I’ll just say up front, the buzz surrounding The Belles is definitely warranted. Set in the lavish and mysterious mythical island kingdom of Orleans, where all beauty comes with a price (literally), The Belles is the opening salvo in a tale of political intrigue, painful betrayals, shifting loyalties, personal growth, and power.
Camellia Beauregard and her five Belle sisters are the latest “season” of Belles introduced to the kingdom. Belles live to bestow beauty upon the people. Beauty must be bought because the citizens of Orleans are born gray and red-eyed. Camellia’s determined to prove she’s the best and be named the Queen’s favorite. But something’s rotten in the vibrant kingdom of Orleans. Belles are practically deified for their talents, but they live a cloistered existence in distractingly opulent surroundings.
So, what happens when a Belle faces decisions that force her to take a hard look beyond her gilded cage? An addictive journey navigating dangerous situations where failure is the least of one’s worries.
The Belles opens with such vivid descriptions and a strong narrative voice, it reels you in quickly. Before you realize, you’ve settled in for a long reading session. By the time I was fifty pages in, I was equal parts intrigued and wary. Camellia is both the main protagonist and our narrator.
On the surface, she and her sisters are just another group of girls with a princess complex focused on living their best life with little regard to the state of the world. But not does only Clayton aptly employ detailed descriptions while moving the story forward with flair, she builds a subtle commentary about slavery, colorism, and the dangers of being a cult of personality throughout. Each Belle is distinct in look – and personality – to such a degree, they are the standard of all beauty. This hat-tip to our addiction to fashion, glamour, and looks lays the foundation for a social byplay that explores self-love, jealousy, violent obsession, and greed.
This society thrives on one-upmanship and striving for the impossible. Watching as a young woman not only realizes her true power but the real impact it has on others was fantastic. Plus, the slow plot development and presence of key (allegedly) secondary characters lead to unveiling the grimy backroom workings around the kingdom and toxic power dynamic within the castle walls. It all aided in building the intensity around Camellia’s internal struggle. The Belles is a complicated tale about the insidiousness of group thinking and indoctrination. It touches on sensitive subjects with a deft hand; so deft you’ll find yourself questioning themes and tropes (and their meaning) we’ve all been conditioned to accept.
I felt, on a few occasions, the overall story would’ve been better served by focusing on a few of the other Belles more. Without experiencing firsthand how the other girls are (or aren’t) maturing in their new environment, Camellia’s obliviousness can be trying. It’s not enough to drag down the pace or undermine your investment in the characters though. On more than one occasion, I felt it was a deliberate (and effective) tactic.
Clayton craftily kept me fully invested with seedy subplots, violent power plays, and the painful consequences of the often-missed opportunities to better protect herself. I caught myself yelling at the page on more than once caught up in the increasingly dangerous goings-on. The Belles is an immersive reading experience particularly as the unexpected began to take center stage.
No one is safe in the kingdom of Orleans. I have to warn you, this is a society with a deeply rooted caste system and loyalty is often the only thing keeping you safe. For me, Clayton’s lush descriptions and targeted detail also called to mind, life in the antebellum South and all that imagery invokes. This fact is most harshly demonstrated at the height of all the drama when the fate of the only overtly LGBTQ+ character is decided… violently. Clayton’s built a world where vulnerability (of any kind) can leave you exposed. And when you have something to protect, you have something to lose. The character’s orientation isn’t what triggers her fate, but it can’t be ignored. No, I don’t believe Clayton to be lazily playing into tropes with this turn, but it’s hard not to find it upsetting. You’re supposed to. The almost tangible cruelty of some characters plays into the deep allegory being built and lends a harsh truth to the storytelling.
While this story takes a while to start moving with some momentum, nothing in the slow rollout is pointless or filler. Clayton casually drops clues to the greater mystery at play with skill. You’ll be forming opinions (and picking your own favorites) before you know it. As each girl takes her place in the kingdom, you swiftly realize, this plot is absolutely not going where you think. The Queen isn’t evil, the prince isn’t here to rescue the fair maiden, and unless this Belle learns to stand strong, all Belles are at risk and an entire kingdom may fall.
Clayton’s built a world rich in detail and strong themes, but her young protagonist is a dreadfully slow learner. Her seemingly single-minded focus on becoming the favorite and catering to the royal family is hair-pulling-level frustrating. On the one hand, Camellia is highly intuitive and savvy but on the other, she’s reckless, naive, and dangerously stubborn. She never seems to ask the right question at the right time or to learn from previous mistakes. Camellia’s age was a slight concern for me because I, personally, was a stupid sixteen-year-old, so the idea of a story written from the point of view of one made me well, twitchy. But her perspective coupled with interment “news articles” served as both an engaging guide and effective gatekeeper. As this tale grows increasingly suspenseful, this is both a boon and needed barrier. There are no conversation data dumps (a personal pet peeve) or rambling scenes that fail as red herrings.
By the time I reached the tipping point in this tale, I realized sixteen-year-old “stupid” is exactly what a story digging into slavish social norms, class warfare, and violent factions needs. By the end of the book, I was all in for wherever Clayton chooses to take things next.
The Belles is an excellent book club or “reading buddy” selection because there was no way you want to start what’s looking to be an angsty journey alone.
If you’re a fan of the story progression in Kiera Cass novel (with far more complex themes and a more compelling cast) or the spectacular world-building of Leigh Bardugo then The Belles is the first in a series you’re destined to enjoy.
The Belles, first in a series, released February 6, 2018.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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[coffee]
