This book is DARK. Seriously dark. A good read that went really quickly, but definitely don't read it if you're a bit of a chicken (like me). Also, some terrible things happen to dogs which I do NOT like reading about so I skipped entire chunks. Very cool premise and strong execution but would definitely not re-read this.

Kristi DeMeester ripped into the patriarchal society girls and women are expected to conform and submit to in her powerful allegory, “Such a Pretty Smile.”

Lila Sawyer is haunted by a voice within her. It terrorizes her, causes hallucinations and drives a wedge between her and her mother Caroline. Lila keeps it a secret from everyone. What Lila doesn’t realize is her mother Caroline is fighting the same battle with her own hallucinations, haunting voices and memories. She too keeping the trauma to herself. Meanwhile, something is out there killing young girls who are on the verge of becoming women. It targets the trouble-makers and the ones with voices who won’t be silenced—ripping them apart and mutilating their bodies. Caroline and Lila finally realize that the thing haunting them and the terror killing the girls may in fact be the same. Only through confronting the past, and standing against the oppressive power in the present can they finally get to the source of the evil.

This is a psychological spiral of two people who begin to question their sanity in a society telling them they’re insane. It definitely has some gruesome parts as well. While both those elements add to the horror aspect of this book, what I found most terrifying was DeMeester’s brutally honest commentary on women’s expectations in society and the consequences of rebelling against them. There were multiple parts in the book where I cringed at how our main protagonists were treated (and cringed even more knowing it’s how it goes more often than not). They were let down by the men who should’ve helped them, were forced onto medication instead of being listened to, were held down because of their talents, and they were silenced while living in terror. A horror story within a horror story, this one will tug at your heart over the strength of a mother’s love. It will also leave you cheering for the survival of the girls who refuse to be tamed.

What a gripping and exciting novel, that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth! As a thriller/horror it keeps you on the edge of your seat, always propelling you forward, wanting to find out more but just a little afraid of what you will find. As a family-drama and coming-of-age story it has a strong heart enclosed around two complicated and fully realized characters, showing their struggles, insecurities, and growth in a meaningful and genuine way.

The two primary characters are a mother and daughter pair, with the chapters focusing following one or the other, with most (but not all) of the mother’s chapters taking place 15 years prior, the daughter’s chapters all taking place in the story-present (of 2019). The chapters don’t alternate one-for-one back and forth, which I rather enjoyed, it allowed us to spend more time within a certain character’s emotional space and allowed to have a deeper relationship with them. Some of the biggest questions that are raised in this story are about inheritance, and specifically the inheritance of trauma, of emotional violence, and of ideas of what it means to properly exist in the world. Going back and forth between the time periods lets DeMeester show us, instead of simply tell us, just what the mother’s trauma and personal experiences looked like, as the daughter grapples with her inheritance of that. The most prominent secondary character is the absentee father, or the fiancé, depending on the time period, but he is dwarfed by the real secondary character which is society and society’s expectations and demands upon women’s bodies and minds, which he is but one manifestation of. This story could have been very ham-fisted and didactic in its exploration of the patriarchy and misogyny, but it chooses instead to focus on the inner lives of these two characters as they grapple with not just their experiences of it but also their self-doubts and confusion regarding what they deserve.

Instead of being preachy this is an inviting and damning thriller, that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The writing is fluid and enjoyable, never stodgy or perfunctory, the characters are well-developed and interesting, and the story itself is tense and compelling. The ending might feel a bit abrupt, and maybe a bit convenient, to some, but to me it was the perfect realization of what had been slowly building and developing throughout the whole novel. It is impossible to end a horror-thriller like this in a way that pleases everyone, but I really felt this novel’s conclusion was dark, beastly, well-earned, and exactly what the story needed it to be.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, who gave me a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Outside there were teeth and pain and ghosts who were once girls. In the dark, they would whisper of what happened to them.”

Disclaimer: This book is NOT for the faint of heart. I’ve seen multiple poor ratings due to readers not knowing what they were getting into. This is a graphic, gory, in-your-face horror novel. One of the best I have read. There are also explicit mentions of sex and sexual violence regarding minors (we’re talking 12-year-olds).

I’m going to skip a plot summary for this one, as I’m afraid I’ll give away something important.

Being a former ER nurse (we’re all a little messed up in the head, we’ve seen too much), the more twisted and dark a book, the more I love it. This was no exception. I-could-NOT-put-this-down!!! This was an up to nearly midnight two nights in a row holding my breath and racing to finish kind of book. It is violent, incredibly disturbing and creepy, and you should absolutely read this with the lights on in the middle of the day and not at night by lamp like I did…

DeMeester’s depiction of 12-year-old girls is so bitingly accurate that I had flashbacks to the ugly peer pressure and the venom that middle school girls possess. She depicts the battle of mental illness and the horrifying feeling of not being able to trust your own eyes, ears, or sense of touch, the agony of deciding to ask for help with the risk of being labeled as dangerous. She fantastically concludes this novel on a haunting note about women and girls and the boxes men try to put us in. Such a good girl with such a pretty smile…

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc of this book. Dark, edgy, twisted thriller/ horror book that I could not put down. Story of missing girls/ murdered girls and a mother’s mission to stop it from happening to her daughter. Can the beasts be stopped? Great October read!

I am not sure what I just read but I’m going to try and explain my journey on this one. Let’s pretend this book is a heart rate monitor. You start the book at a normal heart rate beep beep beeping away… the heart rate starts to drop slowly because it is soooo slowwww. Then at about 40% in you regulate because oh this may be going somewhere. But then. You keep going and your heart rate drops. Lower and lower. Until it’s a dead straight beeeeeeeeep. You keep reading hoping you can resuscitate but no. The book ends and you’re still dead with no heart rate. This felt like it went absolutely no where. The information presented was all you had the entire time until maybe 95% when tada THATS the big reveal. W. H. A. T. Im all about enjoying a YA type novel but this felt like a horror book for children. Eep. Unfortunately this is just not one I recommend.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest option.

Interesting story. The very beginning was slow for me until Ch.4. Then we get introduced to a younger version of another character. And then I really got invested into the characters and their stories. This is a mother-daughter story of dual timelines and murdered girls and snarling dogs and paranoia. I enjoyed the twists and the suspense and how it connected!

I had a hard time with this book. The mains were in such pain that it was palpable that it flavored the whole story and I don’t recall any reason reason behind it other than that’s just the way things were. But that author was bang on as creating a sense of dread and unfortunately (or fortunately) at this time in my life. i’m not up for that.

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit creepy, which I loved, and the plot was interesting and well done.

3.5 rounding up to 4 stars.

Psychological horror done well! I’ve read a few reviews that mention this being too graphic or disturbing but I think that was the intention of the author. Horror is SUPPOSED to make the reader uncomfortable and the graphic content served a larger purpose in terms of the themes being explored. It didn’t feel gratuitous or overdone in my opinion. It fit the genre.

I grew to really like both of our characters, mainly Caroline (probably because it is much easier for me to relate to mother figures in books) and the storyline became much more interesting once her perspective was added in.

This was a very slow start for me with the Lila chapters and took quite some time to really catch my interest. Pacing again felt off in the last maybe 1/3 with what felt like we were kind of jogging in place in regards to progress in the story.

I loved the feminist spin on this! Not something the horror genre is known for with mainly male authors. Good October read for sure!

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and Netgalley! Book goes on sale Jan. 18, 2022

2.4 stars
Story is told from the POV of Lila Sawyer in 2019
And her mother Caroline Sawyer back in 2004.

2019: Lila Sawyer at thirteen years old hears voices telling her to do evil things. She is fearful to tell her mother that she hears these voices.
However she has more in common with her mother than she realizes . . .

2004: Caroline Sawyer hears barking dogs when none are there and also sees horrible visions.

Caroline is now a famous artist who creates disturbing eerie sculptures.
Hmm are they inspired by her long ago visions????

I was totally engrossed in this and then thought …..Oops I really did not do my homework before selecting this read.
Next thoughts <i>I used to be a big fan of Stephen King~ I can deal with this~ Right!!</i>
Nope didn’t work for me.
However, the ending almost saved it ~ for me ~ but not enough for me to rounded up my rating.

As I mentioned, I was a fan of Stephen King and horror was expected but I have switched to psychological thrillers where I get engrossed into trying to figure it out. This didn’t work for me but I have no doubt this novel will find the right readers who will love it!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 18, 2022

I heard this novel called "a feminist horror novel" and whoever said that was entirely correct in every way. But if that isn't your cup of tea, don't let that scare you off from this fantastic book. It was fast-paced, shocking, and gorgeously written. It has a 'horror' component to it, but it reminded me of all those fantastic thrillers that you absolutely cannot put down because you need to know what will happen next. It is also about a mother and a daughter and their relationship. This story and these characters will stay with you a long time.

It’s always odd to read a dark content book from the view of a young adult/teen. I hope this doesn’t end up in middle school libraries. You are in 13 year old Lila’s head reading pretty brutal and graphic things. I didn’t care for a lot of the terminology, just ok.

Some kind of monster is stalking junior high schooler Lila Sawyer. Whether “The Cur” is a serial killer, a phantom in Lila’s head, or a werewolf is a mystery for most of the book.

PROS:
DeMeester excels at character creation. In particular, Lila is likable and frustrating, and she has the insecurities of someone her age. Lila’s friend Marcie is manipulative, super-social, boy crazy, and fashionable. We all knew girls like Lila and Marcie back in junior high.

I love how DeMeester delays the final reveal of The Cur. It makes him/it/them more frightening.

I wouldn’t call DeMeester’s prose lyrical, but it’s clear and easy to read. A good book doesn’t have to sound poetic.

This story hits the beats just right. It’s well plotted and kept me turning pages.

DeMeester can write suspenseful scenes. I was GRIPPING my Kindle during the movie-date scene!

Such a Pretty Smile is a feminist allegory. From reading other reviews, it sounds like some readers didn’t pick up on that. But I think DeMeester does a great job presenting her message wrapped within a horror story. She explores how girls and women suppress their own feelings, wants, and ambitions so they will be “nice girls” and “good” and get along and tell themselves it’s moral to do so.

CONS:
For me, DeMeester went a little overboard on her messaging. She uses terms like “old white men” and “dead white men” and “marginalized.” I would have liked to recognize DeMeester’s portrayal of institutionalized sexism (and racism) in Lila’s and her mother’s lives on my own.

OVERALL:
An exciting, feminist, coming-of-age horror novel with dangerous, toothy creatures!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley, and I’m happy to share my thoughts.

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

What a weird book this is and I say that at 25%.

This book reads like Young Adult as we are in 13 year old Lila's head for the first four or five chapters that I read. In the background young girls are being brutally murdered. We are also offered a glimpse of Lila and her mother, Caroline's, odd relationship. Her mother is a famous artist that creates macabre sculptures and she's also a helicopter mom that won't even let her daughter shave her legs so she remains a good girl. Um, okay.

When I finally decided to close the cover to this is when I was told that the 13 year old girl and recent murder victim had her vagina slit in half and her nipple removed.

I am all for dark and bleak books but this seems like the author is going for shock value rather than a well written and cohesive story. The inconsistent tone was jarring to say the least. I decided to read a few other reviews to see if maybe it's just me when I saw several warnings to not read this if your a dog lover. I have not read far enough to find out what happens to any dogs nor do I want to. I'm already not enjoying this so I figure it's best to bail now. DNF.

While I will admit that such dark reads are not my favorite, this one had me gripping the arm of the chair until the bitter end. While it starts slow and then the complexity builds, you have no choice but to be immersed and invested in a raw, dark story. Perfect October read!

This book creeped me out in the very best way as I had no idea what was coming! Several young girls from different generations (who, of course, all have flaws but are aching to be wanted and loved) are swept up in the crazy maelstrom of drama and the power struggle of teen boys and teen girls. "Who will love me?" is the question behind every young woman's psyche and as these girls struggle to fit in, there is heartache everywhere. And the element of horror sneaks quietly in when you least expect it (so just be glad this isn't a Halloween Horror film (yet)! I had trouble reading it late at night because the magic is so powerful that it tends to sneak up on you, grab you by the throat, and shake you around a little (ok, maybe a lot)! Needless to say, it's one of those books that you can't predict so just go with it and try to stay out of the beast's path. I'm still sweating a little (but loving it)!

2.75 stars

I'm of two minds with this book. I feel like it relies on some tropes that I really didn't appreciate such as mental health being to blame for severe character flaws,

Spoiler
but then that turns around in the last two-ish chapters. For me as a reader with mental health issues I would have liked to see some other explanation.
END OF spoiler

I don't know. Maybe with time this book will grow on me, but I'm not keeping my hopes up. The casual fatphobia littered throughout also did not do this book any favors.

I greatly enjoyed this chilling story, which shines a light on the structure built to keep women silent and compliant in a dark, super creepy and scary story. Also, my initial take on this book was that I thought it was a thriller/mystery but I was pleasantly surprised when it revealed itself as a real, true horror novel. I can't remember the last time I read a horror book! Probably a Stephen King book back in the day. Another thing I really enjoyed in reading Such a Pretty Smile, is that there was so many details to the plot, but all of the various storylines and details felt very relevant to me and I could not imagine the story without them. So often we don't get that payoff as readers of all the details being totally relevant to the story. The author tied everything together very well. I could easily see this book translating to a super creepy film. Netflix, where you at on this?!

Many thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book.