Rouge by Mona Awad
Rouge
by Mona Awad
Horror | Gothic | Thriller
384 Pages
Released September 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I pre-ordered this book on Kindle months ago so I was absolutely delighted once it finally dropped. I adore Mona Awad’s unusual writing and this book was, hands-down, my most anticipated of the year. That said, I was also horribly nervous going into it. I try not to put my favorite authors on a pedestal but sometimes that’s really difficult. I was worried I’d be disappointed after the wild ride that was Bunny, but I need not have worried.
This book follows Mirabelle, who returns to her estranged mother’s home after her untimely death. While there, she stumbles across a mysterious and sinister spa of sorts, one that her mother was obsessed with shortly before her death, promising unimaginable beauty but at a steep price.
This book felt like a psychotic over-zealous skincare fever dream. I don’t know how else to explain it. To step into one of Mona Awad’s worlds is to step into the surreal. It’s atmospheric in a way I that makes it hard to put into words. Mirabelle’s obsession with skincare is deliciously palpable. It’s also scarily relatable, given the current social media state of the world.
One thing that I really love about all of Awad’s novels is how well-defined and complex her characters are. The side characters are equally bizarre, charming and haunting, and I loved slipping down the self-destructive skincare rabbit hole as the main character simultaneous dives into her past and loses her memory/grip on reality. This book also has elements of borderline absurdity and I found myself laughing often throughout this story (in a good way)!
Ultimately though, I really love how all Awad’s books send a message. Bunny focused on creative process and prowess, whereas this book dealt more with the passing down of generational trauma and the recent booming over-obsession with self-care and eternal youth. This book was both delightful and thoughtful and I appreciated every second of it.