If you love beauty and you love horror, this was and is the book for you. It's giving me the devil wears prada vibes.

Nothing is as it seems in E.K. Sathue’s novel, youthjuice. Sophia lands a job at a high end makeup company, HEBE as one of their "storytellers". They are testing a new anti-aging cream they call “youthjuice” on the inner circle of the company, and the cream has dramatic effects. The origins of the cream and the lifestyle captures Sophia becomes a catalyst for her alienating her friends and boyfriend while digging deeper and deeper into the work of HEBE. 

The overall concepts of the novel are interesting. I do like stories about people put into situations and environments that they are ill equipped to handle so they either change the culture or adapt. Sophia is not ready for HEBE when she first arrived and does not know what they are doing to reinvent makeup. She just looks up to Tree Whitestone, the CEO, and will do what it takes to find her footing while trying to balance her old life with her new. These ideas are there, but they are not solid. The storytelling is soft and does not do the job in the way that it wants to. The characters are underdeveloped, and I don't feel like this will be a novel that I remember a few days from now. Sophia’s journey through destroying every relationship she has is fairly mundane, the only one that really sticks out is the falling out between her and her roommate Dom, whom we only know as someone she is close to and shares clothes with. The one relationship that Sathue spends a great deal of the novel exploring is flashbacks from when Sophia was in high school and had a friend named Mona. The finale of that friendship is so generic and boring that any reader will guess the end within the first few pages. Sophia is supposed to be written as someone who is cold and disinterested in other people, but the truth is she comes off as self-centered, bitchy, and a person nobody would want to be around in the first place. For her to get deep into the inner circle of HEBE is unexplained and unexplainable. Maybe it is because she is just as much of a fraud as everyone else in the novel.

There is a great amount of potential in youthjuice. I like the ideas of the story, but I do not like the execution. The novel feels like it could use some more focus and editing. At 288 pages, it seems like it is still at least fifty pages too long. 

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the premise of this book, and stepping into this world of beauty and wellness. But for some reason I could not fully suspend my disbelief and truly get into the story. Maybe because I felt some parts were a little overwritten? But other parts were beautiful and insightful.

I had high hopes for youthjuice- I mean that cover alone made me eager to read it! I'm old and not a skincare girlie so maybe I'm not the best audience for this one, and it was good and weird but missing something.

The body horror and gory descriptions were incredibly well done… twice I actually had to stop reading because I was genuinely disturbed. That usually doesn't happen to me, even in the grossest of books. Hebe was fascinating as a cult like business and seeing Sophia change as she kept working there was fun. There was not one likeable character, and I am impressed when an author creates characters who are just loathsome because that takes work.

I can't pinpoint exactly what wasn't working for me but this was hard to get through and I hate read more than read to enjoy the story. Maybe the comparisons impacted my expectations, because I couldn't see them reflected and was instead underwhelmed. Maybe it was the rich people problems that annoyed me.

I think this is the right book for many people, I am just not one of them.

I love that this author wrote a horror book about the skincare industry. I love both of those things so this book was perfect for me. I also really enjoyed that this book reminded me of American Psycho.

youthjuice is a very unnerving look at the darker side of the beauty and wellness industry. Sophia has just started working at HEBE, a luxury skincare brand that is obsessed with youth and beauty. The founder, Tree, is impressed by some of Sophia's ideas for advertising and soon Sophia becomes part of Tree's inner circle. The closer their bond become, the more Sophia learns the unnerving truth about HEBE and their new product youthjuice. This is a satirical, surreal take on the beauty industry that was quite entertaining, however I think it could have benefited from more character development. It was still enjoyable, although there are some elements of body horror, so if you're squeamish you might want to skip this one.

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.