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A review by aahrobot
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
If I'm being honest, I didn't love this book. It was good, but if I am going to rate it for what it is, which is YA horror, then I have to go with 3 stars. I had to sit with this for a bit and just think about what other YA horror novels I have read. I just don't know if I can really agree with this being mainly a horror novel. It was a K-Pop, YA drama, with mystical/Asian folklore elements and a dash of body horror and some ghosts.
I did enjoy the characters. They felt well-rounded and diverse in personalities. Sunny was great and I enjoyed learning her backstory. Who doesn't love some family drama, a sapphic love story, friend drama, a dash of K-Pop stardom, cancel culture, and a sex scandal?
It was a good story and I did genuinely enjoy the drama/stardom part of it. The horror scenes just felt so sporadic. I had no reason to feel scared or on edge. I felt I had to go back and reread, or listen in my case, a few things to understand them (maybe that's just my comprehension skills). When we got to like the big scene, it felt rushed to me. And, while I enjoyed the mystical elements, it felt...I don't know, just off for me.
Personally, if you're just getting into YA horror, maybe this is more for you. I found myself more intrigued by the storyline with all the drama rather than the scary elements.
I did enjoy the characters. They felt well-rounded and diverse in personalities. Sunny was great and I enjoyed learning her backstory. Who doesn't love some family drama, a sapphic love story, friend drama, a dash of K-Pop stardom, cancel culture, and a sex scandal?
It was a good story and I did genuinely enjoy the drama/stardom part of it. The horror scenes just felt so sporadic. I had no reason to feel scared or on edge. I felt I had to go back and reread, or listen in my case, a few things to understand them (maybe that's just my comprehension skills). When we got to like the big scene, it felt rushed to me. And, while I enjoyed the mystical elements, it felt...I don't know, just off for me.
Personally, if you're just getting into YA horror, maybe this is more for you. I found myself more intrigued by the storyline with all the drama rather than the scary elements.