She’s Too Pretty to Burn is a thriller inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray. It follows two girls, Mick and Veronica, who fall in love. Veronica is a photographer and Mick is the shy girl who becomes Veronica’s muse.

At first I thought this story was going to be a cute and lighthearted romance story about Mick and Veronica falling in love and having some sort of misunderstanding. The story; however, pleasantly surprised me when there was a thriller/murder mystery aspect thrown in. The story is told from both Veronica and Mick’s perspectives with alternating chapters, and I loved how each character’s perspective was written in their own voice. The last third of the book had me at the edge of my seat and devouring every word to find out what was really happening.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

She's Too Pretty to Burn is a slow burn mystery. I thought I was reading a causal contemporary novel for the longest time. I was really loving all of the characters and expecting some amazing growth from all of them. Then, with a tiny strike of a match, this novel turned into a sinister mystery. Once I realized the nature of the novel, the ending was easy to predict.

Minor spoiler ahead! The reason why this book ended up being a 3 star read for me was that I was so disappointed by the fact this was another story about a man terrorizing and trying to murder women. I thought I was going to be reading about two young girls trying to figure out who they are and also navigating first love. Once the twist came and I realized this was now about the girls running away from a man intent on murdering and manipulating them, I just fell out of the story. I don't think there's anything wrong with telling this kind of mystery, we all know this kind of crime exists and makes for good storytelling. But with the first 40% of the book, I was set up to think this was a casual first love story. The story became less about the two girls falling in love and trying to navigate their tough choices and more about why the man wanted to torture and kill them. I think if the tension and mystery started earlier, I would have been a lot happier with the read.

That being said, I did love Mick and Veronica. I thought that their main issue, being a photographer and someone who hates their picture being taken, was so interesting. I thought that both were going to have an amazing resolution, but again this main issue mainly was overshadowed by the murderous man (which I find to be much less interesting).

Fun and straight up excellent YA thriller. Also I was thrilled that it isn't complicated in terms of homophobia! The main characters relationship is just normal young love and we focus instead on the main hurdles Mick's mental issues, the girls relationship, Nico, and the murder. Very good fast paced and thrilling.

Felt very authentic southern California vibes from this, and it was nice for once to have an author nail that instead of someone's impression of what its like to group in southern California. Its a perfect thriller, and I would read anything this author puts out next.

Talk about CREEPY! She’s Too Pretty to Burn really lives up to the psychothriller title!

I personally love to think about art ethics. So even without any death and whirlwind fame and romance, I would’ve been thrilled (wink) to read this. But art ethics with a healthy dosing of the things listed above? Phew! I read this so fast.

The book starts strong and then you are hit with some back to back to back bad decision making that spirals all the way down to the climax. I read this right after another book full of bad decisions so I balked a little when the first one happened in here but these bad decisions happen for a reason! The reason is that sometimes people suck, but a reason nonetheless.

I had a bunch of guesses in my notes while I was reading, and while I got close on all of them, none were quite correct. I came in to this book with no expectations (except gorgeous cover, hello) so it was a really nice surprise to get such a twisted and kinda philosophical book.

I won’t say much about the killer but oh boy.

CW: discussion of death, dead bodies, assault (non-sexual), manipulation, threat of violence to queer characters (unrelated to queerness), injury in isolation and the wilderness

Also, this book has an open ending (think Sadie not in like, events that happen, but in having an open ending) if that bothers you, I wouldn’t recommend this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC I was given in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is another one where I wish on the educator option I could say maybe. Maybe I’ll use this in class. Either way, I’ll definitely recommend my students read it. One thing I like about this book is that it breaks down the phenomenon that happens to most teens (even if not on such a grand scale) where they feel like they are sucked into something against their own will or without realizing how it happened, but it’s also very clear that being sucked in doesn’t mean you’re a victim. I also liked the story and how fast it moved.

I didn’t really love the characters. Nico went bad too quickly, Veronica was kind of sacrifices to the gods of bad luck, and Mick.... like why was everyone obsessed with her? Because she was pretty? I don’t even feel like I got a sense of that beauty. So, on the one hand, I liked the pacing, otoh, I feel like there was a lack of development.

I'm pretty much never one to read YA thrillers because there's usually too much "girl hate" in it - but She's Too Pretty to Burn is like, the opposite and wasn't a bad read at all. There's romance, murder, and thrills, obviously, and it's done in a way that is easy to read while also being exciting at every turn. Though I had some glaring problems with the main couple - mostly about how they seemed to just use each other for their own purposes - the ending redeemed the two girls and it was kind of sweet... besides the circumstances surrounding the climax that makes the whole scene pretty depressing. Also, the antagonist was pretty unexpected and an interesting character - I say this while still hating them, mind you.

If you're not convinced, just know that neither girl dies in the end. It's so refreshing, especially when lesbians always needlessly die in books!

"What a waste that would have been. You're too pretty to burn."

I admired what this book was trying to do. It is loosely based on one of my favorite books, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and it is a thriller centered around a sapphic romance in the art scene. Sounds amazing! I'm all in!

The first 60% of this book was pretty boring for me which is why it took so long for me to read. It did reach a point where I got excited but then quickly became boring afterward and picked up a little at the very end.

The writing was not as beautiful as I expected. It wasn't bad, it was fine but if you compare a book to The Picture of Dorian Gray you can't blame me for expecting the writing to be almost as lush as the writing in that book.

As a queer human, it was nice seeing other queer humans in a YA book, especially queer women, that aren't being fetishized. I appreciated the commentary on sexism, homophobia, and just toxic men in general.

As I said earlier, the ending was something I enjoyed but did not make up for the lack of enjoyment I felt during the rest of the book. I overall liked what this book had to say but I felt that the summary made me have elevated expectations for what the story would be.

3/5

I had been seeing this book everywhere and for good reason! This book was everything I wanted it to be, and more! Heard did a fantastic job and I am so glad I was able to read this!

I want to preface this by saying I've never read The Picture of Dorian Gray so I can't say if this a good retelling or not. With that being said, I found She's Too Pretty too Burn to be just OK.

Wendy Heard has a way of writing that sucks you in even if the plot feels all over the place. I felt like there was a lot of major events that happened but never any time for the characters to sit and think about what they did it just went into another event. I didn't like any of the characters. I understand the author had put Mick and Veronica in this toxic relationship but it didn't feel believable. It all just felt forced and rushed.

2/5 stars for me on this one
Although this wasn't my favorite I would still check out books from Wendy Heard in the future

This was a fast-paced, twisty thriller-romance combo that I think will appeal to fans of Kit Frick or Courtney Summers. I really didn't see where things were going from beginning to end and was kept on the edge of my seat! Would definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

***received ARC from netgalley***

Once I got about a quarter of the way into this book the action really picked up and I stayed up to finish reading it. It's a fast and easy read split up into alternating POV each chapter. I was disappointed in the ending. After Nico tried to kill Veronica and Mick, there were no repercussions for him. He disappeared and got away with it and continued to cause destruction. Mick's relationship with her mom was left unresolved. I just came away wanting more.

Holy crap, I started this book about 4 hours ago and finished it without ever putting it down. The beginning of this book starts off kind of like a contemporary LGBT romance book but then quickly turns into a perfect murder mystery. This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish!

I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via NetGalley

She’s Too Pretty to Burn is a young adult/new adult drama. It follows Veronica and Mick as they meet, begin dating, and go on adventures together. This was a very well written book, and I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were, in my opinion, almost wholly unlikable. I wanted to shake them and tell them to make better decisions- that’s how you know that the author is skilled at writing teenagers. It was a good read though, and I found myself wondering what happened to the characters after the last page.

This book will have you hanging on the edge of a cliff.
WOW! Such a thrilling book. Probably the best book I've read in 2020.
Thank you NetGalley, Publisher and Author.

In her sapphic reimaging of 'A Picture of Dorian Gray', Wendy Heard crafts a passionate story of love, art, and life with her realistic characters and a plot that will thrill and chill you to the very end!

(3++ stars! Rounded up)
Setting is San Diego: Best friends Veronica and Nico are into art.
Veronica loves photography, she uses a camera with film (really not a digital camera) additionally has a darkroom to develops her photographs. Nico well Nico does environmentally themed installations. However, it is more chaotic performance art, which many are on the illegal side. (He is truly a unique person)

Veronica meets shy Mick at a party and hit it off. Mick is not comfortable in front of the camera but Veronica convinces her that she can become more comfortable with practice. Veronica tricks her to pose by saying there is no film in the camera. Veronica captures what she believes is the shot she has been waiting for; hence the connection to “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.
They develop a relationship and are falling in love. And now Veronica and Nico pull Mick into their dangerous art world!

Hmmm next part of the story to me was blah blah and I almost DNF

Then Yikes! What is happening? I like these characters ~ how did I miss what was really going on?
I was reading the last 1/3 of the story so fast I was getting afraid of a whiplash. In fact, this story kept me awake last night! I had to reread parts of it this morning to make sure I “got it” before writing down my thoughts.

Story is told from the POV of Mika and Veronica and then Nico steps in!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing ~ Henry Holt and Co (BYR) for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 30, 2021

She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard--Oh my gosh! I can't wait to out this into the hands of my students!! I couldn't put it down.
Mick is a beautiful introvert who would rather stay at home than join the mother/daughter photoshoot her model mom insists they do, after all, they desperately need the money. Victoria is a budding photographer who feels she can captures Mick's raw beauty..and possibly her heart. And then there's Nico, Victoria's best friend and talented artist who will stop at nothing to make his art perfect.
When Victoria and Mick meet, they feel they have found what they have been looking for. Nico even invites Mick to come with them to his latest art installation, a top secret project geared to make those who make the rules about our environment stand up and take notice. As the art projects progress, so does the level of danger. What was initially freeing for Mick may be a deeper hole for her to try to escape.
Wonderfully written: well-paced with a great storyline.
Comes out March 30, 2021. #shestooprettytoburn #wendyheard #netgalley

Other than the fast-paced aspect, the writing style just wasn't for me. It was kind of hard to follow and the scenes didn't really connect. I hated the characters. I think the point was that they're supposed to be unlikable and that they have a horrible and toxic relationship, but they were also boring. I've seen some people say that it's not like The Picture of Dorian Gray at all, but I wasn't expecting it to be a direct retelling, and I think it's pretty obvious how this book draws inspiration from it.

this book was good, different than many others i have read, it explores ideas of art used to heal and to harm, to revott. it explores love and self acceptance, risk taking, truth telling. it leaves us with an open ended, possibly a second book exploring these characters

So...okay once I finished this book, I felt like I had emerged from a fever dream. The writing is hypnotic, and the plot will keep you turning the pages. The characters are awful people, their actions have little personal consequence, and the storyline goes to some real dark places. Did I like this book? I still don't know, but I can't stop thinking about it.

This story is not a retelling of Dorian Gray, but I can see how it's inspired by the famous Oscar Wilde story. Some parts are pretty out there, and Nico's obsession doesn't really make any sense to me, but there were some pretty suspenseful scenes once the story got going. The relationship between Mick and Veronica is so unhealthy it made me nauseous sometimes. There is so much manipulation, lack of consent, and disregard for boundaries that I found their relationship more obsessive rather than romantic. The level of obsessiveness, however, makes me think Heard crafted these characters like this on purpose, and it definitely contributes to the all-around wild, hazy vibes I got while reading this book.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a fast-paced, out-there thriller with morally ambiguous characters. It's marketed as YA, but I'd say it's a good fit for older YA readers.