This story did not grab me the way I thought it would. It felt a bit disjointed and incomplete. The back and forth between time periods was a bit distracting also.

Such a Pretty Smile is written in the first person narrative through the perspectives of mother and daughter, Lila and Caroline. The story follows their experiences in two alternate timelines around a serial killer named The Cur who targets teenage girls and leaves no trace except their mutilated bodies. Lila is 13 years old and going through typical teenage issues until she starts hearing disturbing voices in her head and dogs howling at night. Her mother Caroline is famous artist who has a talent for disturbing sculptures. But Caroline has a dark past, one that ended her marriage and one she cannot tell Lila about. Will her secrets protect Lila or ruin her?

Thoughts: I can only describe this as feminist horror, a genre I’ve never dabbled in before. Definitely an interesting exploration of gender norms, sexism, and feminism. Blurbed as a ‘powerful allegory for what it can mean to be a woman.’ It was an interesting read and I enjoyed the horror and psychological thriller elements. I actually thought it was going to be more of a Mystery Thriller but I was definitely wrong! I really didn’t care for either main character, and the dad was the WORST, but I did far prefer Caroline’s POV. I always enjoy an unreliable narrator in horror and that was definitely not lacking here. Definitely an uncomfortable read so tread carefully if you’re a sensitive reader. I actually enjoyed the ending but it wasn’t my favorite read. Heavy on the ‘men calling women hysterical’ and it was completely annoying at first but it does eventually come full circle. Recommend to readers who enjoy their horror with a side of social commentary.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Kristi DeMeester for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Caroline and her fiancée Daniel were artists in New Orleans, and they worked hard to be a family, while Caroline would constantly have these unfathomable nightmares that always taunted her with relentless, frightening and ghostly visions.
To get to the bottom of her bizarre encounters, Caroline discovered her mysterious past that was totally unsettling and horrifying.
15 years later, a couple of girls went missing in Atlanta where Caroline and her daughter Lila resided. When her mother seemed deeply troubled by those missing girls, Lila suspected Caroline was hiding something real dark and haunting. Then, Lila started to feel tremendously unnerved by some eerie episodes that were driving her insane.
I have no idea what is lurking beneath SUCH A PRETTY SMILE by Kristi DeMeester until I finished reading it, with goose bumps all over and heart pounding out of my chest!
This book is absolutely perfect for horror-seeking readers!
I would like to thank NetGalley for this on-the-edge-of-my-seat terrifying ride!
#SuchAPrettySmile
#NetGalley

A biting novel from an electrifying new voice, Kristi DeMeester's Such a Pretty Smile is a heart-stopping tour-de-force about powerful women, angry men, and all the ways in which girls fight against the forces that try to silence them.

Even after reading this book, I'm having trouble understanding the point of it. There was horror, made to look like mental illness, men vs. woman, mother/vs. daughter but I just don't get the point of the ending - at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: Jan. 18, 2022

In the last two or three years, just under the surface of the modern horror fiction scene is a low-level buzz that grows stronger and stronger each day. It’s very exciting to both observe the way the buzz is shaping the industry and actively BE THE BUZZ.
A very exciting time for genre buffs. New, powerful voices are on the rise telling unique stories their way and for the first time, in a long time, the pathways to the top seem free of obstacles, gatekeepers, and road blocks. Kristi DeMeester is a storyteller I have long admired. Her novel, Beneath, was the first indie horror book I ever requested for review (thank you Word Horde!). After reading, I immediately dove into her short story collection, Everything That’s Underneath and that was it for me; a die-hard DeMeester fan for life.
Now here we are with Such A Pretty Smile. Let me set some early expectations, unpack my reading experience, and close with an invitation.
DeMeester’s storytelling is ferociously and unashamedly feminine. She explores themes of mother/daughter relationships, sexuality, body image, gender norms and biases, and the way society/culture inform or complicate/frustrate the female experience. Showing up to read Such A Pretty Smile is to expect these themes.
A small town is rocked when a missing girl is found murdered; her body ravaged. A local artist, Caroline Sawyer is triggered by these new reports–eerily similar to trauma she experienced in her past. Caroline’s daughter, Lilah, is going through a volatile season of adolescence, has a crush on a girl at school, and is troubled by strange visions.
The narrative follows both Caroline’s present-day situation and flashes back to 2004 as well as Lilah’s present day POV.
The overall atmosphere of this story is somewhere between the thick tension and suspense of an intricately plotted crime thriller and the figurative, often ambiguous work of speculative horror fiction. The mash-up can be frustrating at times as there is a real desire for concrete answers or explanations but Demeester unapologetically leaves things for the reader to sort out. The pacing is a bit troublesome as well, skating along fluidly and quickly at first but then tapering off toward the middle with a few full stops and starts before picking up again for the climax/ending. Those issues aside, I am over-the-moon ecstatic to read horror that answers the call for more stories from a woman’s perspective and detailing the issues we face, the predatory world we exist in, and the uniquely feminine horrors we go through. I’m here for any and all of it. I recommend this book to readers also looking to quench that fire within them–drink long and deeply from the wellspring DeMeester offers here. It’s very satisfying.

I loved this book. It drew me in from page one. The story of a mother and daughter and the bonds between them yet so much more. I novel of such truths. A dark horror novel with a message for all those that listen to it. The story is excellently paced and told. Strong characters and voices. I’ll be on the lookout for more of Kristi DeMeester’s work.

3.5 stars

This is proving to be a difficult review to write for many reasons. I really liked and was invested in the strange macabre events unfolding for Caroline and her daughter Lila, but a few impediments kept me from considering this book the twisty, creepy thriller it had so much potential to be.

First, I'm still not exactly sure I understood what happened ih this book. Or entirely why. I understand the general premise, but it's the finer details that I can't quite grasp, characters and subplots whose purpose confused more than supported the main storyline for me. I'm left with far more questions than answers (which I will omit to avoid spoilers). Maybe the reader isn't meant to understand everything, but the story felt disjointed to me as a result.

Second, there were multiple instances where Caroline and Lila's names were interchanged but I can't tell if this was purposeful. In a few spots, it didn't make sense because they weren't with each other when it happened or one not even born yet. Again, not sure if this was a continuity error or a clever tactic to confuse readers.

Finally, chatacters seemed to be a bit all over the place and lacked consistent traits which also confused me. Lila seemed meek and timid in some/most of the book yet had uncharacteristic bouts of bad ass female energy that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. It caught me off-gaurd and had me often questioning where I was in the timeline thinking I was in the past reading about Caroline. But then she too had dips and peaks in her own storyline that made me think I was misunderstanding part of the plot.

Overall, the story was unique and interesting. There were points that shined quite bright with chapter ending cliffhangers that left me desperate for more, but then other spots that left me wondering if I was somehow skipping chapters or missing pages. I'd read this author again in the future as I liked her approach and uniqueness, some fine tuning of details and continuity issues and she's perfect

Thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for providing me the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

We will be reviewing this book for our podcast, Genre Junkies, closer to the release date. Genre Junkies is on Apple podcasts & Spotify.

Having already been a fan of this author, this novel has now cemented her as an “auto buy” writer for me. Her voice, her tone, her message is a vital presence representing women in horror. In “Smile” Kristi tackles what I can only describe as the generational trauma all female/femme presenting folk inherit. Wrapped up in what almost feels like a fairytale retelling the result is disturbing and vile. And I mean that in the best way. The way that all horror fans seek. I could even imagine women who aren’t in to horror could read this novel, relate utterly, and appreciate Kristi’s powerful storytelling. A perfect scary book for all wild girls, nasty women, and the people who love them.

I just didn't like this book. I did not like the main protagonist Lila and it just wasn't for me. I see where the author was trying to go with the story, but it just feel flat for me. Thanks for the advance copy of this book from the publisher and author.

I found this to be somewhat haphazard, with lots of loose ends. Such a Pretty Smile would have benefitted greatly from more back-story and earlier on.

Such a Pretty Smile

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the abundance of horror written by women these days. Women have a unique perspective on so many of life’s more horrifying experiences, and several of these are explored in vivid detail in Such A Pretty Smile. Kristi Demeester’s horror-slash-crime-thriller is at times a frustrating read, but it is one of the more painful (or rather, painfully accurate), explorations of the feminine experience.

The story takes place in two different timelines, from the point of view of main characters. The first several chapters follow Lila, a teenage girl going through a pretty extreme angsty period to say the least. Lila lives alone with her mother, Caroline, a well-respected sculptor who is a bit of a loner. Lila is infatuated with her “best friend” and is becoming increasingly annoyed with her mother’s overprotectiveness. The tension between the two escalates in these early chapters quickly, especially as a copycat of the serial killer known as The Cur begins mutiliating and murdering young girls in their area and Caroline becomes hypervigilant about her daughter’s safety.

The point of view shifts to Caroline circa 2004, during her days as a fledgling artist living in New Orleans with Lila’s father, Daniel. Under tremendous stress, she begins having a mental breakdown and is quickly medicated into submission by Daniel and a script-happy psychiatrist. Her experiences and pleas for help are dismissed at every turn, a reflection of how women’s mental and physical health have often been minimized by men who believe they are simply “hysterical.” Caroline’s point of view moves between this period of her life and her present-day perspective of what is happening with her daughter and the possible return of The Cur, with whom she has an obvious connection.

Such A Pretty Smile is a scathing, unabashedly feminist book that explores the themes of silencing women through the control of their bodies and their behavior. I found myself sympathizing with Lila’s teenage angst and feelings of isolation and helplessness, as well as Caroline’s struggle to be heard about her own state of mind. These aspects can come across as a bit heavy-handed in the dialogue, though the writing itself never suffers. Demeester’s prose shines when she is exploring the thoughts and feelings of her characters, and I found myself bookmarking several passages with language that was equally lovely and disturbing.

While the story is decidedly a horror tale, it is told with the kind of piecemeal reveals and start-and-stop pacing of a thriller/suspense novel. As mentioned above, this can be a bit frustrating as it sometimes feels like information is withheld for the sake of fitting that mold. The chapters that felt more “horror” were stunning, scary, and easy to tear through, but sometimes followed with lulls that were a bit too long. Still, these periods of restraint deliver a lot of the rich character development that make this book a worthwhile read in my opinion.

I shed more than one tear as I read this book, which actually makes it a win for me. If you like your books to have strong social commentary and feminist messaging, explore complicated mother-daughter relationships, or have scary monsters that may or may not be human, you will likely enjoy Such A Pretty Smile. The story keeps you guessing as to the cause of its strange and violent events, but it does eventually deliver answers that leave just enough mystery to make you think about the book long after you close it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, as I was provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You know when you were little & you’d hear all those urban legends on Halloween about razorblades hidden inside candy apples? Kristi DeMeester’s horror-thriller Such a Pretty Smile is basically one of those in book form — a coming-of-age story about womanhood and femininity on the outside, but with a horrifying, serrated core buried inside, ready to cut you open when you least expect.

Here’s the deal: we’ve got dueling timelines told from the modern-day perspective of 13-year-old Lila, as well as from her mother Caroline, a tortured artist, over a decade earlier. Despite the separation of time, a chilling phenomenon affects them both: a serial killer known only as “The Cur” reemerges every 15 years or so in the South to kidnap and tear apart young girls, the ones known in their communities as “trouble-makers” and loud mouths, those who aren’t afraid to push back against society’s expectations of them. Despite graphic crime scenes and the fact he must be getting on in years, the killer has yet to be apprehended, and unfortunately both Lila and Caroline happen to be around during his different reigns of terror.

As far as premises go, I was psyched. A creepy serial killer? Strong female characters? A troubled mother-daughter pair? The angst of being a ~te3n4gEr~? Sign me UP. But this isn’t a straight-forward story, as far as your average thriller or horror novel goes, and to go in expecting one might leave you disappointed. (I was, a smidge.)

For what it’s worth, there’s a lot about it that does indeed deliver. DeMeester is a great writer, one capable of infusing scenes with such a vivid sense of dread that I had to actually pause reading one night to turn on the light. (There’s one sequence involving a basement that is creepy with a capital C.) And whenever the writing turned to that stifling, choking feeling of being a woman who just wants to scream and thrash and rebuke her sexist, unfair surroundings, a part of my soul sang with recognition.

But when I take a hard look at the novel as a whole, I do have to admit that the ideas introduced never quite coalesce into something sharp enough to draw blood. Chapters are often bloated and the ultimate mythology of The Cur and what’s actually happening to these girls gets pretty muddled. By the time the final, Big Important Scene goes down, my confusion about what the f*ck was even going on anymore stripped the moment of any real emotional weight.

In the end, the story gets too bogged down in the metaphor behind it to be effective. But if you’re willing to dig, there *is* gold in here — blood-soaked, stomach-turning gold.

Thank you to MacMillan and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Strong females who are “bad” get abducted and killed by The Cur, a paranormal entity akin to a werewolf that reappears every 15 years to keep females in line. DeMeester tells this story in dual mother/daughter POVs, and it works because it highlights the generational effects of sexism on both main characters.

I’m not sure I’d categorize this one as a thriller. Someone called it allegorical feminist horror elsewhere, and I agree with that label. The writer evokes some seriously eerie vibes that made the hairs on the back of my neck prick. Caution for the squeamish: Contains extremely gory, explicit imagery.

If anyone has ever told you to be a good girl, to smile more, or to be a lady, and you found yourself infuriated by those blatantly sexist remarks, you’ll appreciate the underlying themes of this book. You’ll find a distressingly accurate portrayal of the stigmatization of mental illness with a hefty side of men dismissing women’s feelings as hysterical. I’ll smile when I damn well please, thankyouverymuch.

Overall, this book fascinated me. Raw, dark, and horrifying, Such a Pretty Smile Is a beautifully written, haunting horror story. It’s one of those books that stays with you for a while. Recommend!

*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC*

Wow, what the hell did I just read?
This book kept me interested the whole time and I didn’t know what was really going on but it was good. I had no idea what to expect.
It’s hard to describe this book without ruining it but there are a lot of warnings you should be aware of.
If you do not like gore or dark horror, I would not recommend this book.
I hope to read more by this author.

This book was dark and confusing and uncomfortable, but these are good characteristics for this type of book. There are point when in the 13 year old pov it uncomfortable, but I feel that age is uncomfortable. The horror elements are dark and messy and leave you feeling on edge.
It does take a while to get to the girls need to behave or else they are punished. I wish that was threaded more in the beginning.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Lila has secrets she can’t share with anyone - she sees things and thinks things that if she were to say anything people would put her away. But when girls are missing and murdered all over she begins to wonder if anyone is safe. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Twisted and chilling, this psychological story has all the makings for a great Halloween read. Hallucinations that might be real, a serial killer, and voices inside your head that all come together to make this one heck of a scary read. Not necessarily my cup of tea but if you like the scary stuff, psychologically and physically, this one’s for you!

This is a strange book.

That being said, it serves a purpose. It makes a statement about misogyny. It demonstrates the way women are placated, held back, minimized, and made to believe they are crazy.

I’m all for that statement. I just wasn’t in love with the tone used to make it. I understand why this is referred to as feminist horror, but I felt it was a quiet whimper rather than a bold shriek. The intended meaning seemed undiscovered early on and suddenly decided upon much later in the book.

I appreciate what the author wanted to do. Sadly, I found it slow, odd, uncomfortably graphic, and often poorly developed. Frustratingly, there were some loose threads left hanging in the end, never properly stitched into a clean seam. This was a story with great potential, but it mostly missed its mark.

With all that being said, there were moments that filled me with rage. I know this was the author’s aim, so kudos to her for stirring such strong emotion. I also liked the brutal symbolism that became evident as things concluded. It helped the story feel worthwhile to me, so I am not displeased that I saw it through.

I am immensely grateful to St. Martin’s Press for my digital review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Such a Pretty Smile will be out on January 18, 2022.

This is not a book for the weak-willed or faint of heart. It’s a mystery thriller with a heavy dose of horror sprinkled in. The descriptions of evil done to humans and pets will make one cringe if they have trouble separating the book from reality. I don’t; I know that when I’m reading a book, it’s a book and I choose not to be offended.
That being said, what I loved about this plot is the undertones of sexism, stereotypes, and the ensuing anger and frustration. Caroline and her daughter Lila are both struggling with what appears to be mental illness or stress, but for very different reasons. Add in the missing young women and the brutal murders by the Cur, a serial killer who seems to target “mouthy” young women. Caroline can’t explain where her incentive comes from for the odd and creepy sculptures she creates. Lila can’t control her desire to return to the abandoned fun park that was the scene of a horrific event for Caroline.
As these various angles spin around each other, the tension builds. Just when you think you’ve figured out the plot, it twists. This is an engrossing read for those who enjoy mystery and horror brewed together.
Sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 18, 2022.

This is a hard book to review. I enjoyed it but at times it was hard to read. As a woman, much of the book feels so familiar. At times it we as confusing, and heavy, but it made me think and constantly process what I was reading. This is not a typical escapist thriller - this novel has deep painful themes. I’m better for having read it.