Scan barcode
A review by emmaisnotavampire
Rouge by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I always enjoy a good disturbing novel on some unpredictable topic for the horror genre, and from this standpoint Awad never disappoints. Plot-wise, I probably preferred Bunny, and the hyper feminine bubblegum pink aesthetic of it was most definitely more my thing than this femme fatale atmosphere, although I must admit that while Bunny sometimes gave me a fee icks, Rouge felt a lot more balanced… in the absolute insanity that made it so jarring, of course. I don’t know, I just feel like, maybe exactly because of this more stable sensation, it didn’t hit me as hard.
In terms of characters, however, Rouge is a clear winner to me: while Bunny’s characters were much more of a trope, here they felt truly well rounded and authentic, the main mother-daughter relationship especially morbid, merciless and real.
On a final note, I adore Awad’s way of portraying literal descent into madness through style as well as events, experimenting with her first person narrators. When Belle started mixing up with Noelle, and the word slips became an integral part of the prose making a once semi-reliable narrator suddenly utterly unreliable… God, I love how that woman plays around with her words!
In terms of characters, however, Rouge is a clear winner to me: while Bunny’s characters were much more of a trope, here they felt truly well rounded and authentic, the main mother-daughter relationship especially morbid, merciless and real.
On a final note, I adore Awad’s way of portraying literal descent into madness through style as well as events, experimenting with her first person narrators. When Belle started mixing up with Noelle, and the word slips became an integral part of the prose making a once semi-reliable narrator suddenly utterly unreliable… God, I love how that woman plays around with her words!