Month: August 2025

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

/ E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

⭐ Quick Snapshot

  • Genre: Horror / Satire
  • Format: Audiobook (via NetGalley)
  • Published: 2024
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

✨ First Impressions

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The premise immediately caught my attention: a wellness empire in NYC with a too-good-to-be-true beauty product. I expected satire, but what I got was something darker, stranger, and far more entertaining.

📖 What It’s About (Spoiler-Free)

Sophia works at HEBE, a luxury skincare and wellness company in SoHo. She struggles with childhood trauma and chews her hands until they’re raw—hiding them beneath gloves. When HEBE gifts her their latest product, youthjuice, Sophia tests it on her damaged skin, and the results are nothing short of miraculous.

But perfection comes at a cost. As Sophia digs deeper into HEBE’s pristine facade, she uncovers disturbing truths behind the cream’s effectiveness—and what she finds is both horrifying and hilarious.

🖋️ Writing & Style

Sathue’s writing blends biting satire with grotesque body horror. The pacing keeps you hooked: mundane office culture one moment, a shocking reveal the next. The narration in the audiobook amplified the unsettling, glossy-yet-creepy tone perfectly.

👤 Characters / Key Ideas

  • Sophia: a flawed but sympathetic lead—her gloves and anxieties make her feel very real.
  • HEBE: less a company than a character itself, with its polished branding hiding depravity.
  • Themes: beauty standards, consumerism, and the horror of what we’ll endure for perfection.

💡 Highlights & Favorite Moments

  • The opening immediately sets a tone of dread mixed with humor.
  • The reveal about Sophia’s lace gloves was one of the most disturbing—and memorable—twists.
  • The slow unraveling of youthjuice’s secret kept me both horrified and amused.

🤔 What Could Be Better

The horror is deliciously grotesque, but some readers may find the body horror a little too intense or over the top. If you prefer your satire sharp but subtle, this one doesn’t hold back.

🎯 Final Verdict

Youthjuice is a disgustingly fun mix of satire and horror. It exposes the rot under glossy consumer culture, all while making you laugh, cringe, and squirm. If you like American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada—with a horror twist—this is a must-read (or listen).

📌 Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

💬 Let’s Discuss!

Have you read Youthjuice yet? Did the mix of horror and humor work for you, or was it too grotesque? Let me know what you think in the comments!

BOOK REVIEW: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

/ E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

⭐ Quick Snapshot

  • Genre: Cozy Fantasy
  • Pages: 304
  • Published: 2022
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)

✨ First Impressions

I’d heard so much buzz about Legends & Lattes being a “cozy fantasy” that felt like a warm hug, so I went in expecting something lighthearted and comforting—a break from epic battles and dark quests. The concept of an orc giving up adventuring to start a coffee shop definitely piqued my curiosity.

📖 What It’s About (Spoiler-Free)

Viv, a battle-weary orc, hangs up her sword and decides to open a coffee shop in a city where no one even knows what coffee is. Along the way, she gathers an unlikely group of friends—each with their own quirks—who help bring her dream to life. It’s not about saving kingdoms or fighting monsters, but about building community and finding a new purpose.

🖋️ Writing & Style

The writing is simple, accessible, and deliberately low-stakes. Baldree has a knack for painting warm, cozy settings that make you want to curl up with a latte while you read. That said, the straightforward style sometimes felt a bit too plain, and I occasionally wished for more depth in the descriptions or conflicts.

👤 Characters / Key Ideas

  • Viv: A refreshing protagonist—an orc who isn’t out for blood, but for peace and fulfillment.
  • Cal, Thimble, and other supporting characters add charm and heart.
  • At its core, the book is about reinvention, community, and small joys, which is a nice change of pace from high-stakes fantasy.

💡 Highlights & Favorite Moments

  • Watching Viv learn the ups and downs of running a business was surprisingly relatable.
  • Thimble’s pastries? Honestly, the descriptions made me crave baked goods.
  • The found-family dynamic was sweet, especially how the characters rallied around each other.

🤔 What Could Be Better

While the coziness is the book’s strength, it’s also its weakness at times. The plot moves at a very gentle pace—so gentle that I occasionally found myself wishing for more tension or surprises. Some characters could have used more layers, and the conflicts wrapped up a little too neatly.

🎯 Final Verdict

Legends & Lattes is a charming, low-stakes story that offers a warm escape from darker fantasy tropes. If you’re looking for action, high drama, or complex worldbuilding, this probably won’t hit the mark. But if you want something cozy, comforting, and a little different, it’s worth a try.

📌 Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)

💬 Let’s Discuss!

Have you read Legends & Lattes yet? Did you find it cozy and heartwarming, or did you crave a bit more action? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!