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youthjuice
American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada: outrageous body horror for the goop generation
A 29-year-old copywriter realizes that beauty is possible—at a terrible cost—in this surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture.
From Sophia Bannion’s first day on the Storytelling team at HEBE (hee-bee), a luxury skincare/wellness company based in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood and named after the Greek goddess of youth, it’s clear something is deeply amiss. But Sophia, pushing thirty, has plenty of skeletons in her closet next to the designer knockoffs and doesn’t care. Though she leads an outwardly charmed life, she aches for a deeper meaning to her flat existence—and a cure for her brutal nail-biting habit. She finds it all and more at HEBE, and with Tree Whitestone, HEBE’s charismatic founder and CEO.
Soon, Sophia is addicted to her HEBE lifestyle—especially youthjuice, the fatty, soothing moisturizer Tree has asked Sophia to test. But when cracks in HEBE’s infrastructure start to worsen—and Sophia learns the gruesome secret ingredient at the heart of youthjuice—she has to decide how far she’s willing to go to stay beautiful forever.
Glittering with ominous flashes of Sophia’s coming-of-rage story, former beauty editor E.K. Sathue’s horror debut is as incisive as it is stomach-churning in its portrayal of all-consuming female friendship and the beauty industry’s short attention span. youthjuice does to skincare influencers what Bret Easton Ellis did to yuppies. You’ll never moisturize the same way again.
A 29-year-old copywriter realizes that beauty is possible—at a terrible cost—in this surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture.
From Sophia Bannion’s first day on the Storytelling team at HEBE (hee-bee), a luxury skincare/wellness company based in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood and named after the Greek goddess of youth, it’s clear something is deeply amiss. But Sophia, pushing thirty, has plenty of skeletons in her closet next to the designer knockoffs and doesn’t care. Though she leads an outwardly charmed life, she aches for a deeper meaning to her flat existence—and a cure for her brutal nail-biting habit. She finds it all and more at HEBE, and with Tree Whitestone, HEBE’s charismatic founder and CEO.
Soon, Sophia is addicted to her HEBE lifestyle—especially youthjuice, the fatty, soothing moisturizer Tree has asked Sophia to test. But when cracks in HEBE’s infrastructure start to worsen—and Sophia learns the gruesome secret ingredient at the heart of youthjuice—she has to decide how far she’s willing to go to stay beautiful forever.
Glittering with ominous flashes of Sophia’s coming-of-rage story, former beauty editor E.K. Sathue’s horror debut is as incisive as it is stomach-churning in its portrayal of all-consuming female friendship and the beauty industry’s short attention span. youthjuice does to skincare influencers what Bret Easton Ellis did to yuppies. You’ll never moisturize the same way again.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2024
About the author
E.K. Sathue
1 book51 followersE.K. Sathue is a pseudonym for the author Erin Mayer. A native New Yorker, she wrote her first haunted house story in Mr. Palladino's third-grade class and never looked back. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including Bustle, Travel + Leisure, Better Homes & Gardens, Literary Hub, CrimeReads, Business Insider, and Man Repeller. She lives in Maine with her partner, Benjamin Perry, and their beloved haunted doll, Persephone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
March 29, 2024
Do you like horror? Do Tiktok microtrends give you a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach? Have you ever listened to Mitski’s Liquid Smooth on loop? If you answered yes to all of the above, this book is for you!
Short, sweet, and slightly sickening. Youthjuice is exactly what is says on the tin; American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada.
⚜ The Good
This book put into words that slight icky-ness that internet micro-celebrity skin-fluencers give me. All this talk of skin and cleansing and procedures and aging- eugh! I don’t like knowing people perceiving my physical body at the best of times- let alone that they’re perceiving the sebum clogging my pores.
I think this would be a great entry level horror read for those who are tired of the cleangirl, glass skin, drunk elephant, 11 year olds in sephora phenomenon. Hell, might even be a cathartic read.
⚜ The Bad
None of the characters were particularly well fleshed out. They were just kind of there to move the plot forward for the sake of Sophia, the main character, who had even less personality. However, I do think this was a Choice. We see of these characters only what Sofia sees, and Sofia is shallow. Of course she only sees these other women at face value. And this would be an interesting choice if Sofia herself wasn’t such a… Weirdly written character.
You will never catch me being anti-weird women. I mean weird as in… I was never quite sure why she was doing what she did. There was a vague idea of her wanting to achieve perfection but nothing really beyond that. I suppose you could argue ‘That’s the point!! Perfection is a vague and illogical motivation!!’ but I would have to argue back ‘That’s a dumb excuse’ Why did she not put the goop on her face? Why did she slather it onto her open wounds? Why was Dom her friend???
I would’ve excused her weird behavior and suspended my disbelief if the plot was a little better. I liked the plot, I thought it was fun, but honestly, a lot of the time it just felt shallow. Youthjuice doesn’t bring anything new to this conversation. I really think the book would’ve benefited from leaning more into the satire and horror than trying to make a statement that has already been made.
(Bonus audiobook nitpick- I feel like the narrator did not suit this role at all. She was fine, her voice was lovely, but I think she really missed the mark on the tone. It was just a strange casting choice in my opinion.)
⚜ Final Words
Youthjuice didn’t do anything that Jennifer’s Body didn’t do gayer.
Again, I think this could be a good entry level horror. The writing style was interesting and engaging. The pacing was a little off and and times there wasn’t much of a clear direction, there were also a lot of references that I think will date this book in a matter of… Months, probably, but overall, it kept my attention. More importantly; I had fun reading it. And I will be re-watching The Devil Wears Prada tonight.
Short, sweet, and slightly sickening. Youthjuice is exactly what is says on the tin; American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada.
⚜ The Good
This book put into words that slight icky-ness that internet micro-celebrity skin-fluencers give me. All this talk of skin and cleansing and procedures and aging- eugh! I don’t like knowing people perceiving my physical body at the best of times- let alone that they’re perceiving the sebum clogging my pores.
I think this would be a great entry level horror read for those who are tired of the cleangirl, glass skin, drunk elephant, 11 year olds in sephora phenomenon. Hell, might even be a cathartic read.
⚜ The Bad
None of the characters were particularly well fleshed out. They were just kind of there to move the plot forward for the sake of Sophia, the main character, who had even less personality. However, I do think this was a Choice. We see of these characters only what Sofia sees, and Sofia is shallow. Of course she only sees these other women at face value. And this would be an interesting choice if Sofia herself wasn’t such a… Weirdly written character.
You will never catch me being anti-weird women. I mean weird as in… I was never quite sure why she was doing what she did. There was a vague idea of her wanting to achieve perfection but nothing really beyond that. I suppose you could argue ‘That’s the point!! Perfection is a vague and illogical motivation!!’ but I would have to argue back ‘That’s a dumb excuse’ Why did she not put the goop on her face? Why did she slather it onto her open wounds? Why was Dom her friend???
I would’ve excused her weird behavior and suspended my disbelief if the plot was a little better. I liked the plot, I thought it was fun, but honestly, a lot of the time it just felt shallow. Youthjuice doesn’t bring anything new to this conversation. I really think the book would’ve benefited from leaning more into the satire and horror than trying to make a statement that has already been made.
(Bonus audiobook nitpick- I feel like the narrator did not suit this role at all. She was fine, her voice was lovely, but I think she really missed the mark on the tone. It was just a strange casting choice in my opinion.)
⚜ Final Words
Youthjuice didn’t do anything that Jennifer’s Body didn’t do gayer.
Again, I think this could be a good entry level horror. The writing style was interesting and engaging. The pacing was a little off and and times there wasn’t much of a clear direction, there were also a lot of references that I think will date this book in a matter of… Months, probably, but overall, it kept my attention. More importantly; I had fun reading it. And I will be re-watching The Devil Wears Prada tonight.
June 14, 2024
4.0 Stars
This is a fantastic debut that is accurately pitched as American Psycho meets the Devil Wears Prada. I loved the commentary on the beauty industry.
I thought this one was well written and compelling. I wish the author had pushed the narrative further with a more cutting story, but I still appreciated what we got. I would definitely read more by this author and would recommend anyone looking for a fun modern horror story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is a fantastic debut that is accurately pitched as American Psycho meets the Devil Wears Prada. I loved the commentary on the beauty industry.
I thought this one was well written and compelling. I wish the author had pushed the narrative further with a more cutting story, but I still appreciated what we got. I would definitely read more by this author and would recommend anyone looking for a fun modern horror story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
January 23, 2024
"The harm we do to others is nothing compared to the harm we do to ourselves."
I’m such a sucker for a soft pink cover with a little blood on it. The subtle hints that something evil and bizarre is flowing through those pages made me shiver with anticipation. Then I spotted American Psycho in the synopsis and I couldn’t contain my excitement.
Step into the world of life-changing skincare. Youthjuice will not only make you feel like a million bucks but it'll also make you appear years younger than you actually are. Ms. Báthory would love these products because they are to die for.
They were not joking when they compared this to American Psycho. Sophia is our very own female Patrick Bateman. It took me a while to see it but once you really dig deep it comes hitting you in the back of the head with a sledgehammer. I was waiting for Soph to ask her coworkers if they like Huey Lewis and the News.
The story, wow. I was blown away because it wasn't as gore-ridden as I had imagined. I didn't think that was going to fit but I was wrong. It made me a lot more interested in the story. This was one that I couldn't wait to read what happened next and it did not disappoint. It was thrilling and overall demented. A true classic of its time.
Youthjuice is one of the best horror books of the year and one I will have to purchase for my collection.
I’m such a sucker for a soft pink cover with a little blood on it. The subtle hints that something evil and bizarre is flowing through those pages made me shiver with anticipation. Then I spotted American Psycho in the synopsis and I couldn’t contain my excitement.
Step into the world of life-changing skincare. Youthjuice will not only make you feel like a million bucks but it'll also make you appear years younger than you actually are. Ms. Báthory would love these products because they are to die for.
They were not joking when they compared this to American Psycho. Sophia is our very own female Patrick Bateman. It took me a while to see it but once you really dig deep it comes hitting you in the back of the head with a sledgehammer. I was waiting for Soph to ask her coworkers if they like Huey Lewis and the News.
The story, wow. I was blown away because it wasn't as gore-ridden as I had imagined. I didn't think that was going to fit but I was wrong. It made me a lot more interested in the story. This was one that I couldn't wait to read what happened next and it did not disappoint. It was thrilling and overall demented. A true classic of its time.
Youthjuice is one of the best horror books of the year and one I will have to purchase for my collection.
July 23, 2024
*3.5 stars*
February 8, 2024
Another book claiming to be "American Psycho" meets something else. Always a tough claim, given that AP is one of my favorite books of all time, if not my #1. But I also love messed up stories about workplace environments and the beauty industry, so I really wanted to read it! I will say that this one did a better job of working in the tributes without being a flat out copy, like another book I read last year. (annoyed side eye) Obviously, any time a narrator vividly describes her beauty regimen in painstaking detail she's going to remind the reader of Patrick Bateman. But luckily this only happens near the beginning of the story, with additional well-placed echoes of Bret Easton Ellis again later on that don't overstay their welcome. And I don't want to spoil anything, but E.K. Sathue did a nice job of easing me into the depravity gradually in a way I was not expecting, like sinking my legs into a steaming bathtub. Don’t expect this to be a full on horror fest from start to finish, but once the unsettling part kicks in, it goes pretty hard. This is a book that really gets unhinged the deeper you go. If you commit, you will be rewarded. There were a couple of small twists in the narrative that weren’t exactly surprising, but they didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. I WAS surprised at the level of callousness that our narrator is capable of, and just how dark the story got.
The things I didn't love:
There were a few times that there was no transition between topics and I was completely lost. Example: when Sophia first starts talking about her friend Mona it happens out of nowhere and I had no idea what was happening, if this person was there with her or if it was a memory, etc. There was another time that Sophia suddenly went from being at work to being at a party within a paragraph and it was very confusing. A minor complaint, but something to mention.
I also found myself wondering, “Why do some of these flashbacks matter?” The book moves back and forth between a past narrative describing Sophia’s friendship with Mona and her current situation at this new job. You also learn about a relationship she had in the past, but that story develops so slowly over the course of the book that it isn’t clear for a long time why we’re supposed to care. All the stuff happening with her coworkers at the beauty company is way more strange and interesting (to me.) I personally would've preferred an entire narrative about her experience at HEBE, (the beauty company.)
This was the first book I’ve read in a minute where I thought to myself, “Does the language need to be this flowery?” But it wasn’t always a bad thing. When it comes to the horror, those scenes were vivid. The descriptions of habitual and extreme nail biting are graphic and painful to read. It’s like that one part in “Black Swan” times ten. I can’t peel the red wax off of a Babybel cheese without picturing that image, and from now on I’ll think about Natalie Portman’s finger AND this book whenever I enjoy my snack. (The actual humanity!)
"Youthjuice" deals with quite a few themes and does that pretty well. Peer pressure in a job environment, the bankrupt morality of the beauty industry (that lipstick line they come up with oh my god), and friendship vs. personal interest are all explored in fun and unsettling ways. I do think the story rambles a bit at the end, and the conclusion is one that I’ve encountered several times, at least enough for it to feel cliche at this point. Something a bit different would've felt more refreshing.
This reminded me a bit of the book "Natural Beauty" and had sprinkles of the movie "Heathers," (minus a lot of the humor.) It was mildly funny here and there but not a laugh riot. If you like those things especially, you should check this one out! Because of one very depraved ongoing element of the plot, it also kept reminding me of books I've read by Kathe Koja. I can't explain why without spoiling things. I'm giving "Youthjuice" four stars because overall I do think it was a fun and messed up story, one of the better books in this niche. (But do keep in mind: this IS horror!)
Thanks so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
TW: self harm, disordered eating, body shaming, overdose, substance abuse, mentions of SA, suicide
The things I didn't love:
There were a few times that there was no transition between topics and I was completely lost. Example: when Sophia first starts talking about her friend Mona it happens out of nowhere and I had no idea what was happening, if this person was there with her or if it was a memory, etc. There was another time that Sophia suddenly went from being at work to being at a party within a paragraph and it was very confusing. A minor complaint, but something to mention.
I also found myself wondering, “Why do some of these flashbacks matter?” The book moves back and forth between a past narrative describing Sophia’s friendship with Mona and her current situation at this new job. You also learn about a relationship she had in the past, but that story develops so slowly over the course of the book that it isn’t clear for a long time why we’re supposed to care. All the stuff happening with her coworkers at the beauty company is way more strange and interesting (to me.) I personally would've preferred an entire narrative about her experience at HEBE, (the beauty company.)
This was the first book I’ve read in a minute where I thought to myself, “Does the language need to be this flowery?” But it wasn’t always a bad thing. When it comes to the horror, those scenes were vivid. The descriptions of habitual and extreme nail biting are graphic and painful to read. It’s like that one part in “Black Swan” times ten. I can’t peel the red wax off of a Babybel cheese without picturing that image, and from now on I’ll think about Natalie Portman’s finger AND this book whenever I enjoy my snack. (The actual humanity!)
"Youthjuice" deals with quite a few themes and does that pretty well. Peer pressure in a job environment, the bankrupt morality of the beauty industry (that lipstick line they come up with oh my god), and friendship vs. personal interest are all explored in fun and unsettling ways. I do think the story rambles a bit at the end, and the conclusion is one that I’ve encountered several times, at least enough for it to feel cliche at this point. Something a bit different would've felt more refreshing.
This reminded me a bit of the book "Natural Beauty" and had sprinkles of the movie "Heathers," (minus a lot of the humor.) It was mildly funny here and there but not a laugh riot. If you like those things especially, you should check this one out! Because of one very depraved ongoing element of the plot, it also kept reminding me of books I've read by Kathe Koja. I can't explain why without spoiling things. I'm giving "Youthjuice" four stars because overall I do think it was a fun and messed up story, one of the better books in this niche. (But do keep in mind: this IS horror!)
Thanks so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
TW: self harm, disordered eating, body shaming, overdose, substance abuse, mentions of SA, suicide
April 4, 2024
*sigh* I finished this about a week ago, wrote the review in my notes app, then immediately took a mini-hiatus from GR updates.
Look. Don’t let your publishers describe your book as “American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada” unless you know it can live up to the cult classic hype. Otherwise, you’re fighting a quickly lost battle. Within the first chapter, this book actually felt familiar for an entirely different reason. Another reviewer, @Azhar, described youthjuice as “the little sister of “natural beauty” by ling ling huang…but locked away in the attic”. I’m inclined to agree. The content comp is so evident. I feel like the author either read Natural Beauty and forgot where her inspiration came from when writing youthjuice, or read Natural Beauty post-writing youthjuice and was absolutely punching the air because creative coincidence found her second.
Book comparisons aside, there was a lot of opportunity to give more emotional and psychological depth to the characters that was introduced and then kept at a surface level. There are two storylines (past and present) across the entirety of the novel that were hard to see the connection between because our main character, Sophia, had nearly the same character growth arc for both stages of her life. Not sure how to elaborate on that one without spoilers.
Anyway, while the book was disappointing, I hope the author continues writing because I see a lot of potential for a unique, well-written story.
Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media, E.K. Sathue, and Suzy Jackson for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Look. Don’t let your publishers describe your book as “American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada” unless you know it can live up to the cult classic hype. Otherwise, you’re fighting a quickly lost battle. Within the first chapter, this book actually felt familiar for an entirely different reason. Another reviewer, @Azhar, described youthjuice as “the little sister of “natural beauty” by ling ling huang…but locked away in the attic”. I’m inclined to agree. The content comp is so evident. I feel like the author either read Natural Beauty and forgot where her inspiration came from when writing youthjuice, or read Natural Beauty post-writing youthjuice and was absolutely punching the air because creative coincidence found her second.
Book comparisons aside, there was a lot of opportunity to give more emotional and psychological depth to the characters that was introduced and then kept at a surface level. There are two storylines (past and present) across the entirety of the novel that were hard to see the connection between because our main character, Sophia, had nearly the same character growth arc for both stages of her life. Not sure how to elaborate on that one without spoilers.
Anyway, while the book was disappointing, I hope the author continues writing because I see a lot of potential for a unique, well-written story.
Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media, E.K. Sathue, and Suzy Jackson for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2024
Patrick Bateman meets Elizabeth Bathory for the Tiktok generation!
January 13, 2024
honestly this felt like the little sister of “natural beauty” by ling ling huang & “the herd” by andrea bartz, but locked away in the attic.
i thought it didn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table, like “natural beauty” did what this did but did it so much better. 3 stars is being generous i guess but certain parts were gruesome and the writing was stellar.
many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
i thought it didn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table, like “natural beauty” did what this did but did it so much better. 3 stars is being generous i guess but certain parts were gruesome and the writing was stellar.
many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 15, 2024
Maybe I don’t actually like beauty industry horror? This wasn’t a bad book, I just didn’t really find myself enjoying it. It is based around a high end skin company and the main character gets a job working underneath the founder, Tree. She is everything you could ever want to look like with perfect skin and hair but there is a really dark secret at the very root of the company.
I found the entire mystery surrounding the company to be quite basic and I wasn’t shocked by it because it sort of seemed obvious and recycled. The book is described as for fans of American Psycho but there wasn’t really any similarities and just made the book fall short for me. The horror aspect is quite small and takes a while to kick in, I’m not even confident in calling it a horror aspect because it feels like more of a literary thriller than anything - there wasn’t really a ‘horror’ to the novel in my opinion.
I enjoyed the sections with the main characters room mate but I don’t think beauty industry horrors are cutting it for me at the minute. They all seem very samey and overdone.
I found the entire mystery surrounding the company to be quite basic and I wasn’t shocked by it because it sort of seemed obvious and recycled. The book is described as for fans of American Psycho but there wasn’t really any similarities and just made the book fall short for me. The horror aspect is quite small and takes a while to kick in, I’m not even confident in calling it a horror aspect because it feels like more of a literary thriller than anything - there wasn’t really a ‘horror’ to the novel in my opinion.
I enjoyed the sections with the main characters room mate but I don’t think beauty industry horrors are cutting it for me at the minute. They all seem very samey and overdone.
June 4, 2024
TW: Language, body shaming, bullying, drug use, toxic parent relationship, eating orders
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:From Sophia Bannion’s first day on the Storytelling team at HEBE, a luxury skincare/wellness company based in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood, it’s clear something is deeply amiss. But Sophia, pushing thirty, has plenty of skeletons in her closet next to the designer knockoffs and doesn’t care. Though she leads an outwardly charmed life, she aches for a deeper meaning to her flat existence—and a cure for her brutal nail-biting habit. She finds it all and more at HEBE, and with Tree Whitestone, HEBE’s charismatic founder and CEO.
Soon, Sophia is addicted to her HEBE lifestyle—especially youthjuice, the fatty, soothing moisturizer Tree has asked Sophia to test. But when cracks in HEBE’s infrastructure start to worsen—and Sophia learns the gruesome secret ingredient at the heart of youthjuice—she has to decide how far she’s willing to go to stay beautiful forever.
Release Date: June 4th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 288
Rating:⭐
What I Liked:
1. Book cover is nice
What I Didn't Like:
1. Monotone mindless one dimensional character (Sophia)
2. Boring
3. Not like other girls vibes
4. Where is the horror???
Overall Thoughts:
"Hebe (hee-bee): The Greek goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera.
At HEBE, we believe beauty is your birthright. You were born perfect, but life drained you of your vibrance. We return your inheritance. From the boardroom to the bar bathroom, HEBE’s products tap into your natural vitality, making you glow from within. After all, the world belongs to those who bathe in abundance.
Sophia is pretty boring. She's so far this woman who joins a MLM. She has as much personality as an envelope.
Why do all these books coming out all say they are American Psycho? This one compares itself to that and Meave Fly when Meave Fly said it was like American Psycho. Full circle.
Sophia's mom was kind of a jerk. When she was a child she sold lemonade but forgot sugar - she made her return money to all the neighbors. So odd.
Of course we have a book with triple named bully girls - Ashley's. Did anyone else go to school with girls that had triple names that hang out? I never knew anyone in school, but it's always in books and movies.
Final Thoughts:
Honestly I think if you like beauty gurus on Tiktok than this book might be for you. All the characters have no personality and the books superficial. I struggled to care about anything happening in this book.
I did not enjoy this book but I kept pushing myself because it was such a short(ish) book and I tend to struggle through books that are shorter. I ended up quiting at page 200 because I just couldn't anymore with this book. If there is horror in here then please show me. It was boring and dull.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Hell's Hundred for the advanced ebook edition, and Recorded Books for the advanced audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 17, 2024
2.5 rounded down
I was excited to read this, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I liked the premise - I’m a sucker for flawed women stories - but was very underwhelmed by the execution. I didn’t get Sophia’s character or her motivations. Internally, she rationalizes her decisions because of Tree, because Tree is enigmatic and alluring and charismatic, but I just didn’t see it. I needed to see what Sophia saw in Tree in order for her actions to make sense to me, but I was just not convinced. There was a lot of tell and little show. Sophia herself felt underdeveloped too.
At one point in the middle of the story there’s a very predictable reveal, and then something happened, and I thought it was going to pick up, but it just didn’t. The ending was meandering and weird, Sophia made another decision that was poorly telegraphed, and the epilogue requires a certain suspension of disbelief. I also didn’t get the point of Sophia’s childhood stories of her relationship with Mona. I don’t feel like they really added anything.
The writing was nice, but overly flowery at times and soooo many metaphors and similes. Overall the style and tone reminded me of Ripe and Natural Beauty, but like a lesser blend of the two that failed to engage me.
Thank you to my local bookstore for the ARC!
I was excited to read this, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I liked the premise - I’m a sucker for flawed women stories - but was very underwhelmed by the execution. I didn’t get Sophia’s character or her motivations. Internally, she rationalizes her decisions because of Tree, because Tree is enigmatic and alluring and charismatic, but I just didn’t see it. I needed to see what Sophia saw in Tree in order for her actions to make sense to me, but I was just not convinced. There was a lot of tell and little show. Sophia herself felt underdeveloped too.
At one point in the middle of the story there’s a very predictable reveal, and then something happened, and I thought it was going to pick up, but it just didn’t. The ending was meandering and weird, Sophia made another decision that was poorly telegraphed, and the epilogue requires a certain suspension of disbelief. I also didn’t get the point of Sophia’s childhood stories of her relationship with Mona. I don’t feel like they really added anything.
The writing was nice, but overly flowery at times and soooo many metaphors and similes. Overall the style and tone reminded me of Ripe and Natural Beauty, but like a lesser blend of the two that failed to engage me.
Thank you to my local bookstore for the ARC!
July 6, 2024
"As I slip further into the bliss of myself".
Quirky. Girly. This book reminded me of an annoying cheerleader. Gimme an F. "F!" Gimme an A. "A!" Gimme an I. "I!" Gimme an L. "L!" What's that spell!?
Quirky. Girly. This book reminded me of an annoying cheerleader. Gimme an F. "F!" Gimme an A. "A!" Gimme an I. "I!" Gimme an L. "L!" What's that spell!?
March 18, 2024
Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue
Thank you RB Media, Soho Press, and NetGalley for the free ARC and audiobook.
Blurb:
“American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada: outrageous body horror for the goop generation.”
✨ My thoughts:
I loved this book. I devoured this book! I had a good feeling I would when I saw the cover. I was fortunate enough to get a physical ARC and the audiobook and I was able to fly through it. Suzy Jackson narrated the audiobook and did great! But it was really the book that did it for me and held my attention. This book is completely unhinged in the best way. I’m not going to lie, when I think of the beauty industry it always makes me think of Death Becomes Her, and that’s exactly the vibe I got from reading this book but way more blood is involved in this story. The beauty industry in real life has to be cult like but hopefully not as horrific as this. If you enjoyed Rouge by Mona Awad or a fan of Death Becomes Her, I have a good feeling you’ll enjoy this book! Youthjuice is out June 4, 2024! I’ll definitely be buying a finished copy for my shelves.
Happy reading 📖
Thank you RB Media, Soho Press, and NetGalley for the free ARC and audiobook.
Blurb:
“American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada: outrageous body horror for the goop generation.”
✨ My thoughts:
I loved this book. I devoured this book! I had a good feeling I would when I saw the cover. I was fortunate enough to get a physical ARC and the audiobook and I was able to fly through it. Suzy Jackson narrated the audiobook and did great! But it was really the book that did it for me and held my attention. This book is completely unhinged in the best way. I’m not going to lie, when I think of the beauty industry it always makes me think of Death Becomes Her, and that’s exactly the vibe I got from reading this book but way more blood is involved in this story. The beauty industry in real life has to be cult like but hopefully not as horrific as this. If you enjoyed Rouge by Mona Awad or a fan of Death Becomes Her, I have a good feeling you’ll enjoy this book! Youthjuice is out June 4, 2024! I’ll definitely be buying a finished copy for my shelves.
Happy reading 📖
June 4, 2024
4.5 stars
Happy publication day to Youthjuice!
This contemporary horror novel has quickly become one of my favourites this year; definitely a perfect read for lovers of Rouge by Mona Award and Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang!
The story takes readers behind the glossy façade of Hebe, a beauty and wellness company as told through the eyes of new employee, Sophia, who soon begins to uncover horrifying secrets hidden behind the company's curated image. Sophia is one of the most unlikeable characters I've read, simply lacking any moral compass. As she gets entangled in Hebe's disturbing practices, her decisions become increasingly erratic, and we watch her descend into madness.
The character-driven approach adds depth to the novel creating an unsettling experience. Sathue's descriptive writing enhances the immersive quality of the novel. However, the non-linear progression frustrated me at times, slowing down the pace. Despite this, the tension-filled atmosphere builds to a shocking epilogue, cementing this book as a must-read.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the eARC!
Happy publication day to Youthjuice!
This contemporary horror novel has quickly become one of my favourites this year; definitely a perfect read for lovers of Rouge by Mona Award and Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang!
The story takes readers behind the glossy façade of Hebe, a beauty and wellness company as told through the eyes of new employee, Sophia, who soon begins to uncover horrifying secrets hidden behind the company's curated image. Sophia is one of the most unlikeable characters I've read, simply lacking any moral compass. As she gets entangled in Hebe's disturbing practices, her decisions become increasingly erratic, and we watch her descend into madness.
The character-driven approach adds depth to the novel creating an unsettling experience. Sathue's descriptive writing enhances the immersive quality of the novel. However, the non-linear progression frustrated me at times, slowing down the pace. Despite this, the tension-filled atmosphere builds to a shocking epilogue, cementing this book as a must-read.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the eARC!
April 5, 2024
Holy body horror! The cover was what originally grabbed my attention. It’s somehow telling and gory in its simplicity. Youthjuice is a satirical it girl story slathered in some killer youth seeking skincare. This story was described as an “American Psycho”, meets “The Devil Wears Prada”, to which I can certainly agree to certain similarities. I also felt it had some subtle nods to “The Heathers” and “Death Becomes Her”. There is definitely a dash of well veiled dark humor. EK Sathue writes with a lyrical prose, full of haunting metaphors, idioms, and disturbingly descriptive verbal imaging.
The story starts out introducing us to Sophia Bannon, a seemingly bland, yet anxious, almost 30 year old woman, who hasn’t quite found her place in the world. Easily overlooked, and average, Sophia has worked as a barista for the past 8 years. She has a severe manic habit of biting and ripping off the skin and nails of her hands, which she keeps hidden in gloves. A sign she’s unable to stop the compulsion, and not meeting the standards of conventional beauty, leaves her embarrassed of the results all the same. Living with her wealthy best friend, Dom, a beauty blogger with a penchant for abusing recreational drugs. The two seem to work as a sort of crutch for each other.
Then Sophia gets hired at HEBE, a luxury beauty and wellness company, where she gets her first taste at being a “somebody”. Sophia is asked by her boss and mentor, Tree Whitestone, to try a new moisturizer and keep a record of her experience. This is where the story truly starts to take you for a ride. While not all out gory, there are definitely scenes that made me absolutely squirm in discomfort.
With flashbacks to her teenage years with her best friend, Mona, we are able to see where things originally started to go sideways for our FMC. Creating an insight into where a hidden inner rage and depravity were likely born.
Such horrific descriptive hallucinations beg the question, could this be a side effect of a gruesome secret ingredient? Or perhaps an inside into the mind of a psychopath? This story was absolutely twisted, and I was here for it. Every time I’d pause for an interlude it was always in the back of my mind like an itch I was dying to scratch. I was properly enthralled and entertained until the end.
The audiobook was narrated by Suzy Jackson, who did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. Her shift in the different characters cadences was easy to distinguish and follow.
My only true criticism of the audiobook is that it failed to properly flow in some areas. An overlong pause that makes you wonder if you accidentally hit pause, a less than seamless jumping from one timeline to the next within the same chapter. Nothing a little editing can’t fix.
A special thanks to @Netgalley and @RBmedia for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story starts out introducing us to Sophia Bannon, a seemingly bland, yet anxious, almost 30 year old woman, who hasn’t quite found her place in the world. Easily overlooked, and average, Sophia has worked as a barista for the past 8 years. She has a severe manic habit of biting and ripping off the skin and nails of her hands, which she keeps hidden in gloves. A sign she’s unable to stop the compulsion, and not meeting the standards of conventional beauty, leaves her embarrassed of the results all the same. Living with her wealthy best friend, Dom, a beauty blogger with a penchant for abusing recreational drugs. The two seem to work as a sort of crutch for each other.
Then Sophia gets hired at HEBE, a luxury beauty and wellness company, where she gets her first taste at being a “somebody”. Sophia is asked by her boss and mentor, Tree Whitestone, to try a new moisturizer and keep a record of her experience. This is where the story truly starts to take you for a ride. While not all out gory, there are definitely scenes that made me absolutely squirm in discomfort.
With flashbacks to her teenage years with her best friend, Mona, we are able to see where things originally started to go sideways for our FMC. Creating an insight into where a hidden inner rage and depravity were likely born.
Such horrific descriptive hallucinations beg the question, could this be a side effect of a gruesome secret ingredient? Or perhaps an inside into the mind of a psychopath? This story was absolutely twisted, and I was here for it. Every time I’d pause for an interlude it was always in the back of my mind like an itch I was dying to scratch. I was properly enthralled and entertained until the end.
The audiobook was narrated by Suzy Jackson, who did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. Her shift in the different characters cadences was easy to distinguish and follow.
My only true criticism of the audiobook is that it failed to properly flow in some areas. An overlong pause that makes you wonder if you accidentally hit pause, a less than seamless jumping from one timeline to the next within the same chapter. Nothing a little editing can’t fix.
A special thanks to @Netgalley and @RBmedia for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 6, 2024
What in the actual hell did I just read???
If you threw The Herd, Darkly Dreaming Dexter and #FashionVictim in a blender, you would still be confused, but you would have a messy splatter that displayed parts of this book.
Would I still recommend it?
Sure, but mostly because I want all your WTF moments via DMs while you read it.
Thanks to NetGalley & RB Media for my ALC.
If you threw The Herd, Darkly Dreaming Dexter and #FashionVictim in a blender, you would still be confused, but you would have a messy splatter that displayed parts of this book.
Would I still recommend it?
Sure, but mostly because I want all your WTF moments via DMs while you read it.
Thanks to NetGalley & RB Media for my ALC.
June 8, 2024
Ok so, I really like weird feminist charged horrors. Is that a thing? I feel like it is. So I knew I had to read this! And it was exactly that. Sophia works for a luxury skincare and wellness company named HEBE (Hee-Bee, named after the Greek Goddess of youth) that seems to be pretty cultish. It’s like once you’re in, it takes over your life. Sophia’s angelic and gorgeous boss and CEO of the company, Tree Whitestone, asks Sophia to test out a new luxury cream called “youthjuice” and document the experience in a journal. The results are astounding and Sophia quickly becomes addicted. Sophia unravels as she starts to discover the secret behind youthjuice and Tree herself. It gets dark, my friends. Dark and weird and awesome.
This is not going to be for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it. I really like dark and weird. It was a bit reminiscent of Mona Awad’s book Rouge, in my opinion. I also appreciate that it takes place in New York and the references to certain places/things hit home for me. There is one glaring inaccuracy when it comes to the drug use depicted, but I’ll let it go because most readers would never pick up on it. I liked it! And it’s a satirical commentary on the beauty industry and standards placed on women. If weird, dark and twisted with a feminist take is your thing, do it.
This is not going to be for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it. I really like dark and weird. It was a bit reminiscent of Mona Awad’s book Rouge, in my opinion. I also appreciate that it takes place in New York and the references to certain places/things hit home for me. There is one glaring inaccuracy when it comes to the drug use depicted, but I’ll let it go because most readers would never pick up on it. I liked it! And it’s a satirical commentary on the beauty industry and standards placed on women. If weird, dark and twisted with a feminist take is your thing, do it.
July 2, 2024
Goop but make it horror.
Review to come when I’m back home but if you’ve read Natural Beauty, this is the same story but with little changes. It didn’t really do anything new other than adding a touch of social media/influencer stuff.
Review to come when I’m back home but if you’ve read Natural Beauty, this is the same story but with little changes. It didn’t really do anything new other than adding a touch of social media/influencer stuff.
May 26, 2024
Thank you to Dialogue Books and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!
The cover pretty much gives away what's going on in this one, and with the amount of other 'beauty is a cult' type books that have been coming out lately, I found this one disappointing.
I wanted more of a sense of building dread that something is deeply wrong, but here you know from the get-go things aren't quite right so nothing else really comes as a surprise. At points it's really overwritten which makes it difficult to get into, especially when combined with the lack of depth of the characters, and at a few points in the book there are these 'protagonist is a psychopath' moments which are never really explained so they come off as goofy.
There were also interspersed chapters about the protagonist's childhood friendship which didn't add much either - I can understand what they were meant to do (reflect the current day relationship with Dom) but the storylines were so similar and lacked depth/tension that instead of building up the present storyline it just made it feel a bit repetitive. I would have rathered the author put all of their writingjuice (ha) into one or the other.
I think there was just an overall lack of direction that meant themes were never really fleshed out, so the whole book felt flat. Like I'm not really sure what the point of this book is - there wasn't enough tension for it to be a good thriller/horror/mystery (like you had the boss literally reading The Blood Countess like please assume your readers can work this out for themselves), and it didn't do enough new with the 'beauty is a cult' angle to be anything exciting (like we get it they're all into veganism and astrology but there's a ~dark~ side).
TLDR I think there are so many similar and better books out there at this current moment (Natural Beauty, Rouge), that this one felt like a poorly executed starter-pack for the genre.
The cover pretty much gives away what's going on in this one, and with the amount of other 'beauty is a cult' type books that have been coming out lately, I found this one disappointing.
I wanted more of a sense of building dread that something is deeply wrong, but here you know from the get-go things aren't quite right so nothing else really comes as a surprise. At points it's really overwritten which makes it difficult to get into, especially when combined with the lack of depth of the characters, and at a few points in the book there are these 'protagonist is a psychopath' moments which are never really explained so they come off as goofy.
There were also interspersed chapters about the protagonist's childhood friendship which didn't add much either - I can understand what they were meant to do (reflect the current day relationship with Dom) but the storylines were so similar and lacked depth/tension that instead of building up the present storyline it just made it feel a bit repetitive. I would have rathered the author put all of their writingjuice (ha) into one or the other.
I think there was just an overall lack of direction that meant themes were never really fleshed out, so the whole book felt flat. Like I'm not really sure what the point of this book is - there wasn't enough tension for it to be a good thriller/horror/mystery (like you had the boss literally reading The Blood Countess like please assume your readers can work this out for themselves), and it didn't do enough new with the 'beauty is a cult' angle to be anything exciting (like we get it they're all into veganism and astrology but there's a ~dark~ side).
TLDR I think there are so many similar and better books out there at this current moment (Natural Beauty, Rouge), that this one felt like a poorly executed starter-pack for the genre.
June 11, 2024
Incredibly underwhelming and lacking
June 6, 2024
Review in the June 2024 issue of Booklist and on the blog here: http://raforall.blogspot.com/2024/06/...
Brand new Horror imprint from Soho Press!!!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Dark Satire, Chilling, Body Horror.
Okay first things first, the cover gives away the "twist" but as I say I my draft review " Sathue is not trying to obscure the “twist,” rather she is laying bare the chilling truth, as readers sit with that knowledge, and watch the visceral Horrors unfold, without remorse."
Note while reading: try applying any lotion or skin care after reading this book without feeling icky…..you can’t. Even a boring moisturizer. But you will. Of course you will.
Fans of intensely unsettling stories about unlikable but captivating women such as in Gone Girl by Flynn and Maeve Fly by Leede will flock to this debut.
I will have way more to say and a YA statement for this book when the review goes live in Booklist. Stay tuned.
Brand new Horror imprint from Soho Press!!!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Dark Satire, Chilling, Body Horror.
Okay first things first, the cover gives away the "twist" but as I say I my draft review " Sathue is not trying to obscure the “twist,” rather she is laying bare the chilling truth, as readers sit with that knowledge, and watch the visceral Horrors unfold, without remorse."
Note while reading: try applying any lotion or skin care after reading this book without feeling icky…..you can’t. Even a boring moisturizer. But you will. Of course you will.
Fans of intensely unsettling stories about unlikable but captivating women such as in Gone Girl by Flynn and Maeve Fly by Leede will flock to this debut.
I will have way more to say and a YA statement for this book when the review goes live in Booklist. Stay tuned.
Read
November 8, 2023This cover is sick. I always imagine the rich paying for the blood of the youth. Can’t wait to read!
June 19, 2024
(review to come, but would be remiss if I didnt say this now: READ NATURAL BEAUTY BY LING LING HUANG BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK)
{updated review, going from 3 to 2 stars, after finishing Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang}
{updated review, going from 3 to 2 stars, after finishing Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang}
July 18, 2024
for a book commenting on wanting to be youthful, not a lot of commentary about wanting to be youthful
May 5, 2024
Like a 4.5 really, may bump to a 5 when I write my review if I realized I love loved it
March 27, 2024
Takes its "what if Glossier products were powered by the blood of virgins" premise and does absolutely nothing interesting with it. The plotting in the second half completely falls apart. And I'm not New York hip enough to really care about half of the veiled references in here.
June 2, 2024
This one sounded so good and had such potential but just fell flat for me unfortunately. I struggled to get invested in either the main character or the story and was surprised by the vampiric blood obsessed turn the story took. The audio narration was good but nothing that stood out. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
March 13, 2024
Overall, pretty predictable. A quick and easy read that was entertaining but not groundbreaking.
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC!
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC!
July 10, 2024
this is what I imagine working at GOOP is like! Kind of thrilling and an overall entertaining read
June 6, 2024
I was intrigued by the premise of this horror novel. Marketed as “American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada: outrageous body horror for the goop generation.” 29-year old Sophia finds out the lengths women will go to in order to maintain their youth when she goes to work at HEBE, a luxury skincare/wellness company. Sophia has skeletons in her own closet, revealed in flashbacks, and seems to have no problem getting her hands even more dirty on behalf of the company. I have mixed feelings about this novel, as it was funny at times, when it poked fun at the ridiculousness of the wellness industry, gruesome at times, but also slow at times. This novel will not be for everyone. The voice actor for the audio version did a great job. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an audio advanced copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an audio advanced copy.
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