Meat Market – Juno Dawson

Jana Novak lives on a South London estate with her family. Jana is scouted by a modelling agency whilst on a trip to Thorpe Park and is catapulted into fashion stardom. The fashion industry however is as grimy as it is glamorous and there are unexpected predators at every turn.

Meat Market is beautifully written, heart-breaking and completely honest. It is definitely on the darker side of YA but I am so glad that it is because this story wouldn’t exist otherwise.

I started this book one night and then couldn’t put it down. I was immediately wrapped into Jana’s story from the word go. I had read it within a couple of days, picking it up at every opportunity that I could. After finishing it I couldn’t stop talking about it either.

Jana is such an amazing main character and I cared for her and her story a lot. It was horrible to watch her deteriorate under the spotlight in the fashion industry but she is a triumph and a character I won’ be forgetting about for a long time. Every feeling that Jana felt I felt too. I felt as though I was standing right next to Jana all the way through the story.

Juno Dawson’s writing is completely breathtaking. I don’t usually highlight sections in books to come back to but I couldn’t stop doing it throughout Meat Market. There are so many lines that stood out and had an impact on me. I was a huge fan of the mixed media used throughout this book and I won’t go into it all too much but it flows beautifully and makes the story even more interesting.

It is safe to say that Meat Market is an ugly telling of what happens within the modelling and fashion industry. At times it is quite difficult to read due to its contents. It is dark and it hits you with so many different thoughts and feeling. It is safe to say you will leave this book with many different thoughts, feelings and maybe even things you want to action.

Meat Market is absolutely spectacular. It is a book you will not want to put down. You will root for Jana and her story. Juno Dawson has done it once again and written an excruciatingly honest, heart-breaking and raw story. I will be recommending this book to many people in the future. Meat Market is a book that needs to be read and Jana is a character that will stick with you forever.