Thank you to: NetGalley, St. Martins Press and author Kristi DeMeester for the eARC in return for an honest review.

Thrilled to read a books that crept under my skin and had me thinking about the characters for a good week. Wonderful writing and a unique story idea.

The gore. The mystery. The eerie imagery.

I enjoyed how uneasy I felt throughout the story.

Jumping around from 2004 to 2019, the book follows Lila and her mother, Caroline and their experiences with The Cur, a serial killer that is connected to both women.

After reading, you may be so inclined to pay attention to the shadows around you.

Publication date: January 18, 2022

Reading the description of Such A Pretty Smile, by Krist Mester, I thought I would really like this book. Unfortunately that was not the case. I found the writing, dialogue and characters to be something more appropriate for a Young Adult book. I also found the use of the two narrators and timelines to be quite confusing at times. I also felt that there were parts of the story that needed to be further explored for it to all come together.

It seems like I am in the minority in my poor review if this book, but I would find it hard to recommend Such A Pretty Smile to anyone.

As much as I read, I still consider myself a relative newbie to thriller and horror narratives. However, out of my limited experience with those genres, I don’t think I have ever encountered one such book so plainly meant to speak to the female experience. Such a Pretty Smile is a horror story for women, plain and simple.
My general assessment of this novel is that it is creepy. Insightful, I know, but made even more so when you consider what makes Such a Pretty Smile unsettling. At its heart, this story revels in the idea of your body as something foreign, uncontrollable, and consumable. In essence, an embellished lack of autonomy, which can be a very feminine focussed fear because of constant real world social and political discourse.
There are certain behaviours and situations that femme presenting people tolerate simply because it is easier than arguing or getting angry. The over familiarity, easy dismissal, constant questioning, and automatic instinct to placate rather than genuinely hear and acknowledge the concern. These are all things that happen in this book, but also happen to women every day. What Such a Pretty Smile does well is that it embodies the collective annoyance and frustration resulting from that. Which in turn, helps to make anyone familiar with it feel seen.
I did find that while all of this was going on, there were times when the sexism present didn’t feel as subtle as it should have. Like there were moments in the novel where the rhetoric used was just so chauvinistic and then so quickly excused by other characters that it felt like it was laying it on a little too thick. However, my overall impression of the book is a positive one and I would probably still recommend it if you’re looking for a good scare.

Such a Pretty Smile was such an interesting ride. I am not sure I have read something quite like it. The story is told from multiple point-of-views and timelines, all weaving together a raw and brutal tale of what it is like to be a woman and to be silenced.

This story didn't go in any direction I had assumed it was and it kept me on my toes. There were so many moments throughout the POV of Lila Sawyer that reminded me of what it was like to be thirteen and not really feeling like you belonged where you were. Kristi DeMeester writes brilliantly and I can't wait to visit more of her works.

The book opens with the present-day perspective of a thirteen-year-old girl named Lila who’s going through the typical issues that you'd expect with a preteen. She has a crush on her best friend, who’s oblivious to her feelings. She's dealing with an overbearing mother. She's navigating changes to her body and the evolving expectations surrounding her femininity and womanhood. As if all this isn't complicated enough for a thirteen-year-old to handle, there’s also someone out there murdering young girls in a morbid fashion that mysteriously resembles a string of killings that occurred in New Orleans in 2004. Lila’s mother, Caroline, is terrified and overprotective of her daughter, and it’s clear that she knows more about the killings than she lets on…

In addition to Lila's present day POV, we're treated to another timeline–that of Caroline in 2004, when she lived in New Orleans. We follow her as she’s in a relationship with Lila’s father, working on her art, and dealing with her father’s illness, all while a serial killer is targeting young girls in her neighborhood.  There is a lot of uncertainty and mystery surrounding the murders in both of the timelines. Is it the same person? A copycat? Or is it something else entirely?... One thing’s for sure–the killings are disturbing and gruesome and the reader can’t help but worry that Lila might become a victim, all the while wondering how Caroline might be involved with what went on back in 2004 and if she might be connected to what’s going on now. 

This book is beautifully written and had me on the edge of my seat, gnawing at my fingernails. The atmosphere is mysterious and dark, and the confusion and dread that both protagonists feel throughout the novel radiates from every page. The author uses visceral language to best incite both fear and intrigue in the reader. 

The novel is character-driven, and we dive deep into the troubled minds of Caroline and Lila. The story drew me in immediately, despite the slower pace. The twists are revealed gradually, and the slow pacing is quite effective, and never boring.

The entire book is a creepy metaphor that the author masterfully twisted to represent themes of feminism and what it's like to be a young woman in a patriarchal society. Even the title, “Such a Pretty Smile”, is revealed to be a nod to the way that men will often tell women to “smile” because it makes them prettier, a well known sexist expression. I can't comment too much on the way that the metaphor complements these themes without giving too much away. But if you're interested in reading a well-crafted literary horror, this book's for you!  I had a pretty good idea of where the story was going, but then I was thrown for a loop when the final twist was nothing like I’d expected. The conclusion perfectly encapsulates the feminist themes of the novel, exploring them at an even deeper level than I was expecting. 

All that said, the book is never too heavy-handed with the metaphor. You can still enjoy the book at a surface level, blissfully ignoring the poignant themes and imagery, if you’re just looking for a spooky yarn that will stave off sleep for the next few days (okay, weeks).

I recommend this book to those who want a smart horror story that deals in disturbing, yet poignant metaphors and hauntingly beautiful language. 

*This review will be posted to https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/ and Goodreads on December 14, 2021, and on Amazon following the pubdate*

This is such a dark and disturbing story! There is an evil force killing girls who are about to become women. Those who don’t conform or follow the rules. They call it The Cur, but it’s been on a rampage over many years and in many different cities. Lila is a teenager in 2019. She’s trying to fit in, and failing, and her mom, Caroline, is so overbearing that it’s hard for her to breathe. At first, Caroline seems like a helicopter mother, completely unreasonable. But as the story unfolds, it is clear she knows more than she’s telling, and her fears are not irrational at all. The chapters go back and forth between Lila and present-day Caroline, as well as Caroline’s background story, when she was only starting out as an artist and her relationship with Lila’s father was new. It’s remarkable how my opinion of the characters changed as I learned more about what they were going through. The plot is just perfect, not only does the characters change, but the situations are vastly different as more details emerge. Some parts were so creepy that they made my skin crawl. Be advised, the author has an agenda. This is one of those books that belong in the radical feminism wave that has lately emerged and which seem more worried about making a point than telling a story. This one, though, is so well written and entertaining, that I never felt like I was being preached at. Well done!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#St. Martin's Press!

This book was just not for me. The story was told from two different perspectives at two different time periods by Caroline and her daughter Lila. I was interested in Lila's story, but Caroline's narrative took over half way through, and I just found myself wanting to skip her chapters. Then towards the end you find out "the big thing", and I just found it to be disappointing and rushed. Overall, I would not recommend this book, but this is my opinion and others might love this book.

Such a Pretty Smile was an odd book. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I have no idea because I usually love odd, but I’m a bit conflicted in my feelings. We’re just going to do the pros and cons.

Pros:
Good mix of supernatural horror/thriller.
Grizzly murder descriptions.
Dual time line and POV’s.
Eerie and atmospheric.
The writing.

Cons:
At times felt a bit YA.
Slightly confusing.
Felt like I was missing something.
The pace, too much talk and not enough action.

I’d say I definitely liked it but I really wanted to love it. While the story kept me interested I still felt like I wasn’t really into it 100%. Something just fell short for me but I honestly have no idea what. I’m so confused. Would I read this author again though? Yes! Is this one worth a read for yourself? Yes!

If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be "bizarre." It started off good, but as I read more I felt myself getting more confused. At times I had no clue what was happening, and felt that the story was missing some important details. It could be the back and forth POV from mother/daughter where things got lost, or the vague idea of the Cur that made it difficult to even imagine what he was, but it just didn't work for me. I finished this book but probably wouldn't recommend.

Love. I loved this book.
Such a Pretty Smile is a horror story that punches you straight in the gut.
The story follows a mother and daughter, but at very different points in their lives. We meet Lila in 2019 when she is 13. Like any 13 year old, she has a lot going on. Her father and his new wife just had a baby and don't have much time for her. Her mother is a busy artist and professor. And she may or may not be in love with her best friend. Not to mention girls her age are starting to disappear and Lila is having a lot of strange feelings.
We also follow Lila's mother Caroline in 2004, before she became a mother. When she is just married to Lila's father, trying to make it as an artist, and taking care of her ailing father. All the while she is haunted by the sound of dogs barking and snarling. She feels like she us slipping from reality.
The two stories collide in a way I was not expecting and I loved every bit of this story.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

With an intriguing description, I expected so much more. Unfortunately, Such a Pretty Smile turned out to be a dud. But I was determined to finish the novel no matter what. Finishing the novel wasn’t that difficult because there was enough horror and gore to keep me going.

The characters are not as developed, but I didn’t expect them to be in a horror story. The main draw aren’t the characters, but the slash and gash of the victims.

The plot is not straightforward, but there isn’t any twists and turns. In a word, the story is bizarre. The narrative is told in two points of view — mother, Caroline, and daughter, Lila; and it occurs between two timelines. Such a Pretty Smile is not an easy read, but some readers may find it to be a page turner. I for one didn’t care much for it, but I managed to finish it. So you could say it must be okay. Two stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

"That's what they do. They attach themselves to us like a parasite before we can learn to have a voice of our own. They look for that fear and confusion and anger and feed on it."

This style of writing for this book just wasn't for me. I struggled to connect to the characters and story. I had difficult time picturing the bad guy in my mind. At times I wasn't sure what was going on and finding I needed to reread certain parts. I still have some questions that I felt weren't answered (its possible I missed something while reading).

I feel like this whole story left me feeling a bit funny and took me awhile to finish. I am typically a fast reader.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with the digital ARC for Such a Pretty Smile!

This book was interesting. I wasn't one hundred percent sold on it for the first handful of chapters. I thought the story was odd, there were parts of it I didn't quite see the point of, and I didn't have a real attachment to any of the characters. As the story progressed, though, I enjoyed learning about Caroline's past and her experience with Jazzland. I also liked seeing the progression of Lila's character going from a submissive and quiet young woman to someone who didn't feel she needed to repress her thoughts.

This book is a very feminist book. At times, I thought it was trying too hard to get its point across, and I hated how almost all of the interactions with male characters were unsafe and demeaning. I do not think that is realistic. That said, I enjoyed seeing a book that dealt with the silencing of women deemed too "loud" or who don't behave. As a woman, I related a lot to this idea that we are expected to be sweet and perfect much of the time in order to both fit in and not be judged.

Overall, this was a 4 star read for me. I think the book included some really unnecessary information just to be considered progressive. I also felt there were moments that were kind of cheesy (esp. towards the end). I also didn't love that there were no redeemable male characters for much of the book. That said, I did enjoy it and may end up re-reading it again in the future. This was a good read for any young woman who has ever been told to smile, keep quiet, and be polite.

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Such a Pretty Smile in exchange of my honest opinion.

I will start by saying I am a huge fan of horror and gore. This book had a lot of both.

Taking place in a dual timeline of mother and daughter. A monstrous beast, or beasts, comes out every 15 years or so to feed on certain young girls.

This book held my interest all the way through. I look forward to reading more by Kristi DeMeester.

I’m definitely in the minority with my 2 star rating but this story fell flat for me and I could not connect with any of the characters. I found myself getting bored with the book by 50% so I’m stopping. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review.

This is a deeply creepy story about cycles of trauma within a society that constantly casts cages around women. I enjoyed getting the perspectives of a mother and her daughter through different points in the mother's timeline, and was horrified by the way the daughter came to terms with her crush on her best friend.

Gory, hallucinogenic, feminist horror about someone or something hunting and destroying girls who refuse to conform to society's outdated ideals of female behavior.

This book was brutal and disturbing and there's some dog content I had to skim over/skip because yuck, and I'm not sure I fully understood what was going on by the end, but I think I liked it? I'm still thinking about it after finishing it a while ago. Definitely worth reading!

"We'd be terrified, and it shut us up. It's how they keep us submissive. By making us think we're losing our minds. Dismissed as crazy or hysterical and drugged up."

This is a mother-daughter story that moves between past and present. In the present day Lila Sawyer is a 13 year old girl that's growing up, going to school but is having this weird nightmares. She feels like something is growing inside her that she can't explain but it's unsettling. Her mom is also weirdly unsettling with building these sculptures - she's an artist - and she keeps referring to something that happened to her in her past when she was living in New Orleans.

Flash back to New Orleans and in 2004 Caroline Sawyer is living with her fiance and is also experiencing these weird nightmares and stars seeing things in the shadows.

We learn that there's something called The Cur which was a somewhat of a man-beast that kidnaps and kills young women.

Honestly - not for me. I am all for a good thriller but this one read a bit too YA, I couldn't get into the narratives and the narrators and I didn't particularly enjoy or connect with the story. I thought it was a bit too graphic for my tastes the author clearly just going for the shell shock of it all. I also read the publisher's blurb that it's touted as a this feminist book and I just didn't get that and wasn't into that message. Also, the flashbacks don't often work for me and this book just didn't do it well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Intriguing read. Dual timelines really worked here. Was not a fan of the long chapters though. A true horror book with lots of feminism!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Shudder* I feel like I should give a trigger warning not only for the novel, but for this review. It's going to be a rough ride.

"Such a Pretty Smile" is a bitterly dark novel with plenty of biting and teeth, but nothing pretty about it. For me, reading this book was a dismal and darkly unpleasant experience. For starters, I am confused about what genre the author is going for. We start off with a teenager's perspective, and then it toggles throughout the novel between hers and her mom's -- but it's her mom as a college-aged girl. These perspectives give the novel a "young adult" feel -- except in what horrible teenage nightmare do news articles specifically reference nipples being sliced off? Vaginas being "torn in half"? (What the --??) I'm sorry to be so judgmental, but this is a woefully inappropriate book for any teenager to read. I'm a fully grown adult and I feel like it hurt my soul a little to read it. I'd hate to think of a young person reading this book.

Apparently, there is a feminist message somewhere in the mess of blood and guts and torn/sliced body parts, but it's lost in all the gore. If the message is one against violence towards women, why the lush, almost loving descriptions of the violence, and the utterly unlikeable female characters? And don't get me started on the male characters; they are nothing more than patriarchical cariactures, and the anti-male undertone throughout is about as subtle as a bullhorn in church.

If that weren't enough to make me dislike it, there are very graphic, gory descriptions of dead dogs. Needless to say, I'm glad I'm done, though frankly this is one I wish I hadn't finished, or even started.

All that said, thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.