E.K. Sathue

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!