Like reading about Rococo Versailles on crack but also with magic. It's awesome! I suspect we're going to find out precisely what allows the nobility to live so lavishly in book 2. Want more please.

In an old New Orleans type of setting, we find girls who are of an unusual nature able to change the looks of people, from lengthening their noses to making people's insecurities go away. It's painful, but it is a talent that goes all the way to the royalty employing these girls. But in this book, there are insatiable desires to be the most beautiful, and evil people who are determined, even at the expense of family to become rulers. It is a fantastic books full of mystery, twists, and modern take on the quest of beauty through modern plastic surgery. This is a book our students will full enjoy and be clamoring for more.

The Everlasting Rose just landed on my doorstep and that means it’s time for a Belles reread. This YA fantasy series follows Camellia Beauregard who, along with her sisters, seeks the coveted position of the favorite of the Queen of Orléans. Camellia longs to use her gifts as a Belle to serve the royal family, and I remember loving her ambition during my first read. The glittering world she inhabits hides dark secrets, and in this reread I’m looking forward to catching hints that I may have missed the first time around. Clayton’s descriptions are scrumptious; everything from gowns to makeup is compared to food. It made me hungry on my last read, so this time I’m going in prepared with some sweet treats on hand.

I was really excited to read this book because I enjoyed the other books by the author. However, I did not like this because it was very confusing to read. I think it was the writing style.

it only took me a year or two to finally pick this one up but once I did, I was hooked. Such an addictive and fast-paced read. While being predictable, I still ended up enjoying those "twists".

Revisiting Dhonielle Clayton's THE BELLES:

My original review was pretty favorable towards The Belles. It had so much good to it--including (but not limited to) Dhonielle Clayton's breathlessly beautiful prose, unique magical system and the general message about beauty standards that lay behind The Belles.

I think the only complaint I had was about the death of one of the stories LGBTQ characters. Which in all honesty is what it is. The Belles delves deeply into unrealistic beauty standards and Clayton did so gracefully and in such a different way, it was impossible to put down.

There were a lot of other things I loved about The Belles during round one. The relationships between each of The Belles/the sisters. It was such an unique, fantastical and complex set of bonds. Something that we cannot truly fathom, given their powers and upbringing. I've never seen anything like it in YA fiction and that was truly beautiful.

While the story centered around Camille, we did get these glances towards the other sisters and how the relationships changed throughout the course of book one. I found it to be just as fascinating--and at times, tragic--as the rest of the worldbuilding/plotlines. I could probably write an entire essay on these sisters and this system and whatnot, but I will save that for another time.

Another thing I remember there being was this sting of passion throughout the story. Passion that was written by Clayton, experienced by the readers. There was something that cut pretty deeply in each of the plotlines and relationships, I remember thinking about The Belles for days afterward. Days and days and days.

Everything about it was richly and fantastical, heartbreaking and thought-provoking, diverse and vividly so. Mostly, there was this livelihood to it that cannot be replicated elsewhere. In the world of The Belles, beauty is power--and in our world, this books beauty is its own power, too.

My final verdict was that it was breathtaking, unique and completely compelling. Fans of The Selection and The Thousandth Floor would love the glitz and glamor, the soul and mystery, all that fantasy, and devour it like I did.

Now:

Unsurprisingly, one year onward, my feelings towards The Belles have not changed. Dhonielle Clayton's story still feels warm and lively and utterly captivating. The issues I had with it last year are still the same, too, but the rest of the story is just as gorgeous as I remember. And this time around, I felt even more engulfed in the story.

There's something so atmospheric about Dhonielle Clayton's writing. It's striking. It's definitely my brand. Every inch of this story is tangled within something beautiful and truly special. There were some details I forgot with time but the way it all unfolds is vivid and intense and so, so colourful.

Revisiting the story itself, and then hurrying forward with The Everlasting Rose, was such a good idea. I definitely still love this story and its message, plus the unique world it's set within, its laws of magic and beauty, and I think I've grown to appreciate it even more since that first read. I've fallen in love all over again and really, really enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for my review copy but this was not my thing at all. Did not grip me nor did the characters appeal to me in the slightest. I found it to be a bit silly.

I LOVED this story. The Belles had a great plot and pacing. It was unique and well written. I am excited to read The Everlasting Rose.

This was one of my favourite books of 2018 and I really loved reading it. I finished it just after I saw Dhonielle Clayton at BookCon and I loved it so much! I thought it was just the right blend of action and story

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle, she has magic to make the people of Orleans beautiful. She wants more than anything to live in the palace, as the Queen's favorite, and to receive all the opulence the royal family has to share. She must compete with the 6 other Belles, all 16 and having their debut. Once she arrives a the palace, she realizes things are not always what they seem.
This reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games. The competition to be the only surviving Belle. The world is beautiful, and the writing extremely descriptive. The ending was pretty predictable., but the cliffhanger made me want to read the next one.
An fast , page turner of a book!

Camille Beauregard and her sisters have been raised as Belles, powerful beings who have the ability to manipulate beauty and save their fellow citizens “from a life of unbearable sameness (12).” At her debut, Camille wows the crowd and the royal family with her creativity and poise, but is disappointed when her sister is picked as the Queen’s favorite, securing the coveted role of royal Belle. Camille begins working in a tea shop transforming local patrons, but a mysterious change in circumstances soon brings Camille to the palace. Under the tutelage of the Princess, Camille’s powers are tested - as is her loyalty to the crown. As time passes, Camille begins to see dark undertakings in the castle and questions her role as Belle. But being a Belle is all she knows, and Camille must confront the evasive history of the Belles in order to move forward. Clayton does an exceptional job of weaving class, race, and gender politics into her story and allowing readers to reflect on our own beauty obsessed world. This is an enthralling, unique fantasy with rich characters and vivid world-building. Perfect for fans of the Uglies series.

I really, really wish I liked this book more than I did. I found myself incredibly bored for majority of the time. I didn't feel any connection to the characters, therefore I didn't exactly care about what was going on. The only character who made an effect on me was the villain of the story for obvious reasons. They really were a good villain. I honestly don't have any real thoughts on this book. It was just ok.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't enjoy it and I don't think I will be continuing on with the series. Thank you for providing me with the chance to read and review this book and I'm incredibly sorry it took me this long.

Took a long time for me to start and it was worth the wait, very interesting southern culture backdrop. Reminded me of that Sabrina netflix show.

Fashion and class are on display in this dystopian novel. Beauty is only in the hands of the Belles, but it's painful and fleeting, and Belles are bred for service. The novel moves quickly, and will keep readers going until the end, then anxiously waiting for the sequel.

Behind the beautifully made exteriors of the people of Orleans, there is a world full for intrigue and deceit. The Belles, the magic welders who are hired to make people pretty, are forced to make decisions about where their loyalties lie as they find out what kind of personality is hidden beneath the surface of the main villain. Can't wait for book 2!

The most enchanting thing about this book were the descriptions. Of the people, places, landmarks. Everything was described so vividly it wasn't hard to visualize what Clayton was going for. After that, was the plot. And the ending. I thought the middle was a bit slow and didn't really prepare the reader for what was going to happen - but once it got interesting, the action never stopped. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I am excited to see what happens next.

The story is very unique, but it was missing something for me. Perhaps I personally love books with more of a romance focus than this, but I do think this book is worth recommending to teens.

*Copy provided by Net Galley*

I loved this book! Camellia is unlike many of the female characters we see in YA Fanatsy because she is far from perfect. She is smart, strong, and brave but she also has an ambition that sometimes makes her jealous and a little ruthless when her friend is named the favorite instead of her. It’s refreshing to see a main character that is not perfect. Sometimes, especially female, main characters are so charitable and caring it’s hard to imagine them ever having an negative feeling or harsh word. I loved the villain too because she was evil and actually quite creepy when she really got going.

I think my favorite part of this book was there was a multi-racial cast but it wasn’t about race. There is absolutely a place for stories that focus on race in the world but I also think that having it be a part of the story but not the focus forces readers to see it as normal rather than white being the default.

Overall a fantastic story with cliffhanger ending so I can’t wait for book two.

Our library will be pleased to have a fantasy book that we can provide to our community that is #ownvoices. Though the book fails narratively, the story is one that will captivate its readers and produce interesting discourse.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton was a very interesting story. I feel like that this is a super unique story. I feel like the characters in this book need a rude awakening. Here is why...the thought that they could have everything. The deserved it after all. I find it very frustrating when another human being is unkind. There was a lot of hatred and unkindness in this book towards different characters. I feel like their parents did not spank them as children.

This is a very unique world and I am not sure there is another YA book out there that can relate. The whole story is enticing yet it is disturbing at the same time. I kept feeling like I wanted to visit this world to really see what it was like and then something would happen and I would be like NOPE! I am out.

I swear you could eat everything in this novel. The furniture, the grass, people......I am just kidding. Or am I? Everything and everyone was described like desserts. It gave me the sense that you were supposed to look at people as if you could eat them. Truly? I think it was to give the reader a sense that we should be consuming beauty. The theme is this book is being beautiful.

Camellia is one of the Belles that uses her special powers to make others beautiful. One of the things I really love about Camellia is that she is inquisitive. She doesn't just trust others blindly, she wants to figure it out for herself. I really enjoyed this in her character. She is very soft and kind-hearted. She has a very caring and loving nature. Camellia has to choose for herself what she wants to do with her powers vs letting others tell her what to do with them.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting it to be a standalone. I quickly learned that it was not a stand alone but the beginning of a series. The ending ends up leaving you on a big cliffhanger that was very unsatisfying. I am completely invested and need the next book right away.