Review by New York Times Review
Betty Jane Welch, Miss Delaware, is a nice girl who finds herself in Atlantic City competing in the 1950 Miss America Pageant. She's not supposed to win. But she's convivial and striking and she's had years of harp lessons, so anything is possible. All the contestants are assigned male "escorts," and Betty lands the pick of the litter, John Griffin McAllister. "Then he unleashes a smile that almost knocks her over. A huge, bright, blazing flash that sends a boozy warmth rushing through her body, right down to her toes." But Griff doesn't want to date Miss America. It would be "too much," he says. So when she wins - a surprise for Betty, less so for anyone who's read the title of the book - she's forced to choose between fleeing into the night with an erratic jerk and her pageant responsibilities. The next thing the world knows, Miss America is missing. Betty's inner life never quite rings true. Griff is a creep who would set off most women's alarm bells. " 'You're a special girl, baby doll,' he says in a heavy whisper. T know it's only been a little over 48 hours, but you have to know by now I'm mad for you.' " Then again, the Miss America Pageant has never been a bastion of authenticity, and Callahan clearly enjoys the camp, loading his book with period details and midcentury slang. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but jeepers, it starts to read like a Nancy Drew mystery. '"Hot dog!' Betty exclaims." Some lines have already become catchphrases around our house: "This is a pageant, not a state funeral, Miss Iowa."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [December 10, 2017]
Review by Booklist Review
Betty Jane Welch has led an insulated life in a small town in Delaware. An enthusiastic student, Betty is far from happy when her mother cajoles her into entering the Miss Delaware pageant and even less so when she wins. Held in Atlantic City, the subsequent Miss America pageant exposes Betty to a larger world, and to the moody but handsome Griff McAlister, her escort for the week. Betty soon falls for Griff and finds herself unexpectedly winning the pageant as well. When Griff makes it clear he doesn't want to date Miss America, Welch impulsively throws away the title to run away with him. Hiding from pageant officials, the press, and the police, as well as Griff's own family, their escape is anything but romantic, and Griff seems to be unraveling before Betty's eyes as his deepest secret becomes impossible to keep. Callahan (Vanity Fair contributing editor and author of Searching for Grace Kelly, 2015) has crafted an intriguing suspense story marrying the frothy, fashion-fueled pageant world with the secrets people have to live with.--Shaw, Stacy Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-In 1950, Betty Jane Welch reluctantly joins the Miss Delaware contest to appease her mother. When she wins, she is sent to Atlantic City for the Miss America competition. Once she arrives, she is paired with a dreamy pageant-approved escort, Griffin McAllister, and makes a new friend in the competition, Miss Rhode Island, Ciji. For the first time in her life, Betty starts breaking the rules, going out, drinking, gambling, and having fun. As a girl who lives to please everyone else, she begins, finally, to please herself. To her surprise, Betty wins the title of Miss America, and while she is initially caught up in the glitz and glamour of the competition, it all suddenly becomes too much, and she vanishes with Griffin the night of the final ceremony. At first, being on the run is romantic, but there is something off about Griff. This plot-driven story blends aspects of romance, mystery, and thriller. Readers will find authentic language for the time period, and although the book is historical fiction, teens will easily relate to the universal themes and issues. An appended author's note introduces the true 1937 Miss America story about Bette Cooper, on which the novel is based. VERDICT Fans of mid-century drama, beauty queens, and gripping romance will enjoy this adventurous read.-Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young woman feels the heavy burden of a coveted crown.Betty Jane Welch had no desire to compete in the Miss America pageant. But after accepting her mother's bribe of her absolute favorite lemon cake, she felt she was at least obligated to participate in 1949's Miss Delaware scholarship pageant. Though everyone around Betty sees her potential, she is unable to even fathom the possibility of making it past the first round of the competition. As her beauty, talent at the harp, and sharp wit move her swiftly up the ranks, it's what happens behind the scenes at the pageant that offers the most surprises. Upon meeting her escort, John Griffin "Griff" McAllister, Betty is equally charmed and confounded by the strikingly handsome young man. His temperament flip-flops throughout their first encounter, with him appearing bored and then thoroughly smitten often in the same breath. Griff whisks her away from the strict rules of the pageant system, and while Betty does notice some quirks in his characterthose rapid mood swings, his incessant mumblingshe brushes them aside as nothing. When Betty wins the title, Griff pulls away from her, citing the stress of being known as Miss America's boyfriend. Overcome by the pressure of the tiara, Betty turns to Griff and is willing to give it all up to be with him. What results is the wild tale of a disgraced pageant winner and a story that reporter Bronwyn McCall is anxious to uncover more than 60 years later. Early in her pageant experience, Betty muses that "Miss America does odd things to people." Clearly, she had no idea. Callahan (Searching for Grace Kelly, 2015) creates a story that is brisk-paced and fluid. Characters like Betty's roommate Ciji and reporter Eddie Tate add depth and emotion to the story. Though Callahan's heroine achieved what many could only dream of, she lacked the capacity to define her own life as a 19-year-old. Luckily, the novel offers her time. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
