Gorgeous Gruesome Faces

Linda Cheng

Nov 2023 · Sold by Roaring Brook Press

About this ebook

A cutthroat K-pop competition leads to a dark obsession in this twisty horror-romance, perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting

"A perfect blend of folk horror and dazzling showbiz that will grip you from page one." ―Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times-bestselling author of She is a Haunting

"The sweetest spot between horror and romance." ―Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of These Violent Delights

You’ll love them to death . . .

THEN:

Sunny Lee is on the top of the world. She’s one third of Sweet Cadence, the hottest up-and-coming teen pop group, alongside her new BFFs, Candie and Mina. The three are inseparable as they ride their way to the top of the charts, even as Candie and Sunny fight to resist the growing spark between them. But when a shocking scandal breaks, the group is suddenly torn apart. Then the unthinkable – Mina dies tragically right before Sunny and Candie’s eyes. And Sunny suspects the dark and otherworldly secrets she and Candie were keeping may have had something to do with it . . .

NOW:

For the past two years, Sunny has spent her days longing for her former life and her nights wondering just what caused Mina's death. So when she discovers that Candie is attending a new K-pop workshop right in her hometown, Sunny has no choice but to follow her there. Candie might be chasing stardom again, but Sunny is only after one thing: answers.

At the workshop, the lines between nightmare and reality start to blur as Sunny is haunted by ghostly visions and her competitors' bodies turn up bizarrely maimed and mutilated. To survive the twisted carnage, Sunny will have to expose the ugly truth behind the workshop’s spotlights and the sinister forces swirling around Candie. Stitched with cutting commentary on the ugly side of stardom and impossible beauty standards, Linda Cheng’s mind-bending thriller will have readers screaming and swooning for more.

Ratings and reviews

This novel takes the reader "behind the scenes" into the world of competitive K-Pop and all the exhaustive physical work, mental stamina, and drama these performers are subjected to personally and publicly. I enjoyed the dual time line and development of Candie's and Sunny's characters. The try-outs for the latest K-Pop sensation and elimination rounds reminded me of watching reality television shows. I really wanted to find out the answer to Mina's mysterious death.

I enjoyed this one up until the ending, where I feel like it fell flat. It didn't really go in the direction I thought it was going to go and wasn't a huge fan with how it ended.

Iam going to buy this book💜💜💜

About the author

Linda Cheng was born in Taiwan and spent her childhood moving between cultures and continents. She received her BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and worked as an art director across South Carolina and Georgia where she developed a deep love for sweet tea, grits, and Southern Gothic stories. She currently resides in Vancouver, Canada with her family. Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is her debut novel.