Juno is a powerhouse in UK YA and this book just solidifies that. Another knock out! Her characters are always likeable but with their flaws.

The eating disorder representation was fantastic (whilst hard to read at times!) I loved the insight into the issues within the fashion world.

A really visceral example of gaslighting, neglect and abuse creeping in to the edges of a glamorous lifestyle - excellent

I gave this book a good try, but I think that it was ultimately 1) a little too dark for me and 2) I'm just not a contemporary YA reader. I'd definitely recommend this to people who are looking for a cracking contemporary YA book.

Wow. Juno Dawson is one of the best writers around and I'm blown away by her writing. This is powerful, important and yet still enjoyable to read. Realistic and believable characters, great plot and a look into a world most of us don't see.

This book had me hooked from the moment I opened the first page. Another masterpiece from Juno Dawson. Her books deal with topics in a way that doesn’t shy away from anything- love it. Highly recommend!

Juno Dawson does it, once again - writing the perfect gritty YA book that shows the unflinching reality of an experience usually glamourised or misunderstood. Her ability to tackle many intense topics in one book, like drug abuse, sexual assault and eating disorders, is unparalleled. For someone that adores the Geek Girl series by Holly Smale, and devours Next Top Model shows, it was fascinating to see a completely different side of the same industry and the pressures young models are put under. Could not recommend more.

I wrote a post in March all about this year’s YA Book Prize shortlist – and how excited I was to be a judge! I’ve had an absolutely fantastic time as one of this year’s judges, from reading the highly diverse, intelligent and entertaining shortlist to taking part in the meeting to decide the winner. *drum roll* And the YA Book Prize 2020 winner is… Meat Market by Juno Dawson!

Meat Market was one of the first books I read from the shortlist – and I loved it immensely. As a former London teenager, I found it incredibly realistic and authentic. Juno Dawson paid so much attention to the teenage slang and dialect. The scope of the story also goes much wider, with our protagonist Jana being catapulted from a south London estate to stardom as a supermodel. I’ll admit, the fashion industry isn’t a topic that I thought I had much interest in, but Juno swept me up completely and made it utterly addictive.

Meat Market doesn’t shy away from difficult topics (or swearing!), with so many important messages – from dieting and skinny fashion to sexual assault and coming forward – at the heart of the story. And yet it never felt like I was in a lesson, or being peached at. In Meat Market, the reader experiences the dark side of high fashion alongside the teenage characters, and the story brought the message through clearly: this is not okay. It was so vividly told that I felt like I was watching a movie – coincidentally, it has also been optioned by independent production company The Lighthouse alongside Clean and Wonderland, so I’m looking forward to getting to experience it all over again.

Meat Market is worthy winner amongst a fantastic shortlist of books and essential reading for young people – and I can’t wait for more young readers to discover it!

https://prettybooks.co.uk/2020/05/28/announcing-the-ya-book-prize-winner/

Meat Market tells the story of an ordinary girl that get swept up in the model world. Many teenagers are dreaming about getting discovered by a model agency. Jana's fame rises from zero to 100 within weeks and she gets swept up by her model agency, and photographers. But quickly this life takes a toll on her relationships, her mental and physical health and she starts to question her values and priorities.
I loved reading this book. It's the right mix of modely life and empowering story. It's heartbreaking and upliftiing.

This was quite good.

First, I'm going to say that this has a lot of trigger warnings attached to it including eating disorders, transphobia, sexual assault, sexual harassment, body shaming, coercion and drug use as well as general mental health awareness. Please be careful when reading it as it is, in general, a very heavy book.

I have to admit that even though Juno Dawson is a massive author in the UKYA community, I haven't read a lot of her books so I think that this meant that it took me a while to the story. I couldn't connect to Jana's voice and didn't really like some of the slang that was used in the book. While I did get into Jana's voice, there was just something about the slang that I didn't like.

Also, the book does not shy away from scenes of a sexual nature and while I commend Juno from making sex seem realistic especially with Ferdy, some of the language used made me cringe a little. As an asexual person, I can't say that I love reading about sex scenes in general so this may be more a me thing than something that others have to worry about. Overall, I don't think that my small complaints about this book affected my reading experience because this is a really important read.

I think that Jana's voice does shine through and Juno's characterisation of her is perfect and you do get to connect with her and feel her pain throughout the book. I think that she always stays true to herself and has just a strong voice that you often don't see in YA.

I also loved all the other characters in the book. All of the models from Lien to Carla to Annabella to Wesley were all unique in their way and often used to show how the model industry treats different people and how they are so easily disregarded in a meat market. Her friends were also a great part of the story and also offers so much diversity. Again, the story offers so much more than just stereotypes and honestly, the relationships do make the story. I loved Jana and Ferdy's relationship and just supported in so much. The relationships in this book are tough and they are complex and they go through hardships but honestly that just life.

The book is very honest. It does not shy aware from the truths that happen in the model industry. It shows the harsh realities. The long waiting. The unexpected fame. The drugs. The awful people and sexual harassment. This was handled so well and I think that it was so hard to read about at some points as Juno has built Jana to someone that we really care about and to see her go through it was heartbreaking. I think that it really does take care of the sensitive topics and although at some points of the story I was expecting the worse, it does offer hope and it a story like this, it is always important.

I also read this mostly today and I didn't tell myself that I could turn it off so yes it was really good and really important. I was so close to tears when I finished so that just encapsulate how it made me feel.

The Verdict:

Meat Market offers an honest and raw insight into the fashion industry and is such as important read in the post-#MeToo Age.

3.5 stars

Jana Novak doesn't feel comfortable in her own skin and is often teased because of how tall she is.
But when Jana's height and androgynous looks lead to her being scouted, Jana finds herself going from an average girl living in a London estate to a face that everyone knows.
Modelling isn't the future that Jana would have chosen for herself, but can she enjoy it and make the most of the opportunity she's been given?
Is modelling as glamorous as it seems?

Reading Meat Market was a bit of an eye-opener, especially as I'm someone who dreamed of being a model when I was younger. There's definitely a lot more to it than I thought and I don't think I could cut it.
Jana was a likeable and relatable protagonist and there were times when I just wanted to hug her.
I liked reading her interactions with her friends and other models. It was so crazy that Jana went from being a normal teen to someone that people recognised in such a short space of time.
The plot was interesting and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped.
The writing style was very easy to read and follow - I somehow read this in two days!
This is my favourite book by the author that I've read so far and I could definitely tell that a lot of research had gone in to writing it.
I thought the messages and themes explored were handled well and were important. In a way this felt like quite a powerful book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Meat Market starts off like a lot of girls dreams- being scouted by someone who is essentially offering you the stars, jetting all over the world, meeting celebrities, but we don’t know what is behind that glittering curtain.

At a time where the #MeToo movement has been at the forefront of the entertainment industry, this is such an important novel- that I have a feeling draws on some true stories.

This genuinely had me hooked, between the “boring” life Jana led at home and the “glitz and glamour” of being a model, I was glad that Jana did have people around her who tried to keep her grounded.

While there were jealously issues with old friends I don’t feel like Jana actually allowed her fame to get to her head, she definitely became lonely and didn’t have as much time for her “old life” but I never got the impression that she felt like she was above her friends.

Juno Dawson dealt with the topics of drug use, models being made to essentially starve themselves and sexual abuse in such a moving way, it is all too easy to judge people for taking drugs, but I imagine that when you are running on a couple of hours of sleep, barely eating, staying in cheap model housing, having people trying to take advantage of you, I almost don’t blame people for turning to drugs or alcohol.
Ideally they should be in better living and working conditions so they shouldn’t turn to drugs or alcohol but that is something that is brought up towards the end of the novel.

The format for Meat Market is very interesting, there is a lot of back and forth as Jana tells her story of what happened to her right from when she was scouted on a day out with her friends to why she decided to put her story out there and help other people in the modelling industry.

Jana is one hell of a role model, along with all the other models who stepped forward to give their statements.

I hope other people read this and take note, because whilst this novel is fiction- it is obvious that there are problems out there in the industry (and in the world in general) that need to be addressed and stopped.

I remember seeing so many posts about “how annoying” the #metoo movement is, well do you know what is annoying… that there are people out there who think it is acceptable to abuse other people, to take advantage of them, to cover up for people who they know are in the wrong. Time is well and truly up on that.

Juno Dawson delivered one hell of a novel and I will recommend this to anyone and everyone who wants to see a change in the world.

Juno Dawson can do no wrong in my eyes, as proved by this incredible book. Jana and the world she lives in so brilliantly rendered. Everything that occurs, and everything that Jana does, is presented as truly believable - which becomes increasingly horrifying as you read on. A modern day fable and a total must-read.

This was such a horrifying but intriguing look into what the fashion industry is like. While reading it, at times it felt very glamorous and you almost feel jealous at the things that are happening. Then at other times you are so disgusted at what the main character has to deal with. This had a great balance of humour and emotion.

In my humble opinion, Juno Dawson's books represent the very best of YA fiction right now. Her characters seem so alive to me - each one is as fully formed as the main character(s) - and, excepting the real baddies, I find myself rooting for them all in their own way. This book doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the modelling industry, combining the glamour and money with the hardships, the mental struggles and the abuse, to tell what feels like a very real story. But, despite that, it's not preachy or sanctimonious - and manages to be funny without being glib. I would happily dive back into this book and read it all over again!

Can't say I've ever been interested in the fashion industry, but that didn't matter. Meat Market flies along at pace, is funny and heart-breaking at the same time, and Jana is a compelling protagonist. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Hachette Children's for the review copy..

Such a powerful novel which completely transported me to her world. Fashion/modelling has never been a personal interest of mine, so I had never really considered the life young models lead and this expose is frightening. Dawson's book is perfectly timed with the rise of the #MeToo movement and women's push back against years of systemic workplace abuse. Definitely a book of the moment which exposes the reason #MeToo is so important and helps people understand the problems within industries like fashion.

Another belter of a book from Juno Dawson! Jana is an ordinary girl from London-tall, gangly, a bit uncomfortable in her own skin. So when sh'es approached by a modelling agency she's surprised but excited. She's quickly drawn into the cut throat world of fashion. Her star rises quickly, but at what cost? This paints a telling picture about the fashion world and it's dark underbelly. The drugs, sexual exploitation and pressure to be thin. I loved Jana's journey and her attempt to live in two different worlds-her old life and her new one.

Meat Market is an eye-opening look into the fashion industry and the mental health issues, body image issues, and abuse of power that come along with it. Just like I did with Juno’s previous book, Clean, I read the whole book in a just a couple of days because I couldn’t put it down!

It made me think so much about how we don’t know what happens behind the airbrushed glamour of the images we see in magazines, in billboards, and on tv, and I feel like I’ll never be able to look at these things the same again. The book is incredibly well researched, and all of the characters are written with so much depth that you forget this isn’t a real-life account of someone’s life, but rather a work of impeccably-crafted fiction.

I also love how the book takes a positive turn and ends on a hopeful, optimistic note. Instead of ending with the downfall of the main characters, as I came to expect based on the path the story seemed to be following, it focuses on the power of women when they come together to bring down a villain of the industry, as well as putting an end to the other negative things that come along with being a fashion model,

Meat Market isn’t something I’d usually pick up from the shelf based on the description itself, and I’ll admit that the main reason I wanted to read this was because I’m already a fan of Juno Dawson. But this book has made me realise I can broaden my horizons a little and read things I often wouldn’t, because this is one of the best books I’ve read this year - even in the past couple of years.

Juno has done it again with another masterpiece, and I’m already excited to see what comes next!

I loved Meat Market! It's a wonderful, sharp look at the fashion industry, and the way that what seems so alluring and beguiling covers something much, much darker. Jana's voice is fabulous and every character shines through. It's one of my top YA reads this year.