★★★★☆ The Belles By Dhonielle Clayton
The Belles is a dark fantasy novel posing as a fluffy, sugary, cotton candy fairytale. With all the talk of belles, beauty and how to make the world a better place, you’d think it was all hunky-dory in this place. Well, you’d be wrong. The sinister plot line is a slow build, but as you read you slowly start to realize something is off. There are questions left unanswered and certain events swept under the rug. All these incidents lead you to find what is truly going on in Orléans.
I had really high expectations for this book. When I first read the synopsis, I had flashbacks to reading the Uglies series when I was a teen. A world obsessed with looking beautiful. The world of Orléans is a bit different, however. Instead of aspiring to look like clones of one another, diversity is celebrated. The citizens yearn to stand out amongst their neighbors and wear the hottest never before seen looks. So, it’s all great. Right?
This book is a wild ride, and oh so worth the read. Just when you think you know where it might be headed, it takes a hard left turn and you’re left wondering what on Earth could happen next. Be warned. The ending will leave you with just as many questions as when you started.
