I've said countless of times that I'm not a fan of dystopia. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. So far, I've been lucky with the few dystopians I've read. Material Girls isn't quite my favorite but it did leave a very good impression.
First off, this isn't just good ol' regular dystopia. Material Girls sports FASHION dystopia. Intrigued yet?
A world where teens and trends rule -- that's what Material Girls is all about. This quote best sums it up:
Chairman Rose's vision for youth trendsetting has proven effective beyond our highest expectations," the president was quoted as saying. "Harnessing the rapid shifts in tween and teen preferences has invigorated consumer spending. let them be corporate models, and let us honor their contributions."
Just how far does the trendsetting culture go? The fashion industry trends expire in about a month (and you're an 'obsoloser' if you wear something from the previous season), there's a court that decides which trend will pick up and which won't, and there's even a trend-checking device which blinks green if your clothes are 'in' and red when you're out of style. But trends go beyond wardrobe. Films, music, games -- basically every creative industry has trends and courts to go with it. And teenagers are the ones who create, predict, and sport the trends. It's a very unique and interesting concept. Scary? Yes. Outrageous? Yes. But very unique and well thought of.
There's some serious world-building that happened on this novel. It was so fascinating to picture a world where sons and daughters call their parents by name, where teenagers dictate how people will spend their money, where instead of personal assistants and cliques, celebrities have nymphs and satires. Alcohol has even gone out of style! Instead, there's a drug that 'calms' people. It's so, so sick and twisted, you can easily see how much imagination and work went into it. AND I LOVED IT.
As for the characters Ivy and Marla, well, they need more work. I loved Marla. She's strong, brave, and smart. Between the two, I liked Marla more because she had more guts. Ivy, on the other hand, sometimes seemed bland. She was okay, but not as interesting as Marla.
The first few chapters were dragging but it got all intense in the middle part. When Ivy and Marla finally met, I was so excited that I had a hard time putting down the book. It kept me on my toes and made me look forward to what's gonna happen next. And although the ending wasn't what I had hoped for or expected, it was realistic and stayed true to the whole concept of the novel.
And oh, there's a love triangle but since the book's not focused on romance, it wasn't so bad. It's actually just a minor detail.
Over all, Material Girls is an awesome dystopian piece. A refreshing take on a well-loved genre. And if you're a fan of amazing world building and looking for something new and exciting, Material Girls is definitely for you.
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