She is black, and at first, all of the girls assume that she is an island native, but she eventually communicates that she is Nicole, Miss Colorado. They enter a clearing filled with totems that freaks them out, even more so when a strange girl wanders out of the jungle. The Lost Girls set off toward the jungle, exploring the island and taking in their surroundings. The two teams come up with names, and deem themselves the Sparkle Ponies and the Lost Girls. They then decide to split off into two groups, one to care for the wounded and salvage what supplies they can from the wreckage, and the other to set out into the jungle to search for potential survivors. In this way, they realize that they are twelve survivors in total. Adina, Miss Hampshire, takes charge, suggesting a roll call to see who is still alive.

When the girls first find themselves on the island and realize what has happened, they struggle to know what action to take. Although they are all competing for the same prize, they must learn to work together to overcome their unexpected circumstances and, ultimately, to get out alive.

This leaves the pageant contestants stranded together on a desert island. Things don’t exactly go according to plan the plane crashes, killing the documentary crew, pageant chaperones, and all non-beauty queens on board. As the novel opens, the contestants are on a plane to an exotic tropical location for the last national pageant, which will conclude the competition.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray