What a wild ride! Dark fairytale, unhinged, cult, fever dream vibes.... Mona Awad sure knows how to set up a novel and build characters. She truly makes you feel like you're there or watching a movie!

This wasn't as quick of a read as Bunny but I didn't think it needed to be. I picked it up and sat it down quite a few times but I loved every second of reading this twisty tale. Every novel I have read by Mona is UNFORGETTABLE!

Mona Awad has done it again. Equally beautiful and trippy with a very strong voice. I love getting to see the main character unravel in real time. Awad does a great job at showing this using the first person narrative.

"...Say, I'm very sorry my Glow hurts your eyes. I wish we could all Glow like I do. These would be more lies, of course. I'm not sorry. I don't wish that. "

Mona awad writes the creepiest books in the most fairy tale ways.

Mirabelle has lived in the shadow of her mother's beauty for her entire life, and has dedicaterd all her time, money, and drive to ritualized beauty regimes to attempt to make herself her mother's equal. When her mother dies unexpectedly and Mira has to settle the estate, she finds her mother was recently swept into a cult of beauty, the house of Rouge, who's revolutionary treatments give their candidates a chance to be made new...at a staggering price.

This book is so completely unsettling and deeply creepy. I cant think of a better adjective, which is why you get it twice. Sometimes i laughed out loud at the sheer madness taking place, and sometimes i turned on the light because it was too creepy to read in the dark. It made me question everything- Is mira crazy or is this happening? What is beauty? What is real? There's just SO MUCH to process in this book, but it is worth it.

Thank you netgalley/mary sue rucci books for giving me this ARC to review!

Mona Awad's latest book, a masterful gothic fairy tale, proves to be as immersive as floating in a pool of rose water - it's a hypnotic blend of beauty and danger. The story, brimming with shimmering reflections and lingering shadows, pulls you in, as we follow Belle on her eerie journey of self-care after the mysterious death of her estranged mother, Noelle.

Awad expertly navigates the sharp thorns of envy, the deceptive allure of beauty, and the all-encompassing weight of grief. This book becomes a mirror of humanity's timeless exploration of vanity and its consequences, akin to the classic fairy tale The Red Shoes. Noelle's red shoes leading Belle on a journey is a poignant detail that echoes the story of vanity-driven dance unto death.

At the same time, the narrative is imbued with the dreamy, dark music of Lana Del Rey, which served as my companion through the feverish narrative. In the empowering moments of Belle's realization, the robust and emotional music of Alicia Keys resonates perfectly.

Belle's strained relationship with Noelle, as contrasting as the sun and moon, reveals a deep emotional current. The moment of reconciliation, of making amends despite the tension, adds a heart-rending layer to the narrative.

Awad's critique of the beauty industry is also intriguing, exposing its cult-like tendencies in the guise of La Maison De Mèduse, where the pursuit of happiness through beauty takes on a dangerous hue.

Overall, Awad's book is not merely a reading experience, it's an exploration, a journey through the intricate labyrinth of beauty standards, familial ties, and the relentless pursuit of personal happiness. It's as refreshing and alarming as floating in rose water, both calming and unsettling, making the reader pause and reflect. It’s an absorbing work of fiction that examines our societal norms and personal demons with a critical and imaginative eye.

4.5

it was very hard for me to get into this initially. not that the writing or premise weren't compelling, but something about the pacing through the first half of the book felt like a slog. once it picked up though, wowwwwww it was good. the final quarter-ish was phenomenal.

there's a lot going on in this book, but the main theme is really about colorism and how women are only of value if they're their Most Magnificent Self (aka young, pale white, and unquestioningly complacent). it's also very sad and full of grief. but darkly funny in that special mona awad way:

"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."

thank you for the arc.

"Rouge" follows Belle, a young woman grieving the recent loss of her mother. Throughout her childhood, her mother drilled the idea into Belle's mind that one's appearance is of the utmost importance. She stumbles across a mysterious spa and the promise of beauty. In this disorienting and relentless prose, Awad navigates what modern beauty means.

The novel's unwavering critique of the beauty industry is woven throughout -- and in quite clever ways. There are also topics of motherhood, mother and daughter relationships, obsession with celebrities, beauty and the social connotation with the word beauty, fairy tale references, and more.

This novel is perfect for readers who liked Awad's "Bunny" and the disorienting nature of the prose. Readers who enjoy social critique in the form of fiction and mystery/thriller-esque works will absolutely love "Rouge".

As always Mona Awad gets it right. This is my third time reading her. Her unrealizable woman protagonist are my favorite. I loved the hurt and shame of the past but the daughter belle repeating the same mistakes. We as woman are taught to hate ourselves our mothers and other woman. This was five stars for me

Mirror mirror on the wall, how does Mona Awad write it all? I absolutely loved Bunny and All's Well, and this book completely stays true to how Awad writes in a crazy, and alluring type of way where you cannot wait to see what she is doing. I'm not exaggerating when I say I went to go do a 10 step skin routine after reading chapter one in this book. Am I crazy for being influenced by Belle, probably. Am I wanting the same zap of her mushrooms elixers and eel soaking moisturizers, heck no! The way Belle saw her mother, and then later acted similar to her was creepy and unsettling. I loved the idea of this being about the painful truths in what people do to "stay beautiful" and I feel like this is the perfect book to make you feel like you're losing your mind!

the themes and analyses explored in rouge are akin in nature to the jellyfish-like creatures featured in its story; some are hard to grasp, slipping out of your reach, while others are juicy, fully fleshed and palpable, yet inevitably some are slightly underdeveloped, paled in comparison to others, yet still there to feign volume. awad tackles a large topic just in her reproach of the beauty industry, not even to mention topics of colorism, grief, handed-down ideals of beauty, vanity, and obsession. belle, our protagonist, recounts her unorthodox childhood to us as she grasps at anything to retain her outward youth, enlightening us to the influence her mothers obsession with beauty had on her, and the damaging impact it had/has on her view of herself and her value. when her mother dies unexpectedly under uncertain circumstances, belle leaves her lonely life she’s made for herself to tend to her mothers estate, funeral, and debt. overwhelmed by her mothers debt, and confused as to where her mother spent all this money, belle accidentally uncovers the lurid french spa down the beach from her mothers apartment, and made extra vulnerable by her grief, falls deeply into the manipulation of these strangers into their society, doing all they ask in pursuit of beauty, in an attempt to be the woman she sees in her favorite skincare videos, greedy for this postmortem theft of an unknown beauty regimen from her mother; a final nail in the coffin of the woman who instilled in her this necessity of vanity, and yet an ode to the love she has for the woman whose beauty she unmeaningly stole. this book unpacks grief, and the way it impacts our psyche, it exposes how far a pressured woman will go in pursuit of idealized beauty, how much of ourselves we are willing to part with in our attempts to reach our “ideal selves”, and it nauseatingly metaphorizes the horror and sacrifice normalized by the beauty industry as a necessity in order to exploit us and take our money. this book is hard to explain and even harder to form an opinion on, it’s extremely intriguing, intensely foreboding, and yet despite it being very vivid, it still leaves you feeling like it’s slightly incomplete. it felt to me like a puzzling dream that you are so fully intrenched in and yet the puzzle is never fully solved, the pieces are potentially all there but you didn’t have the capacity to fit them all together. this book is ominous, almost heavy, and to read it from belles perspective feels like experiencing her falling down a rabbit hole expecting to emerge on the other end in a new world, but still herself, but instead, to her surprise, comes out completely changed but back into the world she’s always known. to fall into the rabbit hole of vanity, we enter a world of delusion, and in our journey to climb back out and leave it behind we inherit intense grief, atop of the pressure and grief we already sustain. it’s hard being a woman in a world obsessed with beauty, a world that doesn’t care what we have to sacrifice in order to achieve the beauty they want from us; even harder when it’s your mother influencing you to want it yet desperately keeping it from you.

first of all, i wanna say that i was super thrilled to get this arc, because i’ve been wanting to read one of mona awad’s books. i did try reading bunny before but ultimately dnf’d it because i wasn’t sure how i would feel about it. i think she’s a brilliant author, however. unfortunately, so much was happening in this book that i wasn’t quite sure what was going on. i’m not sure if awad’s books are for me because this left me kind of puzzled. maybe i would’ve enjoyed this more if i took my time with it more than i did.

i will say tom cruise? seth? being in this took me by surprise.

Mona Awad never fails to deliver dark gothic vibes and Rouge is no exception. In this novel, derived from fairy tales (the disturbing dark versions, of course) Belle’s mother dies after falling from a cliff. Belle flies in from Montreal where she runs a store, to attend the funeral. Her mother also used to run a store in La Jolla, California with her sister. Her mother was obsessed with beauty and when a mysterious woman in red shows up at her mother’s funeral, Belle learns that her mom was a guest at the Masion de Meduse, a beauty club of sorts. But all is not as it seems at the Maison de Meduse and Belle must go down her own rabbit hole if she wants to uncover what happened to her mother. This is a dark, surreal novel that ruminates on beauty and mother daughter relationships. It’s filled with Awad’s signature haunting writing. Thank yo to NetGalley and to Simon Element for the advanced review copy of this book.

This one is an entire mood. Imbued with sharp humor and satire, overall a quick and satisfying read. Moored by grief and responsibilities, then floating in oversaturated opulence, ultimately falling prey to the vanities and insecurities cultivated by the beauty industry. Lots to explore in a punchy little package.

Bunny has been a cult-y hit sensation for the past few years- a book I enjoyed though didn't fully understand. Her follow up novel All's Well got a lot less hype and I never actually ended up reading it.

This book was so intriguing. Addictive. DEEP. And pushing the limits. I loved the commentary on beauty standards and the beauty industry.

Is this the next Bunny?

A new-age gothic fairy tale about a dress shop clerk coping with the aftermath of her mother's unexpected death. Obsessed with skincare and dealing with her mother's outstanding debt, Belle finds herself lured into a cult-like beauty spa where she finds the answers to her mother's obsessions and her own demons.

I, unfortunately, couldn’t bring myself to write a thorough review of this novel. It is so far from the intelligent writing of “Bunny” that I felt a bit let down. While it held a unique plot, the characters were a bit shallow and lacked any defining meaning.

Leaning more towards a gothic fairy tale, it did have a surreal feel to the story, which lent a mysterious edge to the setting. I couldn’t find myself engaged enough to appreciate it, though.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mona Awad’s newest novel, ‘Rouge’, is a fucked up Lynchian fairy tale that explores the beauty industry, womanhood, family trauma, and cult society. And while I really enjoyed ‘Bunny’ and absolutely loved ‘All’s Well’, this one just really didn’t connect with me on the same level. While the novel ends on a very strong and even heartwarming note, there were periods throughout the book where I felt my eyes glazing over, wishing I could fast forward a bit. Overall, the more *realistic* parts I was heavily engaged in, and the more *fever dream* parts lost me. In the end, it was a solid read, and one that fits nicely into Mona Awad’s bibliography. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy!

Mona Awad has once again delivered an incredible book. The story revolves around Belle, who grew up with the constant pressure to conform to beauty standards. In her quest to resemble her mother, Noelle, whose skin color differs from her own, Belle becomes fixated on achieving her mother's pale and radiant complexion, all while grappling with her own ethnic heritage. Her obsession with skincare escalates to the point where she endlessly consumes videos and critically evaluates people's skincare routines based on their facial appearances.

This book presents a compelling critique of the beauty industry and the societal pressures imposed on women to adhere to certain ideals. Additionally, it delves into the intricate dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, introducing an added layer of complexity.

Despite exploring distinct themes compared to Awad's previous works, Rouge maintains her signature "culty" and atmospheric style that has captivated readers.
Once again, Rouge reaffirms my deep admiration for Mona wad and her exceptional literary talent.

Thank you to @misss_read & @_simonelement for sending me an ARC of Rouge! Out in September 2023.

*Review posted on my bookstagram, @mikhareads.

This book gave me nightmares, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. It was so, so creepy in a visceral, I feel like something is crawling under my skin sort of way, which goes perfectly with this story and its hyperfocus on skincare.

I've heard people suggest before that the beauty and wellness industry's focus on anti-aging is going to be a trend we look at and wonder what in the world we were thinking. If you've ever thought about the detrimental messaging behind anti-aging and trying to stay young forever, this book will take you on a ride with that train of thought, Awad takes a look at our culture's anti-aging culture and then takes it to the absolute extreme.

Another intriguing aspect of 'Rouge' is the often incomprehensible mother-daughter relationship between our narrator and her mother. The connection between the narrator, her mom, and the pressure to look young and pretty forever. The book also touches on racism in the skincare industry and Eurocentric beauty standards, which for the character are all tied up in her relationship with her mom as well.

The story constantly teeters between realism and something completely unbelievable, leaving some vagueness around which reality the character is really living. For example, while it's creepy how the skincare companies recruit or talk in a turn of phrase, can we not think of examples of companies that market like this in real life? This builds on the pervasive feeling that this is all too close to home, even as it takes turns deep into the land of dark fairytales.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc; the following thoughts are my own.

And I mean thoughts in the loosest definition of the word, because this book is a fever dream like none other.
Mona Awad has a way of creating the wildest stories to deliver sharp commentary, and this is no exception. Razor-sharp and endlessly clever, Awad delivers quite a blow to the predatory, capitalistic beauty industry, while also thoroughly capturing multi-generational grief and trauma in a way only she can.
The only downside to Rouge is the pacing; it felt like the first 75% of the book dragged quite a bit, then the last 25% was a sprint.
This is a book to be experienced and cherished, and I can’t wait to read more from Awad.

A strange, delightful fairy tale that feels disgusting and revolting in all the right ways. Mona Award knows her brand, and she executes it flawlessly.

Mona Awad has always been hit or miss with me. I would say don't compare anything like her past work and just start every book with a new pair of eyes. This was so good!!!!! It's a fever dream but a total fairytale but also a nightmare? It shouldn't work but it WORKS!