let's ignore that it took me literal years to get around to reading this ARC that i was super excited for...

i definitely understand a lot of the negative reviews about this book but i absolutely devoured this. this book is a rollercoaster that i thoroughly enjoyed.
i can't really comment on the "inspired by the picture of dorian gray" aspect of this because i haven't read the classic but i know that i do want to read it now lol.

let's start by acknowledging that the romance in this is toxic and absolutely not an example of a healthy sapphic romance. the MC and the LI fall hard and fast and there's a lot of red flags in the relationship that kind of get brushed over by the characters because they're "in love". but honestly, these kinds of relationships happen in real life and happen in media with heterosexual couples so let the sapphics have it. these girls are young and naive and neither have been raised seeing examples of a healthy relationship so is it really that unrealistic? i don't think so

ANYWAY what i loved most about this book was Wendy Heard's writing style, especially when the plot started to pick up and the thriller aspect of this book came to life. it's hard to talk more about it without involving spoilers but the situation with nico was so well done and i just appreciate that it never became a love triangle.

i haven't read a book like this in a long time and really all i have to say is "wow".

This book did not work out for me at all. I didn't understand what was happening half the time and it was too weird for my tastes. I didn't find much to like about it.

This book is trying to be more than just a standard thriller. It digs into character more. The problem is, the characters remain sort of flat. They don't have much arc. And there's still a sadistic, genius killer who evades police. It's trying to talk about consent and art and obsession. But I found it more irritating than intriguing.

This was a super intense read. I loved the mystery aspects almost as much as I loved the main characters. Their story was fun to read but it was also full of suspense and I found myself wanting to read it all in one sitting! I would highly recommend this one.

First of all, this cover is amazing. It drew me in from the start, and I think that it lives up to the ideals around art and photography and images in the book. It's always nice where this overlap exists. While I didn't love the book from page one, it did deliver on being a gripping thriller that was full of twists and turns that will hold your attention. I find I can never put down books with a thriller edge. I'm not familiar with A Portrait of Dorian Grey though, so I can't comment on it being a retelling. I do like that it plays on that popular trend of retellings but picks a book I've never seen re-explored in that way.

This fever dream of a book is all about who to trust. I loved the twists right up until the last page and this book made me seek out Wendy’s other books, which are just as twisty and thrilling.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I think this book was super cute and a very easy read!

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I really enjoyed the read. But there were points where I was bored.

So, first, the characters. I thought they were really well written. They each had something driving them and flaws they needed to overcome. I really enjoyed all three of the main characters.

The story itself was interesting, and the writing was great. Honestly, the writing itself is what kept me hooked. It made even the slow parts of the book somewhat interesting. It really sucks you into the story.

The pacing is what got me. I’d say 80% of the bill is pretty slow. The last 20% is really fast paced with a lot of stuff happening. But for the first 80%, it read more like a contemporary fiction novel than a thriller.

Overall, I think the book was good. I read it in about a day, so it’s a quick read. The ending was definitely interesting, and I sped through the end.

I love this book super fast pasted thriller you won't want to put it down. I love the characters I live the story and if you're looking for a good quick book this is it

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

She's Too Pretty to Burn feels more inspired by Fight Club than it does Dorian Gray. It begins with Mick, a girl with a phobia of having her photograph taken--a phobia that is never really explained. She meets Veronica, a charismatic teenage photographer, who sweeps her off her feet at a party and convinces her to let her take her "photo" with her filmless camera to help ease her into getting her actual photograph taken. But Veronica is actually lying--there's film in that camera, and the resulting photograph sends both girls catapulting into viral fame after Veronica puts it on Instagram. The photograph also intrigues Veronica's best friend, Nico, who regards Mick as his muse central to his environmental performance art installations, which are mostly comprised of vandalism and some light attempted murder. When the performance art starts getting more intense, both girls are drawn into an act neither wants to be in, and must fight to survive.

There's a lot about She's Too Pretty to Burn that doesn't really sit well with me, the first being the relationship between Veronica and Mick. It's sudden and toxic, with Veronica casually steamrolling Mick's boundaries over and over and Mick going back and forth on whether she's okay with Veronica doing these things. There are no consequences for Veronica, so every time she thinks to herself that she might be in the wrong she just...keeps doing those things she thinks might be wrong and the narrative kind of shrugs in response. Then there's the thriller component, which starts rather suddenly after some hijinks with the performance artists. I wasn't sure what to make of this since there's not a whole lot of groundwork on the why. Clearly it's obsession, but the theme doesn't seem to translate well across the book and how it applies to Veronica's obsession with Mick in the same way as Nico. It just sort of peters out while also feeling like it just keeps inching along at the end, not sure where it wants to quit.

I did find the book compulsively readable, and that was enjoyable. I think I just wanted more thriller and more interrogation of the obsession that goes into toxic romances. An opportunity was missed here.

I thought this book was good. This book really showcased some of the toxic things teenagers might go through when coming of age. I would have appreciated a more positive twist, but overall a great take on Dorian Gray.

Welcome Back!

My reading mood has been so scattered lately. I have been going from wanting to read mystery/thriller books to something contemporary. I have a nice range of books in my current nightstand stack but I was scrolling through Hoopla and just looking at what audiobooks might be out there when I came upon She’s Too Pretty to Burn. I do have this book on my shelves and had been planning to read it at some point but when I saw it I thought why not, this cover is giving me all the vibes I would want in a read right now.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Veronica is a teenage photographer living with her very caring, understanding, and artistic mother! Veronica is also kind of married to her best guy friend. See they went to Vegas once and got married using fake IDs. But one day when Veronica meets Mick, she knows that this is her dream girl. The three start to hang out a lot and Mick starts to help with the art installations that Veronica’s husband not husband is doing. What Mick does not know is that these installations are kind of radical protests. As things pick up the police are looking for the people from the installations and things get even more heated when one installation might not go quite as perfect as planned.

I went into this read kind of blind. I remember reading about it when I picked it up and thought it sounded interesting but I have not since read a summary of the plot. The plot was interesting from the start with Veronica’s unique situation of being married not married and Mick’s home situation. Additionally, things heat up quickly with the art installations. I have to say I really loved Veronica’s mom and just wanted to give her a massive hug at many points throughout the book. By the end of the book I did get a few You vibes, but in a good way (as I really love that story)! The narrator did an amazing job when switching perspectives and bringing an eerie tone about. I do not think there is a sequel o this book but I would definitely give it a try if there was!

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

This was a wild ride. I felt that a lot of YA thriller books have just been bland and not going where but this book proved me wrong. Always a good high school murder where you don’t know who did it and when you find out? Completely and underlying shook!

This was a slow building up to everything going downhill for these characters FAST. I could not stop reading after I hit the 60% mark. She’s Too Pretty to Burn was a gripping, thrilling read and a WILD ride.

I really liked all of these characters, the different motivations they had, the way their similarities played out in completely different way. This was a great study in art, ambition, and how sometimes those things escalate in real bad ways.

I’m not usually a fan of introducing new POVs part way through the book but the Nico chapters were so well done and perfectly placed to build up tension after everything seemed to calm down. AND THE LAST LINE??? I full on gasped when I realized that was the end.

I would like to thank Wendy heard and company for allowing me to review this novel early. Unfortunately, I did not love his book as much as I had anticipated. White the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading, I felt like it was rushed in a way that I could connect with the characters enough. sadly, I think I have reached the end of my Young adult interest. I will still recommend this novel, as it may be another's cup of tea

#She's Too Pretty to Burn was inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray. By #Wendy Heard this is a wonderful psychological thriller. About two girls and a summer that explores danger, love, and power......
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Wendy Heard, and # Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read to & review an ARC of this book!**

Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Things I Liked:
-I liked the focus on the art scene and the focus on environmentalism.
-I enjoyed the two main characters on their own.
-I think the stalker concept had the ability to be really interesting in the story.

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-The plot seems very disjointed to me.
-I wish the stalker aspect had been explored more in this novel (we only heard from Nico's POV toward the end).
-Mic's mom is a jerk.

Overall, I gave this book 3 stars.

A retelling of the Picture of Dorian Grey? Sign me up!! This book was unique and loved how it incorporated the elements of the retelling! Thanks for the eARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.