Book Review: Belles by Jen Calonita

Belles by Jen Calonita

Synopsis (from the back of the book): Raised in a run-down house on the wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina, Isabelle “Izzie” Scott has always loved her less-than-charmed life by the beach. But when the grandmother she lives with needs to move into a nursing home, a social worker places Izzie with a politically prominent long-lost-uncle and his preppy, privileged family, taking her away from everything she’s ever known.

Unfortunately, inserting Izzie into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove isn’t going so well.  Her cousin, Mirabelle “Mira” Monroe isn’t thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates’ Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change Izzie’s and Mira’s lives forever.

My summary of the book: So basically Izzie grew up with her mom (no dad in the picture) and grandma.  Her mom died when she was 10 and now at 15 her grandma is getting Alzheimer’s.  A social worker sends her off to distant relatives; the Monroes.  Mira is a spoiled 15 year old brat, with an older step brother, shopaholic mom, and a tolerable six year old brother.  Also her dad is trying to become a senator and must keep the Monroe family name clean!  And then Izzie shows up which means drama, drama, drama.

Pros and Cons because I said so:

If you like Gossip Girls, drama, easy/little/no plot then here you go. 

Of the two main characters I enjoyed Mira more simply because she changes dramatically.  Izzie is quiet, and has dumb moments (seriously, everyone knows you don’t open a glass case at a store and take the jewelry out to look at).  Mira is who she is and when Izzie enters her life she begins to question things and change her life.  She has the big, dumb, jock boyfriend but starts to like an easy going, art guy.  She also stands up to her friends and breaks the mold.

Ultimately she and Izzie change places (in a sense) but to me I felt that for how fake Mira first seemed she felt more real because she changes.  Izzie changes too, she goes from shy girl, the I’m trying girl, I don’t care girl, and finally I have friends and Mira is the outcast girl.  That’s not changing your character it’s moving them from one position to another.  Are they really learning anything or thinking of others?  Not really.  Only once did I have respect for Izzie and that was when she took the fall for another girl whose family would have been shamed by the mistake she made.

Let’s not forget that Savannah, Mira’s best friends / the most evil heartless girl in the world, hates Izzie because she’s from the other side of the tracks.  Then there’s Brayden, Izzie’s male friend from summer…yeah, that’s Savannah’s boyfriend *dun dun duuuun* shocker.  Again, the only character I even liked was Mira but even that was only half-heartedly.

On second thoughts, what characters?  Cookie cut personalities with stereotypes.  A Cinderella story where we feel bad for Izzie, and only mildly bad for Mira.  Give me a break!

There were too many name droppings for me.  Gossip Girl; Harry Potter, Barbie, Disney’s Aladdin, and others that I can’t bring to mind.  I get that this book came out in 2012 but that doesn’t mean you can compare everything in your book to pop culture.  Some books work without the pop culture reference.  Why?  Because a book that has a few or no pop culture references means it’s a book that can be read by anyone, in the future, without stopping to look up what Gossip Girl or who a reality T.V. star is. 

Final Verdict:

I bought this book in December of 2012 while Christmas Shopping.  I thought it sounded interesting (Southern, scandal and family drama).  But I realized less than half way through the book that it’s a plot-less story for summer, a YA summer read.  The kind of book you take with you to the beach or when you’re waiting for your friends to pick you up to go shopping.  I honestly think the author sat down and watched Gossip Girl and thought “I can write a book like that but in the south with less sex!”

Oh and by the way SPOILER ALERT (if that even exist for this book) Mira’s dad, the politician trying to become a senator, yeah, he’s Izzie’s dad too.  O. M. G. like I didn’t figure that out from the minute they met and he’s all “You look just like your mother”.  Thanks Jen Calonita for showing me that I could write a predictable story with flat characters and still get published.  Belles; it’s a fun read but…yeah.  No sequel for me I think.

Thanks Jen Calonita but no thanks.

I'll keep reading books but I don't know if I'll go back to you.

HOWEVER...

I am reading the sequel to another book so stay tuned for that.  I'll give you a hint...

This sequel involves bad writing, an unhealthy relationship, and so much sex I had to flip the pages to continue the story.