A great book from Holly, I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and I found myself hooked. Thank you netgalley for the review copy!

This was such a powerful read. I'd head good things about this book but it was so much more impactful than I was expecting. Holly is such a skilled writer, really simple (but deliberate) changes to ordinary phrasing e.g. 'make up' to 'mask' was so jarring and really makes you realize just how dystopian our own world is.

I have reviewed this book as part of my monthly reading wrap-up upn my YouTube channel. My full thoughts can be found in this video https://youtu.be/1KHzjIO0HvQ?si=OsEWu49BfztMnH9L

The kind of book that everyone should read. The barbie movie in a book, but angrier. I truly think this is a book that could be added to school/uni reading lists in years to come for the discussions it provokes and the mirror it holds up to society.

This book puts you through it. I was angry throughout - angry for what Belle was putting herself through to please other people, angry at myself for wanting to see her Validated and “succeed”, angry about what Joni was being put through for being her genuine, compassionate self, and angry at the Doctrine entirely and everyone (especially the male characters) for upholding it. The dual POV worked fantastically to show you the duality of trying to exist in this society, between being a Pretty or an Objectionable.

I thought the ending was fantastic and the most authentic it could have been to fit the rest of the story, and I like where things ended on a indefinite and vague note with Belle and Joni. A book I will be recommending to people for a long time!

I inhaled dystopian YA books back in the day, but I think I over binged on them and they don't really do it for me anymore. However Holly Bourne wrote this one, and I love her smart feminist themes, so I had to add You Could Be So Pretty to my TBR.

YA dystopia is the perfect outlet for exploring rebellion against oppressive regimes, and I think the premise worked well here. However the world building felt a little bit simplistic, and straight forward for me personally.

But I enjoyed Holly's thought provoking social commentary, and watching the growth of her main character was inspiring. I think it's an engaging read for younger people, and I'd recommend as a great place to start empowering discussions around gender equality.

This is on my teen MUST READ list. A dystopian future or reality today? Barbie movie fans, you’ll like this one!
When I started reading this book I thought it a bit far-fetched, but as I read through it, I was shocked to realise that this is today’s reality. Whilst gender equality is a topic that gets more vocal by the day, the underlying bias still exists and needs a lot more work to see true change vs lip service. Only by calling it out and making this unconscious bias more visual and thus more recognisable will real progress be made. Holly Bourne captures the angst, insecurities and pressures of the teen years. The underlying issue is not new, but technology exaggerated the unfairness and puts a spotlight on it.
There shouldn’t be a divide of pretty but useless or intelligent but ugly. Women must be seen for their whole selves and not judged solely on external appearance. Take care of yourself of course, but don’t go to extremes. No-one should have to sacrifice mental and physical health to achieve a look simply to please other people. It’s a mind-shift that’s needed.
Why are women still used as “eye candy”? How many almost naked men do you see in advertising. How many men are seen as props at car shows or race meets?
A note to parents. This is a teen book and has content around relationships. Although aimed at teenage girls, I think that if you have sons to, try to get them to read it too and read it yourself. Have a family discussion about it; whether they resonate with the story, what do they think? Are there elements of their views and behaviour that they will modify based on what they read?

This well written dystopian novel has to be read to truly experience its brilliance.

It truly makes you think and is such an important subject matter for all women and anyone really to experience first hand and read about.

A must read!

You Could Be So Pretty

I wasn't sure how I felt about this on upon starting it, reading it made me uncomfortable but as I read further in I feel like Holly Bourne is a genius. It is supposed to be based in an dystopian future but how far is it into the future as it felt pretty real to me it is disconcertingly accurate to how such things are viewed in society today and how girls and women are constantly being told how important looks are. Some of the pressures that have been thrust upon young girls to always strive to look their best and that if they don't look the best that they can how others judge their appearance and that they won't be offered opportunities based on other abilities or if they are the right person for the job.

I absolutely loved the way Holly told this story, through two scintillating characters who are polar opposites despite this and their differences they changed each other’s lives in such a positive and enlightening way.
There were some comments on p**n and how men have this presumption that they are entitled and can just take what they feel is rightfully owed to them hit the nail on the head for me.

It is a scary thought that we live in such a world now, there is so much focus on social media, young girls dream of being tiktok stars and follow influences they see on these forums. it is a dangerous game and Holly Bourne has wrote a book that has me feeling thankful that I parent boys.
I honestly just think it’s a must read not only for girls but for boys because it is very insightful even in this day in age, I think it would be a good one to read and discuss with teenagers.

Thanks to Usborne Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.

I am a huge fan of Holly Bourne books and was very excited to read this one. We have already purchased it for our school library. I found this one harder to get into than her other books and it has taken me a long time to get through it. I really like the idea of the story and the dystopian feel. However, I feel that it was a little too obvious what the storyline was about which made it feel a little predictable. It wasn’t one of my favourites of Bourne but I will still recommend it to my students.

If you loved Barbie you will love this. So many times I couldn’t tell if this was dystopia or our actual reality. What a great read.

I absolutely loved this take on dystopian fiction. The entire concept was well executed and even the finer details were really well thought out. I will be recommending this to all the teenagers I teach!

Holly Bourne back again with a hard hitting, painful, amazing book.
This one hurt at times. It was raw and amazing. I fell into it and could not stop reading. I thought I was reading it sapphic cause I read a lot of sapphic books and I just transferred it there but no, this one is for gays. Be careful though. Read the trigger warnings.
Anyway, this was great, I loved both main characters. I loved seeing the growth in Belle and I was rooting for them the entire time. This is the kind of book I was to buy for everyone and I'd like everyone to read. Basically, another masterpiece by Holly Bourne that will leave a mark.

What I thought was going to be a book based on body image, with a natural vs made up highschool drama, was a serious, dark tale that warns of where society is heading and the issues surrounding our young people. Nothing gets missed, with male entitlement, porn, social media, peer pressure, filters and plastic surgery all getting highlighted for the dangers they are.
I really enjoyed this and thought that the development of the two main characters was excellent.
An important read for all, but particularly our young adults.

This was very well written but I couldnt get into the topics being covered.

I love the way Holly explored some very serious issues and was able to play them out through her characters

An absolutely wonderful, feminist powerhouse of a novel from Holly Bourne! It has the usual Holly wit alongside some incredibly impactful messages that will stay with you long after finishing.

I've read and enjoyed Holly Bourne's adult books previously so requested this one without realising it was YA. Regardless, the characters are really strong, I liked and empathised with both of the lead characters and I enjoyed the - somewhat predictable - premise. I do think there is a lot left out though that we are expected to just accept. I would have liked to have seen some chapters set in the past that delved into exactly how the world got to this point where The Doctorine rules. It felt a bit like all that was glossed over which ultimately made it hard to grasp exactly why everyone became some accepting of this way of life. I was also disappointed by the ending, it felt like things ended pretty abruptly and there was a lot left open although perhaps this will eventually pave the way for a sequel. Overall, this is a powerful and very thoughtful read that tackled a lot of emotive and important topics and I'd highly recommend it for young adults.

Unfortunately I just didn’t get on with the language used in this book - I felt like there were too many code words used to make the story feel more dystopian and I think it just made the story difficult to enjoy.

Fascinating and impactful yet accessible and entertaining, You Could Be So Pretty is the ideal mix for a YA dystopian feminist tale like this. Holly Bourne is an amazing talent.

I'm a Holly Bourne fan, so was eagerly anticipating this book. However, I was not prepared for the impact that the conceit of the book had on me. To see layers of misogyny and patriarchal oppression repackaged in alternative language felt like a brutal punch to the gut at times. Let me be clear though, in a good way. Such a good way. Highly recommended, especially for the teens in your life.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I’m going to have a hard time describing You Could Be So Pretty, but I’ll try. This book feels like a slap in the face, and one you see coming. I mean, when you read this, everything feels eerily familiar, yet different. You’re intrigued, confused, curious, you know something’s deeply wrong here and, deep down, you know how deeply it echoes with real life, too. It’s supposed to be a dystopia, but to be honest, it hit really close to home at times and, woah. I loved that.
Holly Bourne takes us in a world where being Pretty means everything. Characters who identify as women put on literal masks, make-up and hair and everything to look as pretty as possible, not to let any flaw, any gray hair, anything show. Everyone has to be perfect, everyone desperately seek approval, validation from others on their looks… and the ones who don’t are invisible, don’t fit in, are mocked. I absolutely loved the way the world was built and how terrifyingly real it felt.
You Could Be So Pretty is told from two different POV. We follow Belle, a rule-follower, always masking and seeking validation and Joni, a rule-breaker, never masking, living with her “rebel” mother. I loved how their visions of the world crashed, how their interactions put everything back into question for Belle and how they changed, grew with each other. They were both such fantastic characters, each with their own views, personalities and I loved them both!
You Could Be So Pretty is incredibly addictive. I really won’t spoil it all for you, but I couldn’t stop reading, wanted to see what would happen, next, was so fascinated and terrified at the same time. I was sad, angry, emotional, rooting for these girls and for it to end on a happy note, as well. Honestly, it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read and I know it’ll stay with me for a long, long time.
Just read You Could Be So Pretty. It’s a must-read, should be required reading kind of YA dystopia, where everything echoes so terrifyingly what we’re living, as well. Just read it, please. You won’t regret it.