Wow. I loved this book. My first five star of the year!

Lila Sawyer is an awkward 13-year-old girl who lives alone with her mother, sculptor Caroline Sawyer. She’s recently been taken under the wing of extrovert Macie Kemper. She’s soft, shy, and quiet, until something starts to grow within her. She becomes defiant, loud, no longer going to her mother for comfort, but to hurt her.

Such a Pretty Smile deals with so many topics in a cohesive way. There are family secrets, repressed memories, grief, and overall it’s a coming of age story. As Mother Horror stated previously, girls grow up too. It was lovely to see a coming of age story focusing on a young girl.

This story is so layered, and some of the twists had me reeling, clinging to my Kindle so I wouldn’t toss it across the room. Just read it.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Such a Pretty Smile releases on January 18th.

I feel like the horror elements of Such A Pretty Smile are lacking but I'm glad that the author doesn't shy away from including a lot of social commentaries and forming a clear message. But I don't like the narrative structure at all and I didn't find myself to be disturbed or spooked as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest opinion.
I always try to finish a galley because I want to provide the most honest and helpful review of the book. This is the first time I was not able to finish a book I've requested. I am a huge fan of horror and don't shy away from gore, but this book proved there's always an exception. The graphic details were a little too much for my vivid imagination. Plus, I just couldn't connect with the main characters. I felt like the violence didn't have a real purpose other than to shock the reader, which I found distasteful. Although this was not a book for me, I'm sure there's plenty of readers who will enjoy it

2004: Caroline is trying to carve out a life for herself. She is a talented artist that hasn’t quite seemed to find her way. Living with her fiance Daniel, Caroline wants to make a name for herself in the art world, but when girls begin to disappear, only to be found dead with bite marks on their legs, she begins to have some strange experiences and see some strange things, bringing her past into the present. 
2019: Lila is a typical teenager facing typical teen issues: she comes from a broken home and feels abandoned by her father, she has a crush on someone but is afraid to say anything, and she is obsessed with social media. Lila also has a fear of dogs, something that seems to have been passed down from her mother, Caroline. When girls start to disappear again, turning up dead with bite marks on their legs, Lila feels compelled to uncover the truth about what is happening and how it connects to her mother’s past. 

Such a Pretty Smile is an entertaining novel surrounding a powerful message. Too often in our society girls and women are told to smile and look pretty, effectively silencing an entire community of people, muting their creativity, their intelligence, and their voices; this novel brings this message to the reader in a deliciously twisted and creepy way. Taking place along two timelines which come together seamlessly, the reader gets to hear from both Caroline and Lila, which I found to be not only enjoyable but also effective at showing how this silencing is nothing new. At times Caroline seems weak in the face of adversity, but she finds her voice when she truly needs it, showing that she has a buried strength and resiliency. The symbolism is rather prevalent within the pages and does a fabulous job relaying DeMeester’s message. I really enjoyed Such a Pretty Smile and I highly recommend it.

This horror feminist book is so bizarre that I still can't wrap my head around it.. I enjoyed the back and forth pov's of Lila and her mother Caroline and time periods ,however, I didn't particularly like either character-I didn't find myself invested in their "fight" against sexist treatment of women. The horror portion, although grotesque and vividly described confused me and never gave me the creeps. However, the setting of an abandoned amusement park is brilliant and the conclusion is well constructed. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy Although I didn't enjoy it since it wasn't what I expected I'm sure this book will have a following.

So when I saw this book, I focused on the "mystery/thriller" descriptor instead of the "horror" descriptor. After all, it sounded very mysterious and suspenseful. Serial killer, right? I didn't see where the horror portion came it. But it did. A bit supernatural or paranormal might have been an apt descriptor as well. And that is where the story lost me. I wanted something that was plausible in how we currently view the world as being. I also struggled with the concept of this being "darkly feminist" and "unashamedly feminine." But to speak much on that would be a spoiler. It comes down to this book being good for someone who enjoys dark fantasy with some solid twists, but not the book for me.

There’s something out there that’s killing. Known only as The Cur, he leaves no traces, save for the torn bodies of girls, on the verge of becoming women, who are known as trouble-makers; those who refuse to conform, to know their place. Girls who don’t know when to shut up.

Caroline Sawyer is a well-known artist in her local communities and also the loving, single parent of daughter Lila who happens to be thirteen years old, such a difficult age. Lila has always been an obedient and good child but lately she is unhappy with herself and is experiencing unsettling feelings of anger stirring within herself and also having trouble holding it in especially since she has been hearing a voice often whispering to her telling her to say and do some terrible things that normally she would never think of doing. Lila feels someone or something unnatural watching her from the shadows and also has been hearing dogs snarling and snapping close to her but whenever she turns around they are gone. What is happening to her?

Caroline is on edge with news of a few missing young girls close to their home and she thinks it has something to do with her past unfortunately she has repressed memories from her childhood yet understands she must uncover these lost memories because she has been feeling anxious and having a foreboding fear and thinks it has to do with Lila but she doesn't have any clues why she feels this way but she will do everything in her power to save her precious daughter who is being tormented by her own secrets that she won't share with Caroline. Mother and daughter must somehow come together before the past catches up and overpowers both of them.

This was a very disturbing and unique horror story with a feminist twist. I was drawn in from the first paragraph and just couldn't stop reading even when some of the writing was difficult to process with some very graphic and horrifying passages. I originally thought maybe this was a book about mental illness but No, No, No this is a truly a well-done horror book and there is not one thing predictable about this story. Sometimes I thought I knew where the story was leading but I was wrong again. What a clever writer Kristi DeMeester is bringing fresh horror to the forefront that hasn't been written before. This book is terrifying, horrifying and also heartbreaking at times and I highly recommend it to any horror lover.

There are some warning triggers here: graphic violence, gore, some areas that may be offensive to dog lovers yet I'm a dog lover and didn't have a problem. Sexism isssues, language and some sexual situations of young girls. Pleas remember this is a horror book not a pretty gift wrapped fairy tale.

I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific ARC and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this frightening book a rating of 4 TERRIFYING AND DISTURBING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!


TITLE: Such A Pretty Smile
AUTHOR: Kristi DeMeester
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press
PUBLICATION DATE: January 18, 2022

This is a book of dualities. Mother/daughter. Straight/gay. Evil/strong. Obedience/defiance. All crafted in a novel that deftly traverses two different, yet connected, timelines. Such a Pretty Smile is a scary horror (or rather Horror, it needs that capital H, trust me) novel leads readers to a deeper discussion of feminism, self-power, and familial bonds.

Lily is a freaking awesome 13 year old girl. She is SUCH a believable character. Her insecurities, her struggle to find her place, to deal with her burgeoning sexuality and attraction to her best friend Macie, are just spot on. My daughter is almost 13 years old. I work in a high school. If there’s one thing that will make me throw a book, it's the unrealistic representation of HOW TEENS ACT/TALK.

As Lily starts to use this strange, dark power she discovers within herself, her world and life begin to change. When the book flashes back to 2004 with Caroline, this same darkness is ravaging her life as well. DeMeester’s play with feminism and strength, and how the world sometimes is for people who are not men, is so damn well done. It’s both subtle and not; it’s both terrifying and captivating.

Such a Pretty Smile is Kristi DeMeester’s second full length novel, and this reader cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. Her first novel, Beneath, also deals with mothers and daughters and navigating this complicated, frustrating world. Buy them both, you won’t regret it. And let's all do a huge CHEER for yet another Horror novel getting published through a big 5 publisher - I sure hope readers are ready (wink).

There are some wonderfully unsettling moments here. I loved the book, and I think part of it was because I identified with some of the things the characters were going through, but another thing I liked about it was how hard it was to put down. It's not a super-short book, but I read it in one long sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of SUCH A PRETTY SMILE.

Reviewed on Instagram @tiffany_is_reading

2.5 stars, rounding down for NetGalley.

I did not love this one. I should have DNF’d it. It just wasn’t for me. I liked the setting in New Orleans, and that was about it. I wanted to like it and just kept turning the pages waiting to be into it.

I received Such a Pretty Smile as an ARC through Netgalley. How often as women are we told, smile, be nice, keep your emotions in check, etc. You try to go for help and you're written off by your doctor and/or just given medication to fix your "problem". Kristi DeMeester explores all that and more in Such a Pretty Smile, with a twist. There is a serial killer on the loose taking for their victims young girls. Caroline is having horrible flashbacks to events that occurred 15 years ago when she lived in New Orleans and is now fearing for her daughter Lila since the same MO of a killer is happening again in Atlanta where she is now living. Is it the same person, a copycat? Is it all in her head?

Read this if…you are an advocate for gender equality and/or like stories with deep, layered messages.

Someone or something nicknamed “The Cur” is killing prepubescent girls, leaving their bodies looking as if they’ve been mauled by wild animals. The murdered girls all have a reputation for being strong-willed and were on the path to becoming strong, independent young women.

Lila Sawyer is a thirteen year-old struggling to figure out who she is until a strange internal force gives her the strength to be her true self. No one understands her odd behavior, but her mother might know more than she lets on. Caroline Sawyer experienced something similar when she was Lila’s age and barely escaped with her life. Now she must reconcile her past with the present in order to save her daughter.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I went into it expecting a serial killer story and it was apparent pretty quickly that was not the premise. Then I thought it was turning into a werewolf novel, but that wasn’t right either. Eventually I finished it and still wasn’t sure how to describe what I just read. I do appreciate the underlying message the author was trying to share and the creative way in which that message was delivered. However, I had some issues with the pacing and was left with unanswered questions. On the other hand, the writing was strong and there was a lot of suspense. I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn’t gone into it with any expectations.

A big thanks to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so odd. Good in some spots and boring in others. I will say that by the end I had no idea how it was going to play out, but I also feel like the ending was unresolved? It's very hard to explain without getting into spoiler territory, but it was left unanswered and completely open and I just feel let down by what few answers we did get. This would normally be a 2 star book, but I'm upping it to 3 because the actual writing style and voices were well done. Still, not a fan overall.

A gruesome telling that reminds women that you don’t have to smile if you don’t want to.

Lila and her mother Caroline both have secrets that turns out could be deadly. Rooted in trauma and dark histories, this creeping terror of a book gives you a sense of claustrophobia as you read. You feel the horror possessing Lila and the darkness that haunts Caroline.
The story is gripping and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. You want to know what is going on and what’s happening/happened to these women/girls

Critique I have is that the main character Lila is only 13 years old. While I’m not ignorant of the fact that kids are sexual especially at the onset of puberty, there were some scenes I felt were a little too over the top in sexualiZing her. The only thing that made it palatable was that it didn’t seem like it was really Lila thinking and doing what she was doing. Instead it felt like it was another entity taking control. I also realize timing of the events were relevant so her age was significant so she couldn’t easily be made several years older. It was just a little uncomfortable to read.

Likely one of the strangest books I've read. Dual timelines. Mother and daughter. Strange experiences. Definitely mental health issues touched on.

Caroline's past trauma and Lila's current. Secrets. Lies. Shame. Heartbreaking how Caroline was treated as a young woman. And seeing it reoccur had to be heartbreaking for her.

Was a tough story to read! Definitely captivating, but had to put it down at times. A reminder that as a society we need to do better when it comes to mental health and its stigmas and treatment.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure if what I just read would be considered horror or not...enough of the gore explained it counts I guess.

There were things here that I liked and things that I didn't.

For me, the dual timeline is a favorite if executed well. This dual timeline was off - there wasn't the same amount of drive or pace. It was slow horror, though I'd more classify as cross between thriller and coming of age and even supernatural.

I liked the plot idea here, a serial killer targeting young girls who act out. That part of the synopsis is what drew me in. However, there is a lot of confusion around this. It really isn't discussed as such and so most of the books leaves you wondering why they are being killed. The connection between timelines took forever to discover.

A few tweaks here and there and I would have been much more invested in the story. That's not to say that YOU won't enjoy it. So, if you are reading this review, and enjoy horror/thriller then I would suggest giving it a try, then come back and discuss with me!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Kristi DeMeester for the gifted copy!

An unusual horror thriller that moves back and forth in time between a mother and daughter both dealing with mental health issues. In 2019, Lila is struggling with her sense of self, her mother, and the fact that young women are being murdered by a serial killer. And she's hearing dogs. In 2004, her mother Caroline spirals as she relies to deal with her father. her fiance, and the fact that she hears dogs- all the time. And the serial killing attributed to "the cur" starts. Caroline has been keeping a secret and now Lila is too, afraid of what will happen if she admits to the sounds in her head. Neither mother or daughter is a reliable narrator, that's for sure. It's interesting and frightening all at once. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner that crosses genres.

Suspenseful and full of mystery, this novel was great !! I was instantly drawn in and kept my interest for the entire novel.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.

A creepy novel with violent monsters and a deeper message of being a woman. The mystery was entertaining. Some scenes were creepy and easily categorized as horror. Enjoyed the message about women being strong and loud. Some pacing issues.

Such a Pretty Smile follows two perspectives - one is Lila, 13 in 2019, desperately in love with her best frenemy, and having weird out of time experiences that have something to do with the sound of barking dogs and a pair of glowing yellow eyes, the other is her mother Caroline in 2004, not yet obsessively concerned about a serial killer targeting young girls, an artist who begins to hallucinate, or does she, who knows? That was a sloppy explanation of this story, but it's so hard to summarize what's really going on here. For a lot of the read, you aren't quite sure how the pieces all thread together, the pieces of Lila's story and Caroline's, nor the pieces within each.

The dual POV's were hard to get into. For the first big chunk of this book, four or five chapters I think, you're reading from Lila's perspective. I found her super interesting and really enjoyed the claustrophobia of being in a 13 year old's head. Something about that really worked with this story. We learn about a serial killer going after girls her age, these weird hallucinations/rage storms she has, and her crush on a girl who really doesn't deserve it. I thought it was really compelling, but then we switch to the POV of a younger version of her mother, Caroline, for the majority of the book. I didn't mind Caroline, but it was hard to be excited to read from her after reading from Lila's perspective. The whole time, I wanted to get back to Lila, but it just didn't happen.

I think because of this, the pacing felt weird, slow. Even though there was a steady stream of stuff happening, it began to feel repetitive. I couldn't make sense of a lot of it or draw satisfying connections, so the tension of certain plot points would fall away and drag on for a while. I did find the scary scenes and the imagery around them really, really creepy, but I just craved more! Those scenes in particular felt incredibly repetitive, and I was just waiting for the level to be cranked up on them.

I also just really hated the ending. It felt sloppy in comparison to the rest of the book. The big standoff scene where you're finally supposed to put everything together was too quick, anti-climactic, and I think the author fell into the trap of tying the book up by having some monologue explaining everything that was going on. I was never quite sure where things were headed, so the ending just felt like a huge let down, especially when there were so many possibilities of where it could have gone.

I think this book had good bones. The writing was strong, the scary scenes were really creepy, lots of good imagery here that allowed the book to feel atmospheric without being over-written, but I think the plot got messy, felt a little slapped together, and the pacing could have been a lot better. Not a bad horror story, but didn't wow me the way I hoped it would.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-arc!