Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Synopsis
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.

What I thought
The Belles is a young adult fantasy novel that takes place in the Kingdom of Orleans.  In this french influences story people are born grey, and only the Belles have color. It is the sole duty of the Belles to give color to people for a price.  Camellia wants desperately to be the favorite Belle; however, things are not as the Belles have been led to believe. Each Belle has to figure out how far they are willing to be pushed and if they are willing to pay the price of being a Belle.

This story really makes you think about how much value society puts on what is considered beauty.  The society of Orleans revers beauty and they push to be recognized as the most beautiful no matter the outcome.  I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the second book in this series.

My Rating: /5