A peek into my note’s app:
- I really hope this isnt all about beauty
- I should have a skincare routine
- i want that cream
- What
- Oh..
- I wonder how a soak would feel
- But no
- What
- Yay?
- No

Describing it as a horror version of The Devil Wears Prada is honestly the best way to go. It’s girly and full of gore. You want to be a part of that world but also have moral standards. One of my favourite Arcs this year!

This was a hard one to get into. None of the characters were likable so the suspense that the author was trying to create wasn't there. I didn't really care what happened to the characters. Love the theme of worshiping beauty, but wish it was done in a better way.

2.5⭐️

I just don't understand how this is being advertised as an America. Psycho meets devil meets Prada. It really just didn't live up to that.

It's a quick read I'll give it that and it's better as an audio book. It just reminded so much natural beauty just a repackaged. This one just didn't work for me sadly.

"The harm we do to others is nothing compared to the harm we do to ourselves."

I can never resist a soft pink cover with a hint of blood. The subtle indications of something sinister and bizarre lurking within the pages filled me with anticipation. And when I saw a reference to American Psycho in the synopsis, my excitement skyrocketed.

Welcome to the world of life-changing skincare. Youthjuice not only makes you feel like a million bucks but also makes you look years younger. Ms. Báthory would adore these products—they're quite literally to die for.

The comparison to American Psycho is no exaggeration. Sophia is our very own female Patrick Bateman. At first, the similarities weren't obvious, but as the story progressed, the realization hit me like a sledgehammer. I half-expected Sophia to ask her coworkers if they enjoyed Huey Lewis and the News.

The story itself was a revelation. It wasn't as gore-filled as I had anticipated, which turned out to be a good thing and kept me far more engaged. This book was one I couldn't put down, always eager to see what happened next, and it didn't disappoint. It was thrilling, demented, and destined to be a classic of its time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Following our main character Sophia we watch her grow in her first real full time corporate career. The catch? She works for Hebe a goop/glossier cult-esque beauty brand that has the secret to youthfulness with no toxic ingredients. Or so the reader thinks.

This book has present and past set up, which helps the reader better understand our main character. It also has strong elements that deal with female friendship, consumption/addiction, and the beauty industry. This was such a fun read and I loved the real world building the author did to make the story come to life. I absolutely love this addition to the beauty-horror sub genre and excited to read more from this author!

What a disgusting delight of a book. The author takes you on a darkly funny ride into the world of luxury beauty brands to leave you pondering the cost of youthful beauty.

The concept of this book was really intriguing. As someone who loves identifying the cultiness in everyday life (shout out to Amanda Montell), I was looking forward to a book that explores the beauty and wellness culture. While this book was good, I wouldn't say it was great. Being vague to avoid spoilers, the book lacked realism in the response to what was being done in the book. It did have interesting psychological explorations, but didn't feel grounded in reality.

youthjuice is a biting, fierce novel about the beauty industry and corporate culture. Satirical horror is kind of my thing, and this did not disappoint. Psychotic rage is hidden behind fancy creams and pretty glosses; I truly couldn't get enough. Sathue has written an intriguing, horrific tale that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a book comparable to American Psycho or Maeve Fly.

"The harm we do to others is nothing compared to the harm we do to ourselves."

I can never resist a soft pink cover with a hint of blood. The subtle indications of something sinister and bizarre lurking within the pages filled me with anticipation. And when I saw a reference to American Psycho in the synopsis, my excitement skyrocketed.

Welcome to the world of life-changing skincare. Youthjuice not only makes you feel like a million bucks but also makes you look years younger. Ms. Báthory would adore these products—they're quite literally to die for.

The comparison to American Psycho is no exaggeration. Sophia is our very own female Patrick Bateman. At first, the similarities weren't obvious, but as the story progressed, the realization hit me like a sledgehammer. I half-expected Sophia to ask her coworkers if they enjoyed Huey Lewis and the News.

The story itself was a revelation. It wasn't as gore-filled as I had anticipated, which turned out to be a good thing and kept me far more engaged. This book was one I couldn't put down, always eager to see what happened next, and it didn't disappoint. It was thrilling, demented, and destined to be a classic of its time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this! This is dark weird fun fiction.
We follow sophia as she starts a new job and all is not what it seems. We slowly get to piece together her past and why she is the way she is, with how she treats/takes care of herself. There are some interesting side characters/ back storyline. I think the thing that impressed me most was the way the author used social media/todays topics as reference in this book it was perfect, Ive never read a book that has mentioned social media in a way that didn't make me cringe or take me out the story.

I think this could have been darker! There are some shock ing scenes but I would have like maybe one or two big moments ... where we really see how/what is going on.

Introducing youthjuice, a new cream by HEBE that will instantly rejuvenate your skin and make all your blemishes disappear!

Fresh HEBE employee Sophia is chosen by CEO Tree to trial the company’s new cream youthjuice before it is released. When she discovers what is utilised as the main ingredient, she is shocked but also in awe. In fact, she almost has a love/hate relationship with the cream to the point where she betrays her friend Dom when the latter becomes suspicious of the company’s activities.

This book has everything as it not only focuses on skincare but also explores betrayal in both friendships and relationships and deals with difficult topics such as drug abuse and suicide. I really enjoyed reading about Sophia’s relationship with her turbulent friend, Mona, who was always by her side until one day, she starts to let go. It had some creepy moments such as when Sophia decided to put on a Ghostface mask and crawl up to a window and the body horror at the end.

Thank you to netgalley and Hell’s Hundred for the ARC! ✨

This is described as American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada. I’d say it has a bit of both, but I wouldn’t go into this expecting it to be either. youthjuice examines our incessant obsession with being eternally youthful. It holds up a mirror to show how horrific and ridiculous it all is. youthjuice is disgusting, disturbing, and delightful.


Reading the first few pages immediately had me wanting to know more. Right from the start, you're given a taste of the depravity that will ensue. I was not disappointed. The story got surprisingly dark. I really liked the juxtaposition of the seemingly perfect environment at HEBE and the terrible truth about youthjuice.

The horror elements are slowly introduced in the story in a way that really worked for me. One minute you're following the main character Sophia as she starts her job at HEBE and the next you're taken aback when you learn why she always wears lace gloves. I also really enjoyed how the author tied in references to Elizabeth Bathory and Dorian Gray. These references happen in the very first pages of the book, so I wouldn't consider this a spoiler.
I loved how we’re slowly immersed into the world of HEBE. As the story unravels, we witness the lengths people are willing to go for beauty.

Sophia isn't necessarily likable. In fact, I'd say she's not necessarily someone you want to root for. I still found myself compelled to keep reading. Likable or not, Sophia is an interesting character.

Now, onto the few criticisms I have.
The story moves back and forth in time from current day to Sophia’s adolescent years with her friend Mona. Sometimes, it felt that the flashbacks just interrupted the flow of the current day story; they didn’t always feel necessary. I definitely preferred the current day story to the Mona story line as I found Sophia’s time at HEBE far more compelling.

I would have preferred the Mona story line to be reduced in favor of developing the relationship between Dom and Sophia. I also would have loved more time at HEBE, especially more time with Tree. I felt that Sophia’s reaction to youthjuice’s secret ingredient was a bit disappointing.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, twisted little story. I found that the tone of the book reminded me a bit of Jawbreakers. Those who are familiar with the beauty industry may get an extra kick out of some of the scenes in the book, I know I sure did. I really could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Suffice it to say that I'd recommend this to anyone. Especially if you enjoyed Maeve Fly, Rouge, and/or Natural Beauty.

Remember: Beauty is possible.

Thank you to NetGalley, Soho Press, Hell's Hundred, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the author for the audiobook and eARC.

Fun fact about me - I used to be REALLY into makeup and am now more skincare focused, so this book was extra fun for me. I absolutely would subscribe to Dom’s blog. 😆 The characters were fantastic. Sinister but high gloss. This take on the beauty industry and the lengths some will go to keep a firm hold on their youth is becoming a favorite of mine within the horror genre. I don’t know why, but I LOVE hearing about skincare routines in depth. It’s something I loved about Rouge, and something I love about this. Sophia was absolutely wildin’ and I kind of hate her. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The way her backstory led her to where she ended up was incredible. This book was so weird, at times confusing, and felt like a fever dream 80% of the time. I loved it.

This is an easy recommendation for fans of Mona Awad, particularly fans of Rogue and Bunny, and for fans of Glossier. I liked the concept overall, but I struggled to feel emotionally invested. I "get" it, I get the horror of beauty, I get American Psycho, I get the fever dreaminess, but I never really cared. I think if I had connected more with the main character it would have been different. Overall, I would recommend to any twenty-something "clean girl" looking to get into horror, or to anyone who wants a fictionalized version of Glossy by Marisa Meltzer.

This one sounded so good and had such potential but just fell flat for me unfortunately. I struggled to get invested in either the main character or the story and was surprised by the vampiric blood obsessed turn the story took. The audio narration was good but nothing that stood out. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received this as an e-arc from Netgalley. This was a “not for me” book, but could be a great read for readers that enjoy odd & satirical books- like Bunny by Mona Awad. Follow an unreliable narrator in a dual timeline in what is described as “American Psycho meets Devil Wears Prada”. I didn’t really find it as intense or grotesque as American Psycho though.

I wanted more of a sense of building dread that something is deeply wrong, but here you know from the get-go things aren't quite right so nothing else really comes as a surprise. At points it's really overwritten which makes it difficult to get into, especially when combined with the lack of depth of the characters,

Goop meets Elizabeth Bathory in this satire of wellness and beauty influencer culture. Part of the rising "beauty horror" genre, this novel is part capitalist critique, part wellness cult hellscape.

Told through two timelines, we follow the life of Sophia, the new creative director for clean beauty brand HEBE. Tree Whitestone, the enigmatic founder, runs a tight ship with a rotating door of trust-fund interns. The "girls" are interchangeable, each a blank canvas for youth, beauty, and desirability. Interspersed with vignettes from Sophie's teenage years, we see the ethereal, fleeting nature of youth, an ode and farewell to girlhood, the loss of innocence.

The second half of the novel reads like a fever dream, with Sophia sinking deeper into obsession and paranoia. Her work is all-consuming, her pursuit of acceptance leads to drastic action. I love stories about flawed women and their obsessive, toxic, codependent female friendships, and this novel had it in spades. We see the complex and performative nature of Sophie's relationships, the fear of betrayal and loss that continues to shape her actions.

While I enjoyed this novel, I never truly felt immersed in Sophia's world. I felt like I was always being kept at arms' length, a reflection of her cool detachment and the walls she's erected to shield herself from vulnerability. In contrast, Ling Ling Huang's Natural Beauty – a novel with an extremely similar plot and theme – evoked incredibly strong feelings in me: revulsion, horror, sympathy. Ultimately, while this is still worth a read, I hesitate to recommend it wholeheartedly.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Interns that consistently disappear from a beauty company. A mystery uncovered with a sinister secret. Definitely was action packed towards the end with some twists I didn’t see coming. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

If you think horror and viral beauty trends don’t mix, do I have a surprise for you! Beautifully written by author E.K. Sathue, this is a delightful gem for lovers of body horror!

Sathue’s prose is well crafted and chillingly detailed, able to conjure up scenes that are deliciously gruesome. The mix of beauty products and horror, skin-care and gore, make for an original and twisted read.

I would have loved to have seen more fleshed out characters (pun not intended) with clearer motivations than the simple need to stay young and attractive forever as well as deeper and more meaningful connections between them. I also feel the end was rushed to the point of being nonsensical.

However the originality and astounding writing in this novel is worth the read and I look forward to seeing what Sathue will write next!

A big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

#NetGalley #youthjuice #horrorreads #pinkhorror

Unfortunately I think expectations were really high due to this being marketed as American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada and that did not do this book any favors. It’s a good move to compare a book to two that have such cult followings. I do think this book was well written but it brought forward a lot of similar ideas to other books that are already out there such as Natural Beauty. Another reviewer had stated that this book does a lot of tell and not a lot of show and I think that’s the best way to describe how I feel about this. It had so much potential for those who love weird books but it fell flat to me in terms of character development. I never found myself caring much about Sophia or intrigued by Tree and that made it so hard to get into the story at all or feel moved by it in any particular way.