The Belles

The Belles
Dhonielle Clayton
Freeform Books, 2018 434 pages
Grades 7-Up
Fantasy

Camellia Beauregard has trained her whole life to be a Belle, the elite group of ladies who possess the magical powers to transform a person's physical appearance. In a society that values beauty above all else, Camellia and her "sisters" are prized commodities. Upon graduation Camellia hopes to be "the favorite" and to be assigned to the palace as the royal court's personal Belle. She is extremely disappointed to garnish a lesser position, while her best friend/sister is honored with the coveted job. Work as a Belle is not what Camellia envisioned and she becomes exhausted and disillusioned. Correspondence with her sisters reveals that they feel the same way. Mysterious happenings, nighttime ramblings, and crying in the dark are reported by all of the Belles, but what could be causing it? Meanwhile, rumors of the current Favorite displeasing the royals begin to circulate. Could there still be a chance for Camellia to realize her dreams of becoming the favorite? Meanwhile, even though Belle's are not allowed to date, Camellia finds herself drawn to a charming sailor, as well as a budding friendship with her handsome, yet stolid, bodyguard. As the novel progresses we discover the darkness behind the kingdom of Orleans, as well as its secrets and dangers. What can Camellia do to stop the madness and corruption?

Sure to appeal to fans of the Matched Trilogy and the Selection series, Clayton offers a cautionary tale warning about society's emphasis on the importance of beauty. More alternative universe than dystopian, the author has created a fully realized, yet completely original world. The reader opens the book to a beautiful pink map, that tells us that this world will be one to fall right into, yet will be a bit more "girlie" than most books that start with a map. Camellia's story is attention-grabbing from the start and readers will find the book impossible to put down. Mysterious happenings are introduced and then satisfactorily solved and plot twists abound. A cliff-hanging ending will encourage readers to crack into the next installment of the series, yet to be released. The mandatory love triangle is introduced, yet one seems out of the running by book's end; or is he? Not the surgical procedure required in Westerfeld's Uglies, the beauty that the Belles offer comes organically through their spirit and can be procured only with lots of money. Clayton raises questions such as; to what end will people go to be beautiful? And what really is beauty? The characters are of various skin tones and sexual preferences, showing that no one race is more beautiful than another. An entertaining and thought provoking read.