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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.
But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.
Review:
I really wanted to like this book. It had a colorful society twisting the notion of beauty, palace intrigue, and romance. Yet, like the superficial nature of the fictional Orléans, this book was all style, and no substance.
What I Liked:
World-Building:I did really enjoy the universe of this society. In a world where beauty is held in such high esteem, it was fitting to have such richly painted descriptions of clothing, food, and surroundings. All my senses were activated as I read about the lavish desserts, elaborate clothes and heady perfumes of the characters.
I also liked the abilities and mythology of the Belles. As I learned more about them, the Belles almost seemed like magical creatures. And they are treated as such. But they are also all too human with friendships, jealousies, and loneliness.
Characters:
I liked Camille and her sister Belles. They trained all their lives for the opportunity to use their abilities to influence and assist their society. Since beauty was revered above all else, this would be powerful positions to be in. But the reality of when they got in their posts was very different. I liked how each of them handled this in a sightly different way. Some accepted it, some rebelled, others became depressed. The author did a wonderful job of making each Belle unique.
What I Didn't Like:
Story:I feel very conflicted about the overall story. I think this is because it is entirely about beauty and cruelty, and not much else.
While the novel did make some very good points about how the society of Orléans was obsessed with beauty, and gossip, I was disappointed that this wasn't presented in a larger context. Shouldn't there have been a segment of people who would be rejecting this nonsense? Why isn't there a lower class of people revolting over this wasteful use of resources? Where are the wealthy getting their money, anyway? I was expecting some kind of rebellion of the masses, but there was just deafening silence.
I also didn't like the repeated scenes of Princess Sofia's dark nature. Sofia clearly is a disturbed person. She is cruel, and tortures everyone, from her pets, to her "friends". Whenever Camille was summoned by the princess, you knew there would be yet another of these creepy scenes where Camille is forced to use her powers to maim or torture someone who the princess is mad at. This slowed the pacing of the book. I think some editing of these scenes would have made the action of the novel more compelling.
Passive Main Character:
Aside from Camille back-sassing Princess Sofia, she doesn't do much to move the story. Everything happens to her, but she doesn't make much happen. This was frustrating. I wanted Camille to take charge and move against Sofia. It's a good thing she had so many people helping her, from servants to soldiers to other Belles. Otherwise, the plot wouldn't have moved at all.
Ending:
One of my pet-peeves is when a book feels like a massive set up for a series. Very little gets resolved in The Belles. The main problem isn't clearly resolved, and we don't even get the satisfaction of having Camille confront the person who betrays her.
Overall, I found this book falls short. It was full of unrealized potential.
Rating:
Release Date: February 6th, 2018
Author: Dhonielle Clayton
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Page Length: 440 Pages
Audio Book Publisher: Blackstone Audio Books
Audio Book Length: 12 hours, 57 minutes
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: Despite the imaginative world-building, and characters, the story didn't go anywhere. I would get this from the library, or skip it all together.
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