And then the body of a young girl is discovered, and everything changes. She feels as though something else is inside her skin, trying to break out. Macie knows how to choose just the right makeup and outfit for Lila, and she’s pushing her to talk to a boy who seems to be interested in her. Lila is trying to fit in with the popular crowd at school, and so has made friends with a girl named Macie, who she also secretly has a crush on. In the present day, 2019, we meet Lila, a thirteen-year-old girl who is struggling with the normal things girls her age struggle with. The story is told through two different points of view and two different timelines. Truly, this was an immersive reading experience that often made me question my own sanity. And while the murders are chilling enough on their own, the author adds another layer that delves into toxic masculinity and its effects on women. This is the story of a serial killer and the girls he targets over several decades, a story that seems grounded in reality at first, but later introduces speculative elements that make readers wonder what’s real and what isn’t. DeMeester’s tale is strange and disturbing, full of unnerving imagery, a fever dream where the characters seem to be losing their grip on reality. I’m so glad I had the chance to check out Kristi DeMeester, whose latest book Such a Pretty Smile was exactly what I was looking for. One of my 2022 reading goals is to read new-to-me authors, especially those in the horror and thriller genres. All of the things she’d never been but had always wanted to be. The pupil larger than the surrounding brown, and she blinked at her refection. The nitty-gritty: An eerie, feminist coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a series of grisly murders, Such A Pretty Smile is both horrific and empowering. Genres: Adult, Horror, Psychological thriller This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Such a pretty smile kristi demeester