This book was a pretty good thriller. I think that in some places the pacing could have been executed because the beginning of this book seemed slow to me. That being said I finished the book in less than a day because the author really describes the world well and draws you into the story. I also just felt that the ending could have been better polished because it did end awkwardly, but it seemed intentional at the same time. This book kind of had my thoughts all over the place, but I would suggest this to someone that loves thrillers for sure.

Oh. My.
<i><u>W O W</u>

Wowowowowowowowww</I>

[opens window, opens fridge, sits in a tub filled with ice, straps on a ventilator]

Ya’ll. <I>Y’alllllllllllll</I>
What. A. Ride.

Some people will hate this.
It’s definitely very YA, there’s no denying that. I can even see sophisticated Middle Grader really devouring this. . . And yet, so did I.

Honestly, if the romance aspect had been hetero... I probably would’ve DNF’d. I find hetero romances in YA to often be tiresome tropes. And this is coming from a bi, genderqueer, cis womxn who’s in a cis hetero marriage. Lol.
The only exception to that for me was Holly Black’s <I>The Cruel Prince</I> series, which not only had a hetero romance, but a damn <i>love triangle</i>... normally dynamics I would throw a book in a dumpster fire for, but it really works in those.

<B>I digress...</b>

This book was pitched as inspired by <I>The Picture of Dorian Gray</I> and I can kiiiiinda see that, but I think I went into this expecting that exact archetype, and did scratch my head the entire way through comparing the two. It felt more <I>The Virgin Suicides</I> meets <I>You</I> to me with how dark it gets, tbh.

That last chapter? <I>Whew!</I> Goosebumps.


Despite this, I honestly ate it up. Finishing it in just about 8 hours of active reading time. It’s got great, conversational prose, clear perspective switch indicators at the beginning of each chapter, and is packed with ....

<i>A C T I O N ! ! ! !</I>

I also really appreciate that this book doesn’t take itself too seriously. I kind of dislike when YA Thrillers try to act super sophisticated and have a lot of “Gotcha!” moments. This didn’t feel that way to me and it made its twists feel so much more natural than most in its category.

It’s really exactly what I wanted to read—

✔️something light but also dark,
✔️with some atypical representation,
✔️a bit of action/mystery,
✔️and solid dialogue/prose.

<I>Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holy and Co/Macmillan Children’s Publishing, and Wendy Herd for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review</I>✨

Long-time readers of this blog will know that I absolutely adored Hannah Capin's Foul is Fair when I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Netgalley last year. I have a soft spot for sapphic contemporary retellings of classic literature and legitimately squealed with excitement when my wish was granted and I received a copy of this release as well. While I still prefer the lush lyrical prose of Capin's work, I was not disappointed by the absolute thrill ride that was this young adult thriller.

As someone who has only a passing knowledge of The Picture of Dorian Gray, the inspiration for this book, I likely got less out of the experience than an aficionado would. Similarly, somewhat jarring plot twists and third-act reveal likely felt more out of place to me than someone familiar with the original. This isn't a bad thing necessarily - I was still able to follow the plot and its direction, and it was fairly obvious who the Dorian stand-in was (Mick) which made following the somewhat jarring character changes much easier. I still am not entirely convinced by the second of our two protagonists (Veronica) and even less so by the antagonist (Nico), but Mick was compelling enough that I found myself rooting for her, even as I was somewhat baffled by the decisions she makes and the motivations for making them.

It should be perfectly clear, however, that this isn't a retelling of Dorian but a reimagining, and fans of the original expecting a shot-for-shot retelling will find themselves disappointed. Ultimately, I think this is for the best: while beloved by fans of classic literature, the substance of Dorian has found its way into pop culture less readily than Shakespeare's canon. In the end, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who loves thrillers, complex WLW romances, and the hot, sexy, slightly disgusting feeling of summer in California - or anyone just on the hunt for an utterly binge-able young adult adventure.

This is a story about a girl on the edge.. and also ecoterrorism. And 2 or 3 other things.

First I want to say that I really enjoyed reading this- I read it in one sitting & was never bored. The sapphic love story is beautiful, and although I’m not a romance person I enjoyed the first 40% of this book, which I would classify as a romance. Then it suddenly became about activism, ethics & art- which I also enjoyed! Then it became a solid thriller for the last 30%.. all of these aspects where well done, but it felt like there were at least 3 separate books happening here. I think if there writer wasn’t so blatantly talented it would’ve been a mess, but as it stands it was somehow still very good!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks Netgalley & Macmillan & Henry Holt & co for this e-ARC!

Thanks to Henry Holt & Co and Netgalley for providing me with an arc for review!

Within the blurb, this book is described as electric. It is a perfect word to describe the tension of this story. Sold as a sapphic The Picture of Dorian Gray I was definitely intrigued. I FLEW THROUGH THIS BOOK. The imagery in this felt like it would be perfect for the screen especially with all of the performance art.

I just had a really good time with this book and hope that you give it a shot (when it comes to release date, RIP)!

First off I would like to say an extra BIG THANK YOU to Wendy Heard and NetGalley for granted me this wish of reading She's Too Pretty to Burn. It was such an honor and a joy! And trust me I shouted with glee when I got it.

Synopsis:
The summer is winding down in San Diego. Veronica is bored, caustically charismatic, and uninspired in her photography. Nico is insatiable, subversive, and obsessed with chaotic performance art. They’re artists first, best friends second. But that was before Mick. Delicate, lonely, magnetic Mick: the perfect subject, and Veronica’s dream girl. The days are long and hot―full of adventure―and soon they are falling in love. Falling so hard, they never imagine what comes next. One fire. Two murders. Three drowning bodies. One suspect . . . one stalker. This is a summer they won’t survive.

Let me just start by saying WOW!
You start off with following Mick whose dream is to earn a scholarship from her swimming and move away as far as she can to be away from her aspiring model mom. Her mom is the perfect picture of everything you don't want to be as a mom for you child, so Mick is trying so hard to get away. Her best friend Liz invites her to a party so Mick can at least try to "act normal" it is there that she meets Veronica and her whole world changes. I don't want to give to much away for this book because it is definitely beyond worth reading.

This book is definitely worth 5 stars in my opinion because it gives you the drama, romance, suspense, problem solving, and of course murder! I loved how the author executed the aspect of their relationship in the sense that it wasn't perfect but it was something to work for and how it was a LGBTQIA romance as well. The ending also had me on the edge of my seat as well with the plotting, the execution with the murders and the character who was causing the distress! The ending also has me wanting more and honestly I hope that there will be a second book. When this book comes out on the publish day, I will totally go run and buy a copy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for a copy of this stunning book!*

“The earth itself is your judge and jury.”

Coined as “a sapphic, psychological thriller retelling of the “The Picture of Dorian Gray, She’s Too Pretty to Burn immediately and effectively caught my attention. Talk about seduction.

Nico and Veronica are “artists first, best friends second”. Nico is devoted to his art and Veronica is searching for her new muse. When she meets sweet and shy Mick, and it’s as if everything has clicked into place. The two girls crash together in a whirlwind romance, but nothing stays sunshine and roses for long. Soon obsession, loyalty, and desire come into play and then they have a murder on their hands.

“How is my own private human body a waste?” There are so many lines in this book that took my breath away. The relationships between these characters and the way they view themselves and the world felt authentic and raw. In She’s Too Pretty to Burn the characters are some of the best I’ve had the pleasure to read. Complicated, fierce, selfish, funny, confident. Real. They are characters that feel lovingly crafted, their hopes and dreams and flaws and fears, all cleverly thought out and presented in this fast-paced thriller.

I couldn’t put this book down, plowed through it in a day captivated by the story and characters. It’s rare a book leaves me in genuine suspense- the kind where you have to scream into your pillow and then get up and take a lap around your house. It’s the kind of book you can read again and again (and I plan to!) because it just works. Every element of this book in complimentary. The tone, the pace, and the setting all come together slightly to create a timeless read. The only issue I had with this book is that it ended.

I wanted to read this book the second I read about it, so when NetGalley gave me access to the ARC I was so excited.

It did not disappoint. So creepy, and so fascinating. I read it in less than a day. I haven’t read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I do know the basic premise and I think this “reimagining” did a wonderful job.

I immediately read this book upon being approved for an ARC, as that cover and the title are too perfect not to dive in. She's Too Pretty to Burn is a gripping, moody story about a not-so-typical teen romance between Veronica and Mick. The writing is taut, not a word out of place, and the plotting is well done. To be entirely transparent, I'm not a connoisseur of LGBTQ+ material, as much of it feels gratuitous-- created for the sake of being edgy or 'with the times', or to make some political statement. Heard's story is none of these things. It feels authentic, never making a big deal of their sexual preferences. Sure, it's mentioned, but it's not <i>the story</i>, and these characters are more than to what gender they're romantically drawn. I also love that it's about how a 'good girl goes bad', but again, it's never heavy-handed or moralistic. Only after the fact do you realize, wait, this isn't what I expected of her/him, and that's the case with every character. In the words of Shakespeare, "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

“I think hating parties is a sign of a healthy aversion to people.”
I flew through this book! I found Veronica and Mick’s relationship to be very engrossing even though both of them were insanely annoying. Basically, Veronica is a photographer and Mick has a phobia of having her picture taken? Like it’s at the point where her mother asks her to do a modelling job in order to pay rent but she refuses. And it’s a shoot showing off a HOUSE. But Veronica decides that Mick is the perfect model and lowkey coerces her into it. So that aspect of their relationship is pretty toxic, but Mick also seems overly stubborn.
Though it is pretty exciting to find out who the killer is, it isn’t really that surprising. The clues are all there, it just depends when you catch on to it. Also, the motivation of the villain isn’t fleshed out that well, and they just start seeming like a psycho eventually.
Overall, way too much of the plot depended on miscommunication and lies between characters, which doesn’t leave a lot of surprise for the reader since we have the dual pov between Veronica and Mick. The reader knows everything and it gets boring watching the characters chase down dead ends. Though the characters are interesting, their actions are extremely jarring and make them borderline unlikable.

Young adult suspense fiction is so rare! Pair it with empowering LGBT themes and dope as hell sapphic characters, you've got a winner.

She’s Too Pretty to Burn is exciting and thrilling. A story filled with young passion and so many fires. I’m left with an eery feeling as I write this.

I was incredibly excited when I saw that my wish had been granted for this book. The beautiful cover and the fact that this is a YA sapphic thriller(!!!) really got my hopes up. I really believed I was going to love this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

This book has a very interesting premise. The prologue was gripping. However, I quickly began to lose interest as the story progressed. I kept getting the two main characters, Veronica and Mick, confused. I often forgot whose point-of-view I was reading from and mixed up their backstories. They just weren’t memorable, and I never felt any attachment to them. In addition, their relationship was very insta-lovey, and I didn’t like how quickly it developed. I just didn’t think they had much chemistry.

About the writing: it was okay—pretty basic, and I personally like writing styles that are a little more flowery and descriptive.

The first third of this story flew by, but it didn’t feel like anything actually happened. It failed to keep my attention, and by the halfway mark, when the mystery finally kicked in, I simply did not care. In addition, this story would have benefited if the major events were a little more...intense? I wanted action that left my heart-pounding, a story that kept me guessing, but it didn’t deliver.

Perhaps others may find this book to be more enjoyable, but I personally wasn’t a fan.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC.

Wow, What a book.
Mick meets Veronica at a party and the adventure begins. Veronica is a photographer and she takes a pictures of Mick that ends up going viral on Instagram. Mick is a camera shy swimmer who has a complicated relationship with her mother. Veronica's friend Nico is a bit of an extreme artist with his own agenda. Soon Veronica and Mick are on a wild ride that they are not sure how it will all end when things continue to get out of control.
Overall, I thought this book was wonderful. It was a fast and easy read that had me hanging on until the very end.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Wow! After reading the last third of the book by holding my e-reader with my shaky hands, puffing, sweating, jumping up and down from my seat, I feel like I ran a marathon!

This is impressive dedication and realistic, present time reflection of Picture of Dorian Gray! It’s about the beauty, ecstatic, art, passion, forbidden love, secrets, longing for divine beauty and seeing and admiring it through the lenses of your camera.

Passion triangle around Veronica-Nico and Mick is definitely the great retelling, a new reflection of Basil-Henry-Dorian’s dysfunctional relationship patterns.

Veronica and Nico are best friends, but their passion for art, photography always comes first. Nico is controlling, manipulative just like Henry who liked to affect people’s opinions ( especially Dorian) with his impressive argumentative skills.

But Veronica is already looking for something different, bored with his husband-wife kind of routine relationship with Nico. One day her path crosses with shiny, adorable Mick. Just like Basil’s adoration to the beauty of Dorian, she gets enchanted by her magical beauty and their whirlwind, sexy, adventurous love story begins. But... they’re doomed with the tragedies. One fire... two murders... three drowning bodies.

Expect to get surprised, because there are so many foreseeable twists will blow your mind!
I’m not giving any more clues not to ruin those surprises! A very fast pacing, heart throbbing and jaw dropping adventure is waiting for you. Buckle up! Get ready!

It’s not a retelling of a legendary classic. The references and reflections of original text is such a fabulous truth and we may sense how it inspired the author’s riveting, exciting writing.

Overall: I enjoyed a lot. One of the most surprising reads of the year. Go blind and enjoy it!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co / Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Thank out to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit holy shit holy shit. What a BOOK. I was honestly worried I was losing my taste for thrillers because I haven’t read any good ones lately, but this changed my mind. Really strong 4.5, but I gotta give it 5 because no decimals, unfortunately. This book was fantastic. The only reason it’s not a full 5 is because it felt a little bit insta-love which bugged me a little, but not enough to be a big issue. These characters??? Fantastic! The plot??? Fantastic! A sapphic modern Dorian Grey-inspired thriller??? BRILLIANT AS HELL. I was so deeply connected to Mick’s story and relationship with her mom and her development, as well as Veronica and her, well, whole existence, really. This story had me hooked from the beginning all the way to the end. I’m thankful to the book gods for granting my ARC wish, this book absolutely blew me away.

Two girls' lives are changed forever as they tackle secrets and dangers around the corner. It kind of reminds me of One of Us is Lying and I love how good it was!

Electric. Vibrant. Scorching. Meticulously written. This book is going to set the YA world on fire upon its release and I can’t wait to watch it burn up the best sellers charts!

I finished this book in just a few short hours, because once I started reading it, I was mesmerized, much like seeing a fire turn from a small flicker into a raging inferno right before your eyes.

I was in a bit of a reading slump before picking up this book, but reading slump be damned because i was HOOKED. the writing in this book is so vibrant and electric. It’s like driving through the city at night with your friends, the entire night stretched out in front of you with the lights of the city alive and glowing around you, the anticipation of what’s to come next thrumming through your veins. There’s a sense of danger in the air, and it’s both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Reading about these characters was intoxicating and thrilling and I was both excited and petrified to see where they would end up.

Wendy Heard is one of the most talented new authors that I have come across recently, and her writing is some of the best that I have read in a while. Her characters were so very real and vibrant and alive, they practically thrived right off of the pages. It was so easy to lose myself in this story and the characters in it.

This book was also very unique in the sense that of all the books i’ve read (and i’ve read many) I can honestly say that i’ve never read anything quite like it. It was fresh and real and the YA market is in for a real treat in 2021 due to this book.

The relationship and love between Mick and Veronica was so sweet and it unfolded beautifully as the story progressed.

I felt the danger, the thrill, the terror, the excitement, the sorrow and love that these characters were feeling right alongside them.

This is a book about struggles. About the intoxicating thrill of adventure and danger. About love. About friendship. About relationships in all of their forms, whether it be romantic, friendly, or familial. About people’s true natures, and who they really are deep down in their core.

This book is one hell of a scorcher, and you will be missing out on something spectacular if you don’t pick this one up!!

5 out 5 fiery burning stars!!

***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of SHE’S TOO PRETTY TO BURN by Wendy Heard in exchange for my honest review.***

5 THRILLINGEST STARS (thrillingest needs to become a word because SHE’S TOO PRETTY TO BURN is such a book)

Shy awkward Mick, high school swimmer and daughter of a narcissistic mother meets and falls in love with photography phenom Veronica. V’s best friend and shadow, tagalong Nico, who has a propensity for blurring the lines between art and domestic terrorism, accepts Mick into his inner pranks-gone-wrong circle. The three dance on the edges of love, friendship and violence as people start dying.

As a fan of Wendy Heard’s adult thrillers, so when I learned she was debuting a YA novel, I was eager to read. SHE’S TOO PRETTY TO BURN is one of the best, most thrilling thrillers I’ve ever read. It’s a true thriller, not a mystery falsely advertised as such.

Heard challenged me as a reader to get past some biases I have that usually turn me off. What appeared to be Veronica and Mick’s instalove was more insta unbridled passion. The love between the young women wasn’t gentle and tender, as I’ve come to expect. Their kisses were often unexpected, abrupt and rough which reminded me of the romances Kalinda from TV’s THE GOOD WIFE. She’s a bisexual investigator whose many romances mirrored Veronica and Mick’s. A decade ago, I saw Kalinda’s romances as abusive. Mick and Veronica made me realize because it was consensual, the roughness was merely a different style than me. I can’t remember the last time a book gave me such a personal insight.

SHE’S TOO PRETTY TO BURN touched me in other personal ways. Some of the scenes between Mick and horrible mother could have been directly from scenes from my childhood with my father, almost as if Heard had been an observer. Let any reader who finds it over-the-top send me an email.

Both Veronica and Mick were complex, flawed characters. I identified more with Mick, yet understood Veronica’s artistic ambitions even though her choices wouldn’t have been mine. My favorite character was Veronica’s wonderful mom. I loved their relationship and how she was open-minded, sex-positive yet she had boundaries and appropriate anger toward bad behavior.

SHE’S TOO PRETTY TO BURN is pretty much the perfect thriller. I can’t wait to listen to the audio when it’s available.