was so Glossier coded!!

As someone who works in the beauty industry, for a beauty publication, this book hit too close to home for me, despite it being categorized as horror story. And while I love beauty industry hot takes and exposures, this one fell a little flat and felt like this was a story that’s already been told. I read Natural Beauty late last year, and this book felt eerily similar. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy this story because I did!

It’s dramatic and graphic, and the FMC is trash and her boss is an even bigger dumpster fire. Must love detailed descriptions of blood, biting, peeling, etc., to get through this one.

(Thank you, RB Media and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Youthjuice
by EK Sathue

Narrated by: Suzy Jackson
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Horror
Format: audiobook 🎧
Publication date: 4th June

🌟: 3/5

“American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada: outrageous body horror for the goop generation
A 29-year-old copywriter realizes that beauty is possible—at a terrible cost—in this surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture.”

Everyone’s is shallow, everything is shallow. the world is skin deep and that is all.

It was a quick read, funny at times, gross at others, with a good dose of crazy thrown in. I didn’t care much for anybody in the story but I imagine they’re all supposed to be that annoying and materialistic.

I actually most enjoyed the flashbacks to Sophia’s earlier life than her current job at HEBE, I thought this was the more interesting part of her narrative and how she got here / what happened to her hands.

I thought it was an Ok mild horror read, the narrator was good, the story flowed well I just didn’t really find the story very gripping.

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Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook

This book is absolutely bonkers, and I really liked it. Is it realistic? No but that's not the point is it. Taking the pursuit for beauty and youth in a modern company to the furthest possible extent with visuals that will have you flinching and nauseated. The narrator absolutely nailed the vapid unhinged voice and it made the book come to life. I will say that in audiobook I did lose track of a few of the characters because they seemed vaguely interchangeable but it also felt intentional that they were described that way in a sort of fever dream haze.

I've seen this described as 'pink horror' and while I'm not exactly sure what that means, I feel like it fits the bill. The story of Sophia, a 29 year old copywriter working at a successful NYC Beauty Brand and described as "American Psycho" meets "The Devil Wears Prada", this one was a bit out there. Sophia is tasked with testing the latest product Youthjuice and I'll leave it at that.

I do get the references, but that is shooting a little high tbh. I found it to be a fun little rollick, with a side of gruesome and a splash of gore. I hated Sophia, but I loved to hate her. She's so self-centred and morally bankrupt and yes she's also pretty deranged. The head of the company is your typical cliched older rich woman trying to stay young. It did remind me of something but I can't work out what. Maybe if Blair Waldorf went completely off the rails...

This was gifted to be on @netgalley as an audio and the narration was spot on. You could tell she was becoming more and more unhinged not only by the words but her voice. Superb acting,

Definitely won't be for everyone, but if you feel like a slice of delulu and you don't mind some gross imagery, then this might be something you'd enjoy.

Youthjuice is a dark humored satirical exploration of the beauty industry and the obsession with youth with a serving of body horror on the side. It’s giving Death Becomes Her meets Goop and a bit of Rouge by Mona Awad.

I really like how we move between the past and the present and seeing Sophia’s relationships, especially the intimacy with her childhood friend vs the present. It’s an exploration of toxic friendships and the workplace, age and class but it’s at the same time also easily digestible. I really loved the premise and actually wish it had been pushed a bit further. The ending also felt a bit too convenient but overall I found it to be a fun read.

If you’re a skin care girly or are looking for a mystery thriller with a bit of horror on the side this is for you.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a ride for sure! I really liked this book for its original plot ideas for a horror. I feel like so often we get a bunch of Halloween movie variations (not that we don’t love another summer camp killer adaptation) so youthjuice was definitely a break from that pattern.

Sophia was very unlikable, which personally is not a negative in my book, I’m happy to dislike an MC. But she was at times painfully self centered to the point of ridiculous, many of her big life choices were made solely in vain.

I loved the nose dive she took into psychosis, I honestly thought it was the best part of the book even though it was starting to drag a little in the middle of the second half.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley and RB Media in exchange for my honest review. All words/opinions are my own.*

Thank you Soho Press and RB Media for my free ARC of youthjuice by E.K. Sathue — available Jun 4!

Read this if you:
✨ are addicted to your beauty products
🩸 love a bit of horror and 'wtf is going on'
🥂 don't mind relatively un-complex characters

Sophia lands her dream job working for Tree Whitestone at HEBE, a luxury wellness brand. She's a bit lost in life, but figures that this job will set her on the right path. When Sophia is asked to test some new HEBE products, she accidentally finds out where the ingredients come from, and she'll have to weigh the cost of flawless skin against her future.

This was such a creepy premise, and I hoped to love it! Unfortunately, it was just okay for me. I wasn't invested in Sophia as a character, and I found her motivations hard to puzzle out. The other characters are flat as well, and this may have been An Intentional Choice™ but it didn't land for me. I found the book overall entertaining but nothing really stood out as shocking or overly memorable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sophia works at HEBE, a luxury skincare line where she is asked to test youthjuice, a moisturizer advertised to make you look young forever. She soon learns the truth about the ingredients and manufacturing process, and questions the brand as a whole.

Described as American Psycho and The Devil Wears Prada is a little bit of a stretch. Satire about the beauty industry and how American society views aging. This is a WEIRD book.

Thanks Net Galley, RB Media, and SoHo Press for the ARC

I really wanted to love this, and I think it is a great book for a certain kind of reader, but that reader wasn’t me. This is billed as American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada and while that’s kind of true, I feel that the grandmother of this book is ultimately Death Becomes Her. It takes an especially skilled writer to take you through a story that relies heavily on a fever dream-esque narrative, and to me this author was just not up to the task. It was a cool concept and definitely got better as it went on, but it’s plagued with pacing issues and missed opportunities to feel connected to the story. I DO think that fans of BEE and Hunter Thompson may dig this book though.

I've been loving all the beauty industry horror that has been coming out! Youthjuice was a fun addition but I did find myself a bit bored by the main character. I think it's still worth checking out if you like this sub genre!

Thank you, Netgalley for this arc

3.5 rounded down.

Books that explore wellness culture seem to be having a minute right now and I’ve read so many of them so it’s tough reviewing and differentiating between them. Youthjuice lies somewhere in the middle of the pack.

What if there was a secret ingredient that could keep you looking young forever? Would it be worth the cost?
I love a wellness-gone-wrong, unhinged-women, fever-dream of a book and this delivered all three. I'd recommend to fans of Mona Awad and similar authors!

I was given a copy of the audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Youthjuice has some incredibly beautiful prose about absolutely abhorrent subject matter. The writing style is flawless, but the end of the book, specifically the lack of consequencesk for the main character, was a little disappointing. I also thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

I love books like this - commentary on women's vanity with a dark twist. This was a quick, fun listen and I enjoyed the twists and ending.

I'm such a fan of thriller/horror books its not even funny- so this was right up my ally!

That being said, I do think it lacked a few things, as well as did some things very well.

First thing- I do think some of the people who 'vanished' just got swept under the rug too easily. I wish there was more of a commotion about them before hand. I felt like the only reason the book progressed at one point was because we learned about them and what happened.

Second- I was exepecting more with how the backstory was playing out. I really felt like it was leading us in a direction then took a left turn on the last chapter of it. Rather frustrating.

Now, the book was great far as the descend into madness effect. Sometimes I really had to take my earbuds out, look around and take a breath. I could feel my anxiety spike with the madness spreeding. Wonderfully done.

I would like to thank Netgalley and RB Media for this audiobook ARC. This audiobook is narrated by Suzy Jackson.

Youthjuice follows Sophie's journey starting her new job at Hebe, a luxury skin care brand. Sophie is quick to want to impress her boss, Tree. Tree gives Sophie a serum to try on her scarred hands. It works amazingly and the scars seemingly disappear. There are interns missing, there's conflict with Sophie's roommate, and there's murder(s). As the book progresses, Sophie's want to impress Tree is her ultimate downfall.

Youthjuice was so enjoyable. It is unhinged in the best way! I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. If you like unhinged, female main characters, I think that you will love this. It reminded me a lot of Bunny by Mona Awad, but had a more defined plot. The book ties together young people's desire to be noticed and liked. It also really sheds light on the problematic influencer community. I highly recommend this one!

First, the cover art is awesome. It's what initially drew me in. Creepy pink covers will always entice me to peek inside.

If this book wouldn't have compared itself to 'American Psycho' and 'The Devil Wears Prada' I wouldn't have had such high expectations. Regardless, I still enjoyed it.

When I started reading, it felt familiar. I think it reminded me a bit of 'Aesthetica' and 'Self Care.' Putting comparisons aside, the characters in this book needed more depth. I wasn't able to connect with anyone, even the main character. I hope the final version has more oomph.

The book was sort of vanilla - it didn't wow me, but it kept me engaged enough to finish. I would pick up another book by this author.

The audiobook was well done - very easy to follow, even when sped up.

A fun, sassy, snarky yet withering look at the modern beauty industry and beauty influencers. With some truly horror-filled scenes.

Sophia has just landed her dream job at Hebe, a beauty product company with a charismatic boss. We learn about Sophia as the timeline bounces between modern Sophia and 2008 high school junior Sophia and her bestie Mona.

There is body horror with vampiric undertones, greed, guilt, vengeance, ambition, vacuousness, and the modern-obsession with anti-aging.

Hard to put down, a quick biting read where you love, hate, pity and cheer for Sophia. Maybe some plot holes in the easy ending, but I totally enjoyed myself despite them!

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

Writing was a bit pretentious (intentionally - but it felt like overkill). Plot was predictable and yet also unrealistic. I wish it had felt a little more “real” in terms of the outcomes. It was entertaining, but I think it had more promise than it actually lived up to.

2.5ish stars.

I wanted this to take to me places of sinister intent like "Tender is the Flesh". Overall, I enjoyed the book, it was slightly predictable, however, the art of story telling kept me going! Definitely not for everyone, but if the summary of the book hooks you, give it a try!