Chris Lee 's Reviews > Rouge
Rouge
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by
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Chris Lee 's review
bookshelves: f-horror, f-mystery, r-4-star, z-seasonal-spookyoctober
Oct 17, 2023
bookshelves: f-horror, f-mystery, r-4-star, z-seasonal-spookyoctober
Read 2 times. Last read October 12, 2023 to October 17, 2023.
The book opens like a dream. A fever dream built around a main character who has experienced something tragic. A young woman named Belle takes a plane from Canada to California after she finds out her mother passed away under questionable circumstances. She must meet with the solicitor to talk about her mothers apartment, her dress shop, and the surprising amount of debt that she will be responsible for.
This part of the story is quite clear, but the lines start to blur when Belle thinks back to her childhood and the disparities in parenting between her grandmother and mother. Her mother never wanted Belle to go into her bedroom and peruse her closet. What was in her room that was so secretive and off-limits? Perhaps it was the mirror. The mirror allowed one to see things. Things that excite, things that seduce, and things that frighten. On the other hand, the grandmother wants to expose young Belle to the outside world. She rents her Tom Cruise movies from the video store so she can experience feelings such as envy, revenge, lust, and anger. But how does she cope with these new feelings? Well, you have to jump down the rabbit hole to find out.
This intricate plot has numerous levels to dig through: dealing with family, discovering yourself, inner problems with outward-facing issues, and a variety of other complex mental states. It’s a puzzle box to solve, and as you start to put the pieces together, the “a-ha” moments might just leave you with emotions you were not prepared for.
If you have read Mona Awad’s novel Bunny and enjoyed it, I believe you will be right at home with this book. She has an uncanny ability to explain complex feelings in the fully realized worlds she creates. It may be confusing at first, but the author weaves together some familiar story lines, which help with some of the heavy lifting that’s required. Everything makes emotional sense, even if some of the visuals might leave you scratching your head at first. If you do read it, I would suggest filing away some of the more repetitive and neurotic behaviors, such as the overabundant explanations of cosmetics for use in the latter portion of the book. But just like in Bunny, everything comes together in the end.
I had an amazing time with this book, and I think the best way to go into it is to know very little about the plot. Try to avoid any mention of themes, and I think it will really surprise you. There is no avoiding the emotional response to her journey. The impact of the book showcases a young woman’s outward struggles with the world around her, illuminating thoughts and feelings we all go through in one way or another. This book also shines in the last 100 or so pages. It’s a masterclass in compiling previous emotional sequences into a form that not one person might interpret the same way. It’s mysterious, charming, cautionary, and surprisingly heartfelt.
⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4.5 out of 5
This part of the story is quite clear, but the lines start to blur when Belle thinks back to her childhood and the disparities in parenting between her grandmother and mother. Her mother never wanted Belle to go into her bedroom and peruse her closet. What was in her room that was so secretive and off-limits? Perhaps it was the mirror. The mirror allowed one to see things. Things that excite, things that seduce, and things that frighten. On the other hand, the grandmother wants to expose young Belle to the outside world. She rents her Tom Cruise movies from the video store so she can experience feelings such as envy, revenge, lust, and anger. But how does she cope with these new feelings? Well, you have to jump down the rabbit hole to find out.
This intricate plot has numerous levels to dig through: dealing with family, discovering yourself, inner problems with outward-facing issues, and a variety of other complex mental states. It’s a puzzle box to solve, and as you start to put the pieces together, the “a-ha” moments might just leave you with emotions you were not prepared for.
If you have read Mona Awad’s novel Bunny and enjoyed it, I believe you will be right at home with this book. She has an uncanny ability to explain complex feelings in the fully realized worlds she creates. It may be confusing at first, but the author weaves together some familiar story lines, which help with some of the heavy lifting that’s required. Everything makes emotional sense, even if some of the visuals might leave you scratching your head at first. If you do read it, I would suggest filing away some of the more repetitive and neurotic behaviors, such as the overabundant explanations of cosmetics for use in the latter portion of the book. But just like in Bunny, everything comes together in the end.
I had an amazing time with this book, and I think the best way to go into it is to know very little about the plot. Try to avoid any mention of themes, and I think it will really surprise you. There is no avoiding the emotional response to her journey. The impact of the book showcases a young woman’s outward struggles with the world around her, illuminating thoughts and feelings we all go through in one way or another. This book also shines in the last 100 or so pages. It’s a masterclass in compiling previous emotional sequences into a form that not one person might interpret the same way. It’s mysterious, charming, cautionary, and surprisingly heartfelt.
⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4.5 out of 5
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
April 17, 2023
– Shelved as:
f-horror
April 17, 2023
– Shelved as:
f-mystery
October 12, 2023
–
Started Reading
October 17, 2023
– Shelved as:
r-4-star
October 17, 2023
– Shelved as:
z-seasonal-spookyoctober
October 17, 2023
–
Finished Reading
April 8, 2024
– Shelved
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Rachel
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Oct 17, 2023 11:22AM
![Rachel Hanes](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1724541430p1/75009563.jpg)
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![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
🙌 - Thank you, Rachel! Ah, it's just so modern and refreshing. If you do start it, just know it's a slow burn, but it has quite a few exciting literary references to help move it along. Happy reading!
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
It sure was a fun one, Helga! I had NO idea that I was going to learn so much about cosmetics. 😁 The main character has a not-so slight obsession with them and explains each one in extreme detail.
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
YES! I know you will really like it. The writing is stupendously dark and captivating. It may not attack your senses like Bunny did, but it will definitely trigger some nervousness. Oh, and I do not want to hype it up too much, but the last 100 or so pages are incredible. Happy reading when you get to it in the future. :)
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
Muchas gracias Mica! Fue un cambio de página emocionante, amiga mío.
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
Thank you for the kind words, Allison! It is definitely a unique read. Hopefully you like it when you get to it. :)
![Rosh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1700254211p1/91622714.jpg)
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
Thank you, Rosh! It might have given me a few headaches along the way, but overall, it was incredibly deep and exciting. :)
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
Thank you for the kind words, Carol! If you like snarky, creative writing as much as I do, you will devour this one. I did forget to mention that the pace is pretty slow, so stick with it at the beginning. 😁 Happy reading!
![Elisa](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1584639133p1/51750517.jpg)
Great review Chris! Very insightful !
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
Great review Chris! Very insightful !"
100%! Thank you, Elisa. Since you have read it, check out her written interview @ vulture.com. She explains how she came up with the overall idea and how she shaped some of the characters based on her life experiences. Fun insight. I still need to read her first novel and "All's Well" as well. Saving them for a rainy day. :)
![Sophia](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1722481612p1/161101833.jpg)
![Chris Lee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718468384p1/5898724.jpg)
The more, the merrier, as they say. It is really interesting to see what people think about her writing. I suggested Bunny to a family member, and after the first few chapters, they called to ask if I was okay. haha. With that said, start Bunny first. 😅
![Sophia](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1722481612p1/161101833.jpg)