The Belles: A NovelIn this richly atmospheric, dark academia debut novel, a young woman with a secretive past will risk everything—including her life—to fit in. Belles never tell… It’s 1951 at Bellerton, a secluded all-women’s college, and Deena Williams is doing her best to blend in with her wealthy and perfectly groomed peers. Notorious for its strict rules as much as its prestige, Bellerton could give Deena the affluent life she’s only dreamed of. 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. She anoints them: The Belles. They walk the college’s halls in unison, matching velvet ribbons in their hair. But no sisterhood comes without secrets, and the Belles are no exception. Playing cruel pranks on their dormitory housemother and embarking on boundary-shattering night games, the Belles test the limits of the campus rules. But as Deena beigns to piece together the sinister history of Bellerton, her own past threatens to come to light, forcing her to make a dangerous choice. A chilling and seductive coming-of-age story, The Belles is an excavation of the dark side of girlhood, the intricacies of privilege, and the unbridled desire to belong at any cost. |
Contents
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Section 27 | |
Section 28 | |
Section 29 | |
Section 30 | |
Section 31 | |
Section 32 | |
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Section 24 | |
Section 33 | |
Section 34 | |
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Section 46 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Ada May's bathroom Belle Terre Bellerton girls beneath breath bruises Brutus campus Catherine Howard cheeks clean coat color cracked creek curlers Deena asked Deena didn't Deena felt Deena saw Deena thought Deena Williams Delacourt desk didn’t dirt door dorm dormitory dress eyes face father feet fingers flicked floor Fred Fred's freshmen ghost girl's glass Grandad Grandmother grandmother's gripped hair hand happened head heard horses housemother housemother's inside knees knew ladies lips lipstick looked Lucille Mary Mary's May’s mink stole missing morning mountain laurel mouth moved neck Nell Nell's never night palm Peggy Donovan porch Prissy Prissy's quad Queen ribbon Saul senior Sharpsburg Sheba shoulders shoved sister slid snapped South Hall squeezed staring stood story things throat Tibbert told trees tucked tugged turned voice waiting walk wanted watched whispered William Grayson window woods words yearbook