Deena Williams is a girl with a secret, one she would fight tooth and nail to protect at all costs in order to climb the social ladder at an elite school for girls called Bellerton. From the first day when she fumbles at handing the porter a tip, Ada May befriends her and she becomes part of an exclusive but toxic circle of girls called The Belles.

The author in her acknowledgments called them her very bad girls and that's exactly right. I would have thought Deena's secret would have been obvious from the start and they would have been more suspicious of her, given Bellerton's strict social order. But I digress. If you're looking for a character-driven story of the power of female friendship against the darkness, this is not it. This is the antithesis of women supporting women. These were indeed very bad girls who were abusive toward each other in escalating ways, cementing their bond with something far darker than sisterly affection.

But that's also true to form for dark academia. I liked Deena the best and although I wish I'd known her better, I loved how her revenge played out. In the end she wasn't the unlikable, desperate ingenue. They're all unlikable, toxic, shallow characters, but I couldn't put this one down. I had to know what would happen next. The writing was atmospheric, evocative and painted a picture of dread and Southern Gothic. I couldn't really find anyone to root for but that's also typical dark academia.

I liked how it really painted a picture of life for women in the 1950s and how hard it was if you were born to the wrong family. The college definitely gave off that 1950s class-conscious vibe with the way it molded young ladies into perfect Southern wives by any means necessary. It was deliciously evil with a veneer of shallow beauty. It's hard to find a good dark academia anymore and this satisfied my craving for the genre. It's all cozy or light academia these days.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Belles is a haunting, atmospheric entry into the dark academia canon, blending Southern Gothic flair with chilling supernatural elements and sharp social commentary. Set in the cloistered world of Bellerton College in the 1950s, this novel pulls readers into a web of secrets, rituals, and ambition—all wrapped in velvet ribbons and legacy pressure.

Told across multiple timelines, Dunham masterfully unravels a slow-burn mystery through the eyes of Deena, a deeply compelling outsider desperate to belong. Her journey into the elite and enigmatic sisterhood of the Belles is laced with tension, psychological twists, and the quiet horror of what tradition demands. Think The Secret History meets Yellowjackets, with a Southern Gothic twist and a ghostly whisper echoing through the dorm halls.

The writing is lush and immersive, especially in its descriptions of the campus and the eerie rituals that bind the girls together. Though some readers may find the supernatural element jarring or wish for more nuance in certain characters (particularly Ada May and the original Belles), the novel’s strength lies in its atmosphere and exploration of privilege, identity, and the insidious power of legacy.

Fans of sinister boarding school stories, toxic female friendships, and slow-burning suspense will find plenty to savor. Dunham doesn’t shy away from the darkness in these girls—or the institutions that shape them. The Belles is equal parts elegant and unsettling, a gothic mystery that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you Galley for the ARC 🫶🏻

3.75

Think The Secret History meets Bunny but in the 1950s and with some haunting. This was a delicious and immersive academia experience! The writing was intimate, the descriptions of the campus and ground were excellent. It really felt like I was there, drunk on girlhood and that fresh exhilarating feeling of being allowed to be a part of something.

I do wish that we got a little bit more out of Ada May, something to make her less 2 dimensional, less just a girl hell bent on tradition for tradition’s sake. For the last quarter of the book it felt like we were right at the edge of greatness but it was missing that final little something. But with everything else this book did right, it is well worth the read!

Firstly, thanks goes to NetGalley & Atria Books for the E-ARC. 4 ⭐️

The Belles is a Dark Academia/Southern Gothic novel set in two separate timelines. This book is a very hypnotic read, incorporating light supernatural elements, which you don’t always see in the genre. The structure of the novel allows you to unpack the events of the novel and keeps you reading.

Deena, the protagonist, is a compelling character with convincing motivations. If the novel were longer, I would have been interested to hear more of her backstory with Grandmother. That said, I think the author did a great job of giving each of the Belles a distinct identity that set Deena in stark contrast as an outsider.

I got big Yellowjackets vibes from this. Obviously it’s a different story, but the structure of the show is similar to this book, in service of the same sort of hook: who will make it to the end? Who is the big bad? The pages are peppered with little details.

I didn’t love how it ended, and I also didn’t want it to. So, those are my two gripes, but they’re purely subjective.

I will be eager to buy a copy for my shelves and keep an eye out for whatever this author does next. I really enjoyed her writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an ARC of The Bells.

So was dark and delicious!

Mean girls, but make is dark academia.

I enjoyed this so much.

I dnfed at 17%. The atmosphere is spooky enough but this reads like a YA mystery book, and there’s so many characters introduced at once to remember. There’s really no build up to anything, all of it just happens at once and I feel like it’s rushing through to try to build suspense but doing the opposite.

A dark academia novel set in 1951 with an eerie location of Bellerton College. This would be my first dark academia book I’d say, and I found I really enjoyed it.

I couldn’t help but route for “Deena” even though I knew she had to have done something horrible in order to have gotten to Bellerton in the first place. That being said, everyone in this book is bad and I can’t figure out if I loved that about it or if it wasn’t for me.

Ada May made me want to rip her hair out and, honestly, everyone else did as well.

Also, throughout the WHOLE book I kept thinking about Tamla Horsford.

The only thing that threw me off about this book was the supernatural element? I feel like the ghost aspect felt out of place. I think I personally would have preferred to have Deena uncover the story of Mary slowly and without the help of her ghost. It just felt abrupt whenever mentioned.

Overall I did enjoy this book quite a bit and look forward to future work by this author!

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Yes. Go out and pick up a copy of this book as soon as it’s out. I have been itching for a mysterious, chilling tale that actually has me refusing to put the book down and I was in such a slump from mediocre reads lately. This was the perfect remedy. The first few chapters had me a bit hesitant as I pieced things together, but then we were off and running and I was hooked.

There’s something unique about literature that focuses on a group that’s entirely women. If you just finished watching Yellowjackets or liked things like Wild Child or other stories and movies about boarding schools and girls who are supposed to be prim and proper but actually have a sadistic streak underneath, this is for you. Multiple point of views. Multiple timelines. Ghosts. Secrets. Who do you trust? Who do you root for? I don’t want to get too into details with a review because I want everything to be a reveal, and I promise you won’t be able to guess what’s going where!

A delightfully, creepy book full of mean girls. Of course, the poor girl is picked on by the others who come from money, of course it is set at an all women's college in the South, of course "the help" are easily overlooked - so many tropes and yet the author makes them work. The character development, the turns of phrase, all come together to make an engrossing read.

Oooh you know I'm always on board for a girlishly evil thriller ... set in a boarding school?! Absolutely. I enjoyed this novel that alternates timelines and point of views to set up the final reveal at the end. I did think it was a little predictable, but I was here more for the vibes. What I do wish was for some more intricate characterizations... the Belles are a group of six girls, which can be a lot to juggle, but even Deena--the main girl we follow through the whole novel--felt flat and underdeveloped. The novel felt like a ghost story being told to me, rather than a deep dive into the characters' minds.

Spooky setting, some mystical ghost action, 1950s propriety.

Just finished The Belles by Lacey N. Dunham, and whew—this one lingers. Set in the 1950s at an elite women’s college, it starts off like your classic coming-of-age story, but quickly peels back into something much darker and more unsettling. The atmosphere? So thick with secrets and old money tradition, I could practically hear the echo of pearls clinking in tea cups.

Deena, the main character, is an outsider pulled into this exclusive clique called “The Belles”—think velvet ribbons, quiet power, and a deep, eerie sense of unity. It gave me real gothic vibes with a modern undercurrent of examining privilege, identity, and how far we’ll go to belong.

It was eerie, elegant, and a little haunting in the best way. Dunham nailed the tension between tradition and truth, and I’m honestly still thinking about the ending. Highly recommend if you love secret societies, college drama, and that slow-burn dread that creeps up on you.

Dark, twisty, and totally absorbing—this is dark academia done right. I flew through this in a day. The atmosphere is so eerie and immersive, with themes like class, legacy, and toxic female friendships layered into every chapter. Deena’s unreliable narration kept me guessing, and the slow reveal of other perspectives only made things feel more unsettling in the best way. If you’re into cult vibes, gothic undertones, and messy characters you can’t trust but can’t stop reading about—add this to your list ASAP.

The Belles was a breath of fresh air since I've been reading so much fantasy lately I knew reading some dark academia would do me some good. And I honestly enjoyed what I read in this book. It had your typical dark academia feels but at the same time which unfortunately made some of the story predictable but other parts of the story weren't as easy to predict like the ending.
I loved the history behind the Belles and Bellerton College and never found myself bored of the world building. I also loved the characters and their small development throughout the story and found myself finding Ada the most interesting.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Belles is a dark academia novel about secrets and mystery. I loved that it took place in the 1950s. There is a full cast of characters and Deena the main character is hopeful to fit in with "the Belles" the exclusive group. I enjoyed the Belles and all of their antics. This book was well written and the characters had depth to them. This book is perfect for fall and back to school.

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of THE BELLES by Lacey N. Dunham in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and try to stay safe, sane and happy out there.

All of the Belles have a secret, but it’s a betrayal to keep such important parts of their identities from each other. How far will the Belles go to prove that not all of the girls belong?

This was a great read - it was thrilling and spooky. Even though there were some points that were a tad predictable. I thought it was fun and couldn’t stop myself from reading more. I will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future.

I always get sucked into dark academia books and this one did not disappoint! A fast paced story that would be a perfect read in the fall.

This story has all the things I enjoy about a book taking place on a college campus. The dark characters, the dorm life, the mystery - Dunham has crafted a great read with The Belles. I was captivated and needed to know what happened to the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed the haunting energy that permeated the book. I picked this one since it sounded like a gothic gossip girl and it didn't disappoint. I really liked that it played between the supernatural and just the awful behavior of the women. The slow reveal of the secrets and cut away to the modern timeline kept me engaged. I did get a little frustrated with the girls personalities by the end and wish we had more depth from some of the side characters like Sheba and Fred.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this until about 15 percent and just couldn’t get into it despite dark academia being a favorite genre of mine