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dhritigupta's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
what i loved:
- the motifs and imagery
- the PROLOGUE
- mona awad’s incredibly clever word choices/word-play
- exploration of messy mother-daughter relationships and motherhood in general
- how she touched on the horrors of bipoc girlhood (though a bit triggering at times)
- unpacking how skincare reveres whiteness and the problems with how it’s marketed as self-care
- belle’s chaotic bisexuality
didn’t love:
- hud hudson
- how so many questions were left unanswered,,,like i do think some parts should be left a mystery, but i’d love some more clarity about noelle’s past, and i have soooo many questions abt the spa members
- the ending felt a little too neat
- the motifs and imagery
- the PROLOGUE
- mona awad’s incredibly clever word choices/word-play
- exploration of messy mother-daughter relationships and motherhood in general
- how she touched on the horrors of bipoc girlhood (though a bit triggering at times)
- unpacking how skincare reveres whiteness and the problems with how it’s marketed as self-care
- belle’s chaotic bisexuality
didn’t love:
- hud hudson
- how so many questions were left unanswered,,,like i do think some parts should be left a mystery, but i’d love some more clarity about noelle’s past, and i have soooo many questions abt the spa members
- the ending felt a little too neat
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Abandonment, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
aileron's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief and Animal death
Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
jediprincess's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Mirabelle, — a half-Egyptian, half-French Canadian, dress shopkeeper in Montreal, obsessed with her skin-care routine — returns to her mother’s home in California for her funeral. There she is drawn into a mysterious, elite spa where her mother seems to have been a member in her final months.
This took me a long time to read. I think that I wasn’t sure where the story was going and couldn’t see the vision on how it was to become a horror, but once I did, wow! The descent into Mirabelle’s involvement with the spa crept up on me and each chapter had me more and more invested. The horror elements of Rouge are spectacular, I was so uncomfortable as I continued reading.
Rouge is ultimately a story of grief surrounding the mother-daughter relationship. Mirabelle’s past and present intertwine to showcase the impossible beauty standards pressed upon young girls, how white supremacy shows itself in the beauty industry (and from your own family), desire, envy, and obsession (it wouldn’t be a Mona Awad novel without those three!) to create a surreal horror that was captivating to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This took me a long time to read. I think that I wasn’t sure where the story was going and couldn’t see the vision on how it was to become a horror, but once I did, wow! The descent into Mirabelle’s involvement with the spa crept up on me and each chapter had me more and more invested. The horror elements of Rouge are spectacular, I was so uncomfortable as I continued reading.
Rouge is ultimately a story of grief surrounding the mother-daughter relationship. Mirabelle’s past and present intertwine to showcase the impossible beauty standards pressed upon young girls, how white supremacy shows itself in the beauty industry (and from your own family), desire, envy, and obsession (it wouldn’t be a Mona Awad novel without those three!) to create a surreal horror that was captivating to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Racism
orla_h's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Religious bigotry and Racism
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