29 year old Sophia Bannion has just started working for HEBE, a luxury skin care company. Sophia is like most of people and loves HEBE and uses the products. Then there is Tree Whitestone the charismatic CEO and founder of HEBE. Tree takes Sophia under her wing and Sophia is loving this new lifestyle of hers. She gets all the products she wants from HEBE and she loves “youthjuice” a fatty, soothing moisturizer that Tree has asked her to test. But as time goes on Sophia starts to determine that not all is well and HEBE the company is having issues. As it all starts to fall apart, Sophia learns of a secret ingredient in Youthjuice the is gruesome. Since this secret ingredient really does make one younger she has to decide what to do. With Youthjuice you will start to appear younger then you really are. As Sophia works to find out about Youthjuice she realizes that many young interns have gone missing. She also realized the Youthjuice cream is not allowed to be tested on animals only on people. If you look at the book cover you can understand he secret ingredient. As Sophia’s mental state spirals will she be able to get herself back or will her mind be gone?

This was an interesting tale and I did think it was a little more of a thriller mystery book that I am use to. There were many times I cringed at what was taking place. I decided to look at more as a satire of the beauty industry and I did actually thoroughly enjoy the book.
I did tell my self this year I was going to read out of the box/ my comfort zone and boy did this one hit that mark.

Sophia is a 29-year-old who lands her first real job at HEBE, a beauty and wellness company in Soho. It becomes immediately obvious that something is amiss in how HEBE creates their products, which have a cult following. Sophia, however, has little to lose and goes along for the ride. This could be because she finally feels part of something, or because their products finally healed her scarred hands, which are victims of a years-long nail biting habit born from childhood trauma. That’s until an investigation launches into HEBE’s practices and Sophia must decide which side of history she’d rather end up on.

youthjuice follows on the heels of other successful stories in the beauty cult horror genre. Because of this, I think it’s hard to come up with an original story, and “scary secret ingredient” feels well played out at this point. I appreciated the satire, and there were moments I thought the author delivered her point well, but the story needed more creativity and the characters needed more development. All in all, youthjuice felt incomplete.

Thank you EK Sathue, Netgalley, and Soho Press for advance access to youthjuice!

💄youthjuice by e.k. sathue 💄

Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Goal 2024: 32/100 🎧
Narrated by Suzy Jackson

THIS BOOK!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you @recordedbooks, @netgally and especially @eksathue for the previledge of being able to listen to this recording before the release date! Youthjuice will release June 4th 2024!

This book is like American psycho, meets the hills, meets the devil wears Prada. I don’t even know how to begin to explain this book! @eksathue will be an auto buy for me going forward! This was sooooo good! This book had multiple female characters, a dual timeline and drama!

I was finding favorite quotes within 5 minutes of listening. Having worked in the beauty industry for years, so many of them were accurate and relatable. Not only that, workplace drama in the beauty industry just speaks to me on so many levels.

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

Don’t expect this book to be a full on horror fest but once it really gets going, that uncomfortable feeling sinks in quickly. If you’re into the beauty industry, the ☕️ of beauty-tok and drama in the workplace, you’ll dig this.

“At HEBE, we believe beauty is your birthright. You were born perfect, but life drained you of your vibrance. We return your inheritance. From the boardroom to the bar bathroom, HEBE's products tap into your natural vitality, making you glow from within. After all, the world belongs to those who bathe in abundance.”


#readingreviews #reviews #books #read #booknerd #bookstagram #bookgoal #100books

(This review will be posted on my instagram soon and then reposted closer to publish date!)

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
Wow, what a story! I knew what the secret of Youthjuice was, as I'm sure we all did, but I was caught off guard by this book so many times!
The characters were suitably awful while still being charming and interesting, and the writing style was nice. And the gore. The self-harm talk kind of surprised me, so to anyone reading this review, be aware: There's self-harm performed in this book. I wish someone had warned me, but it is what it is. I won't even take off half a star for it.
The half star is for the ending. It's so convenient? Like, girl, you've barely done anything for the company, and that's how they reward you? And what about that little thing in your apartment? Did you cop to that? It just feels too easy.
Overall, though, I really loved this book, and I'm gonna round up instead of down on my star rating where I can!

Light horror a la Goop.

I liked this one a lot. This book is a great commentary on the ridiculous things we do to stay "young", even when we know we're compromising our morals. Sophia is a lovable mess of a narrator to the point that you're rooting for her even when she does terrible things.

Though Youthjuice could easily be categorized as horror, I think it will have much broader market appeal. There's just enough gore to make it a little icky, but the subject is relatable to anyone who has ever stepped foot in the cosmetics aisle.

Big fan of this micro-niche “wellness industry evil beauty business” thriller genre. This plot wasn’t amazing, however and because I’ve seen this title flying around so much I was looking forward to something a little less predictable ☠️ there are a few plot holes and unresolved threads by the end of the book and the ending felt abrupt.

Read this if you liked: The Circle, Aesthetica

This book was a riot! With its over the top beauty cult brand, I loved every word, this was so much fun! Yes, like the teaser says, it is American Psycho & Devil Wears Prada but also with a little of the Stepford Wives, American Horror Story and the Last Picture Show. This book is a true gem! Cannot wait for your next book!

I have this one 3.5 stars because I loved the idea of the book. I only listened, wasn’t able to read along, so maybe that took away from the story. I found myself zoning out and not fully invested. The narrator was great though.

When I read American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada I was stoked! However, I didn’t quite that that away. I really enjoyed the book and plot but I guess I wanted more gore. It was heavy on the Devil Wears Prada. Sophia was a fun character to follow but I can’t say the same for the rest of the characters.

I do want to try to read this again when I have a physical or e copy.

Thanks so much RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC!

Very clever of me to request this book when it will be archived in 5 days. Good thing it was interesting enough to plow through!
A Sinister Satire of Beauty and Obsession-Drawing comparisons to "American Psycho," it delivers a chilling satire of New York City's beauty industry through the eyes of Sophia Bannion, a young woman whose entrance into the world of a luxury skincare company, HEBE, marks the beginning of a dark and demented odyssey.

The genius of "YouthJuice" lies in its adept blend of horror and dark humor, evoking the spirit of "The Devil Wears Prada" with a sinister twist. Sophia's transformation from a background character in her own life to the centerpiece of a narrative steeped in blood and beauty cream is both compelling and unsettling. The parallels to Patrick Bateman, with Sophia as a female counterpart navigating a gilded world of corporate glamour and secret horrors, enrich the novel with a psychological depth that is as fascinating as it is terrifying.

Sathue's prose is sharp, incisive, and dripping with irony, effortlessly dissecting the beauty industry's obsession with youth and perfection. The narrative thrives on its character-driven horror, particularly through Sophia's interactions with the enigmatic Tree, HEBE's CEO, and the addictive allure of the company's flagship product, youthjuice. The result is a relentless escalation of tension, culminating in a series of revelations that are as grotesque as they are thought-provoking.

For fans of horror and satire, "YouthJuice" is an essential read, a book that not only entertains but also challenges its audience to reflect on the true cost of perfection. With its unique voice and unforgettable protagonist, it's destined to become a cult classic, resonating with readers long after they've turned the final page. Whether you're drawn to its clever take on familiar themes or the promise of a story that marries beauty with bloodshed, "YouthJuice" is a journey worth taking. A dazzling, demented masterpiece, it firmly establishes E.K. Sathue as a formidable talent in the world of horror literature.

I really wish I liked this more because I love the cover and the idea, and because this is my first ever requested ARC on NetGalley. Unfortunately, I found it a little disjointed and I felt a bit confused at times. I do wonder if having a digital copy would have been better for me instead of an audiobook so that I could flip through and reread parts, but I felt like some of the scenes were a bit disconnected, and sometimes I felt like we had jumped straight from point A to point C and that I had missed something in-between. I also found characterization lacking across the board.

I think calling this book "outrageous body horror" on the blurb is misleading because there wasn't much body horror at all, and I found that the horror and thriller elements of this was lacking and that there was a lack of tension. I think the parts of it aiming to be a "surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture" were a stronger part of the book, so I wish it leaned more into being weird-fic/weird contemporary fiction. All the funnier lines that stood out to me are from this theme.

Youthjuice follows Sophia across two timelines: her teenage years with her best friend Mona, and the present where she has started working at fictional skincare company HEBE. After finishing the book, I think the past timeline was pretty weak. There is also a lack of connecting themes between the two, since Sophia's first relationship with a man is an important part of her teenage story line, but her relationship with her present day boyfriend is completely irrelevant to the rest of the story.

Two similar books I can think of Rouge by Mona Awad and Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, which are both horrors centering around skincare and beauty. I haven't read either so unfortunately I can't recommend one, but I definitely want to read both. Hopefully I will enjoy them more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho House for the ARC/review copy of this book.

I'm not sure what this says about me as a person, but this book scratched an itch I didn't know I need scratching.
First, the cover. Absolute perfection. I received this as an ARC through NetGalley and listened to the audio version. I thought the narrator of this book was ideal for the character Sophia. Her narration was believable and authentic to the story.
Living in the days of beauty influencers and gurus flooding our social medias, I feel that this book is relevant and interesting. I didn't want to stop listening, always wanting to know what would happen next. I love a good weird-girl-coming-of-age story and this gave that to me.
I will say that it missed the 'horror' aspect that it claims for its genre; I never felt that impending door or heart racing moments that I expect from horror books. However, if you're looking for a satirical weird girl lit fic, this is perfect.

Sophia starts her new job at Hebe, the cosmetics company that is the front runner for skincare products in New York. What she doesn't know is the lengths some people will go to in order to obtain beauty and flawless skin...

This was a fun non-scary horror book that I think will do well among BookTok and Bookstagram audiences. Not really scary but with some gory moments and horrifically vivid descriptions, the book is a funny satirical novel, first and foremost. Some of the horrors that Sophia encounters have more to do with the absurd ideas her boss has (naming a lipstick line after murdered/missing girls so 'they live on forever' is hilarious) than actual horror, but it was still horror-y in places.

I enjoyed the storyline revolving around Sophia's work and time at Hebe, and life at the company was fun to get lost in, but the exploration of Sophia's character was a bit too superficial for me to really get interested her. It was very easy to listen to the story as it's written in easy, engaging language (and the narrator is great!), but I would have loved it if the story was a bit more horror.

The comparison to American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada is a bit overreaching - I'd say it's more bits of Black Swan and The Devil Wears Prada, with influences from American Psycho in the obsession with looks and skincare routines. <spoiler>Some bits about murdering interns are also similar to American Psycho, but not nearly as deranged or horrific</spoiler>.

If you enjoy bashing beauty influencers, enjoy a quicky horrorish book or want to read something with a gorgeous pink cover - this is your book! youthjuice is out on June 4!

This was certainly an intriguing listen, showing the extreme measures people take to "stay beautiful" and defy aging, like it was said in the premises a mix between “American psycho” and “ The Devil Wears Prada”.
However, they were something that didn’t felt right to me, some of the reactions from the main character were out of nowhere, and even if it’s supposed to be a fictional work, I would expect it to be more realistic and for that, more horrific because it’s something that could happen in our reality.
Overall, I think if you like weird books, especially the horror genre, you should try it.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC!

youthjuice intrigued me from the moment i read the synopsis and it kept me engaged from start to finish. a psychological thriller with eerie vibes, i thought this was a fun take on our ultra-obsessed consumerism culture and the beauty industry. sophia, our fmc, fell a bit flat for me and i felt some of the pop culture/fashion name dropping felt a little over the top. solid audiobook though!

3 stars. I love a modern horror story, and this one tackles skincare and the lengths we are willing to go to feel beautiful. Sophia starts working at a new skincare brand and quickly learns its secret to anti-aging, a secret with deadly consequences. She has to come to terms with her own morality and, to what lengths she’ll go to to belong in a world more elite than her own.

I liked this book, but it felt one note as far as horror goes. I was hoping for more twists and a more dramatic shift in our understanding of Sophia and what makes her tick. A solid audiobook though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced listener’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

How far would you go for that eternally youthful glow? At HEBE, they’ll serve it up to you in a sleek jar of seemingly harmless moisturizer. We follow Sophia, a young professional paving her way through the beauty industry. Sophia, like most of us, has her quirks, chewing her fingernails and the surrounding skin to bits as an act of compulsion. When Sophia’s new boss Tree presents her with “youthjuice” it seems to be the immediate cure to not only her existing scars but to the compulsion as a whole.

Of course, this type of beauty comes with the suffering of others. After all what’s the harm in the loss of few to benefit the many?

Reflective of our own society (I mean who can forget Kim K saying she’d eat literal sh*t if it meant staying young forever), youthjuice highlights the predatory nature of the beauty industry and how far some people are willing to go to remain young. We get glimpses of Sophia’s past throughout the book as well, highlighting a past friendship that ultimately leads to the formation of her bad habits.

I loved youthjuice and the message it ultimately conveyed. So often we see the good side of the beauty industry, brand trips, free product, and people making millions recording themselves in their bedrooms. But, I think now more than ever we’re becoming aware of how brands prey on women’s insecurities, encouraging them to buy buy buy so that they remain attractive to the general public. A mildly psychological horror/thriller, I definitely recommend this to everyone who’s found themselves a little too engrossed in Beauty YouTube (or anyone who was/is intrigued by Lil Miquela) or has an alarming amount of rewards points at Ulta & Sephora (no judgement here, I’m one of you).

Eerie, bizarre, gross and wild! Once I started I couldn’t stop! I loved it. I was addicted like a great moisturizer. Thanks NetGallery!

I LOVE this book. I love the writing style and flow of it, the authors creativity with how Sathue molds the characters into these unforgettably interesting people. The story gripped me from the beginning, I couldn't put it down. I even have already now pre-ordered the audio book because I loved it so much.
The narrator on this one was fantastic. She was the perfect voice for this story. She nailed it.
I really hope this author writes more books.
I will definitely be reading this one again.
thank you to the publishers for allowing me early access to this fantastic book.

The narrator is great and I think a perfect fit for the FMC.

Now, by 17.5% I honestly can't say that anything has actually happened in this story other than we know the MC has the poorest taste in companionship.

I reached my limit when there was an entire chapter about an Arnold Palmer 👀

“At HEBE, we believe beauty is your birthright. You were born perfect, but life drained you of your vibrance. We return your inheritance."🧴

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Review: As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read this! I'm so grateful I got an ARC audio copy (thank you NetGalley). The narrator’s voice made the book come to life; it was exactly how I would’ve imagined it to be. These women are VILE; it dramatically emphasizes the value placed on youth and beauty in today’s society. The book was advertised as The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho; there were strong elements of both, so I was excited to see that executed.

Elizabeth Báthory would’ve loved HEBE. It reminded me of American Horror Stories Season 3 Episode 3: Tapeworm—the obsession to remain young and indulge in cosmetic treatments to achieve the most ridiculous results. A fresh and clever take on body horror, make sure to add it to your shelves on June 4th!💕