What I'm Reading: Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

I have been told that my review of Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue is in the June 2024 issue of Booklist. It is not up online yet, but since it is in print, I am posting it on the blog today.

The book came out two days ago and I also have my ARC to giveaway on the horror blog today as well. Click here to enter.

As always, here is my draft review with bonus appeal info.

Youthjuice

By E.K. Sathue

In this illicit, fast paced, and scathing satire of the beauty industry readers meet Sophia as she begins her dream job 3 months before her 30th birthday at Hebe, a women run lifestyle corporation, pushing “essential” products focused on allowing women to look as young as possible for as long as possible. When charismatic CEO Tree Whitestone asks Sophia to test their newest product, “Youthjuice,” the immediate and miraculous results suck her further into Tree’s orbit, even as their young interns are disappearing without a trace. Told exclusively from Sophia’s point of view in two time frames, at Hebe and in 2008, readers are able to see the skeletons in Sophia's past emerge, figuring out what is “going on” very quickly. But Sathue is not trying to obscure the twist here, rather she is laying bare the chilling truth, as readers sit with that knowledge, and watch the visceral Horrors unfold, without remorse. Fans of intensely unsettling stories about unlikable but captivating women such as in Gone Girl by Flynn and Maeve Fly by Leede will flock to this debut.

YA Statement: With its focus on “healthy lifestyles” and the corporate marketing machine behind it. Youthjuice will appeal to teen girls. They will recognize themselves in the dark, sardonic, and honest deep dive into their own complicated thoughts on and connections to the beauty industry.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Dark Satire, Chilling, Body Horror.

Further Appeal: The opening line I wanted but had to cut for word length: Sathue pulls no punches in this illicitly alluring, fast paced, scathing satire of the beauty industry, a story so terrifying it will make readers second guess their own skin case routines. That is the Sound bite to handsell this book.

A few reading notes because this book is about watching the horror all unfold, knowing it is going to get worse with every page turn, but NEEDING to keep watching it spiral:

• She is part of of the “Storytelling” team. This is interesting as well. Since she is telling us the story. So unreliable and yet she tells us from start that she is. Her job is spinning it all.
• The cover gives away the “twist” but there is a reason for that. It is almost more horrofic that the reader knows from the start what is happening. Ending is CHILLING.
• This is Body Horror in the most literal of ways– it is visceral by the end. That is important to note
• “Clean living” is the cover for it all. Pushing that lifestyle at all costs. The descriptions of the food they eat it is gross. It is supposed to be. The lengths they go to are extreme even before the most visceral and literal scenes.
• By following Sophia and furiously flipping the pages– the reader is implicated in the horrors. 
• Who is Hebe? The Greek Goddess of Youth. Tells you before the story begins. Gets you into the world immediately.
• Ending is chilling. Not for Sophia’s evil choices, but the doubling down on the need of these products. Not remorse, just finding a new way to make money off the keeping women looking as young as possible market. Nothing is going to change, NO lessons are learned, and it is actually getting worse.
• But the most chilling and terrifying thing about this book overall...it is not that far from reality.
• Try applying any lotion or skin care after reading this book without feeling icky…..you can’t. Even a boring moisturizer.
• Finally, it is important tot note that this is one of the first books from Soho Press's new Horror imprint-- Hell's Hundred

Readalikes: The two above but also clearly, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. A quote from this classic is an epigraph for the book, but even if you skipped that page, clearly it is an influence.

Also, I recently read and reviewed The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller. Youthjuice is similar in what it says about the skin care industry to what The Z Word does for the corporate PRIDE machine, but Youthjuice is less laugh out loud funny and more chilling and dark. The Z Word is laugh out loud satirical. This novel, is way darker but the satire is there in spades.