A beautiful book with a dark heart, The Belles is a wonder of world-building and myth and I can't wait to see where Dhonielle takes the story next!

I received a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the Orion Publishing Group for the opportunity.

I wasn’t initially interested in this book, mistaking it for a princess-type book about teen palace life, but the blurb indicated a supernatural angle and I became intrigued. The premise is that the population have been cursed with grey skin, and straw-like hair, rely on magic from a race of ‘Belles’ descended from the Goddess of Beauty, to make them attractive. This has become the most significant factor in their economy. Having treatment to make you beautiful has become the number one economic drive.

Camellia Beauregard, a 16 year old Belle slowly begins to question all she has been taught about the nature and history of the Belles, whist being caught up in the dangerous politics of life at the court Queen Celeste.

The early part of the book focuses, to an astonishing degree, on appearances. Based in a land that appears to be inspired by the court of Marie Antoinette, their are endless descriptions of hair, makeup, clothes, body parts and even room decor. Given the premise of the book, this could hardly be avoided but I found it quite exhausting. I was well into the book before the plot began to reveal itself. When it finally did, it was worth the wait and finally reeled me in.

Nestled at the end of the book is a piece by the author saying she had harboured this book idea since, as a child, hearing boys discuss girls in terms of body parts, would be better if thinner, or with longer legs, larger boobs and so on. I wished I had read this personal piece before I started the book as it put a completely different complexion (no pun intended) on the story. Instead of a list of descriptions the story then became an exploration of cultural norms and body-shaming. I feel like I want to start the book again with this new perspective in mind.

As a Young Adult fantasy novel, this is a reasonable if overly descriptive book, but it has the potential for more. I don’t think Clayton’s undercurrent of thought on the nature of beauty really came over. I will be watching to see if it does in later books of the series.

This book is AMAZING. Before I get into my babbling about how much I loved this book, first I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for this book. Okay, back to the amazingness that is Dhonielle Clayton's writing and this story she has managed to beautifully capture on paper. I sound incredibly cheesy, but I genuinely didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. The cover of this book suggests a girly contemporary (not my thing), but the synopsis sounded promising so I thought I'd give it a shot. We start out being introduced to the "Belles", and our main Belle Camellia Beauregard. The normal people of this world, in our fictional city of Orléans, are born grey, with it being said that it's a curse from a God. The Belles are born with not only coloured skin, hair and eyes, but also the ability to change the features of others from colourings to the physical shape of their bodies. This is, as you probably guessed, is coveted by the rich in this society and the Belles are therefore allocated to different "houses" which belong to the highest of the society, with the "favourite" Belle being allocated to the Royal Palace to work with the Royal Family and those they deem worthy. But there is a darker secret that lies beneath this seemingly sweet exterior, and when Camellia starts to uncover these secrets everything starts to fall away.

I absolutely loved the world building within this book, I liked the world when it was perfect and pristine, but as the darker tones come in and more about Orléans is discovered I really enjoyed learning the cities dark secrets and the issues which are present in our societies but seem greatly enhanced here. I personally feel like the message from this book can be likened to that of George Orwell's 1984, in that if our society continues to behave in a manner which is detrimental to the majority of the population then a higher power will take over and remove freedom whilst retaining its illusion. In 1984 this is done to relationships between families and friends, whereas in The Belles this is instead done to both outer and inner appearances (as The Belles can also influence personalities, although outer beauty is focused on in this first book).

This book is definitely a brilliant addition to the dystopian genre, with me wishing that the sequel was available the second I finished the book (I'm not even lying I went to go check and it's not even on Goodreads!! :( ). I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book to support Clayton and add to my shelf and I 100% need to read the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it! I may just be adding to the hype-train for this book, but personally, I believe it to be worth it.

‘I am a Belle. I control beauty.’

I received a copy of The Belles in exchange for an honest review, and I cannot tell you enough how priveliged I feel to get to read this beautiful book before its release date on 8th February, and to experience the dark, decadent world of Orléans.

The Belles are nurtured and brought up to learn how to control beauty – how to smooth away not only wrinkles but tempers, to change eye colour, hair colour, alter the very shape of a person’s bones and the colour of their skin. This is a dangerous gift in a world that values the materialistic and aesthetic above all else, and the story begins with the Belles performing for the Queen, competing for a place as the revered royal Belle.

The language is rich and musical, Clayton has a fresh and light way with descriptions, often conjuring the taste of cakes, sweets and other delicacies as you devour this wonderful book. The world she has built extends beyond one book, and I hope we see a sequel in the near future. The plot is fast paced and accelerates towards the end in perfect timing with the main character’s arc, so you feel as if you are right there with her as her dreams begin to unravel and fall apart.

I would highly recommend that this book be read by anyone and everyone over the age of 12, it has some really important messages about diversity, bullying, how we perceive others, and how we perceive and value ourselves. It’s the kind of book that follows you around after you’ve finished the final page, tugging at your attention as you recall the plot and the language.

A truly stunning debut from an author who is now very high on my to-watch list!

3.5 stars
The Belles, for me started quite slowly, with much description, but before I knew it I was drawn in to Camellia's world, which moved at quite a pace to the last page, which I did feel came too soon.

The idea of who and what defines beauty and fashion trends, who can afford to "make themselves beautiful" and even when you are perceived to be born beautiful, this is not enough, one needs to be the most beautiful, the best, the favourite, is a topic most women are familiar with and if we are honest have thought about at some point. And this book did get me thinking and disturbed me. I am not a YA, I still enjoyed the book and will keep my eye out for a sequel as the ending did leave the possibility of more to come for the Belles.

I received the Belles from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review..

I raced through this as it was so engaging. The world is richly imagined, and yet unexpected. I enjoyed the concept of the Belles, and the ambition of Camellia’s character and her multi-layered journey. After so much build up the ending came very quickly and was less satisfying than I’d hoped - it’s clearly set up for a sequel. However, it is a really innovative and readable novel and I look forward to seeing where the story goes next.

Wow. This book was better than I expected it to be. When I heard of the synopsis, I thought it would be hard to write a story about beauty without there being some plot-holes and complications,

But boy I was wrong.

The writing style of the author captivated me right from the very beginning. I was drawn into the story and the characters, making me both love and envy the belles and their powers.

However, I felt like sometimes the author was too descriptive, suppressing the effect of the action and suspense. But other than that, characters, plot and dialogue were absolutely on point.

I will definitely be buying a hardcover copy so I can re-read it and pick up on anything I missed!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for a advanced arc in exchange for an honest review. The Belles is a amazingly well-written story, I couldn’t put it down. I need to read book two now please, it was that good.

I loved this.
The descriptions made the world come to life beautifully.
I'm an impatient reader sometimes and want to main part of the story as soon as possible, but this made it all worth while. None of it felt like filler.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! It is so so sooo much more than a typical YA cutesy princessy book about pretty people!

The beginning, for me, was a bit hit or miss. I actually really liked the way the world was built, it happened in a way that was not too overwhelming and it’s definitely an interesting concept for today’s society. There was a point where I thought because of the focus on beauty and clothes etc that I was going to get bored but boy was I wrong.

But when the main plot really got going, I got really invested really quickly! There are elements of mystery, political intrigue and hints of romance in this book that left me so invested in the characters and plot development. There was so much more depth to it than I had anticipated and it exceeded my expectations! The ending was especially great and I cannot wait to read the next installment whenever that comes out!

Highlights- world building, mysterious elements, sister relationships, normalisation of LGBTQ+ (REMY!!!)
Lowlights- MC can be annoying at times, not overly fussed by the finer details of things
(Will add review to Amazon on Feb 8th)

Highly entertaining and very original. Finally a young adult novel that lives up to the hype. I am looking forward to the next one.

*I received a digital advanced review copy of this book via Netgalley. This did not effect my review.* 4.5 stars.

I’ve seen a lot of excited buzz for The Belles and snapped up the chance for a copy and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a stunning tale with vibrant characters, decadent world building and a nuanced lead character.

The central premise that everyone except the Belles are a uniform grey and wish to change their appearance regularly is superb. There is no preaching on a perfect body size or one correct look, that one skin colour is fashionable, that curves are in, or out. These people will suffer through regular intense pain just for a tiny chance to their nose shape.

Camellia struggles between her ambition and her love for her sister Belles. This is exacerbated by the ongoing pressures of the court politics. Raised like a hothouse flower, her innocence and naivety is soon destroyed.

There is much more here than just beauty standards, class plays a huge role in the novel, the excesses of wealth, race and colourism, and so many more. All of it is subtle and only enhances the story.

The lost half a star is for the ending, as I felt it led on to the next book rather than gave a solid ending to this one. But since this has all the makings of a great series, it’s hard to be too upset about that. The politics, the complications, side plots and characters – I want the next one out ASAP.

Plus, what do I have to do to get a teacup dragon?

The Belles is set in a fictional Orleans where several young women, called Belles, can use magic to make people beautiful. The magic comes with a heavy price so it’s only really the rich that can afford this magic.
The world building is superb with dazzling descriptions and a great descriptive writing style. The Belles was a very addicting read and left me wanting the sequel immediately. Clayton details the hard truth about beauty and what lengths people will go to in order to achieve it.

THE BELLES is all that is great about fantastical dystopian YA – grittiness and horror wrapped in layers of glitter and silk. I really loved this original premise, and how Clayton juxtaposes the beauty of makeup and fine clothes and elegantly styled hair with the reality of how they are achieved – I had to take a second to pause when reading about how Camellia straightened a girl’s nose, I thought I was going to barf! It’s THAT effective.

Clayton’s lavish descriptions of the land of Orléans – its fashions, its citizens, its cuisine – all really bring the fantasy world to life. I got the inexplicable urge to go for afternoon tea, just because of this book. All those details about the little cakes and chocolate – don’t read this book on an empty stomach. I’m serious. *Crams sweets into mouth*.

My only real qualm with the book is that it feels a bit too long to me, but that’s probably just a personal thing. I also wasn’t a fan of Auguste – there was a lot of chemistry between him and Camellia, and I enjoyed the development of their relationship, but I found him to be a little irritating. Again, that’s probably just me!

AND! I WANT! A TEACUP! DRAGON!

So if you are looking for a unique dystopian fantasy with rich world-building, beautiful descriptions and a touch of horror, THE BELLES might just be for you. I’m definitely going to be reading the next book in the series!

The word that jumps out at me most from this review is 'opulent.' Everything about this book is opulent. From that absolutely stunning cover image to the map on the inside cover (sneak peaked on the author's twitter if memory serves), to the gorgeous descriptive writing everything about this book is dripping with opulence. 

I definitely wasn't expecting to like this quite as much as I did. I think this may be because I'm more attracted to the 'floofy dresses and drama' genre than I think I am? The heavy dose of magic that accompanies those elements definitely helped me to enjoy it more than I did The Selection which is inherently a very different book but has some elements one might compare. 

  I think Camellia as a character is fabulously written. You know that old-ish saying about you wearing the clothes rather than the clothes wearing you? I think that applies to Camellia. In the hands of a lesser author, she would have been nothing more than a hanger for descriptions of pretty dresses and a vague plot about a love interest. In this case, however, she's strong at the same time as being hugely ambitious - not always a character trait writers are comfortable bestowing on women. I read Forest of 1000 Lanterns just after reading this and I couldn't help but notice they both have characters with these kinds of personalities. I believe it was Justine of I should Read That who was remarking that we need more characters who are ambitious and I couldn't agree more. 

I also think this plot is utterly enchanting at the same time as being terrifying. The world which Clayton has built will, I'm sure, resonate with many as it did with me. The ability to change one's entire appearance (not painlessly but fairly quickly) is something I know I shouldn't want, yet found myself wishing for. Clayton clearly understands this and has managed to craft a plot where she exposes the negatives of her own world while never feeling patronizing or preachy. The story starts off fairly superficial and gradually becomes something so much more before you know it you're embroiled in political turmoil. 

I adored this book. I hope that's coming across. 

There is an element of romance, for those interested. It's not the core of the story (unlike many other similar books I could name) but it does play an important part - though not, I believe, in the way most will suspect. 

I am just so grateful for this book. It's the perfect example of a title that could have been another pointless frilly book on a shelf but instead transcended all of the clichés and nonsense and chose to tell a powerful, thought-provoking story with a phenomenal main character and a gorgeously crafted setting. If you were on the fence about this one I hope I've pushed you firmly on to one side or another!

My rating: 5/5 stars

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Such a beautiful book!
There is a deep exploration of Ugly Vs Beautiful, and what attributes are really attached to both in society, what makes us perfect? What would we sacrifice to be beautiful? Does changing ourselves make us insecure or strong?
This book examines deeply ideas of sisterhood: loyalty, rivalry, betrayal, and difficult relationships such as Sophia & Charlotte, and Camille &:Amber, and how our own ambitions can damage these strong ties as we grow up.
I found the vivid, magical world of The Belles simply stunning, the painted description of the created kingdom transports you there with an ease and unveiling that is almost cinematic. I liken the extravagance and wonder to the Capitol in The Hunger Games.
The authors epilogue that details her inspiration for the book is truly touching and I think we can all relate to having experienced that "monster" at times, which I found a strong, inspiring addition.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

The Belles is a study in contrasts that is compelling and artfully written. Beautiful and lush, it is also full of darkness, intrigue, and violence. Set in world obsessed with physical appearance, the author deconstructs the concept of beauty and the illusion of effortless glamour. In this world, Belles are the only people born beautiful and have the ability to change the appearance of others. Everyone else has naturally grey skin, red eyes, and straw-like hair, but those who are wealthy enough to regularly secure the services of a Belle can be beautiful.

Camellia Beauregard is one of the latest Belles being introduced to society. Powerful and ambitious, she hopes to be named the Favorite and work in the palace beautifying members of the royal family. However, nothing is as simple as it appears and she soon finds herself in a dangerous world that she is unprepared for. Full of twists and turns, this book was compelling, terrifying, and laden with vivid imagery.

The world-building was detailed and thoughtful. The lifestyles of the wealthy are outrageously hedonistic. They even own miniaturized wild animals as pets, i.e., bears, lions, and even dragons. Decadent food is constantly available and those who overeat simply have a Belle remove excess pounds. Princess Sophia is reminiscent of Marie Antoinette in many ways, and by the end of the book I was sort of hoping she would be guillotined!

There are scenes that evoke things like plastic surgery and child beauty queens, calling into question our own societal obsession with physical appearance and the impossible standards many feel they must live up to. Camellia sees the innate beauty of those who cannot see it in themselves and I found myself feeling sad for them. I liked the fact that in this book, in-fashion looks (changing minute to minute) are incredibly diverse in terms of skin color, hair texture, and degree of curviness.

The story itself is fast-paced and engrossing with plenty of intrigue. I began to suspect one of the later revelations partway through, as there were definitely several clues throughout the story. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is that I was a little underwhelmed with the love interests and I wanted to experience more of Camellia's emotions in some parts of the book. I might have liked the book to be a bit longer. However, I absolutely want to continue on with the series and can't believe I have to wait to find out what happens next!

I received this e-book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away. From the incredible writing and mesmerising descriptions, to the detailed characters and plot twists. I loved everything about this book. I can’t even think of something bad to say. I feel so lucky to have been approved on NetGalley to read The Belles before it comes out in February. At first I didn’t know what to expect from this book and I think that is why the story has completely captivated me and the ending has left me wanting more. As any good book should.

In Orléans beauty is everything and without it you are nothing. The Belles were created to gift the people, known as the Gris, with beauty after they were cursed with grey skin, red eyes and straw like hair, cursed for life. The Belles can use their talents to transform how people look and because of that they are precious to the people of Orléans, most of all to the Queen and the Princesses. Camellia is a Belle, but it isn’t enough. She wants to be the favourite, the one the Queen picks to live in the palace and tend to the royal family. It is all she has ever wanted, but not everything is as it seems. Camellia soon learns that there are secrets lurking within the castle and that her powers could put her in grave danger. The Queen has asked her to do something that seems impossible and it could mean risking her life to help the princess who hasn’t woken from her coma. Camellia has to make a choice and either one could have grave consequences.

The first thing I noticed about this book was how Clayton brought everything to life. As I was reading the descriptions of Orléans and the way of the Belles, I could see the vivid colours, taste the delicious delicacies and smell the flowers blooming. Everything was so clear and it felt as though I was right there, that I was Camellia. I haven’t felt that strongly for a book in a while and I found myself wanting to read more and more. As the story progresses and we learn more about the world of Orléans, their customs and the history of the Belles, the secrets unravel in such an intriguing way. Not everything is as it seems and there is always a hint of something darker lurking.

I was so interested in how Clayton came up with the idea of this novel and how she exposed the darkness that comes with wanting to be beautiful and what people would be willing to risk to achieve it. Her note at the end of the book put it all into perspective. How much would we change about ourselves if we could? It’s a dangerous question to ask and shows our obsession with waning to be perfect, something that is mirrored perfectly in The Belles.

All of the characters in this book were amazing, each with their own voice and they were so well developed, which is something that can be difficult to do when there are a lot of characters. Camellia is kind, strong, so sure of herself and inspiring. She wants to do so much good for the people of Orleans, but at the same time she yearns for the times with her sisters and before she became the favourite. She has a strong voice that wants to be heard and eventually is, proving that staying quiet never helps a situation.

The Belles had me gasping in shock and my blood boiling, cursing the spoilt Princess Sophia who is never satisfied with her looks and is, in fact, monstrous. She elicited such a strong reaction in me and that is when you know a character has really come to life, even if they are cruel and vindictive.

The last quarter of the book had me flipping through the pages faster and faster, needing to reach the end. There was twist after twist, as horrifying details emerged and the lives of the characters were at risk. The Belles has left me wishing I had the next book in my hands because I need to know how it will all end.

Overall, this book has become one of my favourites very quickly. Definitely in the top ten and it is one that I could read again, which isn’t something I say often. It challenges our ideas of what is beautiful and shows us how far some people will go to reach those standards, even if it destroys who they are inside. This book deserves all the love it is receiving and more. A five star read for me!

"The Belles" has one of the most interesting concepts I've seen in YA sci-fi/fantasy fiction for a long time. Set in the grandiose world of Orléans, The Belles are the only people born with beauty, and the power to give others beauty, in a society of people who are born with gray skin, ashy hair and red eyes. Once the Belle's arrive at court they are embroiled in the dark secrets and plots of the Royal family and their courtiers.

As the first in what will be a series of books, "The Belles" had a lot of world building to do. Dhonielle Clayton takes no shortcuts in introducing the reader to the world she has created and the Belle sisters and why they are special and their function in society. The writing is incredibly descriptive and inventive. The world of Orléans seems to borrow heavily from the French renaissiance period with steampunk influences (e.g. the post-balloons) and is just full of rich characters and opulent settings which lend themselves to no end of descriptive writing.

Obviously one of the main plot points of the book is that most of the characters appearances change regularly within the book and I found that quite difficult to keep track of. I found it confusing to keep characters in my head and almost impossible to imagine how the Belle's were making their beauty changes. It felt so unnatural to keep imagining people changing things that in our society are so piviotal to who somebody is and how you recognise them, e.g. skin colour, bone structure and body shape. However, as I got to the halfway point in the book the story just swept me along and although I didn't have a strong image in my head of each character I managed just fine.

The last 100 pages of "The Belles" were breathtaking. The pace of the action was fantastic and I liked that it didn't follow the usual YA sci-fi/fantasy tropes. The first half of the book hints at the darkness to come, but when the secrets start to unravel the plot gets more and more threatening and becomes far more twisted than I ever would have expected when picking up the book.

I feel like this book has done a wonderful job of building the world and introducing the characters and I can't wait to continue the series and hopefully get to know the other Belle's more and see how the plot develops.

This book did not work for me on many levels and I'm gutted because I wanted to like it so much.

I want to start by saying that I think a lot of people really will like this book, in the same way that a lot of people liked Red Queen, which was another book I didn't get on with. I just didn't enjoy it myself and I'm glad it's over. The only reason this isn't a one-star review is because of the representation. There aren't enough books with a non-white lead and it was good to see one here. Plus, the gorgeous cover (I'm a tart for beautiful book covers).

So. I found The Belles to be a pretty boring, shallow book with nothing I haven't read before, a load of characters that didn't get developed one iota and a whole bunch of telling-not-showing.

The central message of this book is, 'Society is dangerously obsessed with a narrow view of beauty and this is a bad thing'. Well, yes. I know. I don't need 450 pages of fluff to tell me that. What I wanted to see was a society dangerously obsessed with a narrow view of beauty AND AN MC WHO WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. And this was not what I got.

Camellia was boring. She had literally no thoughts in her head other than about people's appearances. She had no interests other than in beauty products and treatments. She seemed utterly clueless that the world she lived in, where people went for monthly Mystical Plastic Surgeries was bad. In the end, when she does try to bring about change, it's not against the toxic society she lives in but against a ridiculous comic-book baddie. Her narrative is filled with observations on what people and things look like and what people and things smell like and hearing her asinine thoughts for 450-odd pages was like being stuck inside the head of an extra off of TOWIE. Until the end of time.

She was also weak. She gets asked to do something about halfway through the book - it's a pretty big, important something and it's painfully obviously the morally right thing to do, only she dithers and delays her decision on whether to do it because if she gets found out she would be in a world of pain. Coward.

And if Camellia was dull, the supporting characters were paper-thin. Didn't really get a handle on them. Didn't care about them. The romance was cheesy, like a personification of the YA Brooding Hero (Twitter: @YAbroodingHero). It was no surprise that Orleans society placed such emphasis on external beauty when all the people living in it were utterly shallow and utterly hollow.

It's incredibly derivative of lots of other YA dystopians out there - The Jewel and The Selection spring instantly to mind. You know, the thing where the world looks really nice and fluffy, and the girls wander around in huge Gone With The Wind dresses but underneath it's all pretty rotten? In fact, take a look at the cover of the French version of The Belles - remind you of anything?

The writing was okay and I did get a feel for what the world looked like (steampunk Cypress Gardens) but the dialogue was clunky and there weird nouns with no explanation as to what they actually were. Things like a Belle-bun, Belle-trunk, Belle-rose. We don't actually get told how a Belle-bun differs from, you know, a normal bun. Or how a Belle-trunk differs from a normal trunk, other than a Belle-trunk is owned by a Belle.

I wanted to like this book so much, but I didn't enjoy it at all. Boo.