GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES is like a cross between Suspiria, Jennifer's Body and The Grudge. Sapphic K-pop horror with a paranormal twist, this story took a little while to get rolling, but once it started, it was all a downhill speedrun of twisted romance, morally grey baddies, and lots and lots of body horror.
Sunny used to be part of a successful K-pop trio but then she was struck by what seems like massive bad luck: she stole another girl's boyfriend, watched one of her bandmates, Mina, commit suicide in front of her eyes, and had a falling out with the remaining girl, Candie, who she has an extreme love-hate relationship with and can't stop obsessing over all these years later. When she sees that Candie is trying to revitalize her career by training as an idol at a sort of idol bootcamp, Sunny signs up too, desperate for closure-- and a return.
I just loved this book so much. The female rage, the viciousness of teen girls, the sapphic dark romance (soooo well done), the horror elements-- this felt like it had the pacing of an excellent movie. And as a certified horror wuss, I felt like it struck the perfect balance between making me super uncomfortable but unable to look away. That ending montage was just *chef's kiss*.
In addition to all of the good stuff, there's also a lot of really great commentary in here about how the entertainment industry chews up young women and then spits them out, and how fucking brutal it is to be a teen girl working in an industry filled with adults who want to adultify you and make you grow up too fast while also turning a blind eye to you when you desperately need an adult's help.
Absolutely obsessed and cannot wait for the sequel.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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