Belles is a really good, fast paced YA contemporary. I picked it up unsure of what to expect, but in the end I needn't have worried. I couldn't put it down. It isn't the most unique story in the contemporary world, but it is really well written. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out. I got to know each of them, and care about them. The mean girls were truly awful girls. I couldn't stand them. That, to me, is such an important part of a book. Getting to know and love, or loathe, the characters. It makes me so much more invested. Jen did a great job with the world building. Harborside and Emerald Cove felt real to me. I could imagine myself walking alongside Izzie or Mira. The book is told in alternating POv's and I think Jen did a great job with it. I love that if it is done right, and it was definitely done right in Belles. 
 All in all, Belles is a great story. I would have no problem recommending it to any reader, young or old. I can't wait for the sequel, Winter White, to hit shelves in October.