Reviews

Rouge by Mona Awad

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stinkylilbaby's review

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Had to sit on my review for a few days since I read this so fast. One of the biggest villains in this book is the beauty industry and how it prays on vulnerable people, but i feel like people are completely overlooking the the mother daughter dynamic and the racial dynamics in this book. Reading the acknowledgments, I can understand how Awad’s own experience as a mixed race child with a white mother influenced Mirabelle’s struggles with her development, her ideals of beauty, and how she sees her mother.

Perhaps its because this book was unintentionally very relatable to me. I had a tumultuous relationship with my very white, beauty obsessed mother who resented aspects of myself that were deemed “ethnic” and who recently passed away. So my review is also an extension of my experiences.

Yet, by the second to last chapter I was fully in tears, especially when I was able to read the mom’s perspective of her daughter. It was so beautiful and illustrated how many single mothers are trying their best in their own misguided ways (not applicable to me, but I digress). Grief is so complicated, especially concerning a woman with her mom, and X100 when the relationship was toxic. Yet I completely understood how Mirabelle felt in her grief. It also made me analyze how much of my own expectations and ideals of beauty are rooted in what my mom looked like, and how I looked so different from her.

Honestly, Awad has made a fan out of me. Will definitely be reading more of her work. Love ❤️🌹🪼

read_and_twirl's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hsquatriglia's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

katharina22's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mirabelle is obsessed with skincare. The videos of her favorite beauty influencer are a constant companion in her life. Of course, as a child of a white and beautiful mother and an absent Egyptian father, her skin was never as light - no, no, no - as bright as her mother's. But her creams and tonics help her keep her skin healthy and glowing. When Mirabelle's mother suddenly dies, she travels to California, where her mother lived, to maybe sell the house. In her late mother's house, she discovers countless red jars that once held creams and walls of broken mirrors. Guided by red shoes, she discovers the beauty spa her mother went to, just a short walk away from the house. Here, she might find out why her mother died.

Rouge reads like a fairy tale. And indeed, Awad seems to draw inspiration from various myths and tales. She avoids explaining the motives and methods of the antagonists, shrouding them in mystery. There are several instances in which another author might have gone more into detail, focussing more on the plot and ultimately changing the story. As it is, Rouge is character-driven and preserves an almost dreamlike narration.

The story is told from Mirabelle's perspective. The narration style shifts with Mirabelle's development. Similarly to Bunny, at one point in the story, the protagonist's mind changes. She starts to speak of herself in the plural. Here, Mirabelle is at her most disassociated. But more impressive are the chapters written from the perspective of the ten-year-old Mirabelle. The narration is distinguishable from adult Mirabelle while maintaining key elements of her psyche.

The more Mirabelle's mind deteriorates, the more she starts to mix up words. Light instead of bright. Fascist magazines instead of fashion magazines. And lonely instead of lovely. Is it a bit heavy-handed? Maybe. Is it a good stylistic device? Definitely.

Finally, I loved that not-Tom Cruise is the villain. One could probably write an essay about how Cruise's role as a heartthrob in the late 80s and as Scientology's most famous member ties into the motives of the novel. Unfortunately, I lack both the time and skill.

kivt's review

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dark emotional mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Not compelling but I think I’m just not the right reader; this beauty/envy aspect of mother/daughter relationships and skincare obsession just aren’t part of my experience.