This was a wonderful audiobook that really added to diversity in YA horror with Asian representation and LGBTQIA+ representation. The book was a little campy but it definitely added to the fun for me as a reader. I would definitely suggest this audiobook to a ya horror reader. It was fun, intriguing and even a little unpredictable at times.

The cover art is gooooooorgeous. The concept of a sapphic k-pop horror is very intriguing. Overall, the story is interesting and engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review..

This was a great premise. The story of a teen-pop girl group sensation of tv and stage loses once of its members to suicide.

So begins a Black Swan, K-pop teen romance, horror novel

Several years later, the remaining two members reunite at a workshop for song and dance. Strange things are happening, girls are getting hurt, rooms are changing, faces look different. We learn more and more about the witchy nature of all of this.

I truly loved this story until the final section when everything comes to a year. Suddenly everything got ridiculous and I just couldn’t get immersed in it. So much potential and greatness until then!

I’ll be honest, I was immediately drawn by the captivating cover art. Definitely check trigger warnings. K-pop workshop for teenagers. Friendships and rivalry. Creepy. Atmospheric. Body horror. Mysterious. Occult vibes. Coincidental freak accidents keep occurring. Sapphic undercurrents. Even as a reader, you begin to wonder how much time has passed and if you can trust any of the characters. The ending did feel a bit rushed but there’s going to be a sequel so I guess I can forgive the cliffhanger… would be an amazing horror movie. The audiobook’s narration and direction was really well done!

Take a dive into the dark side of k-pop stardom. This had all the best aspects of a thriller/horror story. Unreliable narrator. Bouncing back and forth between timelines. Something dark and sinister waiting just around the corner. All balanced with queer rep and Korean culture.

I was blown away by this fantastic folklore-inspired horror/thriller. The world of K-Pop idolhood is fascinating, and I loved the setting being a cutthroat K-Pop competition. Our main character is a disgraced former teen idol who joins the competition in a desperate attempt to reconnect with her former best friend (and maybe something more). Aside from the difficult dance practices and harsh feedback, there seems to be something more sinister going on as accidents keep happening to girls in the competition. I loved the supernatural aspects of this story and the suspenseful writing. I believe this is the first of a series and I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

This isn't just another teen pop idol falling from grace. This isn't just a girl group falling out. There's more to the story and one of them is dead. Author Linda Cheng crafts a haunting novel as two women fight for relevance once again. But, is that really what Candy seeks.

Haunting, chilling, and having readers looking over their shoulders This oddly captivating read gripped my attention.

I picked this book because it sounded interesting but that cover was the main reason for picking this book. I can't tell you enough how beautiful it is. This was a good book to listen in audio. The narrator Elaine Wang did a really good job telling this story. Sunny is a great lead character and I enjoyed her a lot. The K-pop scenes were fun but you never knew when terror was going to strike again, so I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I would recommend this YA thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

To be honest, the initial reason I requested this book was the gorgeous cover. I found the concept of a sapphic k-pop horror to be extremely interesting. With the dual timelines, this book did not disappoint. I thought the narrator did a phenomenal job, and I look forward to listening to more audiobooks narrated by her.

I was already in love with the cover. Then I found out it’s a sapphic horror set during a K-pop training/survival program - ultimately, a book for me! I couldn’t stop listening to this as I needed to know what happened. I love that it has Asian folklore and tells the story by switching from past to present. I was heavily invested.

I’m happy I listened to it on audio. Elaine Wang is an excellent narrator. Each voice was perfect for each character, and every pause added to the intensity.

I can’t wait for the second book to see what happens!

Content Warnings: gore, body horror, suicide, grief, bullying, toxic relationships, gaslighting

This was a fun horror/thriller/fantasy take on the already cutthroat world of K-pop stardom. It features a girl, Sunny, who used to be a star but has been out of the limelight since once of her two co-stars/bandmates died suddenly and tragically. When she hears that her surviving co-star is making a bid for a return to fame in a K-pop bootcamp-esk contest, Sunny joins too.

There's a lot of creepiness and mystery in this book. Some fantasy and horror that's just mysterious enough to build suspense and make you want to understand. I definitely recommend this for horror readers and fans of pop-culture novels.

A very creepy and compelling journey into the intense world of K-pop stardom and the cost (both realistic and supernatural) of staying on top

I usually don't read horror so this probably wasn't for me. That being said, I love reading about pop bands and show business so I enjoyed that aspect of the story. I rooted for Sunny and wanted to find out what was going on with the girls, but it seemed to take a while to get there. I liked the dual timelines. I liked the narrator but found it a little frustrating as it would get really loud when the characters talked but soften until I could barely hear it when it was story exposition. Maybe that's something in the audiobook production. Overall, I'd recommend to horror fans.

This was a particularly unique read for me. I went in expecting one thing and found something completely different within the pages of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng.

I'll be blunt, I am not sure this book was for me. It was eerie in a way that truly made me feel spooked. I am all about books that prompt reaction and I think I needed to read it while surrounded by my family during the holidays instead of alone at home. On audiobook, I think it was brought even more to life and spooked me out further.

Atmospheric, supernatural, fame and fortune, resentment, and rivalry are all within the pages of this one! Thank you to MacMillan Audio for granting me access to this title!

This is the first book in a sapphic horror thriller series by Linda Cheng. The story revolves around Sunny, a former K-pop icon who has been out of the limelight since one of her band members died in a terrible incident. Sunny, along with Mina and Candie, was part of a TV show turned K-Pop girl group that was highly popular worldwide. The story opens with Mina's untimely and gruesome death, after which Candie and Sunny lose contact. Two years later, when Sunny sees that Candie will be at a local workshop, she decides to join the group, and everything just goes downhill from there. The story features lots of teenage angst, gruesome deaths or disfigurements, and a bit of folklore.

This book has a story that unfolds in two different timelines - "then" and "now". Towards the end of the story, the "then" timeline helps to make the "now" timeline more understandable. It seems like the author intentionally avoided a linear timeline to keep the story interesting with its twists and turns. Although I'm not a big fan of horror because of all the gory bits, I think this book was able to strike a balance to keep me engaged without putting me off. Despite the horrific incidents that occur, there is an underlying message about the pressure young girls face to conform to certain societal standards, causing them to lose their identity.

The book is a captivating read, with a plot that will keep you engaged throughout. Although there is a romantic relationship in the story, it doesn't become the primary focus until the end, which sets the stage for the sequel. The narrator has done an excellent job of bringing the characters and their world to life, adding a layer of intensity to the story.

Despite the characters being 16-18 years old, the book doesn't feel like a typical young adult novel. It's more of a crossover between YA and adult fiction, with mature themes that will appeal to a wide range of readers. The folklore elements add an extra layer of depth to the story, making it even more intriguing.

The dual timeline is one of the book's highlights, with the author executing it flawlessly. It's easy to follow and adds an extra level of complexity to the plot, keeping readers engaged and guessing until the end.

Overall, the book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, romance, and folklore. It's a well-written, immersive, and engaging story that will leave you craving for more. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for the sequel!

I honestly don't know how I felt about this one. It had some good things and some interesting things and some crazy twists. But overall, I was left feeling a bit "uh??"
I don't really know what to say. I've read this a couple weeks ago now and the details are very much not in my brain anymore. I did enjoy the vibes and the whole seating was creepy as fuck, like it should be. It was also a very fast read and the narrator was good. I will without a doubt read the next book by Linda Cheng but I truly cannot come up with anything more about this one...

This was so so good! I really loved all the horror elements and all the queerness. I can't wait to read what comes next in this universe. This was a very successful debut

After a scandal that ended her popstar career, 18-year-old Sunny Lee spends her day longing for her previous life. When Sunny discovers her former teammate/BFF Candie is attending a K-pop workshop, she joins to get some closures. But their reunion doesn't bring the answers Sunny was hoping for. Instead, she's haunted by ghostly visions and bodily harm that start happening to her competitors.

FACES is a thrilling rollercoaster that takes readers behind the glitzy facade of the K-pop world, exploring the darker side that lurks beneath the dazzling smiles and perfect choreography. Cheng skillfully weaves a narrative that switches between the past and the present, unraveling Sunny's journey from a cheery and optimistic persona to someone disheartened by the harsh realities hidden behind the glamorous K-pop life.

Amidst the idol competition scenes and wild fantasy elements, Cheng explores the sapphic undertones of the story, adding another layer of complexity to Sunny's journey. The chemistry between Sunny & Candie is palpable, and Cheng navigates the dynamics of the relationship with finesse.

There are also plenty of scary scenes, such as mutilation and nightmares in FACES. And at times, it gets a bit intense, especially on audio. Nonetheless, I had a blast with the story and can't wait to see where the sequel will take me!

This was such a great read! I just wanted to know what was going on, and there kept having these creepy occurrences, and I couldn't get enough! K-Pop and Idols are making their way into Western culture, and I can't get enough!

We go back and forth between the past when the group was together, and the present, when Mina is dead, and Sunny has left the world after a cheating scandal, and is trying to get answers about Mina, from Candie. I loved watching the story unfold!

We know from the beginning that there was a cheating scandal. Since I was listening to this on audiobook, I didn't take the time to go back, but my first thought was the guy that Sunny was cheating with, was dating Candie. I'm glad that wasn't the case, but I was still anxious about the whole situation, because there was so many ways it could go wrong, even if it was in the past.

It really was creepy and atmospheric, as these girls are competing so hard and putting all this energy into winning, while trying to find out what was going on with these incidents. I'm so sorry all of these girls, including the Maiden, had to go through that, and I can't wait to see where the sequel goes!

This was such a great read and I can't wait for the sequel!

I went into this book knowing that it loosely was a thriller, but holy hell was I not ready for how this book unfolded.

This story follows our MC Sunny who was once a part of a successful KPop trio that fell apart following a scandal. When Sunny finds out her ex-band mate Candie is entering a local competition, she enters to finally get some answers. However, Sunny starts seeing ghosts of her other band mate and horrifying “accidents” start happening.

Sunny has been THROUGH it, and she hasn’t really processed her trauma. That being said, I had a hard time getting a read on Sunny’s motivations for a lot of things until later in the book. Don’t me wrong, I was cheering for her though because I love mess.

This author nailed the spine tingling atmosphere that has your hairs standing on end. There were definitely moments when I just wasn’t even sure what was real or not. The gore was also top notch (and definitely not for the faint of heart).

Overall, if you love chilling stories with messy queer teens then you need this book!