I am impatiently counting down the days until Rouge’s pub date—so I can annotate and write all my little comments and theories in the margins.

I am floating in a blue green sea, wrapped up in the arms of my red jelly flower friends. I am swimming, swimming, swimming, my red and white silk robe dragging me into the Depths.

It’s virtually impossible for me not to love Mona Awad’s writing. Anything she writes, I will devour. She has such a way of taking truly important issues and weaving them into fantastical, what-am-I-reading narratives. Rouge is no exception—and she pens a tale overwrought with grief, a desire to be seen, and the need to belong. The critique on the beauty industry is strong, obvious, and powerful in this one. She roots the narrative in fairytales, Egyptian myths, and even in her own heritage—which made this one seem more personal than the All’s Well and Bunny; and yet, comforting on that aspect too.

If you struggled with Bunny, then I would suggest picking up Rouge. This book’s ambiguity and answers see a better balance, Awad’s creative virtuoso serving a much more guiding hand. In that aspect, I do think the symbolisms were slightly towards the obvious end—which would probably benefit a reader new to Awad’s world.

She is a writer you must learn to trust—that despite how many times you lean back and wonder what in the world you’re reading, she will guide you back into a narrative that makes sense. Rouge is wonderfully mothering in that aspect, and I do not doubt that this book will soar through the bestseller lists once it’s published.

Fell short of what I expected. Awad hit it out of the park with Bunny and ever since then nothing I've read from her has hit me the same way that novel did. With this one it's more of the same problem nothing is sticking with me after I stop reading and it's just forgettable.

This was interesting and a little bizarre. I was quickly invested in the protagonist and pulled for her throughout the book, but I'm not sure that the many allusions to various fairy tales and mythologies hit quite right. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed Bunny.

I LOVED IT. No notes.

OK, because I'm writing this review for Netgalley and so I have to have some notes: I thought this book was perfect. I didn't want it to end. When I finished it I went back and reread the first chapter and I might just reread the whole thing. Deliciously tense, marvelously evocative, satisfyingly emotionally complicated, thematically tight and resonant without being heavy-handed or tedious or overblown. Awad has a sprawling, compelling voice all her own, and she writes from the inside of a woman losing her mind like no other. I couldn't recommend this book more.

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked "Bunny" a tad bit more than this book, but I enjoyed this one too. This book is NOT going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's very bonkers, (It kind of gave me "Death Becomes Her" vibes) but it's a fast-paced ride with some funny bits.

There is certainly a cult of beauty in our society, so it seemed pretty natural to extend that to an ACTUAL cult. Like Bunny, I didn't love that we didn't get full explanations of all the supernatural elements connected to Rouge (Was Tom/Seth a demon? Does he recruit all people through his magic mirror? Are these people some sort of vampire that feed off of emotional pain?). But, I found it best to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Also, I thought it was funny when the author was unspooling endless descriptions of beauty products that I found myself thinking, "ooo. that sounds lovely." Our whole lives we've bought into the notion that beauty can be purchased and it's often a painful process to maintain. This book just takes that idea to an extreme.

My favorite part of this book are the word gaps that start to occur when you're receiving your "Glow." Characters forget the real word for things and instead use a replacement one that's often way more transparent about what's happening and way creepier. For instance...

"It's really just like... a facial basically. From a... beauty house. Like any other beauty house. The usual severings."
"Severings?"
"Did I say severings? SERVICES, I meant of course."

It's very clever writing.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a good time with Bunny that my expectations were fairly high for Rouge. I loved it so much. It was so strange and dark, and just so well written. A real treat of a story for me.

I had a hard time getting through this. Maybe it was just too slow for me? I did enjoy the story and the writing was lovely. It was just ok for me.

I enjoyed this.
I felt this book did a great job at showing the impact of expectations and peoples desire for beauty has on not just girls but people in general. It did not just effect women but men too. Today's society where you can make a living online or elsewhere by looking young and attractive has big repursions for the general society. I liked how the book used so many bits of fairytales and shows inside it to show how young people come up with the expectations and how over time this has been a theme. It was interesting how Awad began the story with showing how as a young girl she was so influenced and effected by her parents. The man in the mirror even effecting her by showing his self as her dream fantasy man (also attractive to her) to get her to do as he wanted. There were some parts I felt were a little repetative and maybe did not need to be as long. However, I feel it was still pretty creative and a deep hole that I wondered if she would escape. With social media being such a huge thing and being young, and attractive a part of it. Also the drug and beuty society making so much money this book is very relavant.

This was written like a twisted fairytale where you witness the main character, Belle, go down a winding descent into madness and fall victim to obsessive beauty rituals and a cult-like group. I loved the madness of it all and the stark comparisons to today’s times. Women doing anything to achieve “the glow” aka whiteness and the price one would pay to have others think they are beautiful.

The whole book was strange and dark but had pockets of humor throughout. There was also a sweet mother-daughter relationship storyline that really helped wrap the book up nicely and as crazy of a whirlwind this was, all my “wtf happened there?!” Questions were answered.

I did think this was a little too lengthy and filled with more fluff than necessary. Like Mona Awad’s Bunny, there was a repeat of language that was constant and I think after a while my eyes began to bypass them and it made me put more effort into reading this book than I wanted.

In the wake of her mother Noelle's unexpected death, Belle leaves her solitary life in Montreal for the overbearing glamour of Southern California and hopes to quickly settle Noelle's estate as to not face the thorn-sharp, painful memories that linger there.

Before long, clues of Noelle's mysterious death begin to surface. A cracked mirror in her mother's bedroom. A glamorous stranger at the funeral. An imposing mansion on the coastal cliffside. And a tantalizing invitation from La Maison de Méduse that entitles Belle to a free treatment at their spa. As Belle descends further and further into the depths of a dark society of beautiful strangers, she finds herself entangled in a world of glamour, yes, but also obsession, that she may not be able to escape before it's too late.

Perhaps one of the most promising titles of the year, "Rogue" is an ambitious, gothic, and painfully-slow burn of a story. Brimming with all the weirdness of "Bunny" (all-hail Mona Awad's stab at dark academia), it's a fever dream of oddest proportions that vacillates greatly in pacing and in plot; one minute a fully-formed story and the next an irksome stream-of-consciousness that runs in circles with its own repetition.

"Rogue" tries desperately to recreate the stellar blend of oddity and depth that "Bunny" gave readers but ultimately falls short. Simply put? It's much too long. Where "Bunny" could have been 100 pages longer, "Rogue" was--at least--100 pages too long, leaving readers with a lackluster cast of one-dimensional characters (the only thing memorable about Hud Hudson was, regrettably, his name) and a Darren Aronofsky-like swing for the fences at far too many larger-than-life metaphors, none of which were nailed completely.

A noble attempt at marrying "Eyes Wide Shut" with the kind of gothic weirdness only Mona Awad can write, "Rogue" certainly has its beguiling moments. Unfortunately, its choppy execution and over-reliance on the bizarre (red jellyfish, sister mannequins, Tom Cruise?) made it a package that didn't work for me. Here's to hoping Awad's next work strikes a better balance.

Mona Awad’s mind is so strange and beautiful. Her books are a vibe that take you places you’ve never been before. (“Bunny” is an all-time favorite.) In a funny turn of events, “Rouge” had more David Lynch undertones that the last random book I read, which actually claimed in the Goodreads description to contain David Lynch elements and didn’t at all. “Rouge” is fucking WEIRD and dark and oddly sad and that’s why it’s awesome. It also took me a little while to read because I wanted to savor it, like a rich dessert…definitely something drizzled with a thick cherry or raspberry sauce.

Everything in this book is red, red, red. There are red objects on literally every page, so if you are the type of person who doesn’t like on the nose symbolism you will probably get annoyed with that quickly. I’ve never in my life read a book that used the titular color as much as this one does. And in fact, all of the symbolism seemed fairly straightforward: from the beauty allegories to the fairytale stuff. But I think it all worked together pretty well overall and everything contributed to the eerie atmosphere.

A random thing I appreciated was that Awad gave us a mother character who is deeply flawed but not entirely hatable. The mother/daughter dynamic is complicated, and at times painful to witness. But there is a lot going on. Through flashbacks especially, Belle’s mother gave us glimpses of redeeming qualities that prevented her from being the monstrous caricature that I see over and over in books now. (Especially given the fairytale theme in the background of this story!)

Another favorite thing I have to mention: the way Tom Cruise was used in this book, oh my god, I was obsessed. He plays a major role in the story, but it’s not ACTUALLY Tom cruise…to explain WTF I’m talking about would be both complicated and a spoiler. I’ll just say that it’s at times uncomfortable, funny and frightening and Awad really went there.

I have very little to criticize about the book, really. After a while, the action sort of gets a little repetitive. Also, the style of the narrative voice shifts slightly at one point and while I do think that Awad does a good job with it and it serves a purpose within the story, the sentence structure that she uses in order to accomplish the mood of this new POV gets a bit tiresome to read after a while. (Might just be me!) The jumps in time without clearly explaining how Belle got from one place to another were disorienting, but they also made the story feel more dreamlike so I forgave this.

Another hit from Mona Awad, (her third novel that I’ve enjoyed), and another favorite for the year. Definitely recommend this when it releases as a weird/creepy “the evils of the beauty industry” nightmare read.

TW: Problematic fantasies of a 10-year-old girl involving a grown man (not explicit, but definitely uncomfortable), animal harm (nothing too graphic)

This book was everything I wanted from a Mona Awad novel. It was creepy and bizarre, and I still don't know how I felt about it. That is how Bunny left me feeling, and I was not disappointed by this one either.

Thank you to the publisher for providing my a free copy of the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

5/5 stars

Where do I begin with this review...

This book is most definitely for fans of Bunny. I only read Bunny this year and it instantly became one of my most favorite novels. Mona Awad's storytelling is as engaging as ever in Rouge, and I was pleasantly surprised at how different it was from Bunny. Rouge follows a similar premise: a woman still overcoming her trauma surrounding her deceased mother is swept into a violent and obsessive cult. Rather than the Bunnies this time, our protagonist Mira discovers Rouge, a spa full of extremely beautiful people seemingly hell-bent on making Mira one of them. She is the "Perfect Candidate," after all. As is with Bunny, Rouge's rituals aren't what they seem.

Rouge instantly separates itself from Bunny by its prose. Rouge is fragmented, sharp, yet poetic, and reads like a deeply dark fairy tale that goes far beyond its Snow White inspirations. While again Awad creates a book surrounding trauma, how it's dealt with, and how others consume it, Rouge is entirely unique and was an incredibly touching read for me. (I don't normally cry over prose, but Rouge is the first in awhile to get me to that point.) The story occasionally paralleled my relationship with my own mother and I felt so understood.

This is a book about grief, envy, difficult relationships, and how we process our trauma, so please be aware of these themes when starting this book. Its content is brutally honest and painful. Nonetheless, it's beautiful, and without giving any spoilers, I absolutely adored the ending. It's clear that Rouge was a book written out of compassion and by the end, it holds a hand out to anyone who is also going through their own journey of grief.

Thematically and structurally, Bunny is still my favorite of Awad's novels. However, Rouge comes in close second (and I believe that its prose trumps pretty much every book I've read to date). I love my weird girlie books

Rouge by Mona Awad is a gothic, horror tinged tale following Belle after her mother passes away. When she returns to her mother’s home in Southern California with several questions, she meets a woman in red that gives her a clue about her mother and starts Belle’s journey to a beauty cult.

And that’s all you need to know and if it sounds confusing, it’s because it is. This book is pitched as Eyes Wide Shut meets Snow White and that is very accurate. Like Bunny and All’s Well before, Rouge is all about the vibes and the atmosphere. If you spend time trying to dissect every project of the prose to understand it, you won’t enjoy the journey. This author’s books are not for everyone due to the strange writing decisions and the stream of consciousness narrative you get from the main character.

There are several parts of this book that critique the beauty industry and the obsession with trying new products that is almost exhausting to read about, in a very purposeful way. The way women are expected to use all kinds of serums and creams to look more beautiful is a real life issue so seeing it in a book this way was really eye opening.

This book discusses mother/daughter relationships in such a unique way. Not overly positive or negative, it delves deeply into the envy that can exist between the two. The way this book handles grief is amazing. Everyone grieves differently so no two grief journeys will be the same. The fever dream esque was Belle moves through the world in the middle of this book is how it feels when you lose someone and don’t know what to do next.

This book had me tearing up by the end. As a reader, I felt like I was on this journey with Belle. The atmosphere in this book is top notch and I was absorbed the whole time.

A lot of people will pick this book up and not be able to get into it. But for the people that this will work for, it will really be a great read.

A fever dream, gothic-tinged retelling of Snow White centered around the beauty industry and a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship. The story honestly lost me at parts, but the vibes are immaculate. Incorporating Tom Cruise as a character is iconic. It’s dark, funny, and totally original.

Hmmm...there are some over hyped authors that I continue to try, and always convince myself that I shouldn't and I get sucked back in. I have abandoned all 3 of of Awads books by 50%. I think they start out so stong, but then fall monotonous and flat
I know people love her and I am sad that I don't!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I wanted to love Rouge. I was so excited to read about the complex relationship women have with the beauty industry and the common dysfunctional relationships between mother and daughter with a hint of fairy tail. However, I felt like I didn’t know enough about pop culture to get the references in the book. At one point, I thought if I read the name Tom Cruise one more time, I might throw my Kindle across the room.
Moreover, the author did an excellent job of creating an atmosphere inside the book. There were times when Belle was in the mansion, and I could feel the presence of the place by the words on the page. Additionally, the ending did make me cry as some sentences tugged at some of my heartstrings from my childhood. Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me, but it was still exceptionally well written.

Mona Awad is a brilliant mastermind.

Gothic fairytale meets beauty industry cult meets surreal fever dream. This book tackles so much and does it so well. From the way the beauty industry markets/targets consumers.. to the things we do in the name of beauty and what we're willing to give up.. to what those actions tell those around us.. to our perception of beauty as we grow and age...

If Bunny and All's Well had the most perfect baby.. it would be Rouge. I won't be shutting up about this one anytime soon. Everything in this story is symbolic of something deeper and it hits hard. Where was this book when I had to dissect writing in my lit classes?! I could chew on this one forever.

Easiest 5/5 since I read All's Well.

Awad has made a fever dream of a book again. I was on the edge of my seat the whole week of reading this. I had no clue what was going to happen nor knew what the ending would be. I kept trying to guess what would happen next but I couldn't and I love that. If you want something you would never expect - read this!

By now (my third book of hers), I could identify a book by Mona Awad by its pacing and otherworldliness alone. First (for me), there was Bunny, then All’s Well and now, Rouge. Comparatively, Rouge is the most supernatural of the three, which is saying a lot. It is billed as a “horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale” and that feels about right. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, even if it felt a little too skewed toward the horror end. The otherworldly spa featured in the book took over the narrative, where I would have loved to have had more on the main character’s real past with her mother.

Rouge tells the story of Mirabel (Belle) Nour, starting with her relationship with her beautiful, flighty mother when she was young. Both are obsessed with skin products and fashion. Belle admires her mother’s light skin and red hair, while her mother is jealous of Belle’s youth and the darkness of her coloring (Belle has an absent Egyptian father). The mother-daughter relationship eventually sours and, at the start of the book, when Belle learns of her mother’s odd death, the two have been estranged for a significant period of time.

As an adult, Belle returns to her mother’s house to deal with what she has left behind, which includes some serious debt. Most intriguing, though, is the relationship between her mother and a very strange spa, situated on a nearby cliff. When Belle puts on her mother’s red, feathery shoes, she finds herself mysteriously drawn to this spa and it is Belle’s supernatural experiences there that make up most of the book. This book only works if the reader buys into the spa’s mysterious hosts and their strange services (which incorporate shapeshifting red jellyfish as a mode of service delivery). If that sounds up your alley, and you can hang with a very “different” narrative, then this book comes highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for access to this e-ARC.