Review of Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos

Advance Review of Elaine Dimopoulos' Material Girls

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

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?

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When I picked Material Girls as my next read, I thought it sounded like an interesting concept... teenagers hired on before they are even finished with school to make the choices on what would be the next big craze in fashion. These pre-teens, starting at the age of 13, would be chosen for different artistic careers, like fashion, music, movies, & video game production & would peak at work before the age of 20. Their schooling would end & their new lives would begin before they were even finished growing. I didn't know how much I would really love this book until I started reading it.

I was entranced by this world that Marla & Ivy live in. They were "tapped" in their 7th grade in high school and now 3 years later are making their way through lucrative careers. The only problem is, every year more kids are tapped to begin work assignments. So their world is ever changing & moving forward, with or without them. At any point, they can be viewed as old news & left behind for something or someone younger & fresher.

This book is definitely chocked full of moral dilemmas and values. It has a definite moral about the wastefulness of today's society. When something is out in fashion, we usually discard it. It also has a lot of information on the usefulness of eco-friendly living & the value in purchasing eco-friendly clothing.

It took me only 2 days to read, because of how much I loved it. I think Material Girls would be perfect for fans of The Selection by Kiera Cass, Matched by Ally Condie, & Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.