I really wanted to get into this book. However, I just found my mind drifting while listening. I'm not sure if it was a timing an issue, or if it was the book but I found myself listening to several chapters and not remembering a thing that happened because it just wasn't holding my attention. So I had to DNF this one.

** spoiler alert ** 2.5 stars

I didn’t realize this was a horror book and definitely gave off Rosemary's Baby vibes. There were some
deeply unsettling parts but was not scary.

Overall, the description was fantastic but the way the story played out was just okay. The story felt very surface level and I couldn’t get into it. I think we could’ve done without all the flashbacks and dialed more in on HEBE and made it a stronger story.

Some of the flashbacks didn’t make a ton of sense. It felt like she started diving into the characters just to abandon them and the story to go nowhere.

SPOILERS BELOW
My biggest issue with the book- we find out Sophia has committed two murders, no word on if anyone came looking for Dom or how that wrapped up. The backstory with Chase was a dead end so why did it even matter other than to explain why she killed Mona but like why bring up that she was Googling him. So she’s a murder and calls the cops of Tree, just didn’t sit well with me.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Another book that I’m struggling to rate 3? 4? The writing is very good, very engaging language, and it was fun to read( listen the audio), so overall the book was enjoyable enough. To mention that the audio narration is really good.
I like kind of sarcastic approach the author took to talk about women’s obsession to look youthful, how much pressure they face, and their desire to remain youthful for whatever cost. The plot was kind of interesting, but kind of predictable.
On other side what I didn’t like, that the characters were not fleshed out enough, even the main character Sophy did not have enough personality. I was not touched by the characters or story. But I believe they’re a lot of women to which this book would appeal.
Even with some kind of gruesome scenes, it’s definitely not a horror book. I think the story has a lot of potential which were not fully released. To mention the book is short. I think it also debut novel, so if the author takes it to enter into horror books niche , it’s a great start. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Firstly, I want to give a huge thank you to Net Galley and SoHo Press for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I went in with very high expectations for this book, the premise sounded extremely intriguing. I enjoyed Suzy Jackson as the narrator for this book.

The book starts out with an advertisement for HEBE, a growing Wellness & Beauty brand and follows Sophia (or, Soph, as Tree, her strange, but extremely powerful and influential's new boss likes to call her) along her journey of self-reflection, acceptance, and discovery in a world of impossible beauty standards, body shaming, and misogyny.

Tree finds out about an event from Sophia's past and finds her to be the perfect employee because of certain goings-on at HEBE. Youthjuice is presented to her to use by Tree, and at first glance, is a miracle cure to any and all physical ailments. As time passes, the side effects of Youthjuice are determined and they are detrimental.

Really, my only complaint about this book is that it jumped around too much. One minute she'd be at a cafe, and the next she'd be in the office. I'd be like, how did we get here? I also thought she had some major issue like she was a werewolf or something by the way her biting her nails in the first scene was. Literally thought she bit off her entire hand.

Overall, this has so much potential to be great and I kept thinking I could totally see this being adapted into a movie.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the audiobook! I enjoyed the idea for this story. I was intrigued for the end. I did struggle with some of the very descriptive and gory pieces. It could just be me and the type of thrillers I mainly get into but this one skeeved me quite a bit.

A brilliant satire of the anti-aging beauty industry! The author demonstrates keen insights into the relationship women have with aging. The book speaks to women of all ages. From those that embrace getting older to those that go so far as to limit the facial expressions they make to avoid wrinkles.

As Brett Easton Ellis did with 1980s yuppies in American Psycho, Youthjuice lampoons NYC beauty gurus culture. Though that is where the comparison ends. There is some body horror in Youthjuice but it is never as disgusting or depraved as Ellis’s work. I was expecting more based on the description and think that the author could have pushed the horror further.

About half the novel is told in flashbacks to 2008. These flashbacks help to further develop Sophie and somewhat explain how she became the psychologically damaged woman she is in modern day. That said, they don’t further the horror or the satire of the novel. The novel would have been stronger had they been cut short. They were never boring but they didn’t push the narrative forward, halting the pacing of the book.

The main draw of the novel is the HEBE plotline. I would have liked to explore that world more. I also expected a bigger reveal. The reveal of what is in the cream, Tree’s beauty regime, and the negative effects of the cream where all expected. Each of these elements have been done before and to more horrifying effect.

Despite my criticisms of the flashbacks and lack of horror, I really enjoyed the book. It’s an easy read and I enjoyed the dark humor. The characters were also fun and Sophie’s descent into madness was interesting. She is a very well-written character and I was able to emphathize with her even when I didn’t agree with her. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator’s delivery was perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. This book was twisted but fun. You kind of knew the whole time what was going on but finding it out was still shocking.

OK. Not sure where to start, or how to even describe this one… but, here goes.

Sophia is approaching 30…she has been working as a barista for a while…but decides to fudge her resume a bit…and gets a job at the “IT” cosmetics place of the moment!

It’s called Hebe…

Her BFF Dom is happy for her. So is her boyfriend.

When she meets and friends “Tree” the boss, she thinks everything is going great!

But once she starts using the products, well, everything changes.

To me, this is when it goes off the rails.
I guess if you’re into pure fantasy,or non-sensical things…then you are fine!
But for me, with my background in Nursing, this is when I wanted to stop reading…

Interesting concept, but totally lost me when the crazy stuff began.

2 1/2 ⭐️⭐️💫 for me, but rounded up to 3.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which is due out on June 4th..so about 2 months from now…

#Youthjuice by #EKSathue and nicely narrated by #SuzyJackson.


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Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️

Giving this one 2.5 stars. The beginning of this one REALLY drew me in!! Seeing the inner workings professionally and socially of a new beauty company in NYC? That is right up my alley!!! I enjoyed reading about the messed up ways of thinking and sketchy happenings often involved in this type of setting.

What actually goes into being an ‘it girl’?? What exactly is ‘youthjuice’?? What do you have to give up for beauty?

As this one went on, I sort of gave up on it😢 I really liked the concept, but it just became way too predictable. It also feeling like the main character just sort of became dark out of nowhere. She starts out as innocent… but doesn’t even flinch at the horrible things happening.

BUT maybe this one will be for you! Try it out and lmk💗

This book is definitely weird, in a good way. I loved the nod to the very real and prominent obsession and pressure for women to remain “youthful” and slow/stop the aging process at all costs. In youthjuice, we explore just how far some women will go to preserve their youth.

The main character was SO creepy and disturbed (in a good writing way) that it made me so uncomfortable at times (again, in a good way). There is something so uncomfortably entertaining about a delusional main character LOL.

This is a horror with some comic relief, in the way that you’ve probably encountered people like Tree and the HEBE staff in real life and all over social media, with this intense obsession to be at peak health and preserve their youth. The green drinks and turmeric vapes got a chuckle out of me every time. It was entertaining but I might have liked the concept more than I liked the actual book.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic! Overall, a quick and fun read. Thank you NetGalley and Soho House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Do you like horror? Do Tiktok microtrends give you a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach? Have you ever listened to Mitski’s Liquid Smooth on loop? If you answered yes to all of the above, this book is for you!

Short, sweet, and slightly sickening. Youthjuice is exactly what is says on the tin; American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada.

⚜ The Good

This book put into words that slight icky-ness that internet micro-celebrity skin-fluencers give me. All this talk of skin and cleansing and procedures and aging- eugh! I don’t like knowing people perceiving my physical body at the best of times- let alone that they’re perceiving the sebum clogging my pores.

I think this would be a great entry level horror read for those who are tired of the cleangirl, glass skin, drunk elephant, 11 year olds in sephora phenomenon. Hell, might even be a cathartic read.

⚜ The Bad

None of the characters were particularly well fleshed out. They were just kind of there to move the plot forward for the sake of Sophia, the main character, who had even less personality. However, I do think this was a Choice. We see of these characters only what Sofia sees, and Sofia is shallow. Of course she only sees these other women at face value. And this would be an interesting choice if Sofia herself wasn’t such a… Weirdly written character.

You will never catch me being anti-weird women. I mean weird as in… I was never quite sure why she was doing what she did. There was a vague idea of her wanting to achieve perfection but nothing really beyond that. I suppose you could argue ‘That’s the point!! Perfection is a vague and illogical motivation!!’ but I would have to argue back ‘That’s a dumb excuse’ Why did she not put the goop on her face? Why did she slather it onto her open wounds? Why was Dom her friend???

I would’ve excused her weird behavior and suspended my disbelief if the plot was a little better. I liked the plot, I thought it was fun, but honestly, a lot of the time it just felt shallow. Youthjuice doesn’t bring anything new to this conversation. I really think the book would’ve benefited from leaning more into the satire and horror than trying to make a statement that has already been made.

(Bonus audiobook nitpick- I feel like the narrator did not suit this role at all. She was fine, her voice was lovely, but I think she really missed the mark on the tone. It was just a strange casting choice in my opinion.)

⚜ Final Words

Youthjuice didn’t do anything that Jennifer’s Body didn’t do gayer.

Again, I think this could be a good entry level horror. The writing style was interesting and engaging. The pacing was a little off and and times there wasn’t much of a clear direction, there were also a lot of references that I think will date this book in a matter of… Months, probably, but overall, it kept my attention. More importantly; I had fun reading it. And I will be re-watching The Devil Wears Prada tonight.

The perfect weird girl book. Loved the writing style, the chaos, and overall weird vibes this book had. Such a unique story, I loved every second of it. TikTok is going to LOVE this book when it comes out!!

3.8 youthjuice was reminiscent of what the early 2000s was for me. I was fresh out of high school and into the college world of "what the hell do I want to do with my life". I decided that I would skip going to college right away and decided to enter beauty school. Ever since I was little I always loved skincare, makeup and celebrities. As a esthetican, this book resonated with me a lot! Just like the protagonist in this book I too was wanting to stay hip and young as long as possible. This book follows Sophia Bannion who takes on a job at HEBE a skincare/wellness spa in NYC. When the CEO gives Sophia a opportunity of a lifetime she immediately takes it.
What is that opportunity you might ask? Well, testing out the newest youth serum of course.
However, at what cost? Is it worth it?
This book was read by one of my favorite Narrators Suzy Johnson and she did a fantastic job!
I would reccomned this to my fellow esthetican friends as it is a quick, mysterious and freaky read!

I'm not sure what it is about pretty pink covers in the horror genre, but they usually end up being my favorites.

youthjuice is a body horror novel that explores the obsession society has with youthful appearance and the quest for ageless skin. Our 29 year old FMC, Sophia, is handpicked by the CEO of HEBE to test a new moisturizer. She has a terrible nail biting habit and her hands look terrible because of it. youthjuice is a miracle cream that restores Sophia's hands to perfection. Soon, Sophia discovers that she's not the only one with secrets.

I'm always wary of books that claim to be "American Psycho meets ___ book". They usually end up being over the top, extremely underwhelming, or just page after page of gøre. youthjuice is one of the rare few that can make the claim and live up to it. E.K.'s writing is smooth and refreshing. The subtle nods to American Psycho are well done and aren't placed in a way that preys on nostalgia. youthjuice is a great novel for today's society when everyone wants perfect skin, no matter the cost. Suzy Jackson's narration was great, one of my new favorite narrators.

Thank you to Netgalley, E.K. Sathue, and RB Media for the advance copy of the audiobook!

Youthjuice was an enthralling audiobook. I knew it was sinister from the start and loved hearing the story play out. If you’ve ever worked at a startup this one’s for you!

Grotesque and oddly reflective. This book makes you reflect on your values, views on aging, and just how far you would be willing to go. The descriptive scenes of gore are repulsive without being too much to handle.

Youthjuice is the tale of a woman in her late twenties working at a trendy New York City beauty start-up who gets the opportunity to field test a cream that promises anti-aging--- but how steep is the price?

This entire book was a gorgeous, gore-streaked masterpiece. "Coming-of-rage" is absolutely correct; from the jump, fury rushes beneath this satire's skin, tinting everything hot pink and making clear the ever-present threat of violence. life. I could see the American Psycho parallels and loved them--- I feel this book is a welcome improvement on that particular satife. I loved the the chance to peer into the mind of a woman who had been slowly cracking under pressure since puberty and examine the ways the world contributed to her descent--- and the ways in which she contributed to others' downfalls, including her own.

Women dominate this story, and the presence of different kinds of women from different stages of life help to make this book a very effective satire. The world this satire inhabits is vivid and just close enough to our own to be scary, even nauseating; a certain ad campaign in the book featuring fallen women was so true-to-life that I literally felt sick reading the discussion surrounding it. I could picture this discussion happening in exactly the way it did.

The body horror in this book was no joke. If you are squeamish, you will have a tough time! I love body horror, though, and had a roaring good time imagining the details spelled out.


I felt invigorated listening to this narrator, whose tone was extremely expressive and whose voice brought Sophia to life! This book was an instant favorite for me. I'll be adding to this review over time when I revisit this title, as is customary for me to do after re-reads. Thanks NetGalley, Ek Sathue, and Penguin Random House for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! I really look forward to reading more from this author!

Getting to know Sophia, a 29 year old working her first professional job, was a trip! This book is written in the present day, with flashbacks to 2008. I really enjoyed the cultural references, both in the past and present. I haven’t read a book that gave a look into the world of beauty before, but youthjuice definitely felt like a Devil Wears Prada meets the horror genre type of feel. I loved it!

I really enjoyed Suzy Jackson’s narration for this audiobook. She did a great job with voicing different characters. Her voice is young and fresh, which fit the general theme of the book.

This book feels extremely relevant for the times we’re in when avoiding aging and any type of ill-appearance is greatly stressed. As 10 year olds raid the aisles of Sephora, this feels like an appropriate and well-timed cultural critique.

Let’s just say I would NOT encourage anyone to apply for a job interning at HEBE.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the author EK Sathue for an ALC of youthjuice!

I don't really know how to put into words what I'm thinking, but I'll try.

This book seemed half-written. Like the story was there, but all of the details never quite fell into place to make a full novel. I feel like so many things were glazed over and never really given their full time, if that makes any sense at all. I think the chapters from 2008 deserved more, and some of the story lines didn't quite feel finished.

I think the characters were kind of under developed, too. It kind of felt like I was being told things about some of the characters instead of actually feeling them myself. A lot of this won't make sense without spoilers, so maybe just take my word for it?

I won't lie, it was the pretty cover that drew me into this book, and am I glad it did.

Youthjuice is a strange and macabre book about the darker sides of the influencer and beauty industry. And though it doesn't quite meet the thrills of American Psycho, as it is dubbed to do in the description, this book still packs a punch and has a variety of ghoulish and creepy scenes.

The descriptions in this book are fabulous, and the scenes are quite vivid and easy to imagine. The characters are also varied and interesting, with Tree being my personal favourite (she's beautiful disturbed). Some characters could have been more fleshed out, though they were perfectly fine as they were and had enough personality to pull you on to the next page.

The story and mystery itself was very interesting, and I found myself desperate to understand what was going on, but a draw back was the flip-flop style of the novels alternate timelines. From chapter to chapter, the story would jump forward and backwards in time, and though I liked this insight into the lead characters past, I found myself desperate to come back to the present so that the main story (the juicy story) could unfold. The main story was gripping enough to pull me through the slower chapters set in the past, though I did appreciate the extra context and development these past chapters presented us with.

Overall, this was a very interesting read and an insightful commentary on the modern day beauty industry. And though the book did have some setbacks and slow moments, it came together to be a very thrilling and page turning read that left me wanting more.

Thank you to RB Media for providing an audiobook via NetGalley