Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester

​   A positively mesmerizing feminist horror novel isn’t a descriptor I would normally use. And yet it seems to be the most apt one. To merely define this novel by its genre or its theme would be reductive for it glows as brightly as it does precisely because of its striking combination of both.
    It may seem like yet another one of those insanely popular estrogen driven thrillers that are so prevalent on the market right now, but it’s only kinda sorta like it, in its split narrative structure, in its serial killer themes. At its beating bleeding heart, this is very much a feminist manifesto wrapped in the skins of a serial killer thriller.
     And if manifestos aren’t your thing, because let’s face it, they are often too preachy, too heavyhanded, too moralistic, well, rest assured this novel has enough going on to offset all that. Also, to potentially terrify you.
      I’m always wary of message driven fiction, for it does tend to overwhelm the story, and so many, many kudos to the author, who got the balance so right fresh out of the gate. This is a very impressive debut all around. I’m not sure how it would have worked for general public prior to MeToo, it certainly is the book that rode it on the wave of new feminism, but now that it’s here, it’s a powerhouse.
      And it isn’t the message that won me over, potent as it is, right as it is, it’s the writing itself. Since it is, after all, a work of fiction, timely or otherwise.
      The basic plot involves a mother/daughter story, both of whom come to brush up against an unspeakable evil. The evil is male and oppressive, but its representations vary, from institutionalized to criminal, it’s ubiquitous and pervasive and it preys on the female of the species.
       This is a supernatural thriller, though the kind that toes the line between plausible and impossible so cleverly that not until the very end will you know what’s really going on. The writing’s excellent, this is very much a work of literary dark psychological fiction, it’s character driven and exciting. But the real star of the show is atmosphere, its relentless bleakness is rendered so perfectly, enough to disturb even the most seasoned of genre fans. Dark as night, it amplifies every thump, every creak, every scare. Excellent, really.
       May all ideological manifestos be dressed up as cleverly and as expertly in fiction. This was a really good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.