Such a Pretty Smile
by Kristi DeMeester
Publication Date: January 18, 2022
★★★★☆
A killer is on the loose, leaving behind a trail of maimed bodies. The victims? Girls who were known as trouble-makers. The ones who were not silent. The ones who refused to fall in line.
Caroline Sawyer is working to remember parts of her hidden history as she continues to battle with psychological trauma. Lila, her daughter, is trying to understand her place in the world as a teenager, while battling her own demons. Separately, they fight the same invisible horror that all leads to one place: the past.
This book was, in short, a wild ride. Promoted as horror, mystery and thriller, it definitely did not fail to meet all of these expectations.
The cover definitely gives the message of dark and foreboding. Through that and the synopsis provided by the author, I was excited to dive into a little bit of thrill. Part of my brain must have overlooked the horror tag, as it essentially side-swiped me. Spine-tingling, skin-crawling, stomach-turning horror has become a new favourite of mine.
Such a Pretty Smile is told in third-person in a dual timeline and POV format. Rife with unreliable narrators, the suspense is carried throughout as the psychological fear mixes with crime horror and the unknown. I don't think I could choose between the two viewpoints.
Lila Sawyer is first introduced as a timid girl just trying to fit in with her peers. She lives with her mother in Atlanta, Georgia, attending school and battling with her internal expectations. She pushes her personal boundaries and comfort levels to impress her friend (and crush). Thought feeling pressured to disobey and break out of her comfort zone, a large part of her is directly tied to her single mother, Caroline, and her desire to respect her mother's wishes.
Caroline Sawyer is an artist with a wounded past. As the story progresses, you're given bits and pieces of evidence to what really happened in her past. Rooted in mystery, her POV is told from 15 years in the past in New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Her fear is palpable, and as a mother trying to protect her child, begins to manifest in different ways that expose hidden trauma. Her experiences and symptoms cause her credibility to be tainted, leading the reader to make assumptions and/or lose direction in where everything is headed.
I really enjoyed the psychological aspect of this book. There were times where even I was looking over my own shoulder as a chill crawled up my back. This would be incredible translated into film - horror buffs would jump at the chance to be thrilled and chilled. Mix that with the setting - an abandoned Jazzland in the depths of the Louisiana bayou - there would be amazing opportunity to delve into the creepy and macabre.
One aspect I wish she expanded on is the history of the area where Jazzland is located. At one point, a report about the area is a focal point, speaking about the unjust actions of people against the witches and natives of the area. Aside from this brief mention, it isn't really returned to later on as the mystery unravels. I think intertwining that folklore into the grisly events of the book would have made it an absolutely perfect read.
The author does a really good job at emphasizing the fight against social issues: the place of women in the family/society, including the treatment of mental illness in women, the expectation of women to be soft and permissive, and the gender gaps between men and women in relation to work and success. I've seen other ratings calling this writing ferociously and unashamedly feminine (Sadie Hartmann, author) and I can't help but agree!
I'd recommend this book to those who love psychological and suspenseful horror; however, I would caution future readers to read any trigger or content warnings before diving in.
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