It's refreshing to pick up a book that feels like it really does something new--and The Belles certainly does. In the world of Orleans, beauty is the most precious commodity. That's because everyone is born gray and colorless, a "gris." The belles control beauty. They can give color to the gris and make them beautiful, which means they are some of the most powerful and adored people in the nation. But the people's obsession with beauty isn't--and pardon the pun--all that pretty. When people would die or even kill to be beautiful, when it is their only obsession, it can lead to disastrous consequences.
The book really does create a disturbing mirror of our own obsession with superficial appearance and the ways in which it creates a truly toxic environment. The story could sometimes get bogged down in the writing and details, but then again it certainly made me want sugared fruit and beautiful, ruffled dresses and teacup elephants, too. And there is an unfortunate instance of the "bury your gays" trope (which I think the author has addressed, which is something). But overall, a very enjoyable book that paints a world as lovely as it is disturbing.
The book really does create a disturbing mirror of our own obsession with superficial appearance and the ways in which it creates a truly toxic environment. The story could sometimes get bogged down in the writing and details, but then again it certainly made me want sugared fruit and beautiful, ruffled dresses and teacup elephants, too. And there is an unfortunate instance of the "bury your gays" trope (which I think the author has addressed, which is something). But overall, a very enjoyable book that paints a world as lovely as it is disturbing.