X-Book

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Squid Game meets Wilder Girls in this debut sapphic supernatural thriller set in the glittering, cut-throat world of K-pop rivalry. A disgraced idol comes face-to-face with the demons of her past when the competition she enters turns out to be a deadly trap.

After a shocking career-ending scandal, eighteen-year-old Sunny Lee spends her days longing for her former popstar life and cyberstalking ex-groupmate Candie. They were inseparable - before leaving tragedy and heartache in their wake. Now Candie is chasing stardom in a new K-pop competition, and Sunny can't resist joining her. Finally, they can confront their past, like what happened that horrible night their third groupmate jumped to her death. And whether the dark, otherworldly secrets they keep had something to do with it . . .
But when Sunny is haunted by terrifying visions, gory injuries start happening to competitors - followed by even stranger mutilations. It's a race to survive the deadly carnage in this spellbinding sapphic thriller that will have you screaming and swooning for more.

Critics Review

The sweetest spot between horror and romance.
Chloe Gong, #1 bestselling author of These Violent Delights
A perfect blend of folk horror and dazzling showbiz that will grip you from page one. Cheng unravels how the exquisite sweetness - and toxicity - of female friendships is both dangerous and key to survival.
Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times-bestselling author of She is a Haunting
This is the kind of horror that will haunt you - a searing portrayal of the damage of impossible beauty standards, the crushing pressure of perfection, and the cruelty of online culture. Mesmerizing, heartbreaking, and absolutely terrifying.
Marie Lu, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Legend
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a rollercoaster of a story that had me screaming at the final, stomach-dropping descent. Cheng pulls back the shiny surface of the K-pop world to reveal the darkness and terror hidden underneath. An imaginative horror for readers who enjoy books that take them on wild, unforgettable rides.
Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces goes to places I never expected. A haunting meditation on love and fame from a fresh new voice in horror.
Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times-bestselling author of The Mary Shelley Club and Lord of the Fly Fest
A darkly addicting and deliciously twisty tale of horror and romance infused with East Asian mythology and set in the dazzling world of idol competitions. Will make for a decadent addition to the YA thriller category.
Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
A glittering, gory page-turner, Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is your next obsession.
Gina Chen, New York Times-bestselling author of Violet Made of Thorns
An electrifying debut made of sweat, sparkles, and blood - and an unsettling look at the bone-crushing pressure young girls face in the world of entertainment. Cheng's debut is a chilling tale full of turns you'll never expect.
Andrew Joseph White, New York Times-bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces peels away the seemingly flawless skin of pop stardom and exposes the grisly insides of navigating an industry known to sacrifice hopes and dreams at the altar of fame. Chen delivers an unflinching look at the struggle of coming of age in the spotlight under the crushing pressure to succeed and at the same time delivers an emotional story of first love and genuine female friendships. Cinematic, gripping, and downright terrifying, this is a performance that you won't want to miss.
Liselle Sambury, author of Blood Like Magic and Blood Like Fate
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a seductive and darkly glittering exploration of the price of fame and friendship, set against the spectacle of a deadly K-pop competition.
Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is a thrill ride - but it's also so much more. If you peel back its slick and flawless skin, you'll find a nuanced portrait on fandom and idols, obsession and love, and how easily all lines can blur.
Joan He, New York Times-bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find
Author Linda Cheng
Narrator Elaine Wang
Duration 8 hours and 36 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781786542205
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hachette Children's Group
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: Horror and ghost stories, chillers, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Relationship stories – Romance, love or friendship
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.