Such a Pretty Smile

Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester is a genuinely horrifying novel about the myriad ways women must fight to be seen and accepted for who they are. Caroline, an artist, worries for the safety of her daughter Lila as girls begin to go missing or show up dead. Could an serial kill have returned? Soon strange things start to happen as past and present collide. Will the men in Caroline and Lila's lives believe them? Overall DeMeester has written a really sharp novel critiquing many ways women are disbelieved, dismissed, belittled, objectified, and otherwise marginalized in society. The book explores the impact of patriarchy, generational trauma, and systemic inequality (with particular attention to gender and sexual orientation). DeMeester's themes are crystal clear and she has composed so many scenes that had me squirming, cringing and really just absolutely horrified. The power of this book is in the truth it reveals. With that said, I think it could be argued that the plot was secondary to the themes at times. It seemed like it took awhile for the plot to really get going, and there were times where it seemed like a lot of information or time was explained to the reader. Finally, I found the narrative nature of the antagonist to be slightly opaque. This character seemed more firmly rooted in symbolism than in the world building of the story. Still, DeMeester did such an amazing job writing about the marginalization of women and did so through some really viscerally impactful scenes. The events of the plot are compelling, even if the book wasn't as clear and as consistently action oriented as I might have wished. I would definitely recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️