says "One day you are in and the next day you are out". The reason I gave this book a three star rating. Not because it is a sticker but because it was a little like fluff. There was not a strong substance in the story line or the characters. They were fine but not people that I would hang out with or call my friends. A defining moment was in the middle of the story when Popstar, Ivy actually stood up and had a voice. She decided to not be a puppet any longer. I threw a fist up in the air than for her. Overall, this really is a good, quick read.
    • 5/5
      In a world which "taps" creative talent at 13, competition to be trendy is everything. Marla, who works at a top fashion label, is appalled when she is demoted from the courts that approve fashion and sent to the basement as a drafter. Ivy, a pop singing sensation, faces her own pressures to stay above the competition.This was a very interesting premise. I would have loved to read more about how the division among the creative and adequates occurred. The characters were interesting and dynamic and realistic. Overall, a great book, I would love to read a sequel.
    • 4/5
      I would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I almost had a hard time rating this book, simply because at the end it seemed like the author had an agenda with the book, which sometimes kind of irritates me. But then I decided that I was going to stay with my 4 star rating, because I think IF there was an agenda there, it is a worthwhile one. And, because I did enjoy the book quite a bit. I fell in love with this book right off the bat. The world that was created here just, weirdly, appealed to me. Even though it is a fairly shallow world, where if you don't get "Tapped" when you are 12 or 13, you are labeled an Adequate, and have to watch your peers go on to amazing careers, while you go on to be a doctor or scientist or accountant...something "boring". Like I said...shallow. Totally, absolutely the kind of book I would normally hate. But this was a pretty good book. It didn't keep my interest as totally throughout as I initially thought it would. Especially once it got into some of the activism stuff. I'm all for that kind of stuff, but this just wasn't my typical kind of dystopian uprising. Like I said, it almost seems like there is a bit of a "Save the Earth" agenda behind this book, which comes through fairly heavily while not outright saying it, either. Overall, a good book. Definitely not your typical dystopian, so if that is what you are looking for, this may not be the book for you. But if you are into fashion, and dystopians of any kind, this may be a good fit for you. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I am never compensated for my reviews.
    • 4/5
      In a dystopian future, teens work in highly competitive jobs as trendsetters, dictating what's in and what's out. When a few disenfranchised teens question the system, is revolution imminent?I liked this book, though there were maybe a few problems with the internal logic of the story. Still, if you enjoy fashion and dystopias, this is a book you should certainly take a look at.
    • 4/5
      I received an ARC from NetGalley.

      This was a good book. The society in this book is well constructed and believable. It is easy to see our current culture evolving into this. Youth obsessed and trend obsessed. It is disturbing that people's lives peak when they are teens, and after that they become obsolete. I enjoyed reading about Marla's life with the fashion house, and how her perspective changes over time. The expiration of trends and the trend checker were a nice touch.

    Book preview

    Material Girls - Elaine Dimopoulos

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