<i><blockquote>In the Journey of Beauty, after all, the ridicule is key. Ritual. Though it’s going to be hard to improve upon what I’m seeing up there. If that’s me.

Of course that’s you, the jars seem to whisper. Who else would it be?

I derange—arrange the jars into exfoliants and mists, into toners and essences, into serums and emulsions, and finally moisturizers and oils, which are the somethings of the skin. Capes? Cardigans? Some sort of outerwear, anyway. The jars have no labels or instructions, which is funny, so I do it by texture or by guess. As I derange, I smile to myself. I keep thinking it’s Mother I see there in the insanity mirror, what a strange trick. Wait, not a trick. It is Mother! She’s back, oh joke! I mean, joy. Joy. Are you back to do the morning ridicule with me, Mother?</blockquote></i>


I've never read a Mona Awad book before but I know of her and I knew, roughly, what I was getting myself into with this book: something probably surreal, likely a literary horror of some kind, something that would fuck with my head. This is my first book by her because I got it off Netgalley as an arc but didn't get round to reading it before publication. I have now and BOY...was this a fucking trip.

It's a Gothic inspired horror-satire, focusing on women and the beauty industry. I've seen alternately that this book is inspired by Beauty and the Beast, by Snow White, that there's elements of The Red Shoes and Wizard of Oz and all sorts. It's all there, of course. The book plays with tales and totems of culture, twisting them to help Awad tell her story. I found this so deftly hilarious at times, particularly at first. Mirabelle -- or Belle -- is so obsessed with how she looks that she locks herself in the bathroom after her mother's funeral and watches her favourite skincare guru videos. She goes to sleep watching her videos and she wakes up and watches them. There are whole parts of this novel wherein she lists the products that she would put on her face and in what order. Multiple times, she insists that she isn't crying but, rather, it's the formula she uses on her face because it tends to bleed and gets into the eye. There's a constant skipping around and slippage of the word "skin" and "sin." To be obsessed with the skin is a sin, obviously, but it seems almost inevitable within the world of this story.

There's a complicated mother-daughter relationship here. It's so obvious that Belle's mother both loved her and passed down her neuroses onto her. Belle has learned to hate herself and want to improve herself and it's partially intergenerational. There's a huge element here w/ how it plays with race: Belle's mother is white, while Belle herself is mixed-race with an Egyptian father. As the novel continues and the slippage of words gets worse and worse, the novel stops referring to "brightness" of the skin and eventually goes to "whiteness." Belle becomes one of two noted characters who its specifically remarked upon change their skin colour to be thought of as more beautiful, of having "the Glow" and becoming their "Most Magnificent Self." There's several passages, too, where Belle simply refuses to believe her mother about wishing she had her skin. (Also, I thought it was kind of funny that Awad had a character's mother be called Alla and be clearly racist and hateful towards Bella because she was brown and not a Christian.)

I found this a harder read than I imagined it would be. It's not very literal and because it so quickly becomes fantastical and hard to follow, it can feel a bit like living in a fever dream. Belle becomes v quickly swept up in the cult-like beauty spa that may or may not be the reason that her mother is dead, looking for fantastical treatments to try and give her "the Glow." The skewering here is obvious and sustained. There's a trance-like feel to it, leading to surreal stretches within the novel. Tbh, I'd say that the pacing can be a bit off and I found some bits too repetitive. I'd have liked there to be a bit less of that but it does add to the ominous atmosphere and the confusion. There's a specific character who always shows up in disguise, never looking the same, and it adds to the absurdity of this so much. I thought it was funny!

There's also parts of this where Belle sees mannequins as her sisters too which, again, really fucking funny.

I didn't always feel like I knew exactly what was happening, but my chest always felt like this was digging around in it. This isn't the kind of book that sets out to shock or surprise you. I feel like it's such an odd rake of an experience, but it's so fucking funny. Like the quote above, the further into the book this gets the more words get transplanted. It's clear that the characters subconsciously are aware that something is wrong but are reluctant to put a name to it, the need to be Beautiful and White and Bright and Glowing is so all-consuming. Beauty is a metaphorical and literal consumption here and it's hard to read but I also genuinely found it kinda hilarious?

And then I found myself actually sobbing a few times at the end of this. I don't really want to go into it, because it's a huge spoiler, but it's the mother-daughter relationships for me. I also found that this book ended on a great note, that I really enjoyed -- strange and haunting and loving and surreal.

Despite all this -- and this is a VERY effusive review I know, lol -- I think that the repetition and the strangeness of this put me off just enough that I honestly thought it'd be like a 3.75, but that's so pernickety so I'm rounding it up. I feel like I'll think about this for a while. If I reread, I may reconsider but this was so beautiful and so haunting. Sharp and bold. Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc even though I read it so late!!!!!!!!!

Although I'm a fan of the deranged female main character trope (think 'Boy Parts') this took the weirdness a little too far for me. and I found it so hard to get through. This was a hugely anticipated release for me and I'm so disappointed that I didn't enjoy it. I can see why it's getting good reviews and I 100% think it is a 'me problem' rather than the book itself.
Following Bella and her obsession with skin care as she comes to grips with her mother's death and their strained relationship. I found the line between reality and her delusions ultimately too confusing to enjoy the plot of the book. Upon reflection I did enjoy the plot and the actual story however I didn't enjoy this as I was reading it.. it was a bit of a slog.
2.5 stars

This book feels like a pure fever dream. As do all of Mona Awad's books! I loved the conversations around the beauty industry and the toxic culture. Do I know what went on, no but that is usually the case for all of Mona's books and I loved it!!

Mirabelle’s lives in Montreal, works in a dress shop & is deeply obsessed with skincare. When her estranged mum Noelle suddenly dies she heads to California to deal with the fallout. one night she puts on a pair of her mums shoes & they seem to lead her to a spa in a mansion on the cliffs. Rouge. a place that her mum seemed to frequent and now they are opening their arms wide to Belle. from there, things start to get strange & hazy.

ok now this could very much be a me problem, like it could be going over my head. but there is just so much about this book that didn’t make sense to me. I just don’t think there was any sufficient world building & I believe that’s needed to make a reader take a leap of faith with you.

obviously certain things were very clear to even me, a dummy. the impossible standards the beauty industry holds us to and the outrageous things people do to meet them. the racism baked into it all. how you can still love & want the approval of a clearly abusive parent. those are the aspects of the book I did enjoy. very happy to chalk this one up to being a me problem tho! also far too long. nearly 400 pages for something that felt like it had the bones of short story? wild

Rouge is one of those books that is a full experience to read and is genuinely quite hard to describe. It reads almost as a fever dream and the narration style gets more and more unhinged the further you read. I felt gripped from the first page and was compelled to keep reading, devouring it in just a few sittings.

Belle has always felt like she is in her mother’s shadow when it comes to her beauty. When her mum passes away, a pair of red shoes leads her to a luxury, secret spa that who seem very keen on passing out free beauty treatments.

Belle is a fascinating character as even before the plot develops - she is shallow and very concerned with her skin, taking part in elaborate beauty routines with various creams and serums and watching endless Youtube videos for guidance. The book is a great commentary on the beauty and wellness industry and uses inspiration from Snow White and Fairytales to tell the story. It passes into the sci-fi and horror territories at times as well as touching on mother/daughter relationships, jealousy and grief.

I did feel that the ending was a little unsatisfying – I was expecting perhaps a final twist and some ends are not completely tied up but that felt very in-keeping with its style - it’s a book that you will think about long after you turn the final page. I highly recommend it – it’s the perfect Halloween read and a Kindig Gem for 2023. Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster UK – Scribner UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Rouge by Mona Awad

Mona Awad is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I just love the way she bends narrative until you just don’t know where you are. I can’t even chose a favourite!
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For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.

I should be asleep but couldn’t nod off not knowing how this novel finished. Mona Awad is a bloody genius! She blew my mind with the brilliantly weird Bunny, and now Rouge has captured my attention in a wholly different way: a surreal story centred around a woman’s grief for her mother and relationship with her own skin that packs a strong punch in its messaging about the beauty industry. ❤️🌹

I read an eARC of this so thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher.

Rouge was brilliant, the writing is incredible, the atmosphere, it’s so creepy and unnerving. The ideas and the subversion of the fairy tale narrative. It’s exceptional.

It got off to a bit of a slow start for me but wow the second half was completely addictive and I had to know what happened to Belle.

This book is so clever in how it takes fairy tale narratives, most particularly Snow White and uses it for commentary on harmful and obsessive beauty standards. It works so well. The use of well-known fairy tail imagery in this book is so effective, shoes, roses, mirrors, just excellent. Even having Belle work at Disneyland all add to how well constructed this story is.

I’ve been reading a lot of horror novels lately and I found this far more terrifying than any book I’ve read that’s actually marketed as horror. The loss of agency, the manipulation of a person grieving, it’s all so insidious. I was quite sickened at how people who take advantage of Belle’s grief over the loss of her mother. The way these predators twist things to get her to come willingly and the sense that she’s slowly losing her mind and her identity I found really quite scary. I felt thoroughly unnerved by this book.

I was really impressed at how subtle some of the commentary was and how it sits just below the surface of broader themes very effectively to highlight certain flaws in the characters without being obvious. There’s so much to unpack in this novel, the obsession with beauty, the unhealthy mother/daughter relationship, the fragility of the teenage psyche, loss of identity, appropriation, selfishness, redemption, exploitation of a vulnerable person…. There’s so much! And that’s just the more obvious themes.

This book is dark and trigger warnings needed for death and abuse. I would recommend this book and I would read more from this author, very thought-provoking, even mind blowing tale.

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be disorienting. Which is, I think, exactly the authors intention. Having read Bunny it felt very similar in the way it plays with the first person narrators connection to reality and sense of self. I do wish though that we had spent more time with the narrator before she began this descent of having her mind and memories stripped. But, still, I found it a really engaging and thought-provoking read, awash with hints of horror and fairytales.

In typical Mona Awad fashion, this book was completely weird and for the vast majority of it, I had no clue what was going on, but the vibes and atmosphere were immaculate! There was a lot of discussion around beauty and specifically, skin care, which was fascinating and infuriating in equal measure. The obsession with radiance and having a 'glow', coupled with the sinister presence of the Rouge Spa and its patrons, made for some anxiety inducing reading. The ending of the novel was epic in its visceral quality and overall, this was a gripping read from start to finish. Definitely not for everyone, but for those who like their fiction weird, this one is a winner.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A really interesting dark fairytale that was full of dreamlike twists and turns. As with all of Mona Awad's books Rogue has a surreal and jarring quality to it that I really enjoy.

Oh, now THIS was good.

Mona Awad has kind of become an insta-buy author for me, so as soon as I saw this (and a fairytale retelling no less!) I knew I needed to read it ASAP. I love me a retelling ngl 🫶

If you liked Bunny by Awad, then you will definitely like Rouge too. It is very similar in the fact that there is still this culty ‘group’ / ‘organisation’ that sucks the main character (in this case Mirabelle) into its weird and trippy world. But what I loved about Rouge the most was the underlying message surrounding self-image and beauty standards that we know exist in our own world and are almost all a victim to in some way or another. The twisting of fairytales- mainly Beauty and the Beast and Snow White, but I think I also spotted some links to stories like Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel etc- was SO clever, because it was subtle but perfect in reminding us (or me haha!) that even the most perfect stories / people can have darker / imperfect sides. We saw this through Mirabelle’s character, through the whole concept of the ‘skincare’ she was obsessed with, and also through her relationship with her mother. I don’t want to make it sound like it’s a fluffy book, because if you’ve read any of Awad’s other books then you know it’s probably not! It’s still completely crazy and wild and insane lol! But I found it quite fun looking for all the different fairytale references and then thinking about how and why Awad had chosen to mould them into her own work. If you know Disney then this is super easy to consider!

As I’ve found in both Bunny and Rouge, Awad can write in a way that makes you feel on edge continuously. Maybe because it is LITERALLY impossible to guess the direction she’s going to go in until you’re there experiencing it! It’s one of my favourite things about her books, and Rouge continues to do this in a way I found totally engaging!

The ONLYYY thing I will say is that I found the Tom Cruise thing a bit… odd? 😅 I mean, it didn’t ruin the story really, but whenever he was mentioned I was just like- ‘uhhh does this fit?’ I don’t know, might just be me!

So I think overall, I still preferred Bunny- but that’s probably because I had no idea what to expect and it fully blew my mind! But Rouge still delivers in every way you would want it to. A wickedly eery and unique read.

4⭐️

We all know that (Disneyfication aside) fairytales are deeply scary stories.
They're cautionary tales that warn of hidden consequences, the rot behind the allure.

"Rouge" opens on a scene where a young girl begs her mother to tell her a fairytale. The action is narrated by a wonderfully bitchy and deadpan narrator, the coziness undercut with sly asides and mentions of a strange figure in a mirror. Everything is off kilter. The mother is not very maternal and both she and the little girl are paying a little too much attention to the mirror.

(You too, should pay attention to the mirrors.)

Fast-forward 30 years or so, and the mother has just died in a tragic accident. The daughter, Mirabelle Nour, is a sales assistant in her late thirties at a high-end boutique in Montréal. She travels to California to set her estranged mother's affairs in order.

But Mira is so avoidant that she spends a large portion of her mother's funeral locked in a bathroom watching skincare videos on YouTube. She uses her (frankly exhausting-sounding) skincare rituals to fritter away time, and we begin to understand just how much she shares her mother's obsession with capital b Beauty.

The Glow.
The Brightness.
The Envy.

They envied one another their very different looks.
Both of them scoffed at yet were intrigued by the other's skincare routine.
Each believed the other to have an ideal form of beauty that they could never attain themselves.

Unless...?

First Noelle, then Mira, succumbs to the glamour of Rouge. A secret, exclusive, treatment center located behind the wrought-iron gates of a cliffside mansion.
(A glamour is a kind of spell, after all.)

We follow Mira as she embarks on a perilous personal Journey (wearing magical red shoes, of course) that involves glowing red jellyfish, eucalyptus-scented smoke, mirrors, weird ageless cultists, overly excited fizzy wine, and a level of forgetting things that I associate with ECT treatments.

She develops a nifty line in (apt, hilarious) malapropisms as her language disintegrates alongside her memory.

Daughter of Noelle is deeply imperiled yet oblivious.

What will become of her?

The New York Times may want us to think of Mona Awad as the natural heir to Margaret Atwood (Canadian, brilliant, wildly inventive, darkly hilarious) but you may find yourself thinking more of Angela Carter than Atwood while reading "Rouge".

Awad has spoken before about her love of fairytales, cult movies, and horror, and references to all of these abound here.

This means that like "Bunny" or "All's Well" before it, "Rouge" isn't easily categorized. It has a lot to say about mother-daughter rivalry, the noxiousness of the beauty industry (the brightening here is also a whitening), the ways in which cults operate (mystery, exclusivity, isolation, decadence), and the age-old and always empty promises of snake-oil salesmen.

That she can do all this in the form of a gothic fable that feels both timeless and of the moment is impressive, but all this with a layer of delicious satire on top?

I envy.
(No wait, I mean I enjoy.)
Very much.

Many thanks to Scribner and Net Galley for providing me with an e-ARC in exhcange for an honest review.

I'll be picking this one up in hardback, it's a keeper.

This is my first experience of Mona Awad, a revelatory witty and gripping gothic read that plunges the reader into the craziness, darkness and horror beneath the superficial glitter of the beauty industry. It draws on contemporary issues of social media influencers, raising questions as to what constitures beauty, the impact of race, ageing, confusion over identity, gender differentiation, and the predominant focus on western beauty standards. In this narrative of horror, there are desperate women, wanting to fit in, short on self esteem, falling into a deranged madness with a descent into a murky rabbit hole where truth and reality slips further and further away and a twisted dream like fantasy state emerges.

Drawing on the darkest of fairy tales and mythology in the storytelling, Mirabelle (Belle/Mira) lives in Montreal, estranged from her mother, Noelle, obsessed with her skin in her hunt for perfection, watching and assiduously following skin care videos. Belle is holding down a job in a dress shop, when her mother dies in odd circumstances, she goes to her beauty fixated mother's home in San Diego, Southern California to organise her funeral and deal with debts. Here Belle gets drawn into La Maison de Meduse, an exclusive place where her mother spent considerable time, learning of her obsession with mirrors and her looks, a place of nightmare secrets and danger.

Awad is a stylish and skilled writer, providing a incisive social commentary on society, ageing, race, women, and the pressures of being crushed by the often unattainable beauty standards that are promoted. We have a close examination of the complexities and challenges of a mother and daughter relationship, the loneliness, the desire to emulate a mother's beauty, the grief, and the monstrous exploitation of feelings of inadequacy. There is a darkly comic and entertaining read, whilst at the same time being profoundly thought provoking, with a gloriously wonderful use of atmospheric and evocative language in the vivid pictures the author paints. I think many readers will enjoy this! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.