This book is twisted, delirious, confusing yet addicting and I adored every single second of it.
In simpler terms, a thriller story of Snow White, tied to cults and the unknown. The author Mona Award expands on notions of female self-loathing while diving into the connection between a mother and her daughter. Paired with her elaborate storytelling and sense of word choice, the reader becomes absolutely immersed, almost as if this book is a mere dream. The reader is at times, just as in the dark as the main character Belle. Forcing themselves to put together fragments of emotions and scenery in order to figure out the so called "puzzle" of the novel.

While touching on the dynamics of family relationships, Mona Awad also does a wonderful job of expressing emotions of loss and grief. There is no right way that one can deal with their own personal struggles, and the reader aches to make sense of the trauma the main character, Belle, has gone through.

This book can also be seen as a critique on the beauty industry. The blind following to social media and capitalism as one tries to read "the best version of themselves." A combination of obsession and loss of one's self, only enhanced by the powerful imagery Mona Award is able to write.

This novel was truly haunting and the only thing I can think to do next is reread it.

"Beauty," Tom says through the smoke, "is a mystery, Belle. A spell. Some have it for real like the sun." He
smiles at me.
"Or like this rose right here." He fingers
the rose he put behind my ear. "And you can have it for a while. You can bloom and bloom. But Beauty also disappears. Just like that. Here one day, then poof.
Gone. Smoke and mirrors.

i'll say it again, i would like a new genre called "fever dream books" and this one takes the prize.

in this story we follow the journey of belle/mira, a woman who just lost her mother and now she comes back to californiato take care of her things and encounters many mysteries regarding her death and her recent behavior before dying. One of those mysteries is closely related to her obsession with skincare and beauty products and all the rejuvenating treatments she would take, this obsession is deeply inserted into Belle's head by her mother from a very young age.

mona awad has a way to write horror stories tangled with real society problems that i haven't seen anywhere else, first with bunny and now with rouge, i'm incredibly touched by how easily horrifying can this society be represented, it's not really fiction is it? i mean we all see this obsessions over beauty, money, achievements in real life, it's just that here we see a side of it that maybe it's not always shown to the public but we know it's there.

this amazing book comes out today so you should definetly check it out. and thank you to netgalley and to simon element, s&s marysue rucci books for providing me of this arc in exchange of an honest review.

This novel explores the ever-so-complex dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship. And it is INTENSE. Also, this is sort of billed a a Beauty & the Beast re-telling, but I didn't really get that from this novel. At the forefront of the story is loss and grief. but the book overall is also a powerful commentary on, and critique of, the beauty industry and how wanting to conform to the beauty ideal can result in loss of self. Here obsession and “where to draw the line” plays a significant role. Throughout the story, lines can also be drawn to capitalism and how companies feed on the insecurities of women; more precisely, ones forced upon us by impossible beauty standards.
Mirabelle is called to California after her mother unexpectedly passes away. She gets drawn into her mother's extreme beauty regimens and the exclusive spa, Rouge. It's a crazy twisty horror extravaganza from there!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.*

Very very strange, i think it is obvious that this author always writes books of this style, and they are very popular for it! I am not sure if it is for me, while i am intrigued, it isnt totally holding my interest for long and i find im reading it very slowly. Like i want to know what happens, but getting to that point is kind of a slog? This author is obviously extremely popular amongst those who like this style, and i can see the appeal, but i don't think it is for me.

She does it again. So good. Fantastic.

Right from the start, we see that Mirabelle is obsessed with beauty and looking young— much like her mother before her we see in the small flashbacks Mira remembers of her mother. I was impressed at just how often beauty and style were brought up:

- Mira’s mother owns a dress shop and Mira works in one as well
- The constant references to Mira and her mother’s youthful appearances
- The obsession Mira has with skincare products, using them as a way to calm herself, referencing what products other people could benefit from, obsessing over trying to cover the scar on her forehead
- Seeing how Mira longs to be complimented by others
- The “self-love” mentioned, but often is being sold by cosmetic companies who benefit from the idea.
- colorism! Because Mira is half-Egyptian and was never able to see herself in those around her, particularly her mother.

Mira definitely has a similar feel to Miranda in *All’s Well* and Samantha in *Bunny* — jaded, cold, and lonely, but in this we see her grief over her mother and the confusion that comes with it, especially once we see some of her memories with her mother.

I was so intrigued by the maternal element of the story— seeing how the little comments and throwaway actions imprinted on Mirabelle so that she’s desperate to be seen as beautiful. She’s tied her entire value as a person to how people view her. It’s heartbreaking and hauntingly familiar for most people. Oh my god though, the way this theme in particular was wrapped up at the end? I adored it. It’s so wonderfully and terribly relatable.

I loved how Awad worked in the bit about cults (and the beauty industry) somehow encouraging individuality while also making everyone as similar as possible. That desperation we all feel to conform to the ideal beauty standard, but how that also involves completely removing any sense of identity. How capitalism and the beauty industry feed on peoples’ insecurities to continue pushing products and the mirroring of that in the cult. While yes, Mira does fit into the stereotype of someone who falls victim to a cult, the beauty element shifts the perspective of it.

The writing in this can only be described as surreal. It’s unsettling and dreamlike, constantly referring to the distorted view we tend to have about ourselves, but also the disorientation of grief. The atmosphere, the narrative, and the story is cinematic, so I’m simply devouring this book when I pick it up. I also loved the continuous references to numerous fairytales. Yes, it’s probably easiest to draw parallels between this and Snow White, but there’s also Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and even Hansel and Gretel, I’d argue. The blurb mentions Eyes Wide Shut (which, yeah, I can see that) but I’d also say there are definitely some bits that had me thinking of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.

Belle is haunted by her past and her devotion to beauty when she returns to California to sort out her mother’s affairs after her unexpected death. Awad has written another marvel of a fever dream of a book with jellyfish alter egos, cracked mirrors, mysterious California cult mansions, and sister mannequins that will stalk your brain long after the final page. Oh, and Tom Cruise. Him too. Yes, it’s a critique of the beauty industry, and a treatise on mother daughter relationships, and the unreasonable expectations that we place on ourselves and others, but it’s all so wonderfully twisted and complex that it reminds me of the sort of dreams that blur into reality without notice until you remember that you don’t actually own any red shoes. I dare you to forget this book.

Thanks to Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books & NetGalley for providing a copy for review!

This book was unlike any other book I have read! At first, the main character Belle seems like she is grounded in reality, and when she learns her mother has passed, she finds it a bit suspicious. Her mother had not been acting normal leading up to her death. Belle goes to California to take care of her mother's affairs but finds that her mother was involved with a cultish group of strange people who are obsessed with looking younger at La Maison de Méduse. As she visits, strange occurrences happen, and Belle is finding she is losing her memories.
I found this book extremely intriguing and quite creepy (in a good way). I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves a good cultish vibe and people who are obsessed with looking youthful.

Rouge is nothing short of spectacular, Awad’s best work to date (in my own opinion, of course).

This fairy tale fever dream of a novel is potent, easily suspending readers in its thick, misty atmosphere. I felt as if I needed some time to re-acclimate to the real world every time I had to put the book down for a while; the story is just so immersive.

Rouge, and everyone that works at that mysterious spa by the sea, are fascinating and oh so creepy in that wonderfully subtle “something’s just not right” way. It really kept my curiosity turned up to eleven, and the tension was always so palpable. It was interesting to see what the cost of beauty is in the world of Rouge.

Stopping short of saying too much, I have to share how much I loved the details of those red shoes and Belle’s bracelet, and the identity of that man in the mirror- oh mai, my little geek heart was soaring when it was first revealed. Also, I love how Awad incorporated jellyfish. The moment the cover art finally made sense to me was awesome.

On a purely personal note, I also really enjoyed that the story is set in La Jolla. It made it that much easier for me to envision it all, being from San Diego myself.

Really, I have nothing but praise for this book. I can’t wait to own a physical copy.

Rouge was one of my most anticipated new releases for the second half of the year. Mona Awad must've been high off of her mother’s Dior perfume fumes when she wrote this book because this was wild. Rouge is an acid-trippy psychological novel that explores the topics of strained mother-daughter relationships, grappling with identity as a multi-ethnic person, American beauty standards, and toxic obsession with the beauty industry. Rouge had the recipe for a masterpiece, but it was half-baked. I'm all for weird, but the weirdness isn't my gripe with this book. The problem is it was way too repetitive. We get it Mona, you have an affinity for red rose petals, jellyfish, and Tom Cruise. I felt like I was trapped in a never-ending episode of Black Mirror, but in the worst way possible. The same thing was repeated over and over again to the point where when the story was finally coming to a head, I just didn't care anymore because I was so drained. And then, that ending? It was unnecessary and lackluster. I think this story would've been a lot more effective and engaging if it were a short story or novella. The topic of beauty standards and society's obsession with youth and beauty products is nothing new and, in my opinion, a little played out, and Rouge didn't give us anything revolutionary about the topic.

Thank you Netgalley, Simon Element/Simon & Schuster, and Mona Awad for the eARC.

Expected Publication Date: Sept. 12, 2023

There is a difference between envy and jealousy. People seem to forget that sometimes. Jealousy is a secondary emotion borne of fear or anger. Envy is when you’re aware that you resent that someone else has something you covet. Most of the time, envy is a subtle thing. Like, “Oh man, I really like those shoes! Those are much better black heels than mine!” Other times, however, envy can grow into something painful and blistering hot. Envy can make people murderous.

In Rouge, we have an envy pas de deux: a mother and daughter who sadly can’t keep away from the toxicity of envy between one another. A daughter who feels so different from her mother due her darker skin color (from her Egyptian father) and dark hair when her mother has red hair, blue eyes, and luminously pale skin. A mother who feels envious of her daughter’s skin because she believes it will age so much better than hers will. A daughter who’s envious of all the men who parade through her mother’s life and take up all the time, love, and affection her mother could be giving her. A mother who’s become so narcissistic she is oblivious to the wide rift she’s created between her and her daughter, how toxic it’s become, and how she’s unwittingly left it so open to dangerous influences.

The sharply funny, barbed satire prose passages lambasting the skin care industry were some of my favorite passages in this book. I just couldn’t keep from smirking at the laundry list of products, even if I’m guilty of using a night cream that does indeed have snail slime in it myself. What was tragic about Belle’s (our main character’s) hyper-vigilant use of these expensive products in a ritualized manner was how she thought she needed to do all this to look more like her mother. She grew up thinking her mother was perfection and she was obsessed with trying to reach it, even if her melanin-rich skin wasn’t meant for it.

The rest of the book, the cult-ish/secret society part of the whole story, was written so impeccably I just don’t know how words could describe it very well. It was all vibes and atmosphere. It had the rich darkness of gothic fiction, the fantastical elements of urban fantasy, the creepy eeriness of occult fiction, the gore and shock of supernatural horror, and the overall lovely, elegant swoop of literary fiction. The whole thing is simply covered in beauty, lust, envy, blood, pain, and grief. I loved every page.

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Cult Fiction/Dark Comedy/Gothic/Literary Fiction/Occult Fiction/Psychological Fiction/Satire/Secret Society/Supernatural Horror/Urban Fantasy

The themes of beauty and vanity and skincare made me feel self conscious and spiked my anxiety. I guess I should say this as a trigger warning: If you have body dysmorphia about your skin, this might be a bit much for you.

I started reading this book feeling fairly grounded in reality.Though iIt’s clear that Belle isn’t at her most sensible—that she’s a little obsessive and/or paranoid—everything we see through her eyes makes sense, even if it’s odd or suspicious. Her most obvious coping mechanism is her compulsive skincare routine alongside a parasocial relationship with a beauty influencer named Marva.

The actions in the story take place over several days as Belle sets off to California to settle her late mother’s affairs. Through this, we get a picture of their strained mother/daughter relationship, poised as a loose retelling of Snow White. You basically know what’s going on the whole time because you’re familiar with the story, but the details are unclear. And, of course, things aren’t as black and white as they are in fairy tales.

Belle’s narration progressively sinks deeper into a dreamy haze, going from the aforementioned neurotic point of view to a liminal headspace akin to the moment you wake up and don’t precisely know what’s real. Then to the feeling of not being able to run in a dream while something sinister creeps up behind you. It’s not exactly a nightmare—more that is most unsettling once you’re awake and really think about it.

The end of the book gave a feeling of closure—not just in an end-of-the-story way. It gives a sense of peace and acceptance of life the way it is. After being ethereal and mysterious for so long, the end is solid and grounded. The shift is very well executed.

Overall, I loved this book. I like the use of color throughout the book to give the story a sort of aesthetic. I like the quirk of the characters forgetting which words to use. I like the theme of people as mirrors. And I like that I felt for Belle. Even though some parts of this book aren’t realistic, the story and main characters rang true.

Mona Awad has done it again. I wasn’t sure if anything could get more weird and metaphorical than Bunny - but Rouge has surpassed my expectations. It’s a total fever dream of a book and I know I would benefit from reading it a few times. The writing is beautiful and poetic and full of so much between the lines. I kept wondering where the story was going for the first half and then it all came together and the ending was the cherry on top.

It starts off a little slow with story building - but stick with it because it’s worth it.

mirabelle is at work when she receives a call that her mother has died. she flies to florida from her home in montreal to attend the funeral and settle her mother's affairs. but nothing is as it seems. her mother, noelle, a french would-be starlet who is obsessed with beauty, always told mira fairytales. the one mira liked most was about a beautiful maiden who everyone adored, who everyone envied. slowly, the fairytale consumes mirabelle, and her mother is just out of reach.

a novel that feels like absolute psychosis, "rouge" is a horror/fairytale/cautionary tale and so much more. it's sexy, it's scary, it's a beauty influencer's worst nightmare. and behind it all is rouge — the color red.

award's writing is claustrophobic, dreamy, and schizophrenic. this novel is very atmospheric and i enjoyed it. it's a wild ride, and man oh man did i love the allusions to beauty treatments and celebrities. it's obsessive. it's compulsive. it's a great read.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Mona Awad writes great novels. This is no exception.

Rouge is about a woman who loses her mother unexpectedly. She's then caught up into a world of beauty, vanity, ageism, and perfection.

A mix of horror and fantasy, this is a quick read that will leave you thinking...

4 stars

I’ve been dying to read this one since last t was first announced. I’m so thankful to have received an arc.

Rouge did not disappoint. The multi layered horror here, the dark take on Snow White and all the symbolism really make for an unputdownable reading experience.

Now I can’t wait to get my physical copy and enjoy another round. I’m sure I missed something.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Rouge follows appearance-obsessed Belle whose pursuit of closure on her mother's death leads her directly into the jaws of a culty spa and the sickening truth behind her mother's obsession with beauty.

Mona Awad knows how to put together a creepy and enticing story, and Rouge is no exception. I was horrified, I was glued to the page, and I will never think about the beauty industry in the same way again. This book was impeccably crafted, and I'm definitely adding it to my list of books to recommend to all my friends who like creepy-weird but thematically rich reads like I do.

One of my favorite reads this year! Dark and twisted fairy tale? Sign me up.

This novel is said to be a cross between Snow White and Eyes Wide Shut (which I have never watched so I paused reading about 50ish pages in and watched the movie. Let me tell you, best decision ever. Totally set the perfect tone for this book!).

I enjoyed Awad’s writing a lot and though the book is supposed to be a horror, I found some humor in it as well! Loved the fairytale references too!

This is such a great book about the skincare world and mother/daughter relationships.

Thank you so much to the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for a review. I loved it!

Belle has been obsessed with her skincare rituals forever. Then, her estranged mother dies and she must return to California to put her affairs in order. While there, she becomes involved with the strange, almost cult-like group her mother was with before her death. Will Belle survive, or will she, like her mother, perish?

This is *everything* you love in a book by Mona Awad. Strange things, even stranger things, and then even more stranger things. You don't really ever know what's going on, but at the same time you know too much. I really enjoyed this book. Awad has a way of painting pictures with her words that make you feel rather than see what is going on. I just absolutely *love* that in a book. This was definitely a different take on the Snow White tale, and you will love every moment of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the advanced reader copy.

This week’s headline? She's gone the way of roses

Why this book? Bunny was everything

Which book format? ARC

Primary reading environment? Train

Any preconceived notions? I think it’s going to challenge beauty standards in a dark way

Identify most with? Belle/obsession with skin care

Three little words? “rich, smiling ghouls”

Goes well with? Red heels, vanities/mirrors, “treatments”

Recommend this to? Fans of Awad, demented stories, or dark fairytales

Other cultural accompaniments: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/sep/07/rouge-by-mona-awad-review-a-modern-fairytale

I leave you with this: “What sort of journey?” I ask. She looks at me, like what a question. “The only journey that matters in the end, Daughter of Noelle.” “Retinol?” I whisper. “The soul. A journey of the soul, of course.”
.
I love pretty much everything about this novel. It’s deranged. It’s humorous. It’s twisted. It’s even relatable. If you love Bunny, you’ll most likely love Rouge, too.

Rouge will be available on September 12, 2023.

I started reading this as some weird virus was incubating in me and the further I read, the worse my fever got. And I honestly couldn't have planned a better pairing if I tried. I also unfortunately didn't finish it. Because once I started getting better, I found the whole situation off-putting. The Tom Cruise thing wasn't really working for me, and a lot of the symbolism felt a bit heavy-handed.