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.

What wouldn’t a woman do to have healthy, youthful skin? Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue was totally creepy with major The Devil Wears Prada vibes! Sophia begins to work at HEBE, and soon becomes obsessed with the products and how they make her skin feel. As things start to fall apart, though Sophia wonders how far she’ll go to maintain her beauty. I did not want to put this down!!

I received this book through netgalley audio and believe it or not the audio was pretty good for netgalley so that's always a plus,I really thought this book was pretty cool and it was written very well. I definitely got some excitement out of it and usually saying that it's comparable to American psycho makes me hesitant on things because they tend to throw that around a lot and it never is but this will definitely relates to American psycho in a lot of ways,But it also doesn't try to be American psycho it just ended up that way. So I can definitely see how this book is comparable to American psycho and The devil wears Prada. This is more of almost real life situation what could happen to the beauty industries, I've read a lot of books recently that pertain to the beauty industry but they're on the fantasy side of things so it was pretty cool to get this aspect on it!

Evil spa/hospital/wellness company is my favorite trope. I will consume literally any media featuring one of the above without a second thought. Sometimes, I find a new favorite—Rouge and Shutter Island stand out in the genre. Other times, my love for the trope is the only thing carrying me through to the end. Unfortunately, youthjuice was more of the latter.

Although the audiobook version I listened to is skillfully narrated, and I have no real gripes with the quality; I don’t think Suzy Jackson was the right choice for this book. Her voice has this innately perky quality / she has a style of narration that made the story sound like any contemporary romance, and I really dislike the way she gives every male character aggressive vocal fry and the general cadence of a douchebag holding a surfboard. It just doesn’t fit the words she’s saying, and while Jackson is a talented narrator, I also think a more nuanced, slightly darker/deeper tone of voice for the main character would have done this book a lot of favors, particularly in the scenes featuring the body horror. I didn’t let this impact my rating of the book overall, but I also really didn’t need to.

The content itself was pretty disappointing. It does what it says on the tin, but it really doesn’t bring anything new or especially engaging to the table. It’s a very surface-level “indictment” of beauty and wellness culture and the obsession with anti-aging. There were a lot of similarities between youthjuice and Natural Beauty, a book which I also did not like but which I believe managed to execute its themes on a slightly deeper level and at least dig into a niche problem with the beauty industry (whitewashing) rather than the milquetoast “industry bad” that youthjuice offers.

My main problem with youthjuice was how unbelievable everything was. Our main character goes along with Tree because she feels captivated by her, but I just didn’t see it. I think too much time went into the backstory plot, and if that space had been used on fleshing out the present-day characters beyond just the protagonist, I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more. Even with the backstory (which had plenty of its own problems), I never got a feel for Sophia, nor did I want to spend time with her—and I love a good unhinged woman. I just needed more than just a few pages/maybe two interactions to understand exactly what about Tree was so enticing that Sophia would suddenly be willing to do the terrible things she does.

All that being said, there were a few positives. Some of the descriptive language is fun and interesting, and the body horror is well-written, although I would have liked more of it. It was pretty understated and infrequent. Too much tell, not enough show, not nearly enough horror for the horror tag.

Also, I really wish publishers would stop comparing these new “horror” releases to American Psycho. It’s never true and always sets me up to expect something more literary.

First of all can we talk about the cover, I know we say don't judge a book by it's cover but it's something about this book cover I just love! It's so aesthetically pleasing and then from reading the book it adds more character to it also.

The narrator did an excellent job, she was so clear and engaging when it came to reading the story. I loved her voice.

This is a good horror looking into the social obsession with women always trying a new remedy to be young. It reminded me Rouge by Mona Award so if you liked that book you'll enjoy this too!

I requested "youthjuice" after reading and thoroughly enjoying "Glow" by Jessie Gaynor which was another "Goop-y" book. I thought this book would be right up my alley as well (and I loved the cover!) like I did with "Glow". So, what did I think? This book was fine. Not great. Not horrible.

It was a super quick read delves into our obsession with youth. This was an extremely campy read, but I don't think there was enough horror in it for it to fall in the genre of horror, although I think the narrator did a fantastic job of evoking the feeling that the book was going for.

Despite the cover showing blood, this is not a super graphic read, so that may disappoint those who are looking for lots of gore/blood/horror. The cover might be a bit misleading in their eyes, but this will be a great book for those who like their horror light.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this strange little book!

3.75/5.

The premise was great and the MC seems to have experienced what happened to the test subjects in the Milgram experiment. What would have been abhorrent to her on page one, was seemingly old hat by the end.

I do wish the ending was altered, but I understand what the author was going for.

Talk about HEBE jeebies. Suzy Jackson brings the world of HEBE to life in this quick gory listen. Jumping between now and back to 2008 the plot moves quickly with an enjoyable yet wild story, full of intentionally unlikeable characters. youthjuice will be shelved alongside my favourite beauty-related horror stories from here on out.

I'm not going to lie, the cover of youthjuice looks like it's been taken straight from a glossier ad campaign but with 100% more blood which shows how realistically terrifying beauty-horror has come. I also love that it looks like a 2024 take on the Death Becomes Her movie poster because 32 years later society is still (if not more) obsessed with chasing eternal youth.

If you enjoyed youthjuice, I recommend reading Rouge by Mona Awad and Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang. Both have stayed with me since reading them months ago *shudders*. If you prefer a less gory and just as unhinged female wellness leader cult CEO vibes, Under The Influence by Noelle Crooks and The Glow by Jessie Gaynor are worthy reads.

Thank you RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to youthjuice before it's released. youthjuice is out on 4th June 2024 #youthjuice #NetGalley

This book was very descriptive and was a good listen. The narrator did an excellent job, and kept me engaged. At times the story was a little fragmented. If you enjoy horror and the beauty industry, this book would be for you. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this audio
3 stars!

<b>1.5 </b>

Everything about this book felt fragmented. This is not helped by the fact that we jump in and out of moments and back and forth between timelines. It was confusing but not in an enjoyable way. The characters and their relationship felt like fragments that I never really cared about. We get bits of horror but never enough to feel like this fully earns its genre. It feels more like a weird contemporary novel. Likewise, the themes of female friendship and the beauty industry feel shallowly explored. The conclusion to the plot is also disappointing.

The writing was ok but I don’t have enough trust in this author's ability to pull off an engaging plot to read from them again.

I received a copy for review from NetGalley.

Sophia Bannion is hired on to the HEBE team-- a lux skincare and beauty product company. Tree Whitestone, HEBE's president and founder, is ready to launch a new beauty product with the promise to keep you young forever. But isn't eternal youth too good to be true? Haven't we all heard the cautionary tales of chasing the fountain of youth? "youthjuice" is a horror tale of perfection and will be sure to give you the HEBE-jeebies!

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I rated this 3.5 stars, rounding up to four because I was entertained during the story. I wouldn't compare this to American Psycho and was disappointed by that. I loved the obsession with perfection and the skincare products throughout the story, and I liked the over-the-top commentary on the skincare world. I wanted more complexity during the story but it was fun! The narrator was amazing too.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media, and Random House for providing readers with this title.

There's not enough time to consume all the media I'm interested in, so I try to be picky, and choose to give my time to those things I think I'll enjoy most. Hence why I mostly read horror. My favorite way to destress is to indulge in my love of horror - or to lose myself down a YouTube hole, mostly video gaming or music or film related, but I also have a few favorite women who could be called "influencers". LOL.

So I was excited when I first saw this pop up in NetGalley, because beauty influencer horror a la American Psycho and Devil Wears Prada? Yes, please! After finishing the book I do get why those are the references mentioned, because they're not off-base... but then, they're also kind of misleading. They're also a great way to examine what I've just read and organize my thoughts into this review.

The MC, Sophia, is a follower who deeply desires to be like the pretty, popular girls she's surrounded by, the sort of person that insists she's boring and invisible when really she's a source of chaos who leans in to all the bad things that happen near her while saying "it's not my fault!" Unreliable, needy, insecure yet arrogant, clueless, desperate, but also snobby, neurotic, and entitled (and sociopathic, naturally). There are shades of Patrick Bateman as Sophia descends into madness, with the author showing this through hyperfocus on "unimportant" details, like the precise nasal folds of an intern, or the smell of lavender and nutritional yeast. Nowhere near the level of an entire chapter dedicated to Huey Lewis and the News but the homage is clear.

The Devil Wears Prada comparison is because of the cultish behavior of this beauty start-up. Led by the enigmatic Tree Whitestone (Miranda), Sophia (Andy) falls whole-heartedly, eagerly, into worship of the vision, the mission, of HEBE (there's also an Emily, who is Emily, lol). It's not just beauty, it's a LIFESTYLE. It's what and how you eat, it's what you wear, it's what you consume, and how you pamper yourself. It's the facade of girl power and women supporting women all the while they're all trying to please their Lord and Savior, Tree, in the cut-throat sugar-coated business of beauty. Hypocrits from the floor to the ceiling, but who is the biggest and worst of all? Using of all kinds and how it literally sucks the life right out of you. The seedy side of Runway where Miranda literally takes their heads when they displease her.

Personally I could not help but be reminded of a VERY similar story from 2014 - the French horror film, Raw. Raw is lead by a young woman who joins a cut-throat veterinary program at a highly rated university and slowly descends into delusion and cannibalism. Youthjuice is a parallel story. Both have the same basic premise and hit much of the same conflict points, but their different settings make for a unique, if familiar, story. I honestly love both.

Youthjuice is a Gen Z fever dream about nightmare influencers that made me feel nauseous with not just the gory scenes, but with the interpersonal relationships, the betrayals, the mistakes, and the narrator's obsessive inner voice. It's not stream of consciousness but it feels like it. The writing reminds me strongly of Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch in that way, though Sathue doesn't go as hard as Yoder... which, honestly, would've only made this already great book better.

I give it 50/50 odds that Ryan Murphy turns it into a season of American Horror Story :P

A quick easy little horror book that delves into our obsession with youth. This is a very campy read. I say that in the best way. I listened to the audiobook and that I think gave it even a better campy feel. The narrator did an amazing job evoking the feeling that the book goes for.
This is not a super graphic horror so if that’s your cup of tea, you might find yourself unhappy. As someone who prefers a bit less gore, this was perfect for me. Just creepy enough to induce some shivers!
If you find yourself obsessed with our macabre focus on influencers and beauty then this is the book for you!

Firstly, the narration is perfect! I was absorbed. Our girl has been hired for her dream job. Anyone who has ever gotten their dream job can relate.

Her new boss is instantly a little intimate and things are weird. I was into it. I don't want to spoil anything but this is a good book about not taking your job too seriously.
Love it! Thanks for letting me listen to it.

I am deep in to the beauty community and fads but this audiobook really shines the light on the consumerism and need we have to look like the it girl - makes you question if the cost of beauty is worth the price.

Great horror looking at society's obsession with youth and perfection to be considered beautiful. If a miricle new product was available to keep you young and beautiful, what would you do to obtain it? Would you kill someone? Would you be willing to kill strangers, coworkers or even your best friend.

This story reminded me of an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark (tale of the mystic mirror) if it was darker and gruesome, in a good way.

The only real disconnect I had was understanding the main character Sophia and her motivation. It doesn't overall seem that she is obsessed with beauty so I did not understand why she continued to go along with what was happening. She did seem very dissociated and almost psychopathic in her uncaring nature of those close to her. Also with the duel time-line it never explained when she began having the habit /tendencies regarding her hands. I also felt the ending was wrapped up to nicely and seemed far fetched where Sophia ended up.

I did however enjoy the writing and would read another book from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced audiobook for review.