This sounded interesting but was disappointing (and frustrating). I didn’t like the forced plotting, stale dialogue, and heavy-handed moralizing. If the synopsis sounds good to you, try it out. If we don’t share pet peeves, you may like it more than me.

 

Energy: Faux. Shady. Sanctimonious.

 

🐺 Growls: Heavy-handed explanations and flat, cringey dialogue. The writing style isn’t bad, but the lines are. Everything felt forced and tell-not-show. It was hard to believe in the character interactions (especially the romance). The pacing drags for the first half, then glosses over a bunch of reveals in a rush near the end. The characters kept re-explaining the plot.

 

🐕 Howls: All the characters sounded alike with this dreamy, oddly formal way of talking (even those not involved in the wellness group). The main character was too much of a Poor Me, popular-but-doesn’t-realize-it caricature and kept randomly changing her beliefs and motivations to fit the needs of the plot. Awkward explanations and clunky moralizing (especially at the end…this read like a middle grade book with a moral message tying too hard to seem unintentional about it). The main character kept getting in the way of the story and she’s the only perspective – I wish we got the PoV of a friend or her girlfriend.

 

Scene: South Brent, New Jersey, USA

Perspective: A private high school student on scholarship with a group of misfit friends. They are crushing hard on the popular girl, whose mother owns is a semi-famous wellness influencer/CEO and are curious about attending her youth group.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: What are Julia's intentions in inviting a classmate to her mother’s wellness party? Is the wellness youth group toxic, dangerous, or helpful? Is Frances’ crush actually crushing back? Who can she trust in her girlfriend’s group and family?

📖 Cred: Plausible to suspended disbelief

 

Victorian goth style. Dewey skin. White lace. Cushions. Parasol. Patchouli & lemon. Lymphatic drainage facials. Crystals.

 

Content Heads-Up: Adult/minor relationship, grooming (20-something with teens). Alcohol addiction (family history, parent; recovery-relapse, death). Alcohol use (underage). Cannabis use (gummy; underage). Cult. Drugging. Drug use (psychedelics). Emotional abuse. Loss of parent (as teen). Murder.

 

Rep: American. Jewish heritage. Hindi and Black peripheral characters. Cis. Lesbian. Gay. Hetero. Ghostly, dark, and tanned skin tones.

 

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Penguin Group-Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley.

 

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶