A common theme in this horror novel is men dismissing women as hysterical. Females are the problem and not males sexually harassing girls or older guys trying to have physical power over females or men being jealous of a woman’s talent. Females who fight back are abducted and killed by what some call The Cur, a sort of man-beast that comes around every fifteen years or so to keep women in line.

Caroline is a sculptor who has been on medication for years after being diagnosed as schizophrenic. She doesn’t remember anything about being abducted when she was 11 and found wandering around Jazzland, which was one of the many places destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Her thirteen-year-old daughter begins to have visions, too, but doesn’t want to tell anyone lest she be put on medication like her mother. Lila has every reason to be angry. Her father ignores her because he’s so consumed with his new wife and premature daughter and all of the medical issues that go along with being born too early.

I didn’t enjoy reading this book because I was furious with men and boys the whole time. The characters are fictional but what is described is painfully real—boys getting away with awful behavior in a way girls never can. The Cur is also fictional, but women’s behavior—how we dress, if we have the audacity to drink or god forbid get drunk, if we dare go outside at night—that’s our fault, not the men seeking out women in vulnerable states.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JANUARY 18, 2022.

Just wow! This novel was riveting with its strong, feminist women who refuse to mask their emotions with medication, or opinions of female hysteria and drama, and refuse to let the Old Boys rule their lives or tell them what to think and do. At one point I put the book down and read a romcom because it rattled me so much. For anyone who loves a mystery featuring the paranormal and strong women who don't back down, this will be a treat for your mind.
Thanks NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is solely my own.

Such a Pretty Smile is an enthusiastic middle finger to the patriarchy.

It opens with a grisly description of a young girl found mutilated and murdered days after her disappearance. As more girls turn up brutally murdered, it begins to look like the work of the Cur, a serial killer that slays girls who refuse to be tamed.

Told in dual timelines, the reader follows Lila, a thirteen-year-old girl, and her mother, Caroline, an artist known for crafting creepy statues.

Lila has been a good girl her whole life, until one day, she suddenly feels overcome with fever dreams, anger and a malevolent voice in her head.

This is a story about a girl who refuses to be controlled and will, most definitely, not “calm down.”

This horror novel explores dark themes of sexism, feminism, and societal expectations on gender norms. It looks at the Chads and Brocks of the world and how they get away with so much because they are good boys who can’t afford to have their life derailed, no matter their offence and whose lives they have ruined.

Some parts of this book have a persistent sense of uneasiness that escalates as the book progresses, while others are explicitly nightmarish.

I recommend this to those who love horror with a heavy dose of feminism and social commentary.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to read this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I would like to thank Net Galley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader copy of this book. What a powerful message expressed in Kristi DeMeester's writing. This story covers so many issues that women face and is also timely with what is happening in our country once again - the fact that many states are working toward silencing women and taking away our personal life choices.

In this book there are two main characters and two time frames. Caroline Sawyer in 2004 is experiencing delusions which she thinks is a result of insomnia but they seep into her waking hours also. She is an artist who creates sculptures from twigs, leaves, and other natural materials. She soon creates some disturbing sculptures while in a trance like state. Of course, anyone she talks to about this just wants to silence her with pills. Lila Sawyer in 2019, begins to have strange feelings and some delusions of her own. Once again she is silenced with pills.

Each of these times there are girls on the verge of becoming women who are considered "bad girls" and are killed by a serial killer referred to as 'The Cur". This cycle seems to occur about every 15 years. How can it be stopped? First, I would like to thank Net Galley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader copy of this book. What a powerful message expressed in Kristi DeMeester's writing. This story covers so many issues that women face and is also timely with what is happening in our country once again - the fact that many states are working toward silencing women and taking away our personal life choices.

In this book there are two main characters and two time frames. Caroline Sawyer in 2004 is experiencing delusions which she thinks is a result of insomnia but they seep into her waking hours also. She is an artist who creates sculptures from twigs, leaves, and other natural materials. She soon creates some disturbing sculptures while in a trance like state. Of course, anyone she talks to about this just wants to silence her with pills. Lila Sawyer in 2019, begins to have strange feelings and some delusions of her own. Once again she is silenced with pills.

Each of these times there are girls on the verge of becoming women who are considered "bad girls" and are killed by a serial killer referred to as 'The Cur". This cycle seems to occur about every 15 years. How can it be stopped?

As someone who reads horror sparingly, I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting into here. Fortunately, while disturbing, this book wasn’t as intensely graphic as some other horror novels I have read. This book swaps perspectives between a mother and her 13-year-old daughter. There have been murders of young girls in the area, leading police to believe that a serial killer is on the loose. Not only that, these murders are strikingly similar to a bunch of murders that happened 15 years ago in New Orleans. Caroline, the mother, is obviously concerned about her daughter. Lila thinks her mom is overreacting and wishes she would tell her the truth about whatever it is that is that has her so incredibly frightened.
The main theme running throughout this book is how society tries to keep women (and girls) silent and subservient. How being a “good girl” means doing as your told without kicking up a fuss. While I really enjoyed that aspect, this book wasn’t exactly my favorite. It begins from Lila’s POV which honestly didn’t interest me. Because of this, it took me a month to get back to the book and press on. The chapters from Caroline’s perspective were infinitely more interesting. Overall though, I don’t regret reading this book.

Caroline has nightmares. Dark, horrifying nightmares about mutilated girls and dogs that morph into a man, a dark, nebulous figure that terrifies her. She knows something traumatic happened to her as a teenager but doesn't understand if her nightmares are related to that or not. Her memories of then are fuzzy. Now the past has returned. Mutilated teenagers are being found again. Rumors are going around that it is the serial killer called The Cur, but how can that be that was fifteen years ago. Caroline's memories are returning. She knows the danger is real. She is not sure what to do how to protect her teenage daughter, Lila, who has become disobedient, surly, and nasty. What is going on with Lila who has always been the perfect daughter, kind and loving. How can she protect her?
This book is a smashing debut. It kept me on the edge of my seat and scared me in a way Stephen King once used to. I always used to wonder about the dark things swirling in his mind and now I can say Kristi DeMeester definitely has a dark half too.

This is one of those books where you think what did I just read?

A series of disturbing murders occurs over a period of time. Known as The Cur, this killer brutally murdered countless young girls in horrific ways.

Thirteen year old Lila Sawyer is good girl hiding a secret. She is having bizarre nightmares, she hears dogs barking, and she frequently sees a large, large man with a dog head and rows of sharp teeth. In addition, her personality is changing. Where she once obliged by her mother’s strict rules and let her best friend walk all over her, she now has a burning rage inside her fighting to get out.

Her mother Caroline has a troubled past of her own. Experiencing the same things as her daughter when she was a young girl, Caroline was diagnosed as schizophrenic. The repressed memories of her childhood float to the surface as she races to save her daughter from the unspeakable evil that is stalking her.

What a strange and thrilling rollercoaster ride! The whole book I was contemplating whether what Lila and her mother was experiencing was real or simply hallucinations. Told in alternating time lines between Caroline and her daughter, we get to see both perspectives and see how each of them handled what was happening. Caroline chose to stay silent and “good”, while Lila found her voice and stood up for herself, each with their own consequences. I enjoyed this book. I’m still thinking about what the heck I just read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! This psychological thriller is like a hurricane that blitzes through and leaves devastation as it goes. The characters are all over the place and the story is relentless. I loved this book! There is an extremely thin line between madness and the belief that the mind is playing tricks. This book flashes back and forth through experiences remembered or perceived as real. I totally recommend this story to any reader who appreciates the never-ending quest for truth.

This was such an odd book from the start. It really had to grow on me throughout reading it. I was surprised by the ending and want people to know they shouldn't assume anything while reading this story! Overall, I enjoyed it!

The book is written primarily is present day and flips back and forth from the early 2000s. We follow Caroline, schizophrenic suffering artist, and her daughter Lila, a good tween that starts to see and hear things she can't explain (even though her mother secretly has the same issue), and has no one to go to.
A supposed killer "The Cur" has come back in the present decade and is kidnapping and tearing up tween girls again. The police cannot figure it out what is going on.

I will not go into too much detail, as I do not want to create any spoilers. This book started off great. I had no idea where it was going, and it was a different scare. The writing flowed well and the descriptions were great. About 2/3 in, it started getting ridiculous. I think this book had a hidden nod to feminism and women that are told to be seen and not heard, but it fell short for me. It was basically the original Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale with more adult themes. It was kind of weird, and the ending felt rushed. It seemed like some last minute ideas where thrown in together to finish the novel where I would have liked some more expansion on the main idea. I wanted more gothic horror and less ick factor. One thing I would change was the weird metaphors that seemed to try too hard. One that still sticks in my mind was, "...her skin flush with the honey-scented smell of sleep." What does that even smell like?
I am sure plenty of people loved it because it was well-written and kept you on the edge of your seat for most of it, but it will not be going on the feminist/strong women shelf of my bookshelf.

I consider myself so lucky to have been given a copy of this book through #NetGalley. When I read the final words, I actually said 'Wow!' aloud. What an amazing read!
Kristi DeMeester has penned a book that defies categorization. Is it a horror or a mystery? A comment of the plight of women throughout generations, making it women's fiction, or feminist literature? A thriller? The answer is yes - to all of these.
The narrative of the stories of mother and daughter across time is powerful and raw, full of darkness that envelopes the reader like a heaviness that won't let up. The story unfolds beautifully, with hints along the way daring the reader to figure out what is happening to the two women, and indeed many others. For many female readers, the underlying theme of not being taken seriously, being undermined, and a woman's valid concerns and issues being dismissed as emotional or hysterical or just plain crazy, hits home to various degrees. We all recognize the feelings, and' indeed experience the feelings again along with the main characters. It's uncomfortable yet familiar, and it keeps us invested in the lives of the females on the page.
The ultimate conclusion of the book is horrifying and hopeful, the combination of which one rarely finds depicted with such poignant skill.
This book, I believe, is going to be one which will resonate with readers for a long time to come.

This book was not only a thrilling page-turner, it was a good story with well-developed characters. I enjoyed the authors narrative style. It was creepy and disturbing, thrilling and also beautifully written. I liked how the story unfolded with the alternating timeline. Great book for spooky season! thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Characters that are well written and developed.

Such a Pretty Smile is extremely well written. The characters are well developed and believable. However, the plot required me to suspend more belief that I was willing to. While I was initially intrigued by the idea of mysterious beasts controlling young girls and murdering those that just wouldn't behave, I just wasn't able to fully connect with the story, leading me to not enjoy such a Pretty Smile as much as I had originally thought after reading the synopsis. I did finish the book, but I found the ending to be somewhat unsatisfactory. While I understand that the plot is meant to be allegorical about the treatment of women, for me it overall fell flat. Thank you for the opportunity to review and to provide my honest opinion.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚛. 𝙱𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍, 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎? 𝚆𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚞𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝...𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝. 𝙸𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎...𝙽𝚘𝚠, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗. 𝚂𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗.

I have tried and failed to categorize this book. It's part coming of age, part cautionary tale, and part horror. SUCH A PRETTY SMILE focuses first on 13-year-old Lila, who is struggling with a same sex crush on her popular best friend. Lila's father is on the fringe of her life, consumed with his new wife and premature baby. Lila's mother is a renowned artist, creating haunting, almost violent sculptures of some unspeakable evil that speaks deeply to Lila. Stitching this story line together is the resurgence of an unknown killer dubbed The Cur, who snatches young girls and does unspeakable things to them. Only one girl has escaped from The Cur, and that's Caroline, Lila's mother.

The focus of the story then shifts to Caroline and her life before Lila, replete with repressed memories and secrets that are still haunting her. While specialists are quick to whip out their prescription pads, Caroline knows the snarling and barking she hears is real. The man she sees crouched in the corner of her bedroom is real, too.

When Caroline's past collides with her present, this book became almost too intense to read. It was all at once vicious, consuming, and visceral until the brutal end. The blurb of this book calls it "a powerful allegory for what it can mean to be a woman, and an untamed rallying cry for anyone ever told to sit down, shut up, and smile pretty" and that sums up my feelings perfectly. Deeply layered, unsettling, and powerful, this book is one to read with the lights on.

I grew to love this book as I read it, but at first it was a slow burn. I’m not sure where the supernatural elements came from and it took me a second to catch on, but in the end I am glad I stuck with this one and finished it out.

This was an interesting book. I was never sure just what was true and what wasn't which kept me guessing and interested to find out what was going on. I do still have some questions, which I suppose could be purposely left unanswered, but I do kind of wish I knew the answers. This book does have supernatural elements which I wasn't expecting but also wasn't disappointed by since I do enjoy all kinds of horror/thriller books. As for the characters, I didn't find any of them particularly likable to be honest. I couldn't relate well to either Caroline or Lila, and while I was interested in what happened to them I didn't feel particularly connected to them. I was pretty enraged at the blatant sexism which I think was the point, and I do think it's important to include since many women get this kind of treatment from men even to this day. Overall this was an enjoyable thriller, it was unique and kept my interest.

First off, I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this fabulous novel so early upon its release date of January 18th 2022. This book kept me reading to the very end ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. #suchaprettysmile #NetGalley

Description

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.

A serial killer on the loose and two unstable narrators! Love it.

It is graphic, but it's a story about a serial killer.

Loved it.