There’s something out there that’s killing teenage girls, who are known as trouble-makers; those who refuse to conform, to know their place. Girls who don’t know when to shut up. It is known as The Cur, and he leaves no traces, except for the torn bodies of his victims. In 2004, Caroline Sawyer hears dogs everywhere. Snarling, barking, teeth snapping that no one else seems to notice. Then the delusions begin to take shape—both in her waking hours, and in the violent, visceral sculptures she creates while in a trance-like state. Her fiancé is convinced she needs help, & her new psychiatrist waives her “problem” away with pills. In 2019, Thirteen-year-old Lila Sawyer has secrets she can’t share with anyone. Not the school psychologist she’s seeing. Not her father, who has a new wife, and a new baby. And not her mother—the infamous Caroline Sawyer, a unique artist whose eerie sculptures, made from bent twigs and crimped leaves, have made her a local celebrity. But soon Lila feels haunted from within, terrorized by a delicious evil that shows her how to find her voice—until she is punished for using it. As past demons become a present threat, both Caroline and Lila must chase the source of this unrelenting, oppressive power to its malignant core. This book is a powerful allegory for what it can mean to be a woman, and an untamed rallying cry for anyone ever told to sit down, shut up, and smile pretty.

Told in a dual-timeline, this book is a powerful, jaw-dropping, creepy, sinister, unnerving horror story. If you are a fan of a good horror story, then you will love this!

I always look with some skepticism towards books that are released in January, especially those by relatively unknown writers. Such a book could either mean one of two things. First, it could mean that the publisher has absolutely no confidence in the title. After all, January is the season when people’s credit card bills are still maxed out from Christmas, and they’re otherwise not spending as much money regardless. But it could mean something else: the publisher does have confidence in the book, but they’re releasing it into a field where there’s not as much big-name competition to give it more of a fighting chance. To this end, Kristi DeMeester — whose previous publishing credits appear to have been with smaller or at least independent presses — is getting a bit of a gamble from her big-name publisher for this one. Such a Pretty Smile’s first publication run is 100,000 copies, which is a staggering amount when I’ve seen other thrillers from St. Martin’s Press get announced first print runs of just 50,000 to 75,000 copies. So there appears to be saleability here, but is the book any good? Well, the answer’s a little bit complicated and is both yes and no.

The plot for Such a Pretty Smile is very convoluted, and it’s tough to describe it without revealing secrets that get unveiled later on in the book — so I’m trying my best to be careful here as much as I might be being vague. The novel concerns two story arcs: the first is told from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl named Lila who lives in Atlanta in the year 2019 — one year before COVID-19 really took hold. The other story arc concerns her mother, Caroline, who appears to be in her 20s and is set in New Orleans in 2004 — one year before Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. In both arcs, there appears to be a serial killer on the loose called the Cur who is targeting young girls. The said killer is more of a beast because it mutilates the bodies of the victims beyond recognition and some of the mutilations are sexual in nature. Meanwhile, both Lila and Carolina in each story arc are going through certain changes — with a deep, dark longing feeding in their bodies— and are having terrible visions, either visual or auditory in nature. Could these females actually be the serial killer in disguise, or is there something terrible linking them to a much more horrible, external source?

In a way, Such a Pretty Smile has a passing familiarity with Stephen King’s Carrie, except telekinesis isn’t involved in the former. In both books, a young woman is dealing with psychological distress while being under the thumb of an overbearing mother. Both books, in their own ways, too, are feminist in nature. In the case of Such a Pretty Smile, the book is really about the silencing of women’s voices in both politics and sexuality. This novel argues that women are expected to be nice, complacent, and docile — sort of along the lines of the rule about children being seen and not heard. When women do display anger or another emotion that might not be quite so favourable, especially in the eyes of men, they’re then written off as crazy and delusional. As such, mental illness plays a huge role in the book — if that’s not giving very much away — and psychiatrists, who (let’s face it) are usually male, get something of a bad rap here. Thus, Such a Pretty Smile has some important things to say and is darkly atmospheric to boot for a horror / psychological suspense novel. The message of the book is crucially important, and it may challenge the way you think — especially if you’re male.

However, Such a Pretty Smile has another characteristic of Stephen King’s writing: there’s a fair amount of bloat. While DeMeester does an admirable job of getting inside of her character’s heads, there are moments in the novel when not much happens when the Cur or whatever is behind these grisly murders is out on a coffee break. The story can get dry at times, especially in its middle third. There are also moments of sloppy writing, of incredibility. For instance, at one point, one character wants to phone a retired police detective. The character finds this individual by looking in the white pages of a phone book. Now, maybe things work differently in the States (I’m from Canada), but one thing journalism school teaches you is that you’re not going to find the home phone number of a cop, probably even one of a retired one, as those numbers tend to be unlisted — for good reasons. Thus, there are times when DeMeester falls into using particularly lazy and under-researched shortcuts to get the plot moving, no matter how unrealistic or improbable they might be.

Basically, Such a Pretty Smile is certainly worth reading and is worthy of a book being published in the cold, bleak days of January. It just has some very novice writing lapses from time to time. I can say that the plot is certainly fresh and original, even though it’s hard to explain what’s really going on with this book without giving the entire thing away. It is, as a result, darkly creepy and certainly puts some new twists on genre fiction, in addition to also making you think about how women are treated by society. Therefore, there are things to recommend about the novel. However, it does feel a tad far-fetched at times, and there are instances of stilted dialogue — doctors have a habit of talking to people using textbook dialogue, for example. So, there’s a roughly even mixture of both good and bad with this book. Still, Such a Pretty Smile exceeded my expectations of a read of this type. I can certainly see why the publisher has so much faith in this one. DeMeester has written a truly intriguing and mostly satisfying book, one that should be still selling briskly when February finally rolls around.

Feminism Horror and Powerful

I am not big into horror but I was interested in reading Such A Pretty Smile. It took me a while to read this as DeMeester's book is hugely violent, visceral and gorey. All the characters are powerful, and I felt myself drawn to them.

Such A Pretty Smile draws you in with the concept of feminism horror, and deals with very sensitive topics such as grief, sexism, and societal norms. This book takes you on a wild ride.

If you are sensitive to the trigger warnings that come with this book, or are a dog lover, DO NOT READ THIS.
However, I would highly recommend Kristi's book to any horror fan.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristi DeMeester and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review an ARC copy.

4 1/2 stars

Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester is an unrelenting, dark novel that immediately grips you in its claws and refuses to let go, even when, at the beginning, you think, “nope, not for me.”

The novel moves between timelines involving daughter Lila (2019) and mother Caroline (2004). The story begins with Lila who seems to be fueled by an internal voice that takes over and allows her to verbally savage the people she cares about most. It was this instant, seemingly((?) even now I don’t know) savagery that had me reconsidering my read of the novel.

However, Caroline’s sections were compelling and page-turning, especially as her history was uncovered, and I knew I couldn’t put the book aside; I had to know, understand–if possible.

Such a Pretty Smile is classified as a horror and, yes, some of it fits that bill, but I might also suggest that some of the horror comes in the way that men control women and when those women fight back, they are undermined, their credibility questioned, they are reduced to sexual beings, or reduced to nothing at all. “Smile for me, just give me one little smile.”

DeMeester has chosen one of the settings as Jazzland amusement park. Like many old amusement parks Jazzland seems to be creepy all on its own, but it was also built on the site where defiant black women were hanged decades upon decades ago. How well all of the screams from roller coasters mesh with the screams that women who are sensitive hear inside their heads. This is just powerful.

The novel is filled with anger and gore and I am not one given to triggers typically but the author chose to use dogs as a source of evil as well as to have two scenes which disturbed me. I’m not sure why the author chose to use dogs in this way–bad experience?–but I wonder if hyenas or a mythical cat wouldn’t have been more appropriate rather than a domestic creature that is not typically savage. I don’t consider dogs, despite the moniker of “man’s best friend,” irrevocably linked to men. So I’m offering this up. If someone had told me in advance about the dog issue, I might not have read the book at all, but then I would have missed out on a big read. Your call.

Such a Pretty Smile is an incredible read, one that the reader will be considering well after the last page.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such A Pretty Smile has me feeling all kinds of things right now. It’s compelling because of its complexity, uniqueness and the completely immersive atmosphere but I also felt a little like I was missing something!

I felt confused about a lot of it, especially about some of the characters and whether they were a) wholly unreliable b) mentally ill or c) if there was something supernatural going on – this led to me feeling a bit lost throughout. Also, there’s a lot of jumping around in the timelines and at the most inopportune times!

For me, this really took away from the suspenseful edge that I was really enjoying. And truly, there were times when the suspense was in your face terrifying and then it would just stop and go to another POV/timeline.

All in all, I’m really torn on this book and struggling with my own dang review! There were a lot of themes sort of all tangled together and I think, right now I’m just too distracted and dense to pull them apart and examine them. This is through no fault of the author. It really is me! I’ll tell you what I loved and that is the absolute darkness of the story; the whole atmosphere is just eerie and unsettling and as a reader of horror and thrillers, I kind of live for this feeling in books.

It’s unique and quite unlike anything I’ve read, for sure, and I know I sound like I just ripped it apart but it’s a story I’m still thinking about which is always a sign of a good book for me.

Okay, so… I’ve been hanging onto this review for a LONG while, because I read this book back in September, if you can believe it. I read it and I had to sit on it forever, because it took even longer for me to process my feelings on it enough to put it into words than it took for me to do the same thing for “Iron Widow”, and it took me days for my brain to wrap itself around how to put how much I loved that book into words. It’s a similar, if even stronger feeling here: I love this book so much it’s pretty much beyond being able to put it into words. It’s just that good.

One of the things that resonated in my brain as I read “Such a Pretty Smile” was the Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story. “The Yellow Wallpaper”. This book is like someone took that story and gave it a 21st-century feminist horror glow-up. If you’re wondering if that’s a bad thing, believe me when I say that it is very much not. I love “The Yellow Wallpaper” all on its own, but “Such a Pretty Smile” digs deeper, scoops out more, shows more and sharper teeth, and shines harsher lights on the gaslighters of the world and holds them more accountable.

This book is not for the faint-of-heart. It is a horror novel–make no mistake about that. It gets gory. It gets bloody. It doesn’t flinch. And that’s all the more sweet, in my opinion, because I adore a book that deals with some of the worst and largest issues females face and doesn’t flinch. This book doesn’t bat a dang eyelash.

I’m so glad it’s time for this book to be unleashed on the world. So glad. Now I can tell you to go order it. Read it. Read it again. Tell someone else to read it. Because it’s a bloody good time.

Creepy… and just is so well written and atmospheric. And just so unsettling. The author really worked the dual timelines so well (doesn’t always work for me). And the MCs were just so fierce and amazing. Overall great read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

Such a Pretty Smile, by Kristi De Meester, St. Martin Press; is a book centralized on young teens
experiencing a deep, animalistic terror that paralyzes their newfound freedom of self-expression. Some readers may be triggered by: females called crazy when they see or hear things that no one else sees or hear, have visions or delusions, and they are called schizophrenic. Also, no one listens until it’s too late. This book is not a regular read; you must read it with your eyes focused and your mind razor-sharp to catch the author’s eye for different timelines and bloody horror. Lila Sawyer, age 13, daughter of Caroline Sawyer, was one of the main characters. Marcie, her best friend, saw her as a passion project or plaything; an insect pinned in place. Marcie was beautiful as well as her mother Caroline. Caroline (main character) was the eccentric artist around town who made disturbing sculptures that made her semi-famous around town. One sculpture stood that stood out was a woman holding a dog head. Caroline saw the beast with yellow eyes everywhere and, she heard dogs barking. Lila felt something moving inside of her.
The main settings of the book are Atlanta and New Orleans, especially, Jazzland, the energetic place where those who practiced voodoo were killed, witches burned or hanged; some in their teens. They were lynched, and it is called Queens Grave. It was a purge against accused women. These days, they hear strange wolf sounds on that property in New Orleans. Caroline moved Lila to Atlanta to escape the horror she experienced as a teenager in Jazzland. As a result, the beastly deaths of Cur started up in Atlanta in their haven to no avail. The Cur attacks girls around 13 years of age, who become rebellious, loud, and speaks her mind. The girls in Atlanta all had bite marks on their thighs. Daniel was Caroline’s husband. He was jealous of Caroline’s artistic success. Dr. Walters, Caroline’s doctor for mental health, ignored her and just handed her medication.
The theme of the book was that from teens and up women had to struggle to have a voice in this world, human right to live their lives freely, not be harmed for standing their ground, and just explore careers and educational opportunities.
This book can be enjoyed by any age group and anyone who desires a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the twists in the plot and had to be focused to stay on top of all the clues throughout.

<b>ARC received in exchange for an honest review</b>

<b><i>“Mothers, mind your daughters. Keep them sweet and polite and mannered, and it will keep the teeth from the door.”</i></b>


Wow. <i>Such a Pretty Smile</i> was written so beautifully, and the plot ripples with female rage and violence. A magical realist portrayal of the systematic oppression of female power by men, and the infantilism forced on any woman who tries to find her voice.

The saddest thing about great feminist literature like this is that the people who need to read and understand it the most (men) are the least likely to ever pick it up, because people will always avoid topics that challenge their world view.

A little hard to understand what was going on, but very, very creepy!! The kind of book I couldn't read before bed or I knew I'd have nightmares. I definitely need to think about this one some more, but there are certain scenes that I need to also try to not think about any more! That's how I knew this was a well-written book.

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

<U>Such a Pretty Smile </u> is a horror/thriller, and sort of outside of my usual wheelhouse. Even still, I finished it in a day because I wouldn't put it down. The story flashes between Lila (2019) and her mother Caroline (2004)'s point of views, where there is a serial killer on the loose targeting young girls. There is a bit of a supernatural element to it, and it definitely has some twists you may not see coming. A solid read!

WTF did I just read?! super hard to rate this, as I never knew what was happening, even at the end. I ended up on 3 stars because I wanted to know what was going on and was entertained throughout, it just never felt concluded. Perhaps true horror fans will love this.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such A Pretty Smile is a devastating and unflinching look at the way women are forced to make themselves smaller, quieter, nicer - all that nonsense - so men can feel better about themselves and it may fill you with rage. It is a horror novel/thriller/mystery hybrid and it has some very graphic content. Prepare yourself.

This was a tough book for me at this time. I’m sure others in a different headspace will have a better time with it. It had such a pall of despair and fury and frustration over the entire story. I realized once I was midway through that it wasn’t the best choice for me at this moment in time but I kept going. I don't know why I'm like this. Anyhow, our family just suffered a huge loss due to a cruel illness and, well, this one cut deeper than it might've five years ago. One of the main characters is watching her beloved father slowly disappear due to illness and it's incredibly sad, worse so when you realize that she truly has no support system to help her through things.

So this book is about a mother and daughter plagued by men and also haunted by a specter who lurks in the shadows, looming over them at their most emotional moments. There is also a killer of young ladies called "The Cur" that is running amuck and dredging up more pain for one of the characters. I enjoyed the way this story was told. It leaves you feeling off kilter, slightly questioning events but in the end it all comes together most excellently.

Several of the chapters were a bit draggy and left me with a few images I’d like to scrub from my brain. It might've been me or it might've been the story. I'm not sure so don't take my word for it. As I said, my head is in a weird place. But there were also many chapters that I couldn’t read fast enough. The majority of the story made me feel angry and upset and I suppose that means it was effective in what it did but, ugh, I need something with a touch of humor now before I tumble into a pit of despair.

Edgy, disturbing and dark - this novel was gripping. I was fascinated with the feminist undertones and was intrigued by the insidious burn of the plot that slowly came together in the end. I wanted more of everything and was a tad confused at parts BUT that being said this is for every female who was told to “smile.”

A horror story, a mystery, heavy on feminism and social commentary relevant to current day situations.
Such a Pretty Smile tells the story of Lila, a girl who refuses to be boxed into what is considered appropriate behavior. There is also a killer on the loose, and I really don’t want to give anything away. This book spoke to me, and how sometimes you just are too tired to put up with other peoples crap. Brilliant story!

**4.5-stars**

Lila Sawyer, at 13-years old, is grappling with many things. One of the largest is coming to grips with her own sexuality. This issue is constantly at the forefront of her mind, but there are other things too. Someone is taking and murdering girls in her area; girls that are about her age. Because of this her Mom, Caroline, has become really paranoid and strict about Lila's whereabouts and movements.

It's more than that though. It's like her Mom knows something about what is going on and she's keeping it, and her entire past, secret from Lila. It appears that the killer, dubbed The Cur by media, has struck before. Lila hears her Mom talking about it; something about the past, about New Orleans.

Caroline Sawyer is a single-mom and successful artist, whose macabre sculptures composed of artifacts from nature, such as twigs and leaves, is heavily disturbed by the murders of the young girls. She desperately wants to keep her daughter, Lila, safe. This monster has affected her life before and she can't have it happen again.

Such a Pretty Smile follows the perspectives of both Lila and Caroline; Lila in 2019 and Caroline mainly in 2004. The narrative alternates until past and present slowly begin to merge into one horrifying showdown. I really enjoyed this story. I found it to be wildly creative, brutal, bizarre and extraordinarily thought-provoking. DeMeester's got a lot to say and she's not afraid to say it. She's clearly not one to just 'be quiet and smile pretty'. We're here for it!

While I recognize this won't necessarily be for every Reader, for me it was an impressive display of feminist Horror. The biting social commentary, my word, I doff my cap. DeMeester's writing is incredibly rich with dark, evocative imagery. I was essentially watching this entire story play out in my mind. I loved how she revealed certain aspects of Caroline's past and how that played into their present.

This is the first that I have read from this author, although she has been on my radar for a while. I actually own a copy of her short-story collection, Everything That's Underneath, and definitely plan to pick that up this year. If you like dark, no-mercy stories, with vivid imagery and brain-rattling social commentary, you should absolutely give this one a shot!

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This story will stay on my mind for a long time to come!

Let me begin by saying I was really excited by the premise of this book and looking forward to reading it. The book shifts between Lila's POV in 2019 suburban Atlanta and her mother Caroline's POV in 2004 New Orleans. There is a string of murders happening in 2019 Atlanta that eerily echo murders that happened in 2004 New Orleans. I understand that Lila is a 13 year-old girl and therefore going through all of the coming-of-age issues that young teens go through. Her interactions and obsession with her "friend" Macie grate on my nerves. Her father is clearly a jerk and I'm not sure if she or her mother need therapy more. The writing is fine, but the early chapters drag. I'd like to give the author the benefit of the doubt and say that these slow chapters are necessary to set up what is to come, but honestly, I didn't finish the book. I couldn't stand spending one more page in Lila's head and half the book is her POV. Two stars for the concept and the structure.

Such a Pretty Smile
by Kristi DeMeester
Pub Date: January 18, 2022
St. Martin's Press

* Horror *thriller *mystery
Thanks to St. Martin'sPress and NetGalley for the ARC. I found that this book really wasn't my cup of tea.
I recommend this to those who love horror with a heavy dose of feminism and social commentary. This is a raw, graphic, dark, irritating, addictive, challenging, and extremely well-crafted horror story about the darkness growing inside of the people which is fueled with fear, anger, and resentment.

3 stars

This is told from two timelines, Lila 2019 & Caroline 2004.

Caroline Sawyer is engaged to Daniel, living in New Orlean's and gave up on her dreams to provide care for her father, who is dying from cancer. Caroline begins to have nightmares followed by waking nightmares. She blames some of her symptoms on the Ambien she's been prescribed to sleep. Is she seeing and hearing things?

News of a missing girl turns Caroline's anxieties up. It isn't until a visit with her father, that Caroline hears some shocking news about herself. Unable to press her father for further information, Caroline does some digging and comes up with a name of a detective, who provides several eyewitnesses accounts that mirror Caroline's strange experiences.

Lila Sawyer is Caroline's 13-year-old daughter, who is trying to fit in. Lila wants to obey her mother, but her one friend, Macie, manages to manipulate Lila into her bidding. Lila hasn't bothered to share with anyone about the intrusive feelings that overcome her. She hates that her mother and father keep a close watch on her for fear that she'll be like her mother. It's not until one fateful night, that Lila disobeyed her mom and followed Macie. Lila's feelings festered and bubbled over allowing her to tell Macie what she thought. The repercussions will lead Lila to strike out on her own to seek answers that she feels her mother is hiding. Lila goes to the one place that her mother never wishes to see again.

Well-written story! While reading I was reminded of the Twilight Zone, where you feel pulling in one direction and then suddenly, aware of what you thought is much different. This is the type of horror that I enjoy reading! Just a little creepy but not outright terrifying.

I received an ARC from NetGalley via St. Martin's Press and I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester is a horror novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press (and in particular Beatrice Jason for sending me a widget),  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Caroline Sawyer is an artist, sculpting rather strange and eerie pieces out of twigs, and leaves, and fur.  She is raising 13-year old Lila on her own.  Caroline's life has not been easy.  She lost her mother at a young age, and tended to her father in a nursing home until his death.  She eventually realized that her fiancé  (the father of her daughter) was not someone she needed in her life.  He was too jealous of her art, and thought therapy was the only answer to the insomnia and nightmares that had plagued Caroline since she was a young girl.  Caroline tries to be there for her daughter, but often her own anxieties take precedence.

Lila has secrets she can't share with her mom, who seems too fragile.  She can't share these secrets with anyone.  Like her mother, she has nightmares too.   She feels like her dreams are becoming a reality, and her fears and anger are driving her mad.

Meanwhile, girls are being killed, turning up mutilated, and Caroline is terrified for her daughter.  When she was growing up,  the same thing happened, and everyone blamed a killer known as The Cur.  But that was 15 years ago....could it be the same person?


My Opinions:   
This was interesting.  It was a rather dark and creepy tale, with tension continuing to build throughout the book. It is about family dynamics, about teenage angst and anger, about mental illness.  It also covers the sexist attitude of some men, and their desire to bring women down a notch or two.

The story is told in two time-lines, Caroline's in both 2004 and 2019, and Lila's in 2019.

The author handled the horror aspects of the "beasts" with such graphic descriptions, that they were easy to visualize. Really well written.  Unfortunately, I think this is also where the book fell short.  There wasn't enough information as to where they came from, how long they've been here...and no resolution at the end.

Overall, it was a fast and entertaining read, and it was good....it just wasn't great.  I will, however, watch for her next book.