Decent enough book, although it did not live up to the hype for me. The world building was really interesting, and was the highlight of the book. I didn't feel much connection to any of the characters though, and so will not be continuing with the series.

Thank you Hachette Australia for the review copy!

So glad I got around to reading THE BELLES as I couldn't put it down after the first few pages. Very excited to dive into THE EVERLASTING ROSE now!

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton is a unique and richly told story of magic, deception and unexpected betrayals set within a world where beauty is more important than love and loyalty.

Sixteen year old Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In a world of opulence and luxury, Belles are revered for their ability to control magic that is able to change the appearance of anyone they wish. In Orléans, everyone is born grey and only with the help of a Belle are they able to be transformed and made beautiful. Yet Camellia isn’t satisfied just being a Belle, she wants to be the Favourite, the Belle chosen by the ruling Queen to live at the palace and tend to the royal family and their court. Being the Favourite comes with spoils Camellia wants more than anything, but the position also comes with a lot of responsibility and secrets Camellia could never have imagined existed. The truth about the Belle’s have been kept from Camellia and her sisters their whole lives and when strange things begin happening Camellia will need to decide what is more important; beauty or her life?

There are some books that are harder to review than others and for me, The Belles is one of those books. There’s no denying that author Dhonielle Clayton has created was lush and unique but there was also moments where I struggled to really connect with the story. When The Belles picked up pace, the story became more appealing and addictive. Oddly enough it was the ovely detailed descriptions and settings that brought it down for me.

The concept within the novel is very different and I have to give the Clayton props for daring to create a world so vivid and rich, but I also found it difficult to stomach on occasion too. The Belles is full of luscious, candy-coated descriptions and depictions but sometimes this was just too sickly sweet. It went a long way in setting the scene, but made the novel seem convoluted and congested. I feel like some of this could have been removed and it would not have taken anything away from the overall storyline. In fact, it may have been beneficial.

I quite enjoyed the diversity of the characters within The Belles. Clayton introduces so many vibrant personalities and people’s from different walks of like that makes for some interesting reading. Protagonist Camellia grew on me. At the beginning of the novel I found her overly ambitious, fickle and difficult to like. I appreciated seeing her grow and come to care about the important things in life. I actually began to care about her and this made the story a more enjoyable reading experience.

The Belles cleverly addresses society’s obsession with looks and beauty. The extremes some characters go to in The Belle’s in pursuit of the ultimate look and in the name of becoming beautiful is mind boggling. The idea that this is the norm is both thought provoking and entertaining. Made for some intriguing reading seeing the things the Belles were capable of and what people’s ideas of beauty were.

Even though I had a few concerns with this novel, for the most part I did enjoy it and I am keen to see what happens in the next instalment. The final few chapters of The Belles were by far some of the best with developments and betrayals I wasn’t expecting coming to light. This especially makes me eager to see what will happen to Camellia next and leaves me hoping that Dhonielle Clayton continues to improve the series with the second book.

"The Belles" swept me into a lusciously decadent world that I didn't want to leave. Vibrant, sinister, and with twists at every turn, this was an incredibly strong start to a new series. Also, can I just say that the last hundred pages or so just completely changed the game in the best way possible and I desperately need the next book now!? The book hangover I experienced when I finished this was off the charts. I would highly recommend this book (and I already have)!

There has been a lot of hype surrounding The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. Although the book does a great job with evoking a lush, visual setting, there were some key flaws that let it down.

The story is told in first person present tense from Camellia's perspective. She is not the most likeable of characters, at least at first. She's competitive and jealous, striving to outdo her sisters and be the best. However, considering the way she was raised, this can perhaps be forgiven, especially since she has a genuine affection for her sisters underneath. And her sisters aren't without their flaws, either--Amber is an insufferable know-it-all who can't bear to break a rule, while Edel is headstrong and selfish. The others fade into the background.

A fairytale atmosphere is present at the start; the book opens with a myth that describes how the people of Orleans were cursed to be ugly, with grey skin, red eyes and hair the texture of rotten straw. This sense of fairytale is heightened by the opening scene in which the six Belles arrive in glass carriages to display their transformative powers to the public and to the queen. The world the Belles live in is an extravagant one, with great emphasis placed on beauty. The populace--and the nobility in particular--rely on the Belles to change their colouring, hairstyles and even their body's shape. New fashions come out every month--such as red hair and green eyes. Laws exist to preserve the health of the population by ensuring noses and waists aren't too narrow to breathe. Everything is over the top in a way that reminded me of the Capitol in The Hunger Games, and there is that same sense of darkness lingering underneath.

The language enforces this sense of opulence with rich descriptions of fashion, food and furniture. Unfortunately, this serves to slow the pace. It's compounded by a plot that flags its reveals rather too obviously, making it fairly predictable. It's not a subtle story and doesn't delve deeply into cultural critiques of beauty.

The one exception is the way it unmoors beauty from race. Camellia is a woman of colour and one of the most beautiful people in the kingdom. The characters are diverse and come in a range of skin tones--sometimes even changing from one to another. One beauty standard isn't held up as being above others... though it could have done more work to promote fat positivity.

Unfortunately, the story lets itself down on other fronts of representation. Its treatment of lesbian characters was particularly disappointing.

Readers may also want to tread carefully while reading this book, as it contains a depiction of sexual assault.
All in all, while it has some interesting world-building, The Belles ultimately left me disappointed.

Clayton has create a rich world with clear power delineations, complex conflicts, and a compelling story. The world fills very lived in with the history of these people sprawling but interspersed as to not be a sledgehammer of information. A great addition to the YA fantasy pantheon. Eager to read the next in the series.

Cover Art:
Okay, so I don’t like the cover. I know everyone is complimenting it because it shows a POC on the cover. Which sure, is great. But I hate covers with people on them at all! So no, I don’t like it.. Even though the cover displays Camellia I still don’t even picture her like that anyway..

Writing:
Firstly, I want to say that there should be a trigger warning for Sexual Assault.

Well, the writing was pretty good. The descriptions were a little over the top at times, especially when describing characters appearances. Which I get is a main part of the book but it did get a little monotonous. I also found the middle of the book was a little slow at times. The start was good as it had world building and getting to know the characters but then it got slow and then sped up heaps in the last 25%.

Besides that, the world building was really damn good! So that made up for it.

Plot:
As I said above the middle of the book was pretty slow and there were a few things that happened but nothing anything really major. As for the last 25%? Holy damn. So much went on and a majority of it I did not expect.

Characters:
Camellia is our main character and I really enjoyed her! She was curious, stubborn, strong and defiant. She liked doing things that others wouldn’t. There was one thing that happened in the book that I was not impressed with. Especially that neither of the characters that did it (one being Camellia) had any real reaction or regret for what they did. The other character more than Camellia, but still.

Bree is another favourite and I’m a little annoyed we don’t find out what happens to her in the end and there was basically no talk about it from the main character after a couple pages after it happened. Not going into spoilers, so that may sound really vague and confusing, but you will understand if you read it. Anyway, Bree is loyal and kind.

Amber is one of my least favourite non-villain characters. She is uptight and will always do what she is told and never really thinks for herself. Towards the end, though she is a bit different to that in the fact that she cant accept that she didn’t win and when she was given the option to redeem herself she went too far trying to win and it resulted in people getting hurt..

Edel was funny, rebellious and didn’t care what people thought. She wasn’t present for a lot of the book but I am guessing that we might see more of her in book 2!

Remy was a little hard to deal with at times. He was all about following orders, even when he could have relaxed. He took everything so seriously and that annoyed me. But he did redeem himself in the end! Also, I am calling it now! He is going to be the love interest in book 2, I’m guessing it now. Obviously, I don’t know if it’s true, but I’m predicting it.

Sophia was obsessive and cruel. That basically sums her up. I don’t think I need to say anything more.

I am not even going to talk about the romance! It was instalove and it wasn’t necessary at all.

Overall:
My favourite part of the book would have to be the world building! The ending was insane but the middle of the story was a little underwhelming. The characters were good and bad. Hopefully, we see more of Edel & Bree in book 2 as they are my favourites. I didn’t mark it higher than 4 stars because of the slow middle of the book, I didn’t like the romance at all & some of the writing didn’t wow me.

The Belles was like nothing I’d ever read before. Clayton has created a completely unique world where people are born with grey skin, red eyes and straw-like hair. Nobody is exempt, not even royalty. Only the Belles, born with the gifts of the Goddess of Beauty, can alter someone’s appearance, give them colour and make them beautiful. Beauty is all that matters in the world of Orleans.

Protagonist Camellia (she prefers to be called Camille) is one of six Belles of her generation vying for the esteemed title of ‘favourite’ to serve the royal family as their Belle. Trained since birth she is determined to be the favourite and is adamant that not only does she deserve the title more than her sisters, she is also ready because she is the best. I’m now going to proceed and word vomit on her character. Camille is very obviously not ready to face court, she’s not even ready to face the real world. I don’t know what du Barry (the keeper of the Belles if you will) was teaching them for 16 years but it was not in touch with reality. Camille is extremely naïve with regards to the world around her. There is a time and place for everything. We’re meant to learn from our mistakes. She repeats her mistakes, and what seemed like naivety in the beginning, turns into ignorance and stupidity by the end. She has basically no character growth. After spending ages amongst aristocrats and royalty, being amongst their games, being the target of their games, you’d think she gets it. Know when to speak, know when to keep her mouth shut and observe, learn, strategise. Learn to play their games and be SMARTER than them. Nope. If she’d done this she wouldn’t have landed in as many as the horrible situations she did (but then I guess there’d be no story?). Her ignorance is obvious in the way that people tell her she’s being watched, listened to, her every move tracked. She goes and runs off, has what she thinks are ‘private’ conversations with other people, completely oblivious to the eyes and ears that are everywhere. I am so done with her. I got so frustrated I wanted to throw my Kindle. These qualities of hers dominated my reading experience and negated all the good in her.

Clayton introduces a whole host of secondary characters that are complex and memorable. These are the ones that kept me reading. There’s the other Belles, especially the temperamental rule follower Amber who is Camellia’s best friend and rival. The fiery Edel who loves to break rules and is my personal favourite. I was also intrigued by Camille’s guard Remy (can I announce now that I ship them, don’t worry no spoilers) who is perpetually stoic but has a good heart. Most interesting of all is the Princess Sophia. Erratic, controlling and in my opinion, something’s not right about her from the moment we meet her. There are parts of Sophia’s character that were blatantly obvious to me and I’m hoping Clayton explores her further and digs deeper into her personality. I’d made certain assumptions about Sophia very early on and so far to the end I was right. I’d like Clayton to prove me wrong and show me there’s more depth to her in the sequel. I loved reading about all these different characters Camille interacted with. They really painted a picture of the value of beauty, perfection and court life.

Of course there’s romance. Ship it I do not (haha punny, you’ll get it when you read). It felt forced, fake and totally lacking in chemistry. Honestly, I thought there was more chemistry between Camille and Remy who was basically expressionless so you know how I feel about all this.

I found the plot arc for this first book quite predictable but there’s also an overarching story regarding the Belles and their history which fascinated me. Clayton slowly peels back the layers and I loved discovering more about their powers. The pacing is slow for the majority of the book with the plot slowly unfurling but the big reveal happens quite quickly and it kind of ends in a cliff-hanger. Got me all excited for the next book which I can tell will expand on the world!

My favourite part of The Belles was hands down the world-building and Clayton’s writing. I went to see the Australian Ballet perform Sleeping Beauty late last year and it had the most beautifully opulent set, gorgeous pastel colours throughout and decadent costumes. Stepping into Clatyon’s Orleans felt like watching Sleeping Beauty all over again. The world is luxurious, opulent, ostentatious. In a society where people are born without colour, they substitute this loss by surrounding themselves with it. Not only by altering their appearances constantly to cover the grey, but by dressing in increasingly exuberant outfits and living luxurious lifestyles. Think Laduree on fleek. Pastel macarons, cakes, petit fours, all the dainty teacups and everything you’d need for a tea party. The most flashy gowns bordering on ridiculous. This is their daily life. Clayton pulls the reader in with her flowery writing and descriptions. It’s filled with imagery utilising blooms, desserts and a wide colour gamut. I fell in love with this world.

Clayton’s opulent world is enhanced with her lovely writing and balanced with the undercurrent of danger beneath the gorgeous façade of Orleans. In a world where beauty is literally everything, people will go to any resort to stay on top of the game. This is a game I’m quite happy to observe.

This beautiful book has everything you could need. Incredible writing, a fabulous protagonist and loads of originality. It feels a little redundant to write a review when Roxanne Gay already wrote one, but here we go. Full review on my blog.

This book was complete cover love for me from the moment it was released much like everyone else. That beautiful face, the dress and colour scheme all screamed out to me to grab this book and read it as soon as possible! Then when I read the blurb I was completely excited to actually read the book because it was such a fascinating idea. I wasn't sure what it would entail specifically and what genre it would fall most under but it ended up being a beautiful fantasy with so much mystery and thrills throughout.

The Belles are descended from the Goddess of Beauty and tasked with the duty and power to make the people of the world beautiful after the God of the Sky who loved the Goddess of Beauty became enraged and vengeful when she loved their children more than him. He cursed the humans of Orleans with grey skin, blood coloured eyes and straw-like hair to try and make them ugly and unlovable to the Goddess who in turn then crafted the Belles to bring back beauty to the people and world.

Camellia and her sisters have skills that are secrets kept within their mothers and sisters passed down through each generation to create a kind of otherworldly magic but the customers don't care too much how they do it as long as they turn their grey skin to a glowing complexion, their bodies to the latest stylish size and whatever other trends are currently ruling the news and gossip columns each month while the teahouses or royalty that employ the Belles schedule their busy appointments and collect their earnings.

This book was thoroughly interesting in my opinion because there was a packed storyline, intriguing characters and great descriptions. The way the author described the colours of the pigments she used or the finished product of her makeovers of the clients were so vivid that I could picture everything she was writing. There was also some fantastic character development for Camellia and her sisters. They became completely different to how they began the book because it was a very natural journey from innocence to knowing all the horrors behind the curtain. I just loved the mystery and surprise throughout the book and I hope the next one is even better!

I did think I was picking up a love triangle between Camellia, Auguste and Remy throughout the book but maybe that was just my wishful thinking because there was clear flirtation between Camellia and Auguste but I was feeling all the love for Remy. It was a basket of confusion though because I think Camellia was idealizing love since it was off-limits for her or any Belle to love so she ended up being a little foolish or naive which was taken advantage of throughout the book. I felt bad for all the Belles in that way though because everything in their lives was secretive and they were blind to so much. However, the book finishes off in a way though that suggests that the Belles will be much stronger and won't be taken advantage of in whatever comes next, woohoo!

I also noticed a really cool part in the book in a quick line from a newspaper that said the queen changed the law to allow a boy to reveal their true self and transition into a girl which I thought was a really awesome thing to see in passing in a YA book and a fascinating thing for the Belles to be able to achieve with their arcana. There was also mentions throughout about the ladies in the royal circles having relationships and being in love with their servant girls and that was super cute and I'd like to expand on that.

Overall, I loved this book and only had a few very minor issues with the pacing of the plot or sudden character shifts that I didn't dwell on for more than a few seconds because I was enjoying the book too much. The Belles was an incredibly quick read with all of my favourite things that make up a fantastic YA book and brilliant work from the author, Dhonielle Clayton. I'm not sure how many books will follow from this but I'm already wondering when it will come out, what the title will be and what Dhonielle's plans are for Camellia, the other Belles and the future of the kingdom!

I received this e-book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Partial synopsis from Goodreads - Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.
Firstly can we all just appreciate how beautiful this cover is, it is bloody stunning. Which is fitting for a book in which the entire world is centered around beauty. Everything in this book is beautiful, the characters, the setting and the writing. I loved the little homages to New Orleans that were sprinkled throughout the book, the vibe, the food and the terrain.
"It's a wonderland of palace buildings with golden turrets and glittering arches, fountains full of crimson and ivory fish, topiary mazes of clipped trees, shrubs and bushes in every possible geometric shape. Imperial canals circle the square, holding jewelled boats bright as gemstones and shaped like smiling moons on midnight blue water. They spill over with passengers eager to watch us. The royal sablier, the columnar hourglass that measures the length of day and night, churns with sand the color of white diamonds. The sky and its clouds are made of melting cherries and flaming oranges and burnt grapefruit as the sun sinks into the sea. The dying sunlight flashes my own reflection on the glass. My powdered skin makes me look like an overly frosted piece of caramel cake."
We are drawn into this world with the vivid descriptions, we discover it with this crop of Belles, mainly Camellia. We see the beauty and are swept away in the grandeur right alongside the girls. We dive into this world where Beauty is everything. We see the lengths people go to, to fit in, to be accepted and to be loved. Children aren't rewarded for their talents, they are literally molded into a new version of themselves. For a book that looks pretty and is full of beauty, it sure contains a lot of ugliness.
Camellia exists to make the people beautiful, to carve them into the best versions of themselves and if that isn't enough she will also calm their temperament and personality. The people of Orleans are born grey, they literally have no colour. So the Belles use their Arcana to bring colour to the world.
'Very well. Do you think men should be as beautiful as women?" His question curls around me like smoke, sliding over and under my skin, and through my dress. His words hold a challenge. One I want to win. The women around my gazebo grow quiet. A nervous tremor flutters in my stomach. 'I think its unfair that women must parade around like peacocks and men do not. there should be an equal effort." The left side of his mouth lifts in a smile. "But aren't women supposed to be more beautiful than men in order to be enjoyed?" "Are women quills or teletropes or new carriages?" "No they are not."
This paragraph was when I knew I was going to enjoy this book. This, in someone elses hands could have turned into a generic, insipid story, but in the hands of Dhonielle Clayton, it becomes a clever commentary on societies expectations of both men and women, to behave and look a certain way. The double standard when it comes to women. They are allowed to be beautiful, but it has to be for others pleasure. If they are too proud of their looks, body or anything really they are declared shallow and full of themselves. If they dress in a way that others don't like they are called names, if a woman dares to enjoy her sexuality she is labelled a slut. Here we have a sisterhood in the Belles. They have grown up together, learnt together, they are all there for each other. But they are also expected to compete, to fight with each other. They are discouraged from forming close bonds with each other as a means of control and just like in today's society, women who stand together are feared, they are powerful, so the scared and corrupt try to pit women against each other. They antagonise and manipulate, they belittle, so that they stand over the oppressed. The Belles aren't given a lot of information. This is another means of control. Knowledge is power and those that have it, do not like to give it up. Once again, in society, those that need it most don't always have access to education, or the tools needed to make the best of their education. These are all things that need to change, not just in the book, but in todays society as well. I love the way an author can use fantasy to bring attention to real life issues. You know its done well when the author doesn't come across as preachy. They make their point and plant a seed in the reader's mind. They make you want to talk about things with those around you. They make you want to stand up and be heard.
The characters grow in such a way that we see that their society isn't ok, we get the uneasy feeling as they get it. Camellia starts out as a girl willing to do anything to become Favourite, she has worked so hard, she believes she is the best and she believes she has earned it. After an unexpected hitch in the road, she gets given her dream. Once she is drawn into the beauty and intrigue of the royal court, she finally realises that just because something looks pretty on the outside it doesn't mean it's not rotten on the inside.
It has an almost, but not really love triangle that made me a little uneasy. Camellia is rather naïve, but while it can be a little annoying, it's completely understandable and it works well for the story. Her growth is wonderful.
The Belles was a wonderful, engaging read that will be a big hit for the YA Fantasy fans.

Book worms, there is a lot of hype on this book. I was very hesitant to start. Honestly I stopped and started a lot and I finally got to around 30-35% and stopped. I writing wasn't terrible, it just wasn't for me. I found the writing to be very descriptive and I was getting annoyed and bored with it. I think I will try this again when the hype has settled down, I find that when a book is praised to much my too many bookish accounts that sometimes your expectations get to high...

Sixteen year old Camellia Beauregard is a Belle, a young woman disciplined in the artistry of beautification. On debut, Camellia and the Belles of Maison Rouge De La Beauté will perform for the cosmopolites of Orléans in the Beauté Carnaval, the Favourite chosen as the Royal Belle while her fellow sisters, blessed by the Goddess of Beauty, will be appointed to Tea Houses around the Kingdom.

In Orléans, citizens are are depleted of colour, their monochrome appearance dependant on each generation of Belles to beautify the wealthy and privileged citizens by bringing forth the Acana. Camellia is a grandiose young woman, her beauty and Belle stature are celebrated throughout the kingdom. From a tender age, Camellia has been cautioned to the significance of her responsibility, become the favourite. Competing for the converted position are her five fellow Belles, Edelweiss, Padma, Valeria, Hana and Camellia's childhood companion Ambrosia.

While Camellia with her mischievous temperament enjoyed the spoils of her gilded cage at Maison Rouge De La Beauté, Ambrosia demanded perfection. Ambrosia is a character of contrasts, a tender girl with a gentle disposition but beneath the surface is insidiously competitive. I admired the carefree, nonchalant boldness of Edelweiss, unafraid and unconcerned about the Belle position. As the narrative progresses, Edelweiss' insolence towards authority takes on a greater importance. Fiercely loyal and rebellious, I cherished her character.

The Belles must adhere to stringent guidelines. Only those with wealth and privilege are worthy of embellishment and in no circumstances should a Belle associate with men beyond a professional compacity or engage in consensual relationships. Charismatic Auguste Fabry is the son of the Minister of the Seas and although aware of the forbidden nature to engage with Auguste, Camellia is captivated by his confidence and insistence. The kingdom of Orléans is flushed with colour and glamour, the splendour the royal family of Orléans is eclipsed by the despair for their eldest daughter. Heir to the throne Princess Charlotte, who remains unconscious while the abhorrent Princess Sophia presides over extravagant parties. Sophia is a vindictive young woman, consumed by jealousy and hostility.

Beneath the imaginative extravagance is a narrative that explores cultural and racial identity, confidence, esteem and perception, challenging the confines of affluence and privilege. The Belles is exquisitely lyrical and atmospherically enchanting. Impeccable reading.

Being beautiful is everything, especially in the world of Orleans, a world where most are born grey.
Camellia Beauregard is one of the few born beautiful, colourful, a Belle. Her and her Belle sisters have the ability to make others beautiful.
The Belle's main goal is to become the favourite, the one chosen by the roayl family to live at the palace and be the royal family's own personal Belle.
Camellia soon learns that things are amiss and that perhaps her gifts go beyond just making a person beautiful
This book is nothing like how I expected it to be and I truly loved every single word of it.
This was an intersting take on how appearnaces aren't everything, that beauty is only skin deep and that being obsessed with how you look can be a dangerous thing.
I am eagerly awaiting for book 2 as this end on a cliffhanger of sorts!

I really loved this! It's a great teen or YA read with a magical feel. I loved that the main character had some spunk & did what she wanted. Can't wait for the next one!