8 young adult book releases to look for in February

Cover to The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. Image: Freeform Books

The Belles — Dhonielle Clayton

There aren’t enough fantasy stories that center around women of color, and there are even less that feature these protagonists on the cover. For this reason alone,The Belles has received a ton of well-deserved hype approaching its release date.

And the strides Clayton is making in terms of diversity are far from the only reasons to check out The Belles. The concept of beauty evoking powers and the intrigue surrounding the world of Orléans both allude to a captivating story, and Camellia sounds like the kind of heroine that could quickly become a favorite in the YA community, especially since it sounds like women’s friendships and relationships are paramount in this book.

This novel hits shelves Feb. 6. It’s probably a good sign that it’s receiving rave reviews even before it’s officially out — look no further than the Goodreads page, linked below.

"Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision. With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever. (via Goodreads)"