Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.
But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton was a very interesting story. I feel like that this is a super unique story. I feel like the characters in this book need a rude awakening. Here is why...the thought that they could have everything. The deserved it after all. I find it very frustrating when another human being is unkind. There was a lot of hatred and unkindness in this book towards different characters. I feel like their parents did not spank them as children.
This is a very unique world and I am not sure there is another YA book out there that can relate. The whole story is enticing yet it is disturbing at the same time. I kept feeling like I wanted to visit this world to really see what it was like and then something would happen and I would be like NOPE! I am out.
I swear you could eat everything in this novel. The furniture, the grass, people......I am just kidding. Or am I? Everything and everyone was described like desserts. It gave me the sense that you were supposed to look at people as if you could eat them. Truly? I think it was to give the reader a sense that we should be consuming beauty. The theme is this book is being beautiful.
Camellia is one of the Belles that uses her special powers to make others beautiful. One of the things I really love about Camellia is that she is inquisitive. She doesn't just trust others blindly, she wants to figure it out for herself. I really enjoyed this in her character. She is very soft and kind-hearted. She has a very caring and loving nature. Camellia has to choose for herself what she wants to do with her powers vs letting others tell her what to do with them.
When I picked up this book, I was expecting it to be a standalone. I quickly learned that it was not a stand alone but the beginning of a series. The ending ends up leaving you on a big cliffhanger that was very unsatisfying. I am completely invested and need the next book right away.
This is a very unique world and I am not sure there is another YA book out there that can relate. The whole story is enticing yet it is disturbing at the same time. I kept feeling like I wanted to visit this world to really see what it was like and then something would happen and I would be like NOPE! I am out.
I swear you could eat everything in this novel. The furniture, the grass, people......I am just kidding. Or am I? Everything and everyone was described like desserts. It gave me the sense that you were supposed to look at people as if you could eat them. Truly? I think it was to give the reader a sense that we should be consuming beauty. The theme is this book is being beautiful.
Camellia is one of the Belles that uses her special powers to make others beautiful. One of the things I really love about Camellia is that she is inquisitive. She doesn't just trust others blindly, she wants to figure it out for herself. I really enjoyed this in her character. She is very soft and kind-hearted. She has a very caring and loving nature. Camellia has to choose for herself what she wants to do with her powers vs letting others tell her what to do with them.
When I picked up this book, I was expecting it to be a standalone. I quickly learned that it was not a stand alone but the beginning of a series. The ending ends up leaving you on a big cliffhanger that was very unsatisfying. I am completely invested and need the next book right away.
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