Meat Market: The London Collection

This was a fictional account of a young girl whose life changes as she is scouted and signs up to a model agency. . She learns the hard way… about the reality of the life as a model and where she is just seen as a commodity. Her life is turned upside down and she fights hard to keep control of her life and to maintain important relationships with those whom she holds dear. It’s a great read.

Meat Market by Juno Dawson

Age range – 15 – adult (in my opinion)

This is a YA title that serves as a cautionary tale revealing the ‘glamour and the grime’ of the fashion industry. Important issues are featured – friendship, love, body image, eating disorders, drug use, sexual consent – all woven into a story that at its core is about how quickly models, and very young models, become commodities in a highly charged, hugely competitive, outwardly glamorous industry where there are massive financial rewards but very little in the way of protection. The story is hard hitting and thought provoking, but not moralistic, and written, skilfully in my opinion, in the south London teenage vernacular so it sounds authentic. Possibly too gritty for some teenagers, but definitely a counter balance to the perception that the fashion industry is beautiful.

This is a YA title that serves as a cautionary tale revealing the ‘glamour and the grime’ of the fashion industry. Important issues are featured – friendship, love, body image, eating disorders, drug use, sexual consent – all woven into a story that at its core is about how quickly models, and very young models, become commodities in a highly charged, hugely competitive, outwardly glamorous industry where there are massive financial rewards but very little in the way of protection. The story is hard hitting and thought provoking, but not moralistic, and written, skillfully in my opinion, in the south London teenage vernacular so it sounds authentic. Possibly too gritty for some teenagers, but definitely a counter balance to the perception that the fashion industry is beautiful.

I can't say that I had a favourite character - it was very black and white in that respect so you knew who the good guys were and who the bad guys were so I don't think the characters were particularly nuanced - possibly because it's YA? Having said that, there was obviously the tension between being able to earn obscene amounts of money being 'balanced out' by some of the less glamorous elements of the industry so it's not an uncomplicated story and it definitely makes you question what you would do if that amount of money was at stake.

I would recommend it but for older teenagers, and it does cover topics such as love, consent, drugs, body image and eating disorders so not for everyone.

This book was really engaging and seemed well researched. Jana was a funny and believable character and her story contains a number of important messages for young people. I would recommend this book to ages 16+ due to sexual content.

A feminist take on the contemporary fashion world, told through the eyes of a teenage girl who goes from student to Vogue model in the space of a few months. The protagonist experiences and exposes some Terry Richardson-like sexual abuse, making this a good narrative to explore #MeToo with teenagers.
It’s a gritty, urban read and the main character has her feet firmly planted on the ground, but her use of formal English combined with regular use of ‘ain’t’ seemed inauthentic and really jarred with me (as an English teacher...)

The narrative sagged slightly, for me: it’s not a quick-fire pager turner. But it did handle some interesting contemporary issues, and depicted a loving and respectful romantic relationship between two teenagers, which felt refreshing.

A brilliant and timely novel. Jana is a wonderfully realised character you cannot help but root for,