Mona Awad’s Rouge is not your typical fairy tale.

If you’ve been to Barnes and Noble recently, you have probably seen a copy of Mona Awad’s Bunny. Or at least, you’ve heard about it. Deliciously evil, as well as wickedly funny, Awad’s sophomore novel thrust her into the horror landscape, and she has never looked back. With her latest effort, Awad masterfully ascends the TikTok sensationalism of Bunny, moving on to a mature, dreamlike tone in her most recent book.

Part fairy tale, part indictment of the beauty industry, Rouge tells a story that could be pigeonholed as simply fun, creepy horror if it wasn’t so crushingly relatable. With magic mirrors, predatory boogeymen, and fantastical transformations, Awad isn’t exactly going for literary realism. Still, from how the book explores mother-daughter relationships, the time girls and women spend harshly judging themselves and each other, and the pain they endure to inspire envy and desire —  Rouge explores critical social issues, issues seldom called attention to in literary spaces today.

Like her more famous novel, Awad’s tale of desire and transformation returns to a familiar theme of physical self-loathing and how women’s self-worth is too often tied to the pursuit of impossible standards, whether that be through standards of social cliques or beauty. Awad has made a career out of crafting brilliantly crafted, remarkably flawed, and unmistakably female main characters, and her latest book is where that shows to the fullest extent.With its cinematic storytelling and wincing, almost ironic humor, Awad’s Rouge is a creepy piece of literature that illustrates the horror of modern life. However, the horrors remain wrapped snugly in fairy tale motifs and expensive skincare products, making for a compelling read felt in your bones, as well as your pores.