On the surface it seems like this is going to be a superficial, light read but it’s actually much darker and fairly terrifying. It’s like pink unicorn whipped cream covering a bloody knife. This story definitely has bite! While much of it is fashion and fun there's an ever present undercurrent of danger and some of the situations are absolutely horrific. This is one of those books where the villains are so odious that you can’t wait to see them defeated. The story started a bit slow but became super exciting near the end and I couldn't put it down. It begins to delve into the concept of the value of beauty and the obsession with appearing perfect. I suspect this will become more of a focus as the series continues. I really want to know why most people are grey and colourless and if everyone is grey, can't they just accept this and live happily as a society of all grey people? Why do they all want to be something they are not and endure so much pain and expense in the pursuit of what is considered beauty? It's like a reflection of our society taken to the extreme.
Orleans is frivolous and ornate and so is the language used to describe it. There is almost an overload of description of every single thing and sometimes the level of detail made it difficult to envision. I felt my imagination was a bit curtailed because everything was so intricately described. At some point I stopped even trying to picture all the dresses and the setting because it was just too much. My brain was exhausted! This wasn't a deal breaker for my enjoyment by any means but I can see some readers being turned off by this.
Camellia was a mostly likeable character who didn't always follow the rules. I appreciated her rebelliousness and her love for her sisters. Although she was a bit spoiled, especially at the beginning, she was compassionate and clever. I'm looking forward to see where the Belles go from here!
Orleans is frivolous and ornate and so is the language used to describe it. There is almost an overload of description of every single thing and sometimes the level of detail made it difficult to envision. I felt my imagination was a bit curtailed because everything was so intricately described. At some point I stopped even trying to picture all the dresses and the setting because it was just too much. My brain was exhausted! This wasn't a deal breaker for my enjoyment by any means but I can see some readers being turned off by this.
Camellia was a mostly likeable character who didn't always follow the rules. I appreciated her rebelliousness and her love for her sisters. Although she was a bit spoiled, especially at the beginning, she was compassionate and clever. I'm looking forward to see where the Belles go from here!