Scan barcode
emily_jade_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, what a stunning novel to match the absolutely gorgeous cover on this book. I have heard so much hype about this novel but it is definitely worth it. The book is about the world of Orléans, where the Belles are girls who are born with the power to change the mannerisms and looks of the general population in order to make them serene and beautiful. It is narrated by Camellia Beauregard who is a new Belle desperate to be the favourite and serve the royal family not realising that dark secrets lie within the palace.
The story paints a rich and luxurious world in exquisite detail. Unfortunately this means the pace of the story for the first chunk of the book was a bit slow due to the world building taking precedence over plot, so I struggled to get into the book at first. However, by a third of the way through I was hooked as the the story cleverly introduced lots of unanswered questions and mysteries that the reader and Camellia want to solve.
I really liked Auguste and the dialogue between him and Camellia – their banter felt real and you could feel the chemistry between the two. I liked lots of the secondary characters too like her sweet bodyguard Rémy and her lovely servant Bree. The teacup animals were also so adorable – who wouldn’t want a teacup elephant! The villain in the book who appears innocent at first slowly is revealed to be much more complex as you realise how deep her obsessions with beauty are and how cruel she can be to get what she wants, really making your skin crawl with some of her actions.
Orléans is a disturbing world that confronts our culture’s ideas of beauty and questions how far one will go to achieve it and how one can really judge it. If you’re constantly striving for beauty how can you ever be satisfied with your looks? It also references the idea that anger and passion are ugly within a women, implying beauty also requires a calm disposition. It was a really interesting way of reflecting the media culture of obsessing over beauty and challenging our current beauty ideals. The negative consequences are clear in the novel and it should be apparent they exist in our world too.
I raced through the concluding parts of the book as I was desperate to find out the ending and the pacing was fast and addictive in this section. I will definitely be picking up further books in this series that continue Camille’s story in this fascinating world. I definitely recommend you pick up this unique YA fantasy that is published tomorrow!
The story paints a rich and luxurious world in exquisite detail. Unfortunately this means the pace of the story for the first chunk of the book was a bit slow due to the world building taking precedence over plot, so I struggled to get into the book at first. However, by a third of the way through I was hooked as the the story cleverly introduced lots of unanswered questions and mysteries that the reader and Camellia want to solve.
I really liked Auguste and the dialogue between him and Camellia – their banter felt real and you could feel the chemistry between the two. I liked lots of the secondary characters too like her sweet bodyguard Rémy and her lovely servant Bree. The teacup animals were also so adorable – who wouldn’t want a teacup elephant! The villain in the book who appears innocent at first slowly is revealed to be much more complex as you realise how deep her obsessions with beauty are and how cruel she can be to get what she wants, really making your skin crawl with some of her actions.
Orléans is a disturbing world that confronts our culture’s ideas of beauty and questions how far one will go to achieve it and how one can really judge it. If you’re constantly striving for beauty how can you ever be satisfied with your looks? It also references the idea that anger and passion are ugly within a women, implying beauty also requires a calm disposition. It was a really interesting way of reflecting the media culture of obsessing over beauty and challenging our current beauty ideals. The negative consequences are clear in the novel and it should be apparent they exist in our world too.
I raced through the concluding parts of the book as I was desperate to find out the ending and the pacing was fast and addictive in this section. I will definitely be picking up further books in this series that continue Camille’s story in this fascinating world. I definitely recommend you pick up this unique YA fantasy that is published tomorrow!
brandiraefong's review against another edition
This was a little hit or miss for me.
It started off rough, with writing that was so over the top, adjective ridden, descriptive. It reminded me heavily of Roshani Chokski's writing style. Which, while many do enjoy, it often is descriptive to the expense of character development and plot. In this case, I also think it was a purposeful, creative choice, used to (excessively) hit home the importance of created beauty vs the original gray of the people of Orleans.
I think my other issues were the world building and the explanations of how the Belle's aracana actually worked. In some of the scenes where they worked on people, it just wasn't clear what they were actually doing. And they world they lived in seemed almost steampunk, but also, that wasn't really clear (it took a while for me to figure out the message balloons and lanterns were mechanical).
However, that being said, the second half of this book is far stronger than the first. In the second part, readers finally get to dive in to what the author did well--political intrigue of royals, secrets, a mentally unstable villain, an uptick in plot pacing--it was compelling, and I'm curious to know what happens in book two. I think readers that were interested in the fashionista aspect of Hunger Games, or the readers that are still checking out the Selection will really like this book.
It started off rough, with writing that was so over the top, adjective ridden, descriptive. It reminded me heavily of Roshani Chokski's writing style. Which, while many do enjoy, it often is descriptive to the expense of character development and plot. In this case, I also think it was a purposeful, creative choice, used to (excessively) hit home the importance of created beauty vs the original gray of the people of Orleans.
I think my other issues were the world building and the explanations of how the Belle's aracana actually worked. In some of the scenes where they worked on people, it just wasn't clear what they were actually doing. And they world they lived in seemed almost steampunk, but also, that wasn't really clear (it took a while for me to figure out the message balloons and lanterns were mechanical).
However, that being said, the second half of this book is far stronger than the first. In the second part, readers finally get to dive in to what the author did well--political intrigue of royals, secrets, a mentally unstable villain, an uptick in plot pacing--it was compelling, and I'm curious to know what happens in book two. I think readers that were interested in the fashionista aspect of Hunger Games, or the readers that are still checking out the Selection will really like this book.
thedeena63's review against another edition
4.0
When I sampled The Belles, I was HOOKED! This just had to be one of the books I'd win in the drawing, and it was! Did my little happy dance and waited impatiently.
Finally, it arrived, and the cover was more exquisite in person. From page one I played the "just one more chapter" game, reading until my eyes no longer focused.
Dhonielle Clayton captured the essence of New Orleans with her lush descriptions, giving just enough detail to color the scene without bogging the story down.
The Belles mysterious abilities drew me in as I wanted to know who they were, why they existed, and what they could do.
The tale was fun and enjoyable until the surprising twist. I was so hoping Clayton wouldn't go the expected route, and at first, it seemed she did.
You'll think you know, but quickly discover a surprising adventure with a stunning ending!
Finally, it arrived, and the cover was more exquisite in person. From page one I played the "just one more chapter" game, reading until my eyes no longer focused.
Dhonielle Clayton captured the essence of New Orleans with her lush descriptions, giving just enough detail to color the scene without bogging the story down.
The Belles mysterious abilities drew me in as I wanted to know who they were, why they existed, and what they could do.
The tale was fun and enjoyable until the surprising twist. I was so hoping Clayton wouldn't go the expected route, and at first, it seemed she did.
You'll think you know, but quickly discover a surprising adventure with a stunning ending!
thearmchairlibrary's review against another edition
5.0
The publisher granted me an early reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally submitted on NetGalley.
-----------------------
I absolutely adored this book! I started reading it with almost no idea what it was about, and I quickly discovered that I just HAD to finish it - I read it in two days! I was so completely and utterly swept up in the world that the author created, and all the details were well thought out and added a great sense of place. And that cliffhanger ending - wow! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. A perfect book for fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass and The Lone City series by Amy Ewing.
This review was originally submitted on NetGalley.
-----------------------
I absolutely adored this book! I started reading it with almost no idea what it was about, and I quickly discovered that I just HAD to finish it - I read it in two days! I was so completely and utterly swept up in the world that the author created, and all the details were well thought out and added a great sense of place. And that cliffhanger ending - wow! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. A perfect book for fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass and The Lone City series by Amy Ewing.
katie_is_dreaming's review against another edition
3.0
I'm often drawn to books that explore the idea of beauty: how it's valued, what people do to achieve it. So this book interested me a lot. Sadly, the set up makes this story less interesting to me than it might have been.
Clayton sets her tale in a world where people are born grey, with straw-like hair and red eyes. They're human, but they're born looking what would be considered strange to us, and it's seen as normal for those blessed with Belle magic to transform them. The lengths people go to to change their appearance are normal in this society. Clayton does note that it causes pain (and sometimes even death), but that doesn't seem to cause the characters to think much about what they're doing to themselves, much like our world, I suppose.
The Belles are, to all intents and purposes, plastic surgeons, only with a divine power that sets them apart. That may be a comment on the cult of beauty in the real world, but, for me, because Clayton has made her world so different from ours (the people being grey, the magic, the Belles), it keeps us at a distance. I think any comments she may be trying to make about obsession with beauty in our world might have been far more powerfully made if the people of Orleans had been more like ordinary people. I'm not sure why she made them grey. It doesn't work, for me, as a metaphor for how we may sometimes see ourselves. I think the connections should have been far more obvious, because I do think Clayton wants to talk about standards of beauty in the real world, and how unrealistic they are. Her afterword to this book suggests so, at least.
Despite my ambivalence about this book, I think I will read its sequel. I think, from reading the blurb, Clayton may have addressed some of my concerns about her depiction of the cult of beauty in that. As so often, though, I almost wish this wasn't YA, because there are so many things to address, and Clayton spends a lot of time on love interests, food, and fashion. I say 'I almost wish this wasn't YA' a lot, which means it might be time for me to stop reading YA... Still, there's some great description here, an interesting idea, and an interesting world. I hope the second book focuses more on the issues, though, than the surface stuff.
Clayton sets her tale in a world where people are born grey, with straw-like hair and red eyes. They're human, but they're born looking what would be considered strange to us, and it's seen as normal for those blessed with Belle magic to transform them. The lengths people go to to change their appearance are normal in this society. Clayton does note that it causes pain (and sometimes even death), but that doesn't seem to cause the characters to think much about what they're doing to themselves, much like our world, I suppose.
The Belles are, to all intents and purposes, plastic surgeons, only with a divine power that sets them apart. That may be a comment on the cult of beauty in the real world, but, for me, because Clayton has made her world so different from ours (the people being grey, the magic, the Belles), it keeps us at a distance. I think any comments she may be trying to make about obsession with beauty in our world might have been far more powerfully made if the people of Orleans had been more like ordinary people. I'm not sure why she made them grey. It doesn't work, for me, as a metaphor for how we may sometimes see ourselves. I think the connections should have been far more obvious, because I do think Clayton wants to talk about standards of beauty in the real world, and how unrealistic they are. Her afterword to this book suggests so, at least.
Despite my ambivalence about this book, I think I will read its sequel. I think, from reading the blurb, Clayton may have addressed some of my concerns about her depiction of the cult of beauty in that. As so often, though, I almost wish this wasn't YA, because there are so many things to address, and Clayton spends a lot of time on love interests, food, and fashion. I say 'I almost wish this wasn't YA' a lot, which means it might be time for me to stop reading YA... Still, there's some great description here, an interesting idea, and an interesting world. I hope the second book focuses more on the issues, though, than the surface stuff.
elaynamusings's review against another edition
5.0
This book is lavish and exciting and THE REPRESENTATION, I LIVE. I followed this author on twitter long before getting to read her book, but now that I finally have, I am absolutely hooked. This book is a gem and I don't get how everyone and their mother isn't raving about it for days. SO READY FOR THE SEQUEL!
idawgsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I was pulled in by the gorgeous and playful imagery, I stayed for the drama.
throneofsnark's review against another edition
5.0
This is quite possibly my favorite book! It's the best book I've read since The Hunger Games trilogy.
I never wanted to put this book down and would try and find time to slink off and continue reading. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so thought out and developed. I never wanted the book to finish and I CAN'T WAIT to read the sequel! I NEED to know what happens next and I'm worried I will forget everything before I get my hands on the new book 😭
I never wanted to put this book down and would try and find time to slink off and continue reading. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so thought out and developed. I never wanted the book to finish and I CAN'T WAIT to read the sequel! I NEED to know what happens next and I'm worried I will forget everything before I get my hands on the new book 😭
sj_elli's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this one. I liked it and am looking forward to the next book in the series, but I also felt it was kind of predictable and not necessarily something that blew me away. I love the concept of the Belles and the world itself. I also recognize there were definitely some problematic happenings and overall, the character building was kind of weak. The world building/magic system was definitely the high point of this story.
treeandme's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. Wow! I'm speechless! Book two is now my most anticipated book!!