In this book, the world as we know it currently is no more. The average person is born completely in shades of gray and it's only the work of a select group of women, The Belles, that will allow them to be beautiful. The Belles are always women and they are able to morph almost every aspect of a person's appearance. This book brings to life the phrase "beauty is pain" as every change brings pain in the person being changed as their bones and skin reshape and reform. Too much change at once can drive a person crazy or even kill them.
One Belle is Camellia and she wants to become the queen's favorite so that she can work in the palace like her mother once used to. But getting the job is only the first struggle. Then she has to contend with a tyrannical princess and the deep secrets of the palace. She has to choose whether or not she will keep the job and allow harm to come to the other Belles, or save her sisters and give up her dream job. Because there cannot be both.
There were plenty of surprises and ups and downs in this book that kept me reading it. I was very happy to see that the characters were lifelike and realistic. They had their flaws - their good moments and bad. It was easy to follow along the story and I was happy to see that while it did end in a small cliffhanger to set up the rest of the series, it also can be taken on its own as the end doesn't leave you in suspense, but leaves you thinking about humanity and beauty and what it all really means. To see what I mean, you'll just have to check out one amazing book.
One Belle is Camellia and she wants to become the queen's favorite so that she can work in the palace like her mother once used to. But getting the job is only the first struggle. Then she has to contend with a tyrannical princess and the deep secrets of the palace. She has to choose whether or not she will keep the job and allow harm to come to the other Belles, or save her sisters and give up her dream job. Because there cannot be both.
There were plenty of surprises and ups and downs in this book that kept me reading it. I was very happy to see that the characters were lifelike and realistic. They had their flaws - their good moments and bad. It was easy to follow along the story and I was happy to see that while it did end in a small cliffhanger to set up the rest of the series, it also can be taken on its own as the end doesn't leave you in suspense, but leaves you thinking about humanity and beauty and what it all really means. To see what I mean, you'll just have to check out one amazing book.