It's 1993. Kim Ho wishes she were Courtney Love, instead of the chubby 16-year-old who clashes with her traditional Chinese parents. Her very own Kurt Cobain arrives in the form of Kevin, a 26-year-old failed musician. But Kevin uses Kim's rock-star dreams to exploit her, and those dreams die along with the real Kurt Cobain.Too scared to tell anyone, Kim conjures up a cross-dressing imaginary friend and dates Walter Riordan, the cute boy from special-ed. Walter helps her recover, but after a joke snowballs into a plot to murder Kevin, Kim's forced to choose between revenge or her sanity. This is a truly daring and original coming-of-age novel about one girl's quest to reclaim her power from those who've stolen it.
Recommended: Yes.
To see the review for Miss World by Randi Black, read below.
Enter to win an E-book Copy of Miss World by Randi Black and a Miss World Ipod Shuffle loaded with a playlist of Ten Songs connected to Miss World.
You can hear 5 out of 10 of the songs that should be loaded on the Miss World Ipod Shuffle by seeing: Randi Black's Top 5 Nirvana Videos in the Miss World Book Tour!
Complete Book Tour Schedule for Miss World
2-01-12 Paranormal Wastelands -Miss World Review – Blog Kick off
2-02-12 Amanda@Letters Inside Out - Miss World Playlist
2-03-12 Missy@Missy Reads Reviews – How Randi's love of music inspired Miss World
2-04-12 Jennifer@Can’t Put it Down - Review of Miss World
2-08-12 Tee@A Diary of a Book Addict – Character Interview –Joey
02-09-12 Sizzling Reads@Sizzling Reads – Author Interview –Randi Black
02-10-12 Maja@The Nocturnal Library – Kurt Cobain’s suicide (How it affected you, or where you were when you found out)
02-11-12 Tee@Dreaming Dreams – Interview – How music affects Randi’s writing
02-15-12 Katrina@Page Flippers - Character Interview – Kim
02-16-12 Giselle@Xpresso Reads – Author Interview – Randi Black
02-17-12 Handcuff Betty@One Girl’s Little Odd Dream – Kurt Cobain’s Suicide (How it affected you, or where you were when you found out)
02-18-12 Kathy Ann@Kat Reads – Top 10 Songs on Your Ipod
02-22-12 Valentina@Cara Bosses Library – Review of Miss World
02-23-12 Katie@Novel Society – Author Guest Post – What’s next for Miss World
02-24-12 Cassandra@Book & Movie Dimension a Blog – Author Post – Randi’s Top 5 Nirvana videos
02-25-12 The Haunted Rose@The Haunted Rose – Author Guest Post – Randi blogs about sexual health and education online
About Miss World
Recommended Ages: 16 and Up
Paperback: 346 pgs.
Published: April 30th 2011 by Fire Spirit (first published April 17th 2011)
Kim Ho embodies in Miss World the type of new age young woman of more modern times. She's what young adults might see in each other in regards to taste in cool music and what to do for fun. While it may not be completely accurate in every piece represented, it does present quite a few shards of what an adolescent really is. By that, meaning spouting profanity liberally like "Fuck" and "slut". While also being in touch with sometimes tons of experiences of sex from either wanting to have it or having it. A novel that doesn't hide anything at all. Hassort of real experience grip to it. Kim (Kimmy to some) is a girl that has very strict parents who happen to be conservative Chinese parents that don't like her non-conformist attitude that borders on rebellious.
"Who do you think you are?" Her mom's face is scarlet, with narrowed eyes. The corners of her tight lips curve upwards. "No one want to see fat, ugly Chinese girl on stage!"
Kim wants to yell, shut the fuck up! but her throats wired shut. She blinks. Forces her shaking hands to grip the body of her guitar. Holding it across, her chest, she takes one step backwards, then another. And another. Until her back hits the woodenchest of drawers.
"Do you steal guitar strap? Huh?" She's sprayed with her mom's saliva.
"D-D- Don't spit on me!"
Ptfffffft! A stream of spit hits Kim's right cheek. A stream of spit hits Kim's right cheek. "Take off guitar and do homework!"
And there is the matter that her parents judge her weight. Believing she's so very fat. Yes, she likes loud music and dresses differently than what her parents would choose. From what they want. So it is not a surprise they clash with each other and have many arguments. Kim, a willful girl doesn't really allow her parents to change her. Well, not until, Kevin , the guy she thought would be her savior from her mistreating parents turns out to be a jerk and forces her to give him sex from vaginal sex to anal sex. After a while she realizes he's a user and has been using her to exploit her. To cope with all the bad in her life she creates an imaginary friend who is a cross-dresser named, Joey, that would make her laugh and insult others that hurt her for her. It is good exchange until it isn't.
Kim isn't the same with Joey. With Joey comes a certain comformity. She is listening to the parents that judge her in hurtful ways. The Kim that has emerged is in a way--deafeated-- until she turns to getting to know, Walter, a guy from her high school, that has until recently been known to stare at her from a far longingly. As she gets to know Walter she gets her old self back along with some confidence. Though its not at all easy.
"Oh, my god." Kim feels like she's having a seizure. The tears pour out. "Oh, my god."Walter kisses her wet eyes. "Wh-What's wrong, Doll?"
"I just, I don't know... I've never been with someone I loved before."
"Y-You love me?" Joey pounds on the door. "You love me!" Kim wipes her eyes. Looks at Walter and nods. "Yes. I love you." An anguished howl. More pounding.
Walter sighs, a deflating ballon. Holds her tighter to him. "Oh, god. I-I was so scared y-you didn't, especially after I told you about Lisa. I mea, m-my cousin. And w-when I went down on you, it was like you didn't care."
"I did. She shakes her head. "It just that, I don't know, no one's ever done it to me for that long! I was expecting you to shove your dick down my throat a few seconds later!"
She'll have to conquer the past with Kevin that wounded her so badly. Though the revenge will be something.
Miss World was a genuine novel as in it had moments that seem so lively where Kim is a sweet girl that is just trying to be herself and at the same time trying to please some hard to please parents. Randi Black's Miss World is a admirable book for she manages to weave popular pop-culture references of music and movies which makes it all the more relateable. There are also friendships that are present in the novel which tend to be sort of full of vanity or convenience which often parallels life. Some friends just won't always be there to be understanding for whatever reason. This was a realistic fiction read that was really curious as how it will play out since realistic fiction so many times fails to capture interest or the right note but Miss World was very fast to hold attention. Randi Black has this to place it --a vibrant voice in writing-- whether describing surroundings or using humour is pleasant to take in. For a book this was obviously more of a grim topic at times concerning an abusive side to the novel of Miss World where Randi Black still managed to bring us as readers into the good points of life in general. Miss World is high on the list for realistic fiction recommend novels that speaks in honest tones to the souls of young adults as well as those of us that treasure the individual as unique.
Overall: Amazing read!Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Contains: Sexually-Charged Scenes, Parents Being Abusive
[Miss World ended with an opening to its provocative sequel Two Sides of the Beast by Fire Spirit Publishing. Coming Summer 2013!]
About the Author
3 comments:
Hi, Cassandra, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Miss World. Thanks for being part of this tour!
Hi Randi!
Glad to have been part of it.
And did enjoy Miss World. It was a really fantastic novel.
Fantastic review! I think that this sounds great, I hadn't heard of it before now, but I shall certainly check it out.
New to your blog - it's fab!
Stephanie
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