I thought this book had some compelling elements but ultimately didn’t quite meet my expectations. I felt the atmosphere was beautifully crafted—the secluded Bellerton College and its 1951 setting created a rich and immersive backdrop for the story. I appreciated the eerie tone and the way the author conveyed the tension and privilege that shaped the Belles’ world.
That said, I felt like the plot was lacking and didn’t have the depth I was hoping for. While the story explored themes like privilege, sisterhood, and secrets, I found myself wishing for more complexity in the narrative. Some parts felt predictable, and the pacing didn’t always keep me engaged. I thought the idea of the Belles walking the halls in matching ribbons and playing cruel pranks added an intriguing edge to the story, but the plot didn’t fully capitalize on the potential for suspense or darker twists. I wanted more development in Deena’s character and her relationships with the other girls, as well as a stronger payoff for the sinister history of Bellerton.

Overall, I thought the book was enjoyable in terms of its atmospheric setting, but it fell short when it came to the plot. It might appeal to readers who love richly detailed worlds and character-driven stories, but it didn’t quite deliver the gripping narrative I was hoping for.

This is a perfect mysterious, twisty dark academia read with one of my favorite things: an unreliable narrator. This book also had some social commentary that I thought was super relevant even though the story is set in the 50s. Highly recommend this one!

3.5/5

This was such a cool environment for this story, I mean, one of my all-time favorite movies is Mona Lisa Smile!

I also love the cover, I think it looks so cool!

This would be the perfect fall read with the school and the spooky, ghostly vibes.

This was entertaining, unique and gives the reader different POVs so we call fully understand the vibes of this school, its culture and its people. We have a narrator that may not be so reliable and an outdates system and a secret society sort of situation (which is always fun).

I would recommend this for those who want more of any of the above in their life.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

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

Ohhh, this was deliciously dark! Mean Girls meets Bunny with a splash of something all its own. The writing was absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed the fully dimensional cast of characters. A fall release date feels perfect for this book and it definitely deserves a spot on your spooky season TBR!

4.5 stars

I was asked to read and review “The Belles,” which focuses on Deena who hopes to fit in with her peers at an exclusive women’s college. Accordingly, she joins an alliance—hence, the title “the Belles,” a exclusive group that is willing to remain at the topic of college society.

While the story is told mostly through Deena’s perspective, there are multiple POVs and a dual timeline that assist the reader in understanding the secrets Deena and the other Belles are hiding.

This is a complex novel with a clearly unreliable narrator. I enjoy the idea of a protagonist risking everything to fit in; this is a plot point that never gets old. Growing up, I loved novels that focused on secret societies so I imagine this novel will have a strong fan base.

Four out of five stars.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for a chance to read and review this spooky story.

A dark academia-tinged story, set in an exclusive school called Bellerton, where girls get an education that will mold them into perfect young women. A restrictive place that rests on tradition and secrecy. What will happen when one student is different enough, will she be seen as a true threat?
This book juggles multiple timelines, which I thought was actually done pretty well. It was nice to see some things from multiple POVs, and see how the various 'Belles' viewed the same events (the forward time jumps were the most interesting).
What didn't work for me was our main central character, Deena. I didn't think she was very fleshed out, and she never felt like the rebel outsider she was supposed to be. She seemed to go along with the flow all the time (and in her interactions with the servants, she was pretty unlikeable), and every time she pushes against the Belles' rules, she would always fall back into line. The ending with her and the main 'Belle' antagonist felt really anticlimactic, and didn't feel as a satisfying conclusion.

im rounding this up from a 4.5/4.75

im really blown away by this one. i knew that i would love it just based off of the synopsis. The Belles takes place at the prestigious bellerton college in the early 50s. deena williams is an outsider who is determined to fit in, and to hide her true identity. deena becomes entangled with five of her fellow freshmen, and the six of them are dubbed “the belles.” together, the sisterhood begins to push the boundaries of the strict rules and traditions at bellerton through pranks and games. it becomes clear to deena that the girls are messing with forces that they cannot reckon with as she is haunted by bellerton’s sinister past.

shifts in perspective and timeline lend us clues to the mystery that is unravelling. and through these perspectives the novel delves into girlhood, the danger of privilege and the complexities that come with trying to belong.

the main perspective is deena’s, a character who we root for but slowly begin to realize is an unreliable narrator. as she uncovers the dark history of bellerton, readers begin to uncover deena’s history as well.

dunham perfectly captured the atmosphere of dark academia, from the gothic boarding school setting, the unchecked privilege of the supporting characters, and the darkly secretive sisterhood. the shift from the innocent girlhood to the cultish dynamic is beyond intriguing. and on top of all of this, there are supernatural elements that lend a creepy and unsettling vibe to the narrative. we begin to wonder, along with deena, what is real and what isnt?

this was a fast-paced novel that kept me on the edge of my seat as i wanted to get to the bottom of the various mysteries that were unfolding. anyone who loves dark academia, an unreliable narrator, or a critique on privilege and classist institutions will absolutely want to pick this one up!

thank you to the publishers for an ARC of this book, provided by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review :)

This was just an okay read for me. This book was no comparison to “The Secret History” but was entertaining with unique characters.

It’s 1951. . .
….At an elite all-women’s college, isolated deep within the Virginia mountains, sits Bellerton College . . .
. . . “where girls who misbehave disappear”.

“The Bells” are six freshman girls sharing dormitory residence in the South Hall.
They have been singled out by the president’s wife as the most promising girls of their class….an honor that Mrs. Tibbert was only conferring to the six freshman girls.
“The Bells” should set a good example…. (follow these guidelines):
“It is advantageous to be
friendly, nice, and well liked always.
Gum chewing, and complaining are unladylike habits,
so don’t indulge your temptations
Finally, you would do your best to steer clear of asocial
attitudes and perverse thoughts”.
—Bellerton Student Handbook, 1951-1952

NOTE: “The Bells” press those acceptable boundaries. They ‘do’ indulge in temptations. They break plenty of rules, have secrets, are disloyal to one another, and they are certainly not always nice.
The cruelty towards an innocent housemother disgusted me!

I admit I didn’t find an ounce of humor in the sisterhood-‘mean-hood’- joking schemes ….(not sure I was to suppose to anyway)….nor was the suspense thriller itself a huge intrigue …..
but with that being said….
….the novel’s highlights ‘for me’ was the window into the early 1950’s that Lacey N. Dunham created.
With women often having been underrepresented both as students and faculty at institutions of higher education during the 1950’s …..Dunham gave us a (rolling our eyes - but with fun) perspective of the ideals expected from women who did go to college ….they should be ladylike…a little sexy and flirty ….because after all culture was heavily shaped on women becoming housewives who cared for their home, children, and husband.

The language, themes around the importance of beauty, and purity for our ladylike girls — an era I lived through too - (I remember wearing Kelly Green shorts), is funny to read today in 2025 ……
I wish our biggest problems today were concerns with fashion glossy lips, smooth unblemished skin, pear earrings, ponytails with ribbons the color of cotton candy, knotted scarves under the chin, wool stockings, linked pinkies, being in possession of others, toxic female relationships, secrets, missing bars of soap, other lost items, stealing homework consequences, and proper Bellerton’s ideal manners.

“Remember, you must constantly strive for perfection in your words, actions, and manner of dress. There are girls who look up to you, and others who will take their cues from your behavior. Men will expect to be dazzled by your warmth and politeness. There are eyes always upon you”.
—Bellerton Student Hsndbook, 1951/1952


Each of the girls ….. “The Bells”…..had distinctive personalities and dispositions …. with ‘coming-of-age’ changes throughout….but as a general characterization….meet the main players:
….Deena Williams - the outsider, doing her best to fit in. She was orphaned; raised by her grandmother. The only girl who didn’t come from ‘wealth’. Deena could be considered the main protagonist.
….Adam May Delacourt - leader of the pack - all the girls respect and look up to her.
….Fred Scott - a ‘confident’ outsider I’m gonna finish this now
….Sheba Wyatt - loud & showy
….Nell Lawton-Peter’s - nervous and overly earnest.
….Prissy Nicholson - definitely spoiled

So we take a gothic mystery suspense thriller ride with ‘The Belles’ at the prestigious Bellerton College ‘for girls’.
It’s a fast fun college campus experience of the devious naughty society girls (at times a little corny and trite), …..but that’s what I signed up for when choosing to read Lacey’s debut novel.
We get some spooky supernatural segments too.
My favorite part: The ENDING! I laughed and cheered it. Naughty me? It was symbolically perfect…..
….There just might be a significant positive change for something better to come. 🤔

Ha….but in America today? 🫤

Congrats to Lacey N. Dunham on her debut novel.

Came for the cover and stayed for the vibes. If I wasn’t reading this as an ARC I’d have definitely preferred to read this in early fall. The story was good but kind of a slow burn and could’ve used more ghosts.

A fast paced dark academia read perfect for autumn! The author managed to create such an engaging story with immense depth in just 300 pages. The story tackles dark topics like classism, familial legacy, the toxicity of female friendships, and the lengths one will go to for a reputable education. None of the characters are likable, each one has distinct flaws. Yet one finds themselves sucked into their corrupt, cultish lives. There’s an unsettling undertone throughout the entire novel. The main protagonists unreliable narration only lends to the mystery of the story. As readers we know we can’t trust her, yet still find ourselves rooting for her. For awhile we only read from Deena’s perspective. Readers grow reliant and sympathy for Deena. But then we are slowly introduced to more perspectives that only add to the feeling that something about the school isn’t quite right, along with most of the people in it. I loved the gothic undertone of the story. The flakiness of the characters only made me want to read more. They switched their loyalties so many times, which is something that can happen often in toxic female friendships. They were quick to love bomb one another but even quicker to attack. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it for those who love dark academia with cultish behavior, slight gothic elements and the exploration of toxic female friendships.

Dark academia is hands down one of my favorite genres, but unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of options out there. If you search for recommendations, you’ll likely see the same ten books over and over. So when I came across The Belles—not only with its intriguing premise but also its gorgeous cover (seriously, I’m a sucker for a beautiful, pink-hued cover)—I knew I had to read it.

If this is Lacey N. Dunham’s debut, she’s off to an incredible start. She absolutely nailed the elements that make dark academia so compelling: a prestigious all-women’s boarding school, a devious secret society, and just the right touch of supernatural intrigue. In fact, the supernatural elements in The Belles leaned a little spookier than what I’ve seen in most dark academia novels, but honestly? I loved that. It added a haunting layer that kept me hooked.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the dual timeline, allowing us to witness not only the characters’ lives at Bellerton but also the fallout of the mysterious event hinted at in the beginning—50 years later. This structure made the story even more compelling as the secrets unraveled piece by piece.

As for the characters, they were all deeply complex, but Deena was hands down my favorite. You’ve got to love an underdog—especially one with a bite. No matter what life threw at her, she always found a way to get her revenge, and I couldn’t help but root for her every step of the way.

The Belles releases in early September, making it the perfect book to kick off spooky season. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I can’t wait to see this beauty hit shelves (hopefully with pink sprayed edges or a ribbon—hey, a girl can dream!). Either way, I’ll be ready, ribbon in hand.

4.25/5⭐️

“A young woman with a secretive past will risk everything— including her life-to fit in. Belles never tell... It's 1951 at the secluded Bellerton College, and Deena Williams is an outsider doing her best to blend in with her wealthy and perfectly groomed peers. — She quickly forms an alliance with the five other freshmen on her floor, and soon they are singled out by the president's wife as the most promising girls of their class, who anoints The Belles. — But no sisterhood comes without secrets, and the Belles are no exception.”

This was a fast paced novel that I finished in under 48 hours 🙈 The story follows mostly Deena, who tells the story from her point of view - getting to the college and fitting in with her very wealthy peers. This means doing whatever she needs to do to be part of the group called Belles. If you enjoy dark academia novels and dark friendships this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Belles is truly Mean Girls meet The Secret History - the atmosphere was moody, the girls were catty and manipulative (but could also be endearing at times), and while it's not a twisty thriller, the mystery surrounding the missing girls was sinister enough that the payoff felt satisfying.

The story opens in 1951 with Deena, an incoming freshman to Bellerton, an all-girl academy with a dark history that's been buried since the end of the Civil War. Deena herself has secrets of her own that she wants to keep hidden, which becomes increasingly more difficult as she becomes intertwined with the five other freshman girls who are dubbed "The Belles" by the strict and scrupulous Mrs. Tibbert, the wife of Bellerton's President.

The girls form a fast friendship, bound together by the praise of Mrs. Tibbert and the reverence of the student body. They quickly learn that they can break a few rules and get away with things that other students can't, and start testing the limits of their newfound power. But if any one of them should step out line, they are harshly punished by the rest of the group.

There are a lot of interesting themes woven throughout the novel, including indoctrination, moral and ethical obligations, and imbalances of power particularly pertaining to faculty/student relationships and relationships between men and women during a time when women were only allowed to have a higher education because it would make them better wives to their husbands.

Ultimately, I absolutely adored this book and can't wait to see what Lacey Dunham writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced e-book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read The Belles by Lacey N. Dunham. A dark, gothic novel of academia that its all the right notes. Excellen!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of The Belles in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’m so honored for The Belles to be my first-ever ARC!

The Belles is a dark academia novel with a southern gothic twist set in 1951. It follows Deena, an outsider doing her best to blend in with her wealthy peers at the secluded Bellerton College. Hoping to secure the comfortable life she always dreamed of, Deena joins an alliance with the five other freshmen on her floor. They call themselves The Belles and adorn themselves with matching velvet ribbons. Deena is willing to do whatever it takes to fit in, no matter the cost.

I LOVE books with complex characters, and each of the Belles fits this category. These girls are scary in the way they are willing to do whatever it takes to uphold the Bellerton way. I feel for Deena and her desire to belong, yet she senses she’ll never truly fit in. I found I couldn’t help, but root for Deena even when she lost her sense of self.

I enjoyed the build-up and slow reveal of The Belles’s secrets, but I did feel I wanted a little more closure with some of the plot lines. However, it was still a satisfying conclusion and an enjoyable read. I really liked the fact the story jumped between the past and present day.

I also enjoyed how this novel created such a haunted atmosphere. The campus felt so eerie, and I loved how symbolic it was with the history haunting the present. I felt I was also losing my sense of reality as I wondered what was real versus what was potentially paranormal.

I would recommend this book to fans of Plain Bad Heroines, Bunny, and anyone who loves dark academia novels with toxic, messy friendships and a dark sisterhood.

This was a wonderful debut, and I look forward to reading more from the author. I give this novel a 4/5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Welcome to Bellerton College, 1951 - a selective women's college with very conservative values. The Belles is a chilling, slow-burn campus novel that blends prep school glamour with gothic dread and a hint of supernatural.

Deena Williams, a scholarship student, is trying her best to fade into Bellerton’s elite culture. Fortunately, she is quickly absorbed into her hallmates, Deena becomes part of a tightly wound clique dubbed The Belles. Together, they walk the campus like they own it.

But behind the velvet ribbons and wealthy veneer lies cruelty, control, and a long legacy steeped in secrets. The head Belle rules with an iron fist and soon the girls are spending more and more time at night pushing the limits of their gilded cage. Before long, the girls’ rituals escalate into manipulation and destruction and Deena begins to uncover Bellerton’s darker history.

Lacey Dunham’s writing is immersive and sharp, capturing the dizzying hunger of adolescence: to be seen, to belong, to matter. The power dynamics between the girls are electric and unsettling, and the setting itself—ivy-covered walls, rigid dorm mothers, and midnight games is both claustrophobic and exhilarating. There’s a creeping dread that builds with each chapter, and when it breaks, it does so with the kind of quiet devastation that lingers.

The Belles is not just about mean girls. It’s about girlhood as performance, about power dressed up as privilege, and about how the desire to belong can turn feral.

Dark, dazzling, and deeply disturbing—in the best possible way. #thebelles #laceyndunham #atriabooks

This slyly sinister dark academia book follows the lives of six 'belles', freshman at the fictional Bellerton College located deep in Virginia during the 1951-52 term (with periodic flashes forward and back). Focused mainly on Deena, an outsider unfamiliar with the college's traditions, and Ada May, a third generation female heir to attend the school. Joined by Sheba, Fred (short for Winnifred), Prissy and Nell, this group is a fast clique that deals with the school's cultural traditions head on.

I greatly enjoyed the book's lovely, melodic wording, author Dunham has a prosaic grasp on literary prose. It did begin to drag a bit at the 65% mark but that did not diminish my interest. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

In Lacey N. Dunham’s debut novel, “The Belles,” readers embark on a twisted journey that spans decades. This dark academic tale is set at Bellerton College, an all-girls institution during the 1950s. The wealthy elite frequent this prestigious school, known for its strict rules, high status, and the occasional missing girl.

The story follows a small group of first-year students who form a clique called the Belles, sharing a dorm and a close-knit lifestyle. Our main protagonist, Deena, harbors a secret that could expose her as an imposter if discovered. The Belles operate like a cult, adhering to their own set of mores, customs and activities within an already rigid social hierarchy. It is only a matter of time before someone fails to meet expectations.

Fans of Rebecca Makkai’s “I Have Some Questions for You,” ML Rio’s “We Were Villains,” Chuck Palahniuk’s “Fight Club,” and Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” may find this read compelling. It is suspenseful and keeps you guessing about how events will unfold. The novel explores themes of toxic femininity and the dynamics of wealth and class. Although the book is beautiful on the outside, much like the students themselves, the story inside is filled with dark secrets. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advance copy.