Holly Bourne, You could be so pretty, Usborne, December 2023, 400 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781474966832
In feminist literature, few titles provoke stronger feelings of horror than The Handmaid’s Tale. Perhaps it is the feeling that such a scenario could happen so easily, despite apparent progress in gender equality, at least in Western society, which makes this dystopian vision feel so terrifying. By comparison, the society of You could be so pretty appears set in a time of relative enlightenment– with The Doctrine stating that True Gender Equality has been achieved, guiding every girl to integrate themselves into a new world of Empowerment. It is every girl’s choice whether they wish to embrace the guidance outlined in the Doctrine –and that choice should be celebrated.
With equality and girls’ freedom to choose thus enshrined, one would think that You could be so pretty would be a world away from the legislated misogyny and sexism of The Handmaid’s Tale. And yet although the Doctrine’s guidance is based upon a girl’s right to ‘choose’, this story highlights the chillingly realistic and disturbingly powerful nature of societal pressure, expectations and systemic inequalities that shape women’s lives not only in this fictional dystopia, but also in our modern, social media soaked reality.
In You could be so pretty, girls ‘choose’ to be ‘Pretties’, who spend their time maintaining unachievable beauty standards, ‘Try hards’ who wish to be ‘Pretties’ but never quite make it or ‘Objectionables’, those who reject the guidance of the Doctrine. Boys are raised on a media diet of Smut and the belief that girls should be beautiful ornaments, who should appreciate their attention regardless of how denigrating or violent, merely to be enjoyed until they become ‘Invisibles’ and then discarded.
The irony of this world of so-called ‘choice’ is explored by protagonists Belle and Joni, who are in the same year at school but from vastly different backgrounds. Both in their ‘Just Right’ years, Belle is a Pretty, who never appears without her Mask, spends hours on the right Look and avoids consuming Sin to maintain a tiny figure. Joni is considered an ‘objectionable’ – raised by her ‘Invisible’ mother. Seen through their eyes in alternating chapters, it becomes increasingly clear that whether ‘pretty’ or ‘objectionable’, choice is but an illusion, and gender equality is still a goal yet to be achieved.
Cleverly crafted as a feminist dystopia, this YA title addresses real world issues including eating disorders, domestic abuse, pornography, misogyny and sexual harassment and assault through the lens of a future world gone wrong. In doing so, it holds a mirror to current day society, ‘awakening’ us all to the insidious control enacted by self-imposed and societally encouraged expectations placed upon women to ‘have it all’. The fast-paced story and likeable leads, Belle and Joni, draw the reader in, and the message is one all teens should read and consider. The book will appeal strongly to girls, but is a good one for boys to read also – perhaps a reading club selection for a mixed group? Suggested for 16 years and older.
Reviewed by Kay Oddone
