This was quite an interesting listen, that’s for sure! It shows the lengths people would go to “stay beautiful” and not age. The trope has been done. This was very American Horrorstory-esque.

It was beyond descriptive. Like nauseatingly descriptive with every single sentence, hence my three star review. I’m convinced this audiobook would be half the length if this story didn’t have its descriptions.

The narrator was great! I listened at 2x and it was a great speed.

Overall, this was an entertaining quick listen!

This. BOOK.
It's graphic with a masterful quiet intensity. The descriptive language is incredible, and, at points, nauseating - and that IS a compliment.

“Beauty is possible…” but at what cost? I don’t want to give too many spoilers since this book has a couple twists in store, but Sathue provided excellent imagery in this horror story! This could be a good or bad thing depending on the strength of your stomach 😂 The characters within this novel were scarily crazy, with no protagonist in sight. The paranoia of the main character can be easily experienced by the reader and I was spiraling right alongside Sophia! Warning that there are several graphic and gory scenes within this novel; no surprise there, considering the cover. I did feel like the ending was fairly rushed through but it was overall an interesting concept. Personally, this book made me realize that I’m not a fan of horror books so I originally was going to give it two stars; but just because it’s not my preference shouldn’t take away from the writing skills (at least too much)… so I gave this book three stars.

I was provided this electronic advanced copy by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Expected Publication Date: June 4, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley for the early audiobook of Youthjuice!

This book has some moments that were so good & the main character is pretty unhinged which I love. Buuuuut, as a whole this one didn’t work with me. It was fine, but in the end felt pretty unforgettable. Still would recommend to readers who like horror stories that take place within the beauty industry!

As for the audiobook component, the narrator did great & I would definitely listen to a book narrated by them again!

4.5/5

This has similar vibes as Rouge by Mona Awad and Duckling Ugly by Neal Shusterman.  Even though this story has been told before, I really enjoyed it. From the morally ambiguous characters, to the obsession for physical beauty, this story kept me enthralled till the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I think I'm going to have to give up on "beauty horror" because they are never what I want them to be and this was horrendous.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook ARC of this book.

I had to take notes of my thoughts while listening to this, to have examples of why I was hating this book. Another reviewer accurately said that our protagonist, Sophia, has less personality than a doorstop. I would even remark that all of our characters felt robotic, "perfect", lacking in any human nuance. The writing style is odd and not in a "new, original" way, but a "who edited this book?" way. The narrative jumps from scene to scene with no flow at all. There are flashback scenes that feel absolutely pointless and still don't really tell me anything about this woman. She has a severe nail biting issue to the point that she is always wearing gloves and even her boyfriend doesn't get to see her hands, but this is never adequately explained. If this is a real condition, I'm unaware of it and I feel like the author wanted something "extreme" for the sake of the "horror".

My other issues with the writing style are the endless descriptions of Sophia's "beauty routine". Is she just trying to prove she knows the beauty world super well to the reader? After the first time, it's entirely unnecessary. The overly descriptive "prose" of biting and sucking her cuticles. She actually says she meets her boyfriend at a restaurant and he has "her favorite mineral water" waiting for her. Do you know anyone with a favorite mineral water? The CEO of her beauty company, stupidly named Tree, does an interview for a magazine where she's asked how her bob haircut always stays so perfect and the response is, no joke, "I trust my hair to stay out of my way and my hair listens."

*blinks aggressively*

In one of the flashback scenes, a boy she likes works at a gas station and she brings a coffee up to the counter and he is putting milk in it and says "say when".....her next thought is how "the bizarre intimacy of his words" made her all weak.....What the actual f*ck?! It's coffee!

And lastly...NOBODY F*CKING TALKS ABOUT HOW ANOTHER GIRL’S SPORTS BRA “CUPS HER BREASTS LIKE HANDS” DURING YOGA! Why are so many thriller/horror books written by women about women so sexually descriptive of straight female relationships?! I love LGBTQIA+ rep and F/F romance is great, but this is just weird and I don't get it.

As the synopsis says, her boss asks her to try this cream and immediately it heals her hands and then she has this odd fantasy about eating the flesh of some young girl's neck that she's watching from her apartment.....so it's vampires? Awesome.....vampires.....*eye roll* I don't even care if I'm wrong, this book is too dumb to finish.

Okay, I have bought a goop product before, so youthjuice spooked me right out! I loved this book from the start. We are thrown into HEBE’s world with our FMC, who has a creepy habit of <i>extremely</i> over-picking her skin and hang nails. She discovers that HEBE’s new cream discourages her brain from wanting to pick at her skin, and as she eventually learns what’s in the cream, more and more horror antics ensue.
I enjoyed our FMC's devolution and spiraling. Her hallucinations were everything and absolutely made this novel! The writing was beautiful and vivid, and I am just in love!
I can’t say enough great things about this book!
Now…the cons. Thankfully, the cons are only about the audiobook version. The recording was strange, with random pauses and gasping noises that were irritating to listen to, and I kept checking whether I had accidentally hit a button to skip ahead.
Other than that, that narrator did a good job embodying the character's voices!

Thank our NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and E.K. Sathue for the ALC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook.

3,5 stars
This book is a less fever-dreamy version of Rouge by Mona Awad. It's basically about a super super shady version of Glossier, which was delightful. I liked it! There were a couple of points when I was like "Well, no, noone would react like that to that kind of news", but I can't talk about it further without spoiling it. The audiobook was a fun listen on a five-hour drive, which is always a good sign! If you enjoy light horror and the world of skincare brands, then absolutely pick it up!

3.75-4 ⭐️

If Elizabeth Bathory were the head of a modern day beauty company and she was capable of finding the elixir in "Death Becomes Her," well, it would be this book.

** I listened to the audiobook **

Sophia "Soph" is 29 years old and just started a new job at a luxury skincare company called HEBE. Sophia is quickly embraced by the company's CEO, Tree, and is immediately sucked into the allure that she and the world of HEBE has to offer. Sophia is selfish and unlikeable as a character. She begins to withdraw from her boyfriend, Richard, and best friend and roommate, Dom, because all Sophia thinks about now is beauty. She wants to impress Tree and she wants to do well at this new job.

Tree gives Sophia a new product (skin cream) that the company is planning to launch called, "Youthjuice." Sophia uses it to treat some prior skin issues on her battered hands and soon sees how magical and powerful HEBE really is. Tree will not reveal the ingredients or details to Sophia when she repeatedly asks what is in it to be so potent. Sophia starts to focus more on her skin and beauty, becoming more vain.

Sophia's understanding of HEBE and the lengths that she will go for beauty get darker and darker. Lines blur. Boundaries are hazy. Sophia jumps in without questions or hesitation. Mindlessly. She becomes an obedient little beauty zombie worshipping Tree's every move. Sophia is willing to do anything to fight back wrinkles and be youthful as she approaches 30.

The book shifts from the present with Sophia at HEBE in 2023, and flashes back to the past in 2008, 15 years prior when Sophia is in high school. This happens every couple of chapters. Something happens to Sophia's best friend, Mona, and more details are disclosed as the book progresses.

** My opinions - spoiler free as possible **

Audiobook:
The narrator does a good job. I enjoyed the book, and I REALLY loved certain elements of it, but at times, the book jumps around without a connection. Sophia is one place and then in a different location or it's a different day, without any transition. I thought it was just me and my thoughts wandering while listening, but other reviewers have also mentioned this. I am curious if the physical book makes it more obvious with page breaks?

Over-explaining:
Things like people's physical appearances or clothing are described in SUCH detail, it feels unnecessary. The metaphors were too much. I started to get bored and my mind was leaving the story. It felt like overkill. The book is very focused on skincare and goes on about it at length (even for someone who does appreciate skincare). Very materialist and did remind me of "The Devil Wears Prada" in that aspect. The book felt a lot longer than it was because of the over-explaining. I am not sure if it would be as big of an issue for me had I physically read the book verses listened. I do want to read it on the page in the future for a second opinion because like I said, I really really loved pieces of this book.

Horror:
As the ending of the book approached, I wondered if we would get more horror (it's a bit more of a weird girl book than horror). The ending did help with my overall opinion of the book, as the middle dragged a bit. It did get more gruesome as it finished. I was happy with parts of the ending and then also wished to see Sophia get what her disloyal and backstabbing self deserved.

Overall, I loved everything about the book, except:

- Overkill with explanations and metaphors
- Middle of the book got a little dull and slow
- Tree's lack of planning with the interns and not realizing police would make connections was eye rolling
- Jumping around without transitions

Otherwise, I loved this book so it's extremely difficult for me to rate it under 3.75 stars. I am struggling. LOL. Will read the physical copy with its release.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me access to the ARC audiobook. I appreciate the opportunity very much!

YouthJuuce provided by @Netgalley for reading and review. This is slightly dystopian - it reads like a Black Mirror episode in a young way. @eksathue has written the voice of her characters brilliantly. They fit their roles - the young women, obsessed with style and skincare and makeup routines, chasing that elusive perfect skin, all while working for a company steeped in the beauty culture. It’s a little Devil Wears Prada, meets Black Mirror or American Psycho. But it’s well written, and a thinker. I’d give this 3.5 stars. The narrator was great for this character. I think the book starts a bit slow.

This was just okay for me! I love the idea and the premise of this story, but I have already read better executions of similar stories!

When I first heard about this book, I knew it would be up my alley, but that I would either really love it or think it would be just fine. Turns out I resonate more with the latter as this didn’t quite hit for me the way I wanted it too.

The writing style was good, but a little under-fleshed out for my taste and I didn’t find myself really caring about any of the characters because of that. I really appreciate what the author is trying to do, but it was hard for me not to compare it to the other (and seemingly influx) literary horror books that have come out in recent years. I just needed a bit more! More weirdness, more horror, more reason to dislike the MC! I loooove unlikable characters, but these were too blasé for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the chance to listen to an advance copy!

This was so weird! I love weird! It definitely gave Rogue vibes at first. It had those spooky vibes surrounding the beauty industry that Rogue had but it carved its own path to be something very different. Would recommends for anyone who likes a creepy/spooky but not too gory read.

𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗷𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗲 was such a fun read! When I saw body horror being mentioned, I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I didn’t really feel the whole body horror part, but nonetheless I still found that I enjoyed it. It’s a fun and easy read, if you’re looking for something unhinged to brighten your day and the narrator did a phenomenal job on the audiobook. Many thanks to RB Media for my advanced audiobook. 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗷𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗲 will be published 6/4.

"YouthJuice" by E.K. Sathue delivers an enticing blend of LA glamour and morbid intrigue that swiftly draws readers into its web. In the beginning, I found myself spellbound by the captivating narrative and the intoxicating It-girl vibe woven throughout the story. However, while the book excels in its initial grip, I did find that it lost some momentum in the middle, bogged down by excessive character exposition. Yet, Sathue skillfully reignites the story's momentum, ensuring that readers are ultimately rewarded with a satisfying conclusion. Despite its occasional pacing hiccups, it remains a compelling read, offering a glimpse into the dark underbelly of the elite. Set for release on June 4, 2024, it's definitely worth a try!

Oh, Sophia, you twisted little mess, how I adore being inside your mind all while hoping to crawl very very far away from you. If Patrick Bateman and Elizabeth Bathory had a beautiful baby girl, it would be our Soph. I saw the cover of this book and wanted desperately to read it, especially when the summary made it sound like the dark underbelly of goop. (Seriously, for the prices they charge they have to be doing something very illegal to make it make sense.) The author did a wonderful job dropping the reader into the mind of the desperate-to-be-It-girl, even if you are like me and have aged without much thought and have never owned an expensive handbag or shoes. Maybe you won't even know most of the brand names dropped in this book, but I can promise it isn't going to matter or change your full understanding of this book. When you are seeing the world through Sophia's eyes you know you've heard her voice before in an article, or on Instagram, or a reality TV show. What I am trying to say is... you will know Sophia without ever having to be anything like her and that is a talent a lot of authors don't seem to have.
When the reader meets Sophia she is starting a new job working for a world renowned beauty company, HEBE, and she seems like any nervous woman heading into her thirties who doesn't see herself as good as everyone around her. We don't know where she is from or what she has been through, but you can still relate to her nervousness and uncomfort because you know what it is to be sitting down at a new desk at a new job for the first time with zero idea how it will all turn out. Gradually, we get flashbacks that explain Sophia's past. (These flashbacks hit you like a car crash the first few times, but eventually you realize you are experiencing them just like the author and you know her mental health is NOT going well and hasn't been going well for a very long time.) The reader also finds out Sophia has been a barista for the past 8 years and she lives with her best friend, Dom, who does recreational drugs, runs a blog, and has a trust fund. Sophia also has a boyfriend named Richard, but don't feel bad if you forget him repeatedly because he isn't important to the story and is pretty much forgotten by Sophia the moment she falls under the influence of HEBE and it's owner Tree.
Now, I can't tell you where all of this takes you because it is a ride you need to experience, but I can tell you it hooks you in. You find yourself needing to know where all of this is going and where it has all been before. Is Sophia having a mental break, is she being lead by the pressure we all face to not age and to be our most beautiful self or has she always been this person.
This is a book written with some flowery prose and stretched out details, but I feel it fits with this character more than most. You see the world through her in every way. By writing the story this way, you not only know exactly how she feels but you experience everything she experiences vividly... and when I say vividly you need to believe me because not everything she experiences is pleasant. Moments in the book weren't enough to make me gag, but I did find myself cringing away or feeling my body turning in on itself to try and run from the descriptions. (TW: If you self harm, previously self harmed, or have a tendency to nail bite you might find yourself struggling a little through this book. I know for myself, someone who struggled with self harming, I found I understood the main character almost too much with her enjoyment of the pain she was inflicted on herself and the experience and it gave me some not okay thoughts.) This is NOT a gore story and while it is a horror story it isn't filled with blood and guts, but there is a great deal of blood. So much blood. Tubs of blood.
Last year, I read Cipher by Kathe Koja and this book made me think of it a great deal. The plots aren't the same at all, but the way the story is written strongly reminded me of each other and something about the way the main character experienced the world was similar. If you've read anything by Kathe Koja and enjoyed it, I think this would be also make you happy. I would also recommend this to anyone who ever looked at Gwyneth Paltrow and thought maybe she sacrificed puppies to an ancient god to still look the way she does, then this is 100% for you. This is a fun horror story based on the modern day beauty culture and pressure women face (and men to a degree) to always look beautiful and young and skinny and healthy and radiant at all times. no matter their age. This is a book that looks at the beauty industry and designer clothing world and points a finger at it and then makes a joke out of it. You should read this book if anything about what I've said sounds like a thought you've had or a concern or a rage you've felt. (Honestly, read this for the ending if nothing else because the last fifteen minutes made my whole heart happy with gruesome joy!)

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review. I really can't wait to read the next book this author writes in the future.

Thank you Netgallery and RB Media for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

E.K Sathue who are you? What goes on in your brain? What did I just read?! Satirical, erie, grousome, gory….funny(at times).

Switching back and forth from the main character’s past and present you feel as if you are spiraling and unmoored. Than their was the boss who I kept picturing as Kourtney Kardashian 😆

If you want a quick read that’s unhinged and boasts a gorgeous cover this one’s for you.

Thanks a lot for the ARC!

It took me a while to decide on a note for this one.

On the one hand, give me unhinged women. Unwell heroines. I will eat the story with a spoon, nom nom nom, oh wow they're violent and ambiguous too ?, gimme a second helping.

And these women are deeply unwell, that's the least you can say. The plot is very straigthforward, just what you expect from that truly excellent blurb, it's the new girl that comes to the feminist beauty care company, and of course, they kill people because nothing makes you look young and hydrated like the good old fashioned blood of the maiden. Then new girl must make a choice : to be or not to be a vampire herself. It's, if not the oldest story, at least like the fourth.

I love the words Sathue use, the cadence of the sentences and the vocabulary. It's really good, poetic enough to feel instagram-y yet not overdone so it feels like she tried too hard.
I love the descriptions of weird food (i actually eat sortof like that so... hey, fiction is offering me a mirror here, im not gonna pretend it's not delightful) and skincare routines, how it's ritualized by both the prose and the characters so it always feels vaguely religious.

I loved the general vibe of the book, too, i feel like im slap bang in the middle of the target audience and it's great to have something sortof written for you.

All that being said... I fail to see why a lot of those feminist horror stories (and, to some extent, the Violence, But Make It Cool books like Fight Club or American Psycho) always have a middle bit that feels like a fever dream where everything is hazy and the vibes sortof melt together. This book didnt fail to include it, the weird "things are a-brewing and MC is Confused(TM) !" bit, and it made it lose its rythm.
The twists were all quite predictable, to a point the plot felt like a recitation, like the author was showing us a style exercise, look how well i've mastered this trope, and the ending, while maybe inevitable, was a bit too easy.
I like the subversiveness of it, but also, when subversion has become a common trope itself, is it still subversive ?

So, yeah. Great times were had, but greater times still could have been reached.

A 3.5 rating for me! I was provided the audiobook to enjoy ahead of release and I definitely enjoyed the book and especially the audiobook narrator. I couldn’t stop listening and was hooked really quickly. When things took a turn, they REALLY took a turn and it was wild.

The writing was a little too descriptive/flowery at times… while I appreciated how visceral the horror scenes felt, at other times the descriptive writing got too long-winded and ended up confusing me. I also got confused a couple times with quick transitions throughout the book (there are flashbacks and Sophia’s state of mind is spotty).

I loved how unreliable and unhinged, yet endearing (???), Sophia was. I thought it was very uncomfortable but intriguing how everything played out through her eyes. I think the description of “American psycho meets devil wears Prada” is spot on.

I was so excited about the premise of this book, cult beauty brand with horror undertones and one of my favorite books last year was Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huan. Unfortunately, this just didn't deliver for me. The novel follows Sophia as she is hired at a cult beauty brand, HEBE, that has major goop vibes and is led by a charismatic founder, Tree. As the book progresses, we get more information about what is really going on at HEBE, but I ended up feeling like it went off the rails really fast and did not understand why Sophia was so devoted to Tree and ready to follow her directives. The book goes back and forth between timelines when Sophia is younger and the present, but they didn't really explain to me why Sophia ends up the way she is. I did really enjoy the narration in the audiobook, but wish the character development and choices were fleshed out more in the book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy for me to listen to in exchange for my review.

This was giving me Mona Awad Rouge vibes the whole time!! I really enjoyed this and had a good twist about halfway through the book. The writing was great and I loved the overall vibe and topic of this book.