Rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up)

Following Deena as she attends a school called Bellerton in the 1950s, this story creates a narrative about reconciling disparate versions of yourself and desperately trying to fit in. Set in the South, the school is supposed to mold girls into the 'perfect' ladies upon graduating, going on to be the perfect housewives for prominent men. That said, the school and its rules are ripe with strict expectations, and the girls are expected to be 'Bellerton's best.' Deena immediately latches onto the 'popular' girls, who are singled out as a promising group by the wife of the school's president. The girls' charms, especially those of the group's 'mean-girl' leader, are more so only surface level. The girls break rules, test limits, and, more than anything, hide secrets. Deena is constantly bogged by the stress of trying to stay attached to the group and mold herself into a new person with a promising future, but she has to keep her past a secret at all costs.

This was a book I would say was a 'solid,' enjoyable read for me; I enjoyed it. The premise was very intriguing, and it starts off strong. The tension is built in the beginning as we immediately get a sense of what each character is like - from Deena's secrecy and nerves to Ada May's condescension cloaked in honey-like sweetness. It is clear from the beginning that Deena will do whatever it takes to fit in and become someone entirely new, even if it means adopting Bellerton's questionable values and the Belles' cruelty. I really enjoyed the little hints/details dropped in throughout Deena's chapters about her past. I also liked the shifting viewpoints and timelines - it made the story more interesting as we got into the perspectives of other characters and saw tension build up as time jumped forward and made it clear that something had gone very, very wrong in the in-between time. The stories about Bellerton's history and the perspectives from the other characters were my favorite parts! The details in those sections were gripping!

I found myself wishing that the stakes were higher to keep up the same level of intrigue that the beginning sets up. Also, some plot events themselves got a bit repetitive (such as the schemes the girls got up to), making the pacing seem slow. It never truly felt that there would be any repercussion for what was happening/what the group was doing by breaking the seemingly-unbreakable Bellerton rules/expectations. The plot did pick up towards the end, though!

I also was hoping for more character development. Details about Deena's history and the history of other characters were super interesting! It felt like they were quickly dropped off after being mentioned, though, but I wanted more! That carried into the 'reveal'/twist, making it less shocking than it could have been. It also seemed like Deena's motivations and perspectives never altered at all. Not that a character has to change for a story to be good, but it didn't work for me in this book when considering that the stakes weren't very high and the plot seemed repetitive.

It was a good story that I would still recommend, but I just wish there was more of everything! More stakes, more danger, more character development, more history! it was still a "solid" read.

*Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: Sep 9 2025

Deena is attending the prestigious Bellerton college, she tries to fit in and join a group of girls called the Belles. set in 1951, good story

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC ebook in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Deena is a new student at Bellerton college, trying her best to fit in despite a secret that sets her apart from the other girls. It's 1951 and the rules are incredibly strict at this college-to the extent that the president's wife might hunt you down and make you recite the proper lipstick colors, etc. Without going into spoilers, the book has a dark plot.

I enjoyed the story, the pacing, and some of the characters, especially Fred. I wish there had been a little more time spent on some of the character development with her and a few of the other characters (Nell was a puzzle to me...some of her actions didn't click and they might've if more time had been spent with her). Additionally, the paranormal aspect felt a little tacked on. I deeply appreciated that the author didn't drag out the reveal of Deena's secret for the reader-those sort of suspense moments ruin a book for me when they go on for too long.

The highlight of this book was the writing. I felt that it the language and style really immersed you in this dark campus and created a sense of unease. The story alternating between POVs and time periods did a great job at revealing little bits of the mystery at the right time and keeping things interesting.

However I often felt like the story was being told at me instead of me truly experiencing it. I also felt like I had no one to root for with none of the characters being likeable.

I feel that the story is really writing driven vs. plot driven for the first ~80%. For those who really enjoy the dark academia setting this could be fine, but I felt like I needed more action and adventure. Readers who enjoy little clues and forming theories would enjoy this book more than readers who need more action.

This book had a lot of potential but it didn't quite work for me, It is a theme explored many times before, mean girls, rich girls and the girl who is working class and wanting to belong. The school has a history of missing girls and that element helped and it was told in two timelines, the 1950's which added an interesting element of how things used to be and current. I would try others by this author 3.5

I went into The Belles with the barest of expectations—but even those may have been too high. I anticipated a moody blend of gothic horror and dark academia. There were moments of lovely, lyrical prose, but they weren’t enough to support a story bogged down by bland plotting, dropped storylines, and emotionally vacant characters.

The pacing sagged throughout, and the story never committed fully to either a dark psychological arc or a satisfying supernatural mystery. The concept had incredible potential—Boarding school! Ghosts! Serial-killing debutants! Sapphic love!—but the execution was muddled. It felt unsure of its tone, wavering between trying to explore real YA issues and slipping into the immature antics that I’d expect from freshman in High School.

Writing for a young adult audience isn’t the issue—A Great and Terrible Beauty shows just how rich that terrain can be. But The Belles skimmed the surface of its themes, never anchoring them in introspection or stakes that mattered. The structure also didn’t help: some compelling storylines faded without resolution, and the narrative momentum frequently stalled.

Deena Williams is hiding a secret that could threaten her one chance to escape poverty and build a new future. Accepted into a secretive group tasked with preserving Bellerton’s elite image, she’s thrust into a world where image is everything and consequences are deadly. But while the setup teases high drama, Deena’s arc lacks emotional depth, and her secret—once revealed—falls disappointingly flat.

In the end, The Belles had everything it needed to be a chilling, resonant story that explored the limitations of the patriarchy and how these young women subverted it but it only ever circled the edges of something greater.

I think that I’d rate this around 2.5 stars, this was a story that I anticipated devouring and I had to push myself to finish the book. An underwhelming read but I suspect that the author’s next endeavor could be great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC. This was an enjoyable read. I liked the exploration of fitting in and toxic friendship in this dark academia novel.

Deena has managed to obtain a place at a prestigious all girls college (Bellerton) in 1951, despite a mysterious background . She has joined in with an exclusive small group of freshmen who become known as the Belles. They all have secrets. There is a dark history at Bellerton regarding missing girls who have never been found. This is a book about mean girls and class differences, with strong evil and spooky undertones. The girls are expected to follow strict rules to set themselves out from the other students. There isn’t much they won’t do to be a part of the group. The book is told in two timelines, the 1950s and fifty years later, which does serve to move the plot along. This is a book for those who love dark academic settings. With thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

I loved the atmosphere LaceyDunham created in this novel! Who doesn’t love a creepy school setting?! I liked the characters and the supernatural elements.

A really entertaining dark academia fall read! The dark academia vibes especially were genuinely perfect; the setting, the characters and the mystery, oh I was sat from the first page. The storytelling from Dunham aided to the actual plot and I loved the way the secrets were revealed and the characters personalities. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

This story takes place at Bellerton College - an elitist college that only few can get into. The main character, Deena, is an outsider and does her best to fit in, ultimately landing herself a place with "The Belles," a mischievous group of five other girls with layered secrets.

The story is told in two timelines separated by 50 years which I thought was clever since it helped slowly reveal some of the secrets that are mentioned in the earlier years. But overall, I felt like the characters lacked nuance and I was pretty bored by the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A dark academia story about an all-women's college called The Belles?! As an SMC grad, I needed this book, like, yesterday.

While the atmospheric vibes were great, the overall plot could have been tighter. There were a lot of sub-plots left hanging that I would have been genuinely interested in and chapters that didn't add much.

Mostly, I think I went in with incorrect expectations. This book is being billed under Suspense/Thriller and Southern Gothic, but in reality it felt more YA and Historical Fiction. It had more of a steady state of dread and that didn't quite escalate to a satisfying peak. The stakes were never that high and so much of the action and bonding felt like it happened in between the chapter scenes that we didn't get to see.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the eARC!

The year is 1951 and Deena Williams is attending the prestigious all girls' college of Bellerton. Deena harbors a secret that if revealed, could destroy her whole future. Although she tries her hardest, her secret slowly draws the suspicions of the rest of the close-knit group of girls deferentially known as The Belles. What Deena does not know is that Bellerton has a dark history: one that does not treat outsiders or those who dare to challenge the status quo kindly.

The Belles is essentially Mean Girls in the 1950s, but without the biting satirical humor or any sort of impactful message. I know it sounds harsh, but it has to be mentioned that it took a lot for me to reach the 50% mark, and then I couldn't believe I was only halfway done.

While the themes of feminism, social / economic hierarchy, race, and class were apparent (and admirable topics to address), they were presented in the same manner on a neverending loop: Deena must keep her secret at all costs, the Belles are rich and to all outward appearances perfect, obedience is a virtue, the perfect woman meets a certain set of standards and woe to the one who dares to be different. At the end of it all I just wasn't left with any lasting feelings or impressions.

The girls were practically interchangeable (there is an attempt on Dunham's part to distinguish them from one another, but that's difficult to do when the characters' primary goal is to be utterly homogenous). The dual timeline also didn't seem to do much service to the plot, other than border on becoming a spoiler. In short: The Belles and I were, unfortunately, not a good fit.

Thank you to Lacey N. Dunham, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in an exchange for an honest review. The Belles will be published and available on September 9th.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book starts strong, with an eerie atmosphere and the promise of dark secrets simmering beneath the surface at Bellerton. The tension between the girls and the boarding school setting had real potential.

But the story quickly lost momentum. Repetitive scenes and underdeveloped plotlines made it hard to stay engaged, and several hinted-at twists never fully materialized. The writing style and tone also felt more aligned with YA than adult fiction, which made the stakes feel lower than expected.

I had high hopes, but this one didn’t quite deliver for me.

This book was fine. I read it while touring an all-women's college to see if I wanted to go there so I was definitely interested in the setting. I think ultimately this book collapsed in on itself because it wasn't certain what it wanted to be. Was it a story of girls rebelling? Kinda. Was it a horror? Maybe? Was it a mystery? I guess.

I'm not sure if this book was aimed at younger readers, but I'd definitely say it's for them.

This read was not what I was expecting but it was ok I’m grateful I was able to read this book I will recommend this genre

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this title and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

If Heathers and Mean Girls had a moody, atmospheric cousin set on a Southern college campus in the 50's, it would be The Belles. This book has toxic friendships, slow-burn secrets, and scenes that kept my pages turning.

The author does an awesome job of capturing the different layers that come with the history of Bellerton College. The woods behind the campus? Creepy and cinematic. The Southern details? Subtle but spot-on. The women of Bellerton? Strong yet cruel. I loved the descriptive writing.

I'm also a huge fan of books with a dual timeline, and while I loved the mystery and the tangled web of the girls' past, I found myself wanting even more of the current day/adult storyline. I wanted to really see how these bonded women held on to what happened at Bellerton. Still, the tension and suspense between them worked well, and kept me hooked.

I rate books based on one question: Did I have fun? And this one? Absolutely. Easy 5 stars for me.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A novel set in the South about a small women's college ripe with antiquated rules and tedious expectations. Women atrived for social status as diligently as they worked for grades. The scholarship and poorer students were never full5 accepted. Lives were lost ans cover-ups were easy to enact.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This started out good with atmospheric descriptions of Bellerton and a feeling of something sinister lying beneath the surface of the school. There was a spookiness to the implied secrets that made me feel like I was in for a wild ride, especially with the relationships between the girls.

That's about where the interest ended for me. After a bit, it felt super repetitive which I think was the author's way of building up suspense but instead, it was boring.

There were so many storylines that fell flat and were not fully developed that would have made it more interesting. For example, the book sort of implies that the FMC's big secret goes deeper than what is initially presented to the reader but doesn't expand on it.

There were also lots of random transitions and whole scenes that didn't really make sense.

I had high hopes for this and I wish I had liked it better. But these are just my two cents.

This started out strong with some good gothic vibes and the eerie description of the school. I liked seeing the beginning of the relationship between the girls and seeing just how uneasy it all was. But then it got repetitive with the same kind of ideas and mindset going throughout the entire book without any more expansion on the characters or the plot really. It started to feel long because every character was just flat and a bit insufferable. The mystery didn’t feel very mysterious and i don’t think the dual timeline situation was necessary or really helped anything in the main storyline. I mean overall, not bad but not great.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC in return for an honest review.