Rouge- A Novel by Mona Awad
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Web ID: 17302273If You Get It, You Get It.
This book might not be for everybody, but those who get it, really get it. Quirky writing like a fever dream that leaves you dreaming about what will happen next.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Spine-Chilling Read!
đ¸ ARIANA'S BOOK REVIEW đ¸ âââââ¨/5 Genre: Horror, Gothic, Thriller, Contemporary, Adult, Fantasy If you're a fan of horror fiction or enjoy a spine-chilling read, "Rouge" by Mona Awad should be at the top of your must-read list. Awad's gripping tale takes readers on a dark and suspenseful journey, leaving them both enthralled and unnerved. In "Rouge," Awad seamlessly combines elements of horror and psychological suspense, crafting an unsettling atmosphere that captivates from the very first page. The story is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, eager to devour every word. At its core, this story reflects on the beauty industry and media's exploitation of people's insecurities from a young age. "Rouge" exposes the damaging narrative that women are only valuable if they conform to specific standards. It also sheds light on the manipulation and fascination of older men with young girls, highlighting the power dynamics and the pervasive nature of such relationships. What sets "Rouge" apart from other horror novels in the genre is Awad's unique ability to blend the supernatural with everyday experiences and emotions. The sense of dread and unease seeps off the pages, making even the most mundane activities feel unsettling. As the story unfolds, readers will question the boundaries between reality and nightmare. This thought-provoking and captivating read leaves a lasting impact. "Rouge" goes beyond surface-level scares, delving into important social commentary while challenging traditional narratives. Awad artfully crafts a narrative that demands attention, prompting readers to question societal expectations and the damaging effects of the beauty industry. With its intricate exploration of mother-daughter relationships, manipulation, and the dark truths of society, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally charged experience. People who have read âSilver Nitrateâ (Silvia Moreno-Garcia), âBlack Sheepâ (Rachel Harrison) and âDeath Valleyâ (Melissa Broder) may like this book. Thank you Mona Awad, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and Edelweiss for this delightful read. All opinions expressed here are purely my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Unhinged
Rouge is one of those books that is a full experience to read and is genuinely quite hard to describe. It reads almost as a fever dream and the narration style gets more and more unhinged the further you read. I felt gripped from the first page and was compelled to keep reading, devouring it in just a few sittings. Belle has always felt like she is in her motherâs shadow when it comes to her beauty. When her mum passes away, a pair of red shoes leads her to a luxury, secret spa that who seem very keen on passing out free beauty treatments. Belle is a fascinating character as even before the plot develops - she is shallow and very concerned with her skin, taking part in elaborate beauty routines with various creams and serums and watching endless Youtube videos for guidance. The book is a great commentary on the beauty and wellness industry and uses inspiration from Snow White and Fairytales to tell the story. It passes into the sci-fi and horror territories at times as well as touching on mother/daughter relationships, jealousy and grief. I did feel that the ending was a little unsatisfying â I was expecting perhaps a final twist and some ends are not completely tied up but that felt very in-keeping with its style - itâs a book that you will think about long after you turn the final page. I highly recommend it â itâs the perfect Halloween read and a Kindig Gem for 2023. Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster UK â Scribner UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Mirror,Mirror on the wall.
Genre: Magical Realism Publisher: Simon Element Pub Date: September 12, 2023 âRougeâ is one strange novel. I am unsure if I have the words to review what I read. This does not mean it is a bad novel, but for someone who is not used to magical realism, I was often lost. Mirabelle, who goes by Belle âtake note of her nameâis our protagonist. Belle has been obsessed with her skin and skincare videos for as long as she can remember, probably because her mother, Noelle, was a classic French beauty who never seemed to age. Red is a predominant color in the story. There is an evil red jellyfish, which may or may not be Belleâs mother. Belle has no control over her red shoes, which have a mind of their own and carry her wherever they please. Additionally, red flowers everywhere symbolize that death is about to happen. One scene that terrified me is when Belle has a âspaâ experience. In the âfacial room," frozen faces are peeking out of its walls. Ponder a Tim Burton film with a strong dose of âMirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?â Between the horrifying surreal imagery, you will find that this is a dark tale about the unrealistic beauty standards placed on women that simultaneously explores the mother-daughter relationship. In this case, it is a rivalry. Adult Belle has long moved away from her French-speaking California neighborhood. She returns for her motherâs funeral and discovers that Noelle was deep in debt. Belle learns her motherâs money all went into a cult-like beauty spa. Here, she understands the frightening secret behind her (and her motherâs) obsession with their facial appearances. The story is not linear, and I confess it took me a while to figure out this was the novelâs story. Most of the time, I thought Belle was on a bad acid trip. Think of an evil version of âAlice In Wonderlandâ that takes place in the infamous Moulin Rouge. In this fever dream of a tale, an evil being in a Tom Cruise disguiseâ Iâm thinking as a nod to âEyes Wide Shutââfrequently kisses our Belle to encourage her to join the other women dressed in red at the spa that promises endless youth. In a way, this is also a mystery novel since Belle is looking for the cause of her motherâs mysterious death. You will enjoy the book as long as you go in knowing that Belle jumps around in time without any explanation of how she got from one place to another. Since I am not a fan of this type of read, the novel wasnât for me. Still, I can think of many who would thoroughly enjoy this twisted fairytale.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Mona Awad does it again!!!
As a big fan of "Bunny", I'm always worried more books from Mona Awad won't live up to the 2019 hit, but "Rouge" does not disappoint! Horror meets fairytale and motherhood in "Rouge". This book is terrifying, darkly comedic, and cutting all at once. Some of the vivid and haunting imagery in this book has stuck with me long after finishing it, and I'm still thinking about that ending! Please, if you love "Bunny" or authors like Melissa Broder or Carmen Maria Machado, put this on your TBR immediately!!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Gothic Horror Novel for the Anti-Aging Obsessed
Thank you S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to get a jump on Mona Awad's latest gothic horror novel. Mirabelle (âBelleâ), is an acolyte of the over saturated and often overstimulating beauty industry. Snail mucin, micro-currents and marine algae masks are childâs play for Belle who is a devotee of beauty vlogs which tout products to save your âpoor, poor neck,â recommend seven different acids because each is necessary to address âa different skin predicament,â and focus on various âskin journeys,â such as a retinoid journey and a post-inflammatory journey. For Belle, who inherited her deceased fatherâs swarthy complexion and dark hair, itâs all about luminosity, radiance, lifting, plumping to achieve skin like glass without âa hair or a line or a blemish.â By the time she has completed her morning routine, it is early evening. When Belleâs fair, red-haired mother, Noelle Des Jardins who, as related by her business partner, also âreally loved her products,â mysteriously dies falling off a cliffâs edge to the rocks and beach below, Belle travels to La Jolla, California to settle her motherâs affairs. Belle arrives at her motherâs moldering beach-front condo, which is cluttered with red jars and bottles, without extra clothing but with seven ziplock bags full of skin products âbecause grief afflicts the skin barrier.â At the funeral, Belle spies a mysterious woman in red who exclaims that Noelle âwent the way of the roses.â As Belle contends with her motherâs crushing debts and the sexy handyman who is repairing the decaying condo, she receives an invitation from La Maison de MĂŠduse, a luxurious, cult-like spa where Noelle was among their âmost prized membersâ and where the âsecrets go far beyond exfoliation.â Awad has crafted a humorous, contemporary fairy tale that dives into the sinister underbelly of obsessive beauty and the quest for perpetual youth and physical perfection with wry cultural observations of fraught mother-daughter relationships and our societyâs obsession with the superficial. âRougeâ illuminates the uneasy truths about being a woman in our anti-aging obsessed society, which itself feels like gothic horror.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Lost interest quickly
Rouge By Mona Awad This is a story about our obsession with beauty and the billion dollar beauty product industry which thrives on feeding that obsession. The reviews call it a work of "artistry and imagination". Unfortunately, I got bogged down in all the products and skincare videos, and lost interest early on with how the story would develop. I only made it about half way through and gave up. This book just isn't my cup of tea.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Another Great Book from Awad
This book does a lot and has a lot to say. Some of which I didn't fully understand. If you enjoyed Bunny, for the absolute mind fuckery and "wtf is going on-ness" of it then you should pick this up. I notoriously don't seem to enjoy books that are written in nothing but long paragraphs with no breaks in between. I can't remember if Bunny was also set up in that same style since it's been a few years since I've read it but that's how this book is written. I find it so difficult to follow when it's written like that but I do get why it's written like that and it does add something to the story. The writing style itself is easy to get lost in and confused while reading that I often had to re-read the same paragraph or the same page multiple times before I fully understood what was happening in the scene. That combined with the magical surrealism throughout the story made for a very mind bending, confusing, and interesting read. Not to continually compare this book to the author's previous works but much like with Bunny, I feel this book requires a re-read or even a third-read before full comprehension of the story can take place. HOWEVER, although the story was difficult to follow (for me) both in plot and in writing style, there are some really interesting things being said in here. The big conversation being had in here is that of the beauty industry / beauty standards. This part of the story is a bit...too on the nose for me. Like, there's no digging for a deeper meaning it's all just right there on the surface in your face. There's a whole lot of telling but not a lot of showing. (I may just be a too dim witted to get any deeper meaning) But that might be the point, honestly. Because the beauty industry is everywhere, right? You can't escape it. It's so in your face every second of every day so maybe that's what Awad is trying to convey. But, IDK! Again, it was hard to follow for me so I don't think I was able to personally find deeper meaning in stuff. The conversation about mother + daughter relationships is really what I enjoyed. Belle's relationship with Mother is so intriguing the more you learn and discover. What it means to be a mother and to be a daughter especially with the beauty standards of today and the idea of growing older and youth and everything. I think on a re-read that aspect is what I'd focus on the most. Overall, I do recommend this. I didn't think I enjoyed it that much during reading and right after finishing but having this time to get thoughts out and really think about what the book is saying made me realize I did really enjoy this. I think that's what Awad is best at. Upon reflecting, you realize that there was a whole lot more going on than you had originally thought and that's what makes a good book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com