C D’s Reviews > The Belles > Status Update

It’s hard to believe Amber and Camellia are friends. Amber is competitive and puts her desire to win above her clients’ safety. She mistakes Camellia’s pleas to stop as Camellia’s ploy to succeed.

The plot and what I believe is the main conflict didn’t begin to pick up until around page 235. Auguste seems like nothing more to a friend to Camillia and I don’t understand her attraction to him. It appears she’s only attracted to the idea of dating a charming rebel, as he showed up at her tent when he wasn’t allowed. Rémy is at times boring and struggles to be friendly and charismatic.

I don’t understand why Camellia made the girl look like her. It seems narcissistic and uncreative, even if it impressed the masses.

These pages are slow and hard to pay attention to.

Camellia is a hypocrite. She spends long moments wishing to be the favorite and wonders why Amber wants the same. Camellia doesn’t seem to understand Amber and it appears Amber has matured without her, and is more able to understand the competitiveness of the debuts.

I wonder if the boy is a significant character.

Camellia appears to be immature. She has confidence but needs others’ validation. Besides this, she displays a passion to act freely and chooses to stray from Du Barry’s instructions. I wonder why the little girl was compelled into becoming a part of the ceremony against her will.

I read this book in seventh or eighth grade and never finished it. Although I believed the writing was beautiful previously, my views have been dulled since then. From what I can tell, the world in this book revolves around beauty and people will do anything to be beautiful.