The Belles (the Belles Series, Book 1)

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Average customer rating 5 (3 comments)

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For someone choosing whether to try and stop an evil tyrant from taking power and possibly die in the process, or stand by while an evil tyrant takes power and probably die in the process, Camellia is remarkably indecisive. She probably takes an hour to choose between waffles and pancakes. There’s not much to her relationship with her love interest other than curiosity and lust. Which is fine- get it, girl! But I didn’t buy the book’s suggestions of something deeper. The Belles does better with sibling relationships. Camellia and Amber's thorny mix of affection and rivalry felt realistic, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops in the next book. The slow reveal of Orleans' secrets was genuinely creepy, and made me wish The Belles committed more fully to its horror elements. If the sequel takes that route, its villain is more than up for the challenge. She's awful in the best possible way, like the nightmare child of Cheryl Blossom and Elizabeth Bathory. The one part of this book that genuinely upset me was the fate of its queer women- I still have hopes for some of them, but I'm not holding my breath.

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I knew from reading the synopsis of this book that I would immediately love it. We meet our main character, Camellia, immediately and it’s through her naïve eyes that we are carried through the story. Since Camellia is essentially an outsider on account of her gifts, I believe that she worked as a great protagonist since readers are able to realistically learn about this creative universe through her perspective as she herself learns. Her slow character development led readers in a natural direction that was easy to follow. I absolutely fell in love with the mystery behind the true nature of this magical, fictional New Orleans. My only complaint is the writing style, which is technically only a matter of taste. It was initially hard to get into but once I became used to it, I eventually came to love and enjoy it. Overall, this is a completely original and thoroughly unique story which conveys a clear message that the author skillfully intertwines with the plot and heart of the story. Such a message is not thrust down reader’s throats, but told in a fashion that allows readers to develop their own perspective of the matter. The story works almost as an interpretative, symbolic piece representative of the struggles each and every individual likely feels each time they look in a mirror. I’m definitely anticipating book 2 of this series!

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Lush writing, exquisite detail, a fantastical setting and a gripping story make The Belles a standout YA fantasy. Camille's character has a strong attention to detail in accordance with her beauty work as a Belle, and her descriptions of Orleans will make you want to rush off to bakery and a fashion boutique, possibly at the same time (powdered skin like an overly frosted piece of caramel cake, buttercup yellow day dress, etc.). The physical pain and monetary cost of the Belle's beauty work are symbolic of the extreme methods people today use to try and conform to unrealistic beauty standards. I appreciated how Camille sees her work as helping people love themselves, rather than as a money-making opportunity like others in her industry. Despite being at the heart of the Orleans beauty industry, she believes that people's natural and inner beauty are more important than being supermodel gorgeous. The setting of Orleans is whimsical, playful, and full of delightful details like teacup animals, all of which combine to make The Belles compulsively readable.