Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a thriller set in the world of K-pop idols and is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I knew next to nothing about the K-pop training process before reading this and assuming that this is pretty accurate, it’s crazy intense. I have watched Pop Star Academy on Netflix since and that was pretty intense, so I can only imagine what it’s actually like. I’d like to assume people aren’t being mutilated and there aren’t ghostly visions happening, but who knows?
There are a lot of scenes spent learning choreography, performing and there are even flashbacks including past performances by Sunny’s ex-group. Annoyingly, I didn’t comment on this side of the book in my review as this post series wasn’t something I had thought of at the time, but I do remember loving the performance side of this book – especially as someone that has studied performing arts.
I’d suggest looking at the content warnings for this book if you’re a little squeamish. There are a lot of graphic descriptions of violence and gore.
Synopsis: After a shocking scandal that abruptly ended her teen popstar career, eighteen-year-old Sunny Lee spends her days longing for her former life and cyberstalking her ex-BFF and groupmate, Candie. The two were once inseparable, but that was then—before the tragedy and heartache they left in their wake.
In the here and now, Sunny is surprised to discover that Candie is attending a new K-pop workshop in her hometown. Candie might be there chasing stardom, but Sunny can’t resist the chance to join her and finally confront their traumatic history. Because she still can’t figure out what happened that horrible night when Mina, the third in their tight-knit trio, jumped to her death. Or if the dark and otherworldly secrets she and Candie were keeping had something to do with it . . .
But the workshop doesn’t bring the answers Sunny had hoped for, nor a happy reunion with Candie. Instead, Sunny finds herself haunted by ghostly visions while strange injuries start happening to her competitors—followed by even stranger mutilations to their bodies. In her race to survive, Sunny will have to expose just who is behind the carnage—and if Candie is out for blood once more—in Linda Cheng’s spellbinding sapphic thriller that will have readers screaming and swooning for more.
The Wrong Costar by Alexandra Moody
Now, this isn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but I do love a clean high school romance from time to time. This one is particularly interesting as it’s centred around a school play that has a Hollywood actor as its leading man. I didn’t comment too much on the performance side in my review, for the same reason as the book above, but I did say this: “Books about high school plays make me so happy and nostalgic. Yes, I was a theatre kid and I’m not ashamed to admit that. This wasn’t a musical though, that would have been even better. I do love the idea of Teagan holding her own when acting opposite a Hollywood actor though.”
There is a surprising amount of depth to these characters though. Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s a YA high school romance. These characters have a lot going on and their family dynamics are interesting – especially as one of them is a teen Hollywood actor that has a strained relationship with his mom.
Synopsis: An actor who shares equal importance in a play with another. Unless you’re Liam Black.
Teagan has one goal to get out of the small town she grew up in and never look back. Acting is her passion, and she’s counting on her skills on stage to grant her a one-way ticket out of there. When she learns a talent scout will be attending their high school drama production, she knows she’s finally got a chance at making her dreams come true.
What she wasn’t counting on was Hollywood heartthrob and notorious bad-boy Liam Black gate crashing the show. Forced to join Teagan’s school to prepare for his next movie, everyone seems to be buzzing about his arrival — but for Teagan it spells disaster.
Liam’s got a bad reputation. He doesn’t take their play seriously. And, worst of all, he and Teagan can’t stand each other. Can they conjure up some chemistry on stage, or will this Hollywood hottie be too much for Teagan to handle?
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Like this post? Why not read this one too: Book Review: You’re Invited by Danielle Keil