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bookishmillennial's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This was such a fascinating book, and nothing I was expecting.
This book follows Sunny Lee, whose bright career was cut short after her bandmate and fellow cast member of a beloved Kpop-inspired tv show, Minnie, died by suicide. Sunny follows her other former bandmate Candie on her YouTube page (where she had amassed a following well before their group stardom), and sees that Candie is auditioning for a 5-week Kpop workshop in her hometown in Atlanta, Georgia. This is bizarre because Sunny's mom literally moved them back to Atlanta to get away from the scandal, and out of all the places for a Kpop workshop, the one that Candie decides to pursue is in Atlanta. Wild. Curious. Not suspicious at all. (lol I am being facetious)
Anyway, because Sunny desperately wants answers and closure from Candie about Minnie's behavior and death, she applies for the same workshop in hopes of reuniting. However, Sunny had no idea what she was signing up for because once the workshop begins, nefarious things begin happening to the other competitors with little to no explanation. Sunny does not believe these are accidents, and refuses to accept anything but the truth, so she seeks it out. Candie continues to be elusive, and there are some strong sapphic undertones in this rivalry and ex-friendship.
I did not realize this was horror (I saw the cover and thought "high school thriller" so that's on me), but I was delightfully surprised. The backstory of one of the character's powers was a fun reveal, and then the backstory behind the Maiden was even more fascinating. I did think the last 10% of the book moved *so* fast, like I got whiplash. However, I appreciate a fast-paced, chaotic, messy final act, so I am not complaining, just noting it. The flashbacks were executed really well, because it had the same effect that This Is Us (weird comparison, I know, but it's the only piece of media I can compare it to that weaved in flashbacks perfectly) had in sharing specific backstory as to why Sunny made the choices she was making. Overall, this was a wild ride, and I had a lot of fun. I would read from Linda Cheng again!
Thank you to my friend @waggybookworm who gifted me an annotated and tabbed copy <3
Graphic: Classism, Body shaming, Murder, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Self harm, Gore, Death, Suicide, Infidelity, and Bullying
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
However, I did appreciate the critiques on the K-Pop/entertainment industry and the expectations that are thrown on teen girls in particular. Sunny struggles with the expectations, especially coming from her mom. It's definitely something that negatively affects her mental health as well. Using the horror genre to explore those sorts of topics definitely works in this case.
If you like darker horror/thriller books, this might definitely be for you! It does wrap up at the end, but there's space left for a sequel (which I guess is happening eventually). We'll see if I read the next one!
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: Cursing, Body shaming, and Bullying
amy_salieri's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Death, Grief, Blood, Torture, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming and Bullying
booksmoviesandstories's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Gore
devynreadsnovels's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Bullying, Infidelity, Child death, Body horror, Violence, Gore, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Death, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Dysphoria, Torture, and Abandonment
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
- GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES is a YA thriller that combines K-pop glitter with Chinese mythology.
- I love a book that explores some of the traumas of fame, especially for young people, and that is woven into the larger supernatural mystery of this book.
- I didn't realize this book was the first in a series until I got to the end, and I'm excited to see where Cheng takes this next.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gore, Murder, Bullying, Death, Stalking, and Suicide
hahafool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide, Violence, and Self harm
Minor: Bullying and Cursing