The Belles

The world created in THE BELLES is fascinating, and once I really started reading this, I couldn't put it down. I wanted more about how the society and the world worked - does absolutely everyone have to see a Belle to stay beautiful? What do commoners/non-wealthy people look like (or how can they afford to visit a Belle regularly)? Is the whole society matriarchal or just the royal line of succession? Do other countries in the world also have Belles? None of those questions really take away from the plot, but the world is so intriguing, I could read more about any of those. The plot is kind of your standard YA dystopia with a Chosen One and dark secrets and an honestly kind of unnecessary love triangle - at least, kind of? I absolutely could not stand Auguste throughout the book, and the twist seemed completely out of nowhere to me, though I wonder if there were clues I missed because I was reading so quickly. This is very much the first book in a series, so a lot of things are unresolved at the end - I'm excited to see how everything turns out!

(Edited to add: also, this cover is incredible and I love it.)

Lushly written fantasy on the costs of beauty and human cruelty. The world building is excellent, but building the world slows the pace down at the beginning. As more is revealed about what lurks under the surface of a beautiful society, the pace picks back up and speeds to a relative cliffhanger of an ending (this is the first of a series). Will definitely be booktalking this memorable story.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Belles

Camellia is a Belle, a girl with the gift of Arcana. And with her Arcana, she can turn the dullest person into the most beautiful. The Belles are seen as precious for their beauty rejuvenates while others must purchase treatments. Without the Arcana of a Belle, a person will revert to grey skin and straw hair. But only those who can pay for the exclusive treatments can be made beautiful. Every generation of Belle dreams to be the Queen's favorite, but it isn't just lavish living and parties. Dark secrets are lurking in the palace and truths that Camellia may wish she never found out.

The Belles takes vanity to a whole new level. As the story unfolds Dhonielle Clayton paints a world of color and majesty. Her descriptions were so vibrant and refreshing. Each new setting is brought to life for the reader and you can't help but see how beauty has made the upper class desperate. People are constantly comparing themselves to others. Some bordered on the edges of obsession with their looks, willing to pay for daily treatments to try and become the next fashion idle.

The Belles are raised in a sheltered life and taught all the beauty laws before being shown to the people of Orleans. Watching Camellias' realization of how the world works was captured so well. And as the plot progresses, her reactions to the more horrifying aspects of her new life kept me riveted. While I suspected some of the plot points, I didn't guess them all.

This was a fascinating read with a magic system I have never encountered before. I can't wait to see how the story progresses. Camellia's character development has only begun, and it has already been a worthwhile journey.

I think this book is basically what Tyra Banks was trying for when she wrote [b:Modelland 9535351 Modelland Tyra Banks https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311403288s/9535351.jpg 13168092]? And I applaud the work deconstructing beauty standards and think that'll be important for a lot of teens to read, especially related to skin color/social construction of race.That said, I didn't love this? It has a lot of kind of steampunk-y trappings that just aren't my jam. (For example, measuring time in “hourglasses” but not specifying how long an hourglass is? You'd think an hour, since it has “hour” right in there...but it seemed inconsistent? This is a minor point but also something that consistently distracted me...) But also I'm never really into steampunk type situations, so again, this is the kind of thing that might be a draw for someone else.Also the friendship between Camellia, the protagonist, and her best friend Amber, seemed a little strange to me? A lot was made about how they're ~best friends~ and tell each other everything...but also have secrets and also are very competitive?? I mean I guess as I type it out, that's pretty typical ~teen girl but it just felt very hollow as I was reading it. I'm filing this under Things That Are Not My Personal Cup Of Tea But I'm Glad They Exist For Other Readers.PS also it does that thing a lot of YA series books do, where it ends with a very abrupt cliffhanger. I know you want to build suspense for your next book but please also give this one an actual ending, thanks byeee

Actual rating: 4.5★

⚠️ TW: attempted sexual assault.

Such an addictive read. The dollhouse / princess-ish theme at first glance, the lavish descriptions, and the beautiful writing provide a nice contrast to the darker undertones in the story that fully unraveled towards the end of the book, where all the beauty comes crumbling down and ugliness comes in full force.

After reading so many stories involving court politics, one would be aware that not everyone—or worse, no one—in court could be trusted. Throughout the entire book I was left wondering who's gonna turn on Camellia and stab her in the back because everyone is shady, and in that sense the story doesn't betray in the slightest. Of course, the Belles themselves also carry certain secrets that they may or may not be aware of. I love it.

The pace is a bit on the slower side, especially for the first half of the book, but it's really engaging still. Definitely looking forward to the next book even if it doesn't even have a release date yet.

Oh my gosh I absolutely loved this book! I could not get enough of the writing style, and the world, and the characters! Dhonielle Clayton's writing style was so beautiful, and the world was so interesting! There was so much stuff I didn't see coming, and so much stuff that made my heart feel things. This is honestly my favorite book I've read this year so far. I'm dying knowing I'm going to have wait so long for the next book in the series!! I want more!