I do not generally read horror. That said, the premise of this was way too intriguing to pass on this one. The “horror” of the book is less horrifying (for lack of a better word) than what I usually think of the genre, but I do think it was classified correctly.

I have conflicting feelings about Sophia. I found it interesting how willingly she accepted the horrifying aspects going on, and her lack of shock or willingness to trust her best friend and talk with her about what she’s observing.

My main critique of this book is that the ending came on quickly, and when I got to the epilogue, I was wondering if I had missed some chapters because it felt like it concluded more quickly than I was expecting. I think the ending could have been wound down a little more slowly, but it didn’t end so abruptly that it was jarring.

Ultimately, this was a fun, different horror novel that makes you think about what people may be willing to do to achieve the appearance of youth. I often listened to this book while doing my own skincare routine, which was pretty funny. I love how this book takes the skincare industry’s practices and asks “what’s the cost one will take for youth?”

This is a fun horror. It's kind of exactly what I was hoping for when I requested it something where I don't exactly love or relate to the characters but I'm here for the plot and the juice.
Feels like a guilty pleasure horror book!
I say pick this up if you're looking for something kind of fun and grotesque and creepy that'll make you think twice about your skincare regiment.

Suzy Jackson was the perfect narrator for this story! She had the perfect tone and cadence that kept the story flowing.

The blurb is correct, I will never moisturize the same again. I was side eyeing my skincare all morning long wondering if there were any *secret* ingredients. I love this little genre of books focusing on the devils of the beauty industry and the obsession with youth. For that reason, the last 100 pages really stood out to me. I wish we had more of that action throughout the story.

The ending was confusing… I think I missed something?
Speaking of missing something, I’m not quite sure what the point of Mona/the flashbacks were.

This was silly in the most enjoyable way possible. It reminded me of Georgia Clark’s The Regulars in a way. So if you liked that or are interested in a quirky, fun read I would recommend giving this a try.

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC!

The premise of this book was right up my alley. A thriller / horror with a millennial main character who feels her age is slowly creeping up on her. Sophia joins HEBE a skincare company that promises to help you stop aging forever - but at what cost and who is paying it? Sophia is a terrible person with no redeeming qualities. Although the vibes of this book were super fun, I felt the plot was lacking. The ending left me with complete whiplash. Sophia's choices came completely out of left field with zero explanation. I even went back to re-listen to chapters thinking I had missed something, but I did not.

Thank you to NetGalley and recorded books for this ALC!

I enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure if I followed all of it. It may have been because I was listening vs reading, but I found the dual timeline to be confusing at times.

I do love the writing and the narrator though! I felt this book was more vibes instead of plot, which isn’t a bad thing.