Title: The Belles

Author: Dhonielle Clayton

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Rating: 5 Glittery Stars

Synopsis: Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

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.

Review: THIS BOOK. The Belles is *completely* addictive. I could NOT put it down. The world is lush and pretty but also so, so dark. There are so many twists and turns it kept me engaged and needing more.

I love the main character Camellia and her love for her sisters. Their relationships were the one thing I wish we had gotten more of (though I suspect we’ll see a bit more as the story continues). The villain is also super terrifying and made me physically cringe at some of the things she did.

My love for this book is huge and I’m a little sad that I read an ARC as now I’ll have *that* much more time to wait before I can read the sequel. I definitely recommend this if you love YA fantasy!

If you’ve already read this one, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you to Disney Book Group for sending me an ARC to review!