I feel like this book could have been a slam dunk for me given my tendency to enjoy books that contain drama surrounding cliquey girls. A dark and mysterious atmosphere would be an awesome bonus.

Unfortunately, The Belles didn’t really do anything for me. Though I liked the setting, the story itself was slow and hard to get through. I found certain parts interesting, especially the girls sneaking off to enjoy some freedom before heading off into a world full of societal expectations, but there was so little detail about what actually went on during their excursions. Mystery is fun, but I felt that way about a lot of the more compelling aspects of the story, while other, more detailed parts felt less interesting.

The girls were all pretty awful, even Deena. The queen bee, Ada May, definitely influenced them negatively, but they were all jerks to begin with. There wasn’t any kind of growth or regression, they were just snotty brats but it was the 50s so they were like, mean to the help and wore red lipstick instead of pink. I was pretty detached and didn’t really care what happened to any of them.

Although I didn’t love this one, I’m grateful to Atria, from whom I received an ARC via Netgalley.

The Belles is a page turning, dark-academia tale about 5 freshman girls at Bellerton College in 1951 known as “the Belles”. Deena Williams, our protagonist, seems to have somewhat of a shady backstory and we can tell right away she doesn’t fit in with the other girls monetarily (for example, there’s a moment where it is clear Deena has never ordered out of a Sears catalog before). Deena and her new friends sneak out and night and play pranks and tricks on their housemother and others around campus.

We then periodically flash forward to the future- 50 years later, where many of the Belles have returned to Bellerton for its 150th year celebration. It becomes clear that something big happens back in 1951 and keeps the readers guessing and turning the page.

There is a twist in this that I enjoyed a lot, but I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5 because I did feel the ending was a little rushed and I think the pacing could have been spread out a little more.

All in all this is an entertaining read I’d recommend to academia fans who like thrillers.

Thank you to Atria Books, Lacey Dunham, and NetGalley for the eArc!

Thank you so much to the Publisher and net galley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. The premise of the book caught my attention as it sounded thrilling and mysterious, which is exactly what I’m looking for and love to read when approaching the fall season however, ultimately, I struggled with connecting with it and staying invested and felt it was drawn out more than I personally would’ve liked. I think there will be others who believe the opposite however, and enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc copy of this book.

I wanted to LOVE this! As a dark academia lover, The Belles sounded like the perfect book for me to read and review and I was so excited to have been offered an arc copy of this book, however it fell so flat.

The writing kept me engaged enough to finish the story, however everything that happened throughout just kept me underwhelmed and wanting more. I definitely think with more editing this book could be a fantastic piece of literature, however, and I hate to say this, it unfortunately was not for me.

What would you do to fit in at a prestigious college? For Deena Williams, she would do anything. Including taking on a new identity. Bellerton College could change Deena's life for the better, giving her the life she could have only dreamed of before. Luckily, she quickly gains the trust of the other freshmen in her building, creating a tight bond of promising students. However, it's clear that everyone is hiding something, though not as damaging as Deena's secret life. The secrets of Bellerton are also revealed, including a long list of missing girls. As Deena comes closer to finding out the chilling history behind the college, her own secret is about to be revealed. Will the girls be as forgiving this time? Or will Deena end up as another dark mark in Bellerton's history?

I love dark academia, but this was a bit too slow for my liking. I found it hard to get into and I'm sure I missed a ton of key details that would have made this story outstanding. I was hoping this would be a fast-paced story that would keep me guessing, but I had a lot of the plot already figured out before it happened. I generally don't mind that the characters were unlikeable, but in this case, I really needed someone to root for - and unfortunately, it was none of them. I think this might be a good book if you're new to dark academia! The overall book wasn't bad, I just thought the pacing was off and the twists were easy to predict from the start.

I really tried my best to get into this one but it was just so unbelievably boring. I was really intrigued by the dark academia and “culty” school vibes but even the vibes could not save this one. I really just didn’t care about the characters and it really was just obnoxious girls doing obnoxious things while being rich. I just can’t see myself wanting to read this past 60% it would be a waste of my time. I’m sure there’s an audience out there that would enjoy this book but unfortunately that’s not me.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Belles” will be published September 9, 2025.

I don't quite know how to express all my feelings about this one. I almost DNF'd a few times in the beginning, put off by themes and language choices that I recognize are "time appropriate" to the story but still didn't sit right. I did end up pushing through to the end, curious to see where it would go, and ultimately got there and realized it wasn't really worth it.

Well written with intriguing characters, The Belles offers an interesting dark academia adjacent story that wants to be about female empowerment, but didn't quite hit the mark for me. It was both not as queer as I had initially thought it would be, and also queerer than expected, while still falling flat. I don't know. Ultimately, it wasn't a book for me, but maybe it'll be for someone else.

Dark academia is a tough category for me. I think I am always comparing every book to The Secret History, an impossibly high bar. The characters here just seemed flat to me. Their actions seemed designed to create plot twists rather than being organic. The time and place felt constructed rather than authentic. Just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this novel.

This was a swing and a miss for me. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters, and actually kind of disliked them all. I didn’t enjoy the plot, or rather what felt like lack of plot. And it just felt like I could have been reading so many different books than this one.

To me, this is Bunny if it made sense and had a stellar plot- sorry. Dark academia vibes are ever present in this story set in the early 1950s. Deena Williams is an orphan, having lacked money and a family name or story her entire life. Heading to Bellerton is her best chance at becoming a somebody, or so she thinks. Firmly ensconced in her new set of friends, Deena experiences secrets, lies, and manipulations galore. Do yall remember the weird Michaels Victorian statue blowing the bubble? This is that, but in book form, and I think this was a delightful debut! Sometimes the plot lacked a touch or didn't hold up, but honestly this one was just so fun I didn't mind that one bit. Thanks so much to the author and Atria for the chance to read an early eARC!

this story was not working for me so i had to stop reading it. its the end of the month and i am kinda feeling slumpy so i don't want to risk it. this book could be so interesting but i feel like i hate every character. also it doesn't seem like an all that appealing book at thirty percent in. i wasn't rooting for anyone and i was just irritated with the characters actions towards the "help" and irritated about the seemingly random time skips. if i want more tweens involved in a mystery at boarding school, i'll read truly devious again.

Wow! This was my first book to read by this author but definitely not my last! This book will leave you wanting for more and the characters and storyline stick with you long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and pick up this page-turner!

Oh the dark academic novel! This one is set in 1951 at the all women Bellerton College of Virginia and then, in some chapters, 50 years later. Deena, a poor girl, has managed to not only get to the school but also to become part of the Belles, a sort of Mean Girls Queen Bee thing, There's the expected college stuff and then there are the secrets. And the bad stuff. None of these young women (not even Deena) are especially likable but that's the way it goes in this genre. No spoilers about the bad stuff. The "present day" timeline is really meant only to let the reader know how the women turned out but it doesn't add much. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fans of this genre will enjoy it.

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC of this novel. All opinions in this review are my own.

This doesn't happen often, but unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I made it to about 50% of the way through, waiting for *something* to happen. I found the story really repetitive, and even confusing at points. There's a line saying Ada May had died in the future, but then she's sending notes to people in the future storyline, and ones about Deena being poor, but also Deena has money to order things in excess from the Sears catalogue? I also found the ending of every chapter being "Deena wasn't going to lose what she worked so hard for" to be incredibly cliche. Almost every chapter ended with those exact words in some way.

This book wasn't for me, but if you like Dark Academia novels, I could see you enjoying this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read this novel. I was so excited to receive and approval.

The Belles immediately drew me in with its mysterious setting and transfixing characters, think of The Puffs at Chilton (Gilmore Girls) meets Bunny by Mona Awad. Bellerton's history and secretive undertones kept me turning pages at first. I was determined to find out more.

However, somewhere after a trip to the stables, I felt the momentum dissipate. It almost felt like a horse had kicked me; momentarily, I lost grasp of the plot, and I was fighting to keep my eyes open as I thought the story was going round in circles.

The predictability of certain plot elements feels like a double-edged sword. On one hand, I enjoyed the anticipation of seeing that my theories were correct; on the other, I craved more unexpected turns.

That being said, what the novel truly excels at is atmosphere. It nails the cloistered mood and charged energy of wanting to escape to the woods that dark academia readers love. Even after finishing, I found myself wanting to fall deeper down a rabbit hole in search of more haunting and mysterious vibes.

The Belles is perfect for readers who are driven to aesthetic narratives, themes of secrecy, and academic undercurrents.

The Belles by Lacey N. Dunham completely swept me away! This was my first dark academia read, and I'm now obsessed with the genre. The story itself was haunting and addictive, but I have to admit—the gorgeous pink cover with its delicate ribbon was what first drew me in. It perfectly matches the book’s mix of beauty and danger: elegant on the surface, with secrets lurking underneath.

The setting at Bellerton, a prestigious all-women’s boarding school, was atmospheric and deliciously eerie. I loved how Dunham wove in mean girls disguised as southern belles, academic rivalries, and a haunting touch of the supernatural that gave the story a sharp edge . It managed to feel both classic and innovative at the same time, which is no easy feat, especially for a debut author!

The dual timeline was one of my favorite elements. Moving between the students’ time at Bellerton and the ripple effects fifty years later made the mystery even more gripping. Every reveal felt earned, and I found myself racing through chapters because I just had to know how the past and present would finally collide.

The characters were another standout. Each one was layered and flawed in a way that felt authentic, but Deena absolutely stole my heart. She’s the kind of underdog you can’t help but root for—scrappy, resilient, and unafraid to fight back when life pushes her down. Her arc gave the story both bite and heart.

Overall, this was such a rich, immersive read—equal parts chilling, clever, and compelling. If you’re looking for a dark academia book to kick off spooky season, this is it. I loved every page and can’t wait to see what Lacey N. Dunham writes next!

Lacey N. Dunham’s "The Belles" is a tense and atmospheric gothic thriller debut set in the rigid world of a women’s college in the 1950s. The story follows Deena Williams as she arrives at Bellerton College hoping to escape her past and earn herself a better future. But in order to fit in with her elite classmates she needs to be part of a group called the Belles. And these pretty, privileged young women are not nearly as harmless as they seem at first.

Dunham's writing leans into the dark academia vibes and digs into the dangers of ambition and belonging. Deena's desire to be accepted crosses her personal ethical boundaries, and the campus itself begins to feel more like a trap than a place of learning. The eerie atmosphere and buried secrets give the narrative suspense that builds slowly and adds to the overall creepiness.

"The Belles" explores what it means to shape oneself into something others will accept, and what one risks losing in the process. This is a perfect read for fans of dark academia, tense psychological thrillers, and gothic-style mysteries.

I was beyond excited to be able to read an advance readers copy of this authors debut novel, The Belles. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me and I’m bummed as to why I didn’t love it. I really wanted to like this book because the summary was something that interested me right off the bat. Labeled as dark academia, thriller, mystery and historical fiction - what’s not to love?! Alas I struggled to connect with the characters and I couldn’t get absorbed into the plot overall. The premise seemed so intriguing but it just wasn’t for me. I will look out for more books in the future by this author but I couldn’t get into this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

⭐⭐⭐.5

I asked for this arc from NetGalley because I actually like Dark Academia as long as it's not magical. Forgive me for saying so, but the magic school thing has become a bit humdrum. But give me six girls who need and despise each other, all operating under an unhinged set of rules-- that's my kind of chaos.

Or should be, when I get a long with the style. Here, I struggled to find my place in the setting. I wasn't sure entirely if timelines were alternating or not, until the very end. Ditto with perspectives. This, unfortunately, is *not* my kind of chaos.

I did love the ending, not because it was well foreshadowed and certainly not because I predicted it, but because it was artful. During the climax, setting elements like the forest, the school barn, the animals, were leveraged to dramatic effect. It becomes clear how morally grey all the secondary characters are, and who among the leads, is morally black.

This was a fun read, beautiful, and swift-moving. Minor quibbles didn't prevent my enjoyment. I recommend this book to fans of Belladonna or Say a Little Prayer.

Dark academia, female friendship, an intriguing mystery - what's not to love! This felt like a movie while reading.