I'd hoped this was a more horror based novel because Netgalley compared it to Substance but it wasn't sci-fi horror as much as it was the horrors of reality and men in power. That being said, I did not enjoy Bean or any of her friends. The way the novel talked about their style felt so cringey. As soon as she mentioned that her friend had a parasol I knew they'd be obnoxious. They talked about being individuals and finding their own style and that's all well and good but it felt so forced in this novel, especially when Bean gave up all of her perceived originality to follow the popular girls. She caved so quickly it was laughable and when Ivy was trying to convince her that she wasn't a "follower" (after being indoctrinated into a cult), Ivy pointed out how all of their style was Bean's idea and that was even harder to believe. It was not as enjoyable as I'd hoped.

This book was a quick, fast-paced read, and it was easy to consume in one sitting. The comps were a great comparison, and it really set the vibes for the story. I've enjoyed Hayley Krischer's writing in the past, and I'll keep picking up her books!

You belong to us by Hayley Krischer
Genre: YA Thriller
Rating: 3.75⭐️/5

Frances has always been the quiet one in the shadows, but everything changes when she's unexpectedly paired with the glamorous Julia Patterson for a school project. Suddenly, she’s thrust into a world of high society, where Julia’s mother reigns as the mastermind behind the illustrious skincare brand, DEEP. With exclusive invitations to lavish DEEP parties, Frances finds herself stepping into a dazzling new life filled with glitz, glamour, and intrigue.

But as she becomes entwined with Deena's wealthy family, she discovers that luxury comes with its own set of dark secrets.

Read if you like:
•Short chapters
•Wellness Cult
•Outcast & Popular girl
•Sapphic romance
•High school settings
•YA Psychological thriller
•Murder

Thank you Penguin Teen for the gifted copy ✨❤️‍🔥.

I will eat up a culty book everytime. I was able to guess the ending to this book and still had a good time reading. I think this is a good starting point for young adults to dip their toes in thrillers involving cults.

When you need your next female empowerment fix with a side of beauty product cult vibes, this one will be waiting for you. I can’t wait to see what else the author writes.

Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

2.75
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one. It took half the book before anything substantial happened and by that time I didn't really care anymore.

I really thought from the blurb that this would be more of a horror, thriller. It's more of a critical look at the beauty, wellness industry and the tendency to create a cult like following. It's dark and covers some heavy topics. It highlighted how this need to fit that perfect societal image can be toxic and damaging to young impressionable girls and lead to their exploitation. It's definitely a cautionary tale. A warning to be careful judging a situation by aesthetics alone, trusting yourself and your judgement and questioning things when you have that eerie off feeling that something isn't right. I did enjoy Francis Beans group of quirky friends and how they called her out and supported her. I wanted to love this one. It had such great potential but I felt disappointed in the execution.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting but I wish it had gone in a slightly more horror/supernatural direction, Maybe it was a bit too bleak for me. I did not see any influence from The Substance in this book but I did have fun with it. Some of the characters were bland and I felt beaten over the head with the whole goth thing but I got over that pretty quickly. Overall, fun quick read!

When I saw this was getting compared to the substance I knew it was going to be and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!! The vibes were vibin and it was unputdownable..

@penguinteen #partner
& @prhaudio #partner for the ALC 🎧

🆈🅾🆄 🅱🅴🅻🅾🅽🅶 🆃🅾 🅼🅴
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴀᴘʀɪʟ 𝟣𝟧, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟧
✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓼…

Get it and buckle-up because it’s a fun one! You Belong to Me by Hayley Krischer is an absolute blast of a read. It would make the perfect movie. The writing is sharp, witty, and makes it impossible to put this book down.

There’s an ominous feeling that follows throughout the entire story as you read. You know something is off but you don’t really know what it is.

I loved all the comparisons to women in the 1800’s. I got 80’s, Heathers, Stepford Wives, and Manson (cult) vibes from this book. All mixed into a modern story that is actually quite relatable.

Frances Bean Ellis “Bean” gets an exclusive invite to a Deep event. Girls like her don’t get invites like this. Her crush and English Lit partner, Julia Patterson, is the daughter of the woman who runs Deep and Femme, Deena Patterson. Wellness, beauty, everything girls like Bean aren’t usually a part of.

Deena has all the best products and everyone wants to be a part of her exclusive parties. As much as she wants to be inclusive - she’s not really. And you really wouldn’t want to be a part of these parties - if only you knew.

The audio, narrated by Gail Shalan, (who is just amazing at what she does) makes for the perfect listen. She’s one of the few narrators that I can see the story playing out in my mind.

Followed along with audio at 2x. Short chapters, fast-paced, quick and fun read. This book has all the perfecting makings for the type of book I love. All the stars.

YOU BELONG TO ME by Hayley Krischer skewers the world of wellness/beauty gurus promising kindness, compassion, and understanding while pursuing their own ends regardless of the outcomes to others. I related to how fascinating outsider Frances was drawn into the wellness world of Julia Patterson by its powerful allure and ultimately recoiled when the price of membership seemed to be renouncing your past, your family, your own personality and mind. There were the "mean girl moments" and the cringeworthy moments of wellness guru proclamations that felt genuine and real world -- as well as Frances' horrified, dawning realizations that this appealing world is darker and more treacherous than she ever imagined possible, complicating her love relationship with Julia and her social standing. This book was a YA revelation, hopefully prompting thoughtful examination of the culture of wellness and beauty. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 3.75⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: YA/ thriller 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A YA thriller meets sapphic romance

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Cult dynamics
Wellness and beauty industry
Sapphic romances
Coming of age admit chaos
Dark secrets
Peer pressure/ toxic friendships
Trauma bonding
Haunting atmosphere

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
A fun mix of romance and mystery

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The romance could have been a little more fleshed out
Slow pacing

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “Girls like me don’t get invitations to Deep events.”
★ “The allure of being a part of Julia’s life was actually just a deadly distraction.”
★ “I could barely afford a hair tie from the Deep store.”

I was hoping for more horror/thriller for this, but it ended up being a book critical of the beauty world. I often felt mean-girl vibes from the main character.

The book was well written, but a lot of it left me feeling disappointed in the characters and plot.

hayley krischer’s you belong to me is a tightly wound ya psychological thriller that slices into the glossy underbelly of the wellness industry, examining how capitalism cloaks toxicity in empowerment, and how easily identity can be manipulated when it’s starved for belonging. this book hits an eerie note. it’s not dystopia. it’s now.

frances bean is the classic outcast: bookish, goth, observant, and content to be invisible until a school project partners her with julia patterson, the luminous daughter of deena patterson, a famous wellness mogul. through julia, bean is ushered into deep’s world: a surreal blend of skincare, pseudo-spirituality, and hyper-curated "female empowerment" that feels equal parts seductive and sinister. krischer’s genius lies in that exact tension, the way something as seemingly harmless as rose quartz facials and “authenticity circles” can quietly erode your sense of self.

more than anything, this is a story about longing. bean doesn’t just want julia; she wants to be someone worth being wanted. that aching need to be seen and chosen makes her an easy target for femme, deep’s teenage ambassador program. krischer taps into the universal discomfort of adolescence, how easy it is to be reshaped by the people we want to impress, how vulnerability can be exploited when dressed up as girlboss empowerment. the romance between bean and julia is tender but purposefully fraught. it’s built on imbalance, on bean’s idolization and julia’s uncertainty. while there are moments of genuine connection, there’s always a question mark about power, who has it, who’s faking it, and who’s taking it from someone else. their dynamic feels real in a way that mirrors many queer high school crushes: intense, aspirational, and a little bit dangerous.

krischer’s prose is hypnotic—clean, deliberate, and deeply atmospheric. the tension creeps in slowly, and the moment the story pivots into full-throttle thriller territory is genuinely chilling. what begins as a sharp critique of the commodification of girlhood turns into a haunting depiction of grooming and complicity, with an ending that lingers long after the last page.

that said, the ending could have gone harder. while krischer’s restraint has artistic merit, there’s something to be said for letting readers sit with discomfort, the final chapter veers a bit too softly into implication. after everything bean (and others) endured, seeing the villain’s consequences only through a student-written article felt unsatisfying. in a story that so vividly showed manipulation, the conclusion could’ve benefited from showing justice, or at least more fallout. we earned that.

still, you belong to me is razor-sharp in its themes: how white feminism and wellness culture can cloak insidious harm, how community can be weaponized, and how young women are often collateral in the pursuit of power.

Frances Bean has been an inadvertent trendsetter at her exclusive private school, where she goes tuition-free since her single mother is a teacher there. Frances’ father recently died from his battle with alcoholism, and she has a very strong connection to a small friend group who all listen to her style opinions. Frances, or “Bean” as her close friends and family call her, doesn’t actually see herself as being anything more than a fringe element, lucky to have those close pals. She’s out as a lesbian, and has had the worst crush on an impossible girl, Julia Patterson, whose mother owns the high-profile natural skin, body, and spiritual care company, DEEP.

Julia’s skin is flawless, and she’s always wearing the white, gauzy, natural-fabric dresses DEEP sells at a crazy price. Her best friends are a part of Femme, the program developed for female teens to bond and develop their emotional wellness–away from toxic family, if necessary. Julia and Bean are partners on a project about Jane Eyre for English class. All the better for Bean to privately swoon–until she receives an exclusive invitation to a Femme party. And, Julia tells her she would really like her to attend. Because, Julia also has a crush on Bean.

The more Bean connects with Julia, the more she begins to fall into the DEEP/Femme end, and the more she isolates from her friends and mother. This seems to be the way of Femme, though, with lots of young “broken” girls getting spiritual healing (and some sexual attention) from the resident “healer,” a 24-year-old man called Kai, whose abusive, wealthy, pedo father is currently in prison.

Bean struggles with the competing interests of her developing relationship with Julia and a newfound Instagram fame, with supposedly private moments promoted by Femme and DEEP, and her previous ride-or-die besties. It’s very confusing for her, because Bean’s always had inferiority issues, and the Femme people all seem so kind, and compassionate, and beautiful. Being around them helps Bean feel beautiful, too. Connected, in a way she’s always desired.

But, the more she’s allied with the Femme folk, the more the oddities surrounding their activities begin to add up in Bean’s brain. She’s confused why weird men are sometimes at the Femme parties, and no longer feels safe in the DEEP stronghold of Julia’s home. Witnessing Kai’s shenanigans is another red flag, especially when he asks her to demonstrate her loyalty to Femme by destroying one of her best friend’s work. Of course, the biggest issue is the suspicious death of a woman who began as a Femme girl, and who currently seemed to be on the inside of the DEEP complex. Was Bean somehow complicit in her tragic death?

This story was billed as a psychological thriller, and I’m not sure it met that criteria. It does have great mystery elements, and the romance between Bean and Julia, though a little rushed, also felt pretty appropriate for YA. I enjoyed the lush description of Bean’s indoctrination into the “world” of Femme and DEEP, because it felt realistic–comparisons to Manson girls are not far from the mark here. Bean’s struggles were relatable, and her desire for enhanced social status and recognition was very teen-centered. She’s an “any girl” and her headfirst plunge into this “cult” was eye-opening in its simplicity and completeness. If Bean had any weaker of a network of friends or family, she could have easily fallen victim to the emotional manipulation that plagued other Femme girls.

I enjoyed the story, and thought it was interesting and pretty well-considered. I wanted to have a little more build-up of emotional intimacy between Julia and Bean before they felt it was love, but that was a small issue, for me. The resolution ticked off the mystery boxes, getting people to see how gnarled and knotted the web of lies went at DEEP. There were many victims of the cult culture of DEEP and Femme, not only the woman who died. Its parallels in the real world–clout chasing and status envy chief among them–are both resonant and bleak. I wouldn’t say it’s a cautionary tale, but it’s certainly thought provoking, especially considering the sheer volume of toxic “health” gurus and influencers capitalizing on the frailties of the young and disaffected in our society.

I’d recommend this one for readers who like a more gritty YA read, because this one is not a rom-com.

This one is a hard one for me to review because I was interested, but the thriller/horror part was no where to be found. It was just a messed up bunch of people hiding behind this wellness club. I thought there was going to be so much more “thrilling” aspects to it and it just wasn’t.

Ok so the cover got me. I saw that she had this thing on her face and there was what looked like blood and here I am thinking the wellness stuff that she was putting on her face was doing these things to her, but yeah no such luck. It’s less a horror story and more just a thriller. But again, someone pitched this to me as a horror book and now here I am disappointed lol Disappointed because the thrilling part isn’t all that exciting either. She’s basically drugged to make her unreliable so I was like ugh, but the way it was done made it a bit unique so I wasn’t THAT mad. But even still, it wasn’t ground-breaking. I just wish there was more. Most of the stuff that was “thrilling” didn’t happen until later in the book so it was a bit boring.

The story itself was ok tho. I was hella interested in the club thing that they were in. It was more like a cult. They were all brain-washed and trying to keep this one person safe when in reality none of them were safe. It was really a mind eff of a situation. This part I enjoyed. I think it was because I had actually just finished a different book about cults, so I was looking for all the parallels that were also in this book. And seeing the two of them side by side, it was a lot. The way it actually lined up was the scary part lol

The characters were ok, not necessarily ground breaking tho. I don’t want to say why because I don’t want to spoil anything, but yeah. And the friends of the main character were all cool, but also just weird. One of them was really rude, even if she was right. Idk, I thought things could have been handled differently. But again, they’re also teens so I had to remember that too. They never talk about anything lol

This was ok, but not like groundbreaking or anything. Kinda sad tho because I was so excited for this based on the cover and the promised horror aspects, but it just fell short. It made it right in other ways so I’m not too mad.

A YA thriller about a teen, Frances Bean, who is invited to a skincare party for a famous brand. The owner's daughter goes to school with Bean and happens to be Bean's crush. She is surprised but excited to get the invite. Soon, she is draw into this glamorous world, but this will not last as things take a sinister turn.

I thought this premise was really interesting, but the writing style was really not for me. It felt overwritten and yet simplified in a way that some YA books are. I liked the slightly culty aspects in it, but I think it could been more sinister to really give the vibes it promises in the synopsis.

I was so excited to read this because of how amazing the description is. I was expecting this creepy cult book all about the beauty world, but instead I got a very judgey book narrated by a very annoying teenager. Frances is the type of character I'm not a fan of reading from because they find it necessary to bring everyone else down to bring themself up. Her judgmental stance on the beauty world and feminine girls is grating and feels more like "women hating women," which I don't stand for.

I found myself pausing as I was reading because I could feel where it was going, or at least I thought so. I rolled my eyes at the characters and shouted at what I wanted them to do. All of this is a good thing!!

The cult world that Hayley built in this story was aggravating and sickening in so many ways. These young girls were taken advantage of in ways I cant imagine all for what?

Watching Bean be sucked into this world was so frustrating as a reader and sad. I felt for her and the first love feelings she had for Julia, also the need for belonging and being appreciated. But the whole time I just kept thinking "RUN RUN".

Till the end I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This was a fun YA horror/thriller/cult like novel!

I was accepted to read this book before official publication through NetGalley and below is my honest review.

The premise of this really drew me in and I did enjoy it, however not as much as I hoped I would. The plot follows Frances Bean who is helplessly in love with a popular girl at school. The story has cult-ish vibes and dives into the dark side of influencers and the beauty standards of women/young girls.

I personally think the story was good however I feel towards the middle it started to drag which means it didn’t capture me much. I also felt that the characters fell flat.

The sapphic element is originally what drew me in and I do think that was portrayed well. The story is written in first person throughout so if you’re not a fan of that, this wouldn’t be the book for you.

Overall, I rate this 3 stars.