The Belles

November 20, 2017
Sixteen-year-old sisters Camellia, Edelweiss, Ambrosia, Padma, Valeria, and Hana are the new generation of Belles, young women who are responsible for keeping the citizens of Orléans beautiful, magically transforming their appearances to align with the latest trends. Descendants of the Goddess of Beauty, the Belles are paid to perform their magic to prevent their people from reverting to pallid, red-eyed creatures, their natural state. Talented Camellia believes that she will be selected as the Queen’s favorite, a role the sisters covet deeply. But when another Belle is chosen, and Camellia is assigned to a teahouse to perform beauty rituals on the wealthy, she begins to wonder if what she has always believed about the Belles is true. Clayton (coauthor of Tiny Pretty Things) creates a vivid island world in this enticing series opener, saturating the narration with lush descriptions (“Carts hold tiers of pastries frosted in rose-petal pinks and pearly whites and apple reds, flutes overflow with jewel-tone liquids”) that reflect the culture’s obsession with elegance, appearance, and luxury. Readers will be left with much to consider about morality, individuality, and the malleability and artificiality of beauty. Ages 14–up. Agent: Victoria Marini, Irene Goodman Literary.

Narrator Rosie Jones introduces Camellia Beauregard and her sisters with a posh British accent. They are Belles, who live in the enchanted kingdom of Orl�ans and have the ability to transform its naturally gray people into beautiful works of art. Ensnared in the world of the aristocracy, Camellia begins to learn that for all the beauty she bestows, there is more ugliness underneath. The large cast of characters is no obstacle for Jones, who comes with a full stock of voices. She routinely switches up her cadence and sometimes drops her accent entirely to bring variety to the courtiers who are vying to control Camellia's talents, including the benevolent Princess Sophia, whose sweet voice becomes utterly terrifying as the tale unfolds. J.E.C. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine