Linda Cheng's modern, queer take on gothic horror shows how hard it is to be feminine and meet unrealistic beauty standards in the K-pop world. It also has a gothic feel and is scary. I don't really like the title of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces; I think it's a bit too obvious. The book is about Sunny, who used to be in a reality TV music group. In the past, she's been happy and eager to show Candie, who is already beautiful and famous, how good she is. They broke up the group because of the sad and upsetting death of their third bandmate, Mina, and a PR problem in the present. Sunny became an outcast. Now that she knows Candie is going to a special performance school, she thinks this could be her only chance to fix things with her and move on with her life. But things aren't quite what they seem to be. The girls keep getting hurt in the workshop, and Sunny keeps seeing Mina's ghost…

I love reading gothic horror books. And something that makes good social points. Then make it weird? I love it. Teenagers can start reading this type of book because it has a pretty interesting story behind it. I would definitely suggest it. Gorgeous Gruesome Faces takes off the flawless exterior of being a pop star and shows the horrible realities of surviving in a business where goals and dreams are often given up for fame. Cheng shows without holding back how hard it is to grow up in the spotlight while being under a lot of pressure to do well. She also tells a moving story about first love and real friendships between women. This performance is cinematic, gripping, and downright scary. You won't want to miss it.

Review by: Erick R.

Erick is a volunteer at Sylmar Branch Library. He is a 12th grader at Vaughn International Study Academy.

—Dana Eklund, Sylmar Branch Library