Rouge by Mona Awad unfolds with the death of Belle's estranged mother, Noelle, plunging Belle into a world of debts and unanswered questions. The mysterious appearance of a woman in red at the funeral sets the stage for a chilling exploration of La Maison de Méduse, a luxurious and cult-like spa that reveals the unsettling secrets behind Belle and Noelle's fixation on the mirror.

The author navigates the complexities of the beauty industry with black humor and seductive horror, delving into the dangers of internalizing societal standards of beauty. The exploration of the mirror as a metaphor for mortality and our collective obsession with appearances is both thought-provoking and chilling.

The narrative is beautifully enriched with vivid descriptions of California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, creating a visual and emotional tapestry that immerses the reader in the story's depths. The pacing is well-crafted, maintaining a sense of tension and curiosity throughout.

One aspect that particularly impressed me was the exploration of the mother-daughter relationship. The nuanced portrayal of their connection adds emotional depth to the story, making it more than just a supernatural thriller. The characters, especially Belle, are compelling, and the author skillfully navigates their psychological journeys.

In conclusion, "Rouge" is a masterfully woven tale that offers a warped mirror to societal norms and personal relationships. It successfully combines elements of fairy tales and psychological horror, creating a narrative that lingers in the mind long after the final page. I believe this novel has the potential to captivate readers who appreciate stories that challenge conventional perceptions and delve into the complexities of human experience.

This was deeply unsettling, in the best way? Mona turns the tables on society with this beauty and the beast retelling in which the beauty industry is targeted ruthlessly. Here’s the thing- i’m not certain i absolutely loved this one. Sure, it was gothic and weird and everything I’ve come to expect, but I don’t think it fully delivered. Halfway through, things felt a bit off and while i still enjoyed it, i can’t say it’ll stick with me furthermore.

I loved Rouge. I previously loved Bunny and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, and I saw remnants of those themes in Rouge, but I feel like they were more fully developed. I described Bunny as a fever dream, and Rouge was somehow even more of a fever dream than Bunny was. There were a lot of unfortunate parts I could personally relate to as far as childhood memories and insecurities, so that's always a treat when I'm reading a book and feel like someone out there gets it, but I also liked that at no point did I have any idea where the book was headed. I love the writing style, I love the characters, and I especially loved the mother/daughter dynamic. The flashback scenes were some of the strongest for me. I love the Tom Cruise references, the skincare products, and the times when I literally laughed out loud, which is not easy to make me do in book format. I found the end to be satisfying and I can see myself reading this again and again to unravel the layers, as well as pick up any other novel this author puts out. I've seen others review this book on social media and complain they didn't feel the themes were fully developed, but I just can't agree with that. I do think it helped that I was able to discuss the book as I read it with other readers, but with how much I personally related to certain aspects of the story, I can't imagine how the themes could be any more developed? Five stars from me.

While the writing was okay the story was very repetitive and a bit tedious. I kept waiting for some clarification in the story. I think the topic of superficiality also held very little interest for me.

What a weird little horror book. I think students will love this as it resonates with how beauty standards affect their lives. Mona Awad has a knack for taking the most relatable of things and twisting them into a horrific perspective.

Not engaged ....I got over half way but DNF. Weird with no reward - characters were too illogical and the plot (if there was one) was obscure. I did like the setting and its intensity. I wanted to like this one because I liked All's Well so very much. I don't mind magical realism; but there needs to be a thread of credibility there to the narrative.

this was an absolute fever dream and i loved every min of it. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the arc!

mona awad has yet to blow me away. i have a complicated relationship with magical realism, i want to love it, and claim that i do, but often the messages within magical realism are lost on me amidst all the absurdity. awad has the incredible ability of writing books that feel like the ultimate fever dream without losing me. not once did i fall too far down the rabbit hole and missed the underlying themes. she is so incredibly purposeful with every little detail.

Rouge showcased a complex mother/daughter relationship and how each generation of women passes their relationship with beauty onto the next. it commented on how scary and obsessive the culture around beauty can be, how at times it can even mirror cultish speak or behavior. i’m not always one for subtle horror, but this was subtle horror at its finest. especially as a woman who has felt the impacts of beauty standards and the pressure to “reach your most Magnificent Self,” as those in Rouge might say.

i definitely think this book will be one that grows on me the more i sit with it (although it doesn’t have to do too much growing) and i think fans of Bunny will especially love this one

This book is so so weird and so so delightful, which is exactly why I read Mona Awad books. This is probably my least favorite so far BUT I still loved it and will continue to read anything she writes.

God Damn Mona Awad you always suck me in.

This is the very definition of a Fever Dream and i loved it.

As we follow Mirabelle following the loss of her mother, she gets sucked into what i can only describe as a Beauty-Cult. Everyone is bright and youthful and and adorned in varying deep reds. Mirabelle is drawn to this cult because her mother too was a member, and she is trying to feel close to her again and to understand her. We also get glimpses into Mirabelles childhood and her relationship with her mother, and the beauty standards and beauty industry culture throughout which made for a compelling read.

I am not even sure I know how to properly review this other than to say - this is for the girls who loved Alls Well (aka me). Its so weird, unsettling, and somehow funny??

Thank you NetGalley, Mona Awad, and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I picked this one up because Bunny was such a feverdream and I liked the description, but I sadly couldn’t really get into it. However, if you liked Bunny or are a fan of this genre, be sure to pick this one up.

4/5

okay like…… what a strange book!

i started it super fast, crashed around 60% through, and just sped through the rest with two days left before it returns. and i don’t even know what to say about it. mona’s books always leave me like this tho!

i actually did love all the descriptions of the terrifying house & its visitors, particularly the ending bits. i understand why we needed all the flashbacks, but those were also the most off putting parts of the book to me. the tom cruise obsession was … funny, but so very strange & difficult to read for me. i do have a problem with second-hand embarrassment, though.

thanks to simon & schuster and netgalley for thé advanced copy of this book! i’m really glad to have read it, because i do love all of mona’s creepy, disturbing, confusing books.

This one didnt do it for me unfortunately. After reading Bunny I was expecting to be confused a bit while reading this book but Rouge was too confusing. Its not that I didnt "get" the book i just felt the pacing was off and not that scary.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't realize this was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast when I requested it. That's not normally my cup of tea. I'm also new to Mona Awad's writing. Though I've heard good things about it, this one didn't really draw me in. I'm not against giving her other titles a try, but this one didn't work for me.

Mona Awad has such a talent in writing. This book dives into the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, the beauty industry, grief & trauma, and Tom Cruise??? I found this to be a bit too similar to All’s Well in the structure of the story but still enjoyed it nonetheless. This book just felt so feverish but in a good way.

The pursuit of beauty is the pursuit of truth in Mona Awad’s Rouge. When Belle attends her mother’s funeral in Los Angeles, she becomes tangled with a cult-like spa called “Rouge,” the last place her mother went to before her sudden death. Awad explores the addictive toxicity of the beauty industry, specifically in how corporations commodify people’s, particularly women’s insecurities. In a surreal twist this larger concept is personified as a demon-like entity who startlingly resembles the actor Tom Cruise. But as much as Rouge is a gothic tale about beauty, it is also a story of a daughter processing the loss of her mother whom she didn’t have the best relationship with. Awad uses the larger concept of beauty along with the Snow White fairy tale to explore the complexities that can exist between mother and daughter, most notably how a mother can see competition in her own daughter. A profound, uncanny gothic.

Rouge by Mona Awad is an adult gothic horror book about a woman named Belle who falls on a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. This book is really hard to explain and if you are familiar with Mona Awad's works then you know what I mean. Their books are always different than everything I've ever read and they always leave me with the weirdest feelings. That makes it hard to explain my thoughts but I will say that I enjoyed my reading experience. If you are open to Awad's different types of stories then pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Rouge has left me eager to explore more of this author's work, particularly Mona Awad's 'Bunny,' a book I've been eyeing for a year now. After the captivating experience of Rouge, I am certain that 'Bunny' will be a compelling read.

This story is a beautifully written dark and surreal fairy tale that revolves around a woman grappling with the profound loss of her mother. As she embarks on a haunting journey in pursuit of youth and beauty, the narrative unfolds with a dreamlike quality, often described as a fever dream by many. Mona Awad skillfully delves into the shadows of the beauty industry, launching a potent critique against the societal pressures imposed on women to adhere to unattainable standards of beauty.

I would readily award this story 5 stars for its compelling narrative, yet I acknowledge that, around the middle, it does become somewhat confusing. While the final 50 pages offer a more crystallized and satisfying experience, the complexity in the middle might have challenged my understanding. Nevertheless, the gripping nature of the conclusion leaves me with a strong impression, and I am excited to delve further into Awad's literary world with 'Bunny.

Mona Awad keeps one upping herself. A timely look at our obsession with beauty and the lengths we'll go to stay youthful looking. There's a touching mother-daughter message in here as well. Awad's writing style is compulsive and addicting, you'll find yourself in mad rush to finish the book. It's clever and funny and really, really dark mixing in cannibalism, magic mirrors, macabre Freudian slips, and Tom Cruise!

I did not live this as much as her other books but it was definitely on brand for the author. It was atmospheric and the story was strangely captivating. If you liked her other books, you will probably like this one!