Book Review: The Belles

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really want to give this book a higher rating, but the first half simply dragged. I get that you need to do world building in a fantasy novel, but I feel like it could have been done amidst some additional action. The first half of the book just felt too tame. My rating was a 2-3 for the first half. By the second half of the book (actually, considerably past the halfway point), the book began to get more interesting. The reader discovers some dark secrets about the Belles and the current princess along with Camellia, and the story begins to pick up. I would rate the second half of the book a 3-4. It may just be that beauty and fashion are not my thing. I found the descriptions of dress types, fabric and makeup to be sleep inducing. However, my daughter is my opposite in this regard, and she (a 13-year-old fashionista who will watch makeup tutorials and practice until she gets it just right) may very much enjoy this book. I think I will hand it to her and see what happens. I haven't decided yet whether or not I will read the sequel, but if Paige likes this one, I will update my review.

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