It’s 2019, and 13-year-old Lila Sawyer is feeling stifled at home and dealing with her romantic feelings for her best friend, Macie. Her father, Daniel, lives far away and is focused on his new marriage and the health of his newborn daughter. Her mother, Caroline, is an artist who struggles with mental health issues and parenting a teen who is demanding independence.

This has all the makings of a good, if typical, domestic drama. However, in her latest novel, SUCH A PRETTY SMILE, Kristi DeMeester has written a work of terror and threaded it through with themes of social and familial expectations, misogyny and the suppression of female power. The book blends true crime-style prose, coming-of-age concerns, elements of horror and social commentary for a page-turner with some great reveals and a controlled but growing sense of dread as the story progresses and unfolds.

"SUCH A PRETTY SMILE is built on a compelling premise and a set of thought-provoking ideas. It is thoughtful, psychologically chilling, and a confrontational examination of patriarchy and its various violences."

Lila’s simmering anger at her parents and her intense sexual feelings for her best friend coincide with the murders of two young girls in her area. The crimes make Caroline hesitate to grant her the freedoms for which she is asking. If Caroline knew just what was going on in Lila’s head, she’d be even more concerned. In addition to Lila’s teenage rule-breaking, she has been hearing things, thinking violent thoughts and losing track of time. If Caroline knew all that was happening with Lila, perhaps she could share that many of the same things had happened to her before Lila was born. The stress of the recent murders and the strain of her relationship with Lila is impacting Caroline greatly. When Lila finds a sculpture that Caroline made years ago, Caroline’s traumatic and buried past begins to resurface. As Lila rushes toward a deadly encounter, Caroline mines her memories for what she lost, hoping it can save her daughter.

As a young adult in New Orleans, building a life with Daniel and establishing herself as an artist, Caroline was also giving art lessons to a teenager named Beth. Like Lila eventually will, Beth grows increasingly detached and troubled. Her unhappiness and isolation prompted Caroline to plan a trip to a local amusement park. Despite a series of bizarre incidents, the plans solidify. Once at Jazzland, Caroline’s past and future collide. This will be the place where Lila also finds herself, drawn by a mysterious and powerful figure who preys on girls and robs them of power. What happens to girls at Jazzland? Who is the monstrous figure that calls to Lila, Beth, Caroline and other girls? And what happens to those who answer the call?

DeMeester flashes between Lila and Caroline’s current perspectives and that of Caroline years ago, when she was still in the dark about the childhood experience she suppressed and trying to understand Beth’s struggles. The terrible crime she survived links Caroline to Beth and eventually to her own daughter. But can she come to understand enough about the event that shaped her to save Lila now?

SUCH A PRETTY SMILE is built on a compelling premise and a set of thought-provoking ideas. It is thoughtful, psychologically chilling, and a confrontational examination of patriarchy and its various violences. Some rough edges needed smoothing to get DeMeester’s points across, but overall this is a smart and original outing.