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emeryyy's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
Before, Sunny Lee was a member of the popular teen group Sweet Cadence, along with her best friends Candie and Mina. But that quickly fell apart after a scandal and the death of Mina. Several years later, Sunny can't stop thinking about the cause of Mina's death. When she discovers Candie is taking part in a K-pop workshop in her own hometown, Sunny seizes the opportunity to finally get some answers. What she finds instead is a blur between reality and nightmares, terror-inducing visions, her competitors being injured in bizarre incidents, and a growing mystery she needs to solve if she wants to stay alive.
this is a sapphic thriller inspired by the k-pop industry, but k-pop actually doesn't play as big of a role as i expected. it's very unlike any other k-pop-inspired story that i've read (in a good way!). the story was immediately chilling and mysterious, and i didn't expect to be drawn in so quickly! it alternates between the past and present, which i enjoyed. there is some romance (and a lot of tension) but it isn't the focus
thank you to BookishFirst and Roaring Brook Press for the copy of this book!
this is a sapphic thriller inspired by the k-pop industry, but k-pop actually doesn't play as big of a role as i expected. it's very unlike any other k-pop-inspired story that i've read (in a good way!). the story was immediately chilling and mysterious, and i didn't expect to be drawn in so quickly! it alternates between the past and present, which i enjoyed. there is some romance (and a lot of tension) but it isn't the focus
thank you to BookishFirst and Roaring Brook Press for the copy of this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
booksmoviesandstories's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is exactly what you want a YA thriller to be; it’s entertaining, dramatic, fun, and original. It’s not every day you pick up a sapphic K-Pop competition novel filled with scandal and horror.
The story centers around Sunny, a fallen-from-grace star, as she navigates the gruesome incidents happening to the girls she’s competing with in a K-Pop competition. A completion she joined to reunite with her estranged best friend (and former co-star) Candie who disappeared from her life after the tragic loss of their other friend and co-star, Mina.
Told in alternating chapters of Then and Now, the competition continues as the number of victims grows and the past events leading up to Sunny and Candie’s estrangement are unraveled.
Filled with drama, scandal, and gore, Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a fantastic example of YA Thrillers. I loved the concept and the writing.
This book ended up being 4 stars for me because I felt that while the novel as a whole was structured well, the pace of the novel fluctuated inconsistently. Some parts felt more rushed than I found myself hoping them to be. And there were moments I felt that I had missed something or wished that more time had been spent detailing some events or character relationships.
I was given the chance to read this book in audiobook format and the narrator was fantastic!
Overall, Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a wonderful, fun read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys YA thrillers. Especially with a little scandal involved.
*Huge thanks to Linda Cheng, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing the ARC of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces in audiobook format*
The story centers around Sunny, a fallen-from-grace star, as she navigates the gruesome incidents happening to the girls she’s competing with in a K-Pop competition. A completion she joined to reunite with her estranged best friend (and former co-star) Candie who disappeared from her life after the tragic loss of their other friend and co-star, Mina.
Told in alternating chapters of Then and Now, the competition continues as the number of victims grows and the past events leading up to Sunny and Candie’s estrangement are unraveled.
Filled with drama, scandal, and gore, Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a fantastic example of YA Thrillers. I loved the concept and the writing.
This book ended up being 4 stars for me because I felt that while the novel as a whole was structured well, the pace of the novel fluctuated inconsistently. Some parts felt more rushed than I found myself hoping them to be. And there were moments I felt that I had missed something or wished that more time had been spent detailing some events or character relationships.
I was given the chance to read this book in audiobook format and the narrator was fantastic!
Overall, Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a wonderful, fun read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys YA thrillers. Especially with a little scandal involved.
*Huge thanks to Linda Cheng, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing the ARC of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces in audiobook format*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Body horror, Toxic friendship, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
caseythereader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Thanks to Macmillan for the free copy of this book.
- 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.
- 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.
Content Warnings
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide, Violence, and Self harm
Minor: Bullying and Cursing
myuh's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Grief
danscoada's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader's Copy.
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a fast-paced thriller set in an Americanized K-pop training facility. It gets rather gory at times and made me cringe more than once. If you're expecting this to be a behind-the-scenes, exposé type of narrative about the K-pop industry, you might be disappointed. Like I said, the training camp is Americanized, but it also merely acts as the setting. The mystery and horror of the story really has nothing to do with music at all.
I was engaged from beginning to end and was curious how it would all end up. I wasn't disappointed, but I did walk away forgetting a lot of what happened. It was a fun ride, but sadly not one that I see sticking with me for a while.
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a fast-paced thriller set in an Americanized K-pop training facility. It gets rather gory at times and made me cringe more than once. If you're expecting this to be a behind-the-scenes, exposé type of narrative about the K-pop industry, you might be disappointed. Like I said, the training camp is Americanized, but it also merely acts as the setting. The mystery and horror of the story really has nothing to do with music at all.
I was engaged from beginning to end and was curious how it would all end up. I wasn't disappointed, but I did walk away forgetting a lot of what happened. It was a fun ride, but sadly not one that I see sticking with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
kassiereadsbooks's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Grief, Sexual harassment, and Torture
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