Phew! This Dorian Gray retelling was an absolute doozy. Dark, twisty, lush. An absolute page-turner with a plump red LGBTQ rep cherry on top. I love the fresh take on such a deliciously dark classic. The messiness and drama oozing off the pages was so palpable and intense. I enjoyed this very, very much.

5 out of 5 stars

This book felt rushed and the ending felt like it happened too quickly without the proper setup. However, I loved the main character Mick and felt that she was the most fleshed out of all the characters.

This was very twisty and dark and I loved every minute of it. I'm not usually a thriller reader, but Wendy Heard might have converted me!

This was a great mystery with a LGBTQ spin. This is such a refreshing YA novel that should be put on reading lists for years to come.

You have to be good and think "I can write Dorian Gray in my way," and this author made this. Wendy Heard put this gem in the world and everyone who likes a perfect thriller should read.

(actual rating: 1.5/5)

This book was just not it, man.

She's Too Pretty to Burn follows Veronica and Mick after they meet at a party and spontaneously fall in love. Unfortunately, I'm not joking when I say this. The pair meet once (1) before wildly falling head-over-heels in love with one another. Mostly, the book is about Veronica and Mick's unhealthy relationship amidst ongoing art rebellions led by their friend Nico, but towards the end, things change drastically, leading to the only part of the book I actually liked.

Regrettably, much of the book is focused on Veronica and Mick's relationship, like I said earlier. The first problem here is that their relationship is born of insta-love - so extreme that I'm pretty sure they were confessing their undying love for one another by page 20. The second and, quite frankly more serious, issue is the toxic relationship that the two share being passed off as some semblance of healthy.

See, the issue is that Mick dislikes having her picture taken, but Veronica, seeing her as the perfect model, repeatedly lies to her and manipulates her to take her pictures for her own ends. Now I'm not saying that this sort of relationship can't be written about in books - if anything, it should, because it certainly exists in real life. My problem with Mick and Veronica's relationship is that it was never really discussed in any way, never properly addressed. Mick just sort of normalized it and internalized it, while Veronica kept apologizing for lying but also kept repeating it?? Even after Mick was clearly uncomfortable with what was going on???

Nothing interesting or vaguely thriller-like happens for almost 80% of the book, making for a relatively boring read, until the reveal of a certain character's real personality. If we're all being honest here, it wasn't very surprising. I mean, the fact that I of all people guessed it?? That in and of itself should tell you something. Still, this character was just about the only thing that made this book interesting.

There were also quite many unbelievable aspects thrown into the book, and I'm not just saying this about the "thriller" parts of the book. There were certain scenes that just didn't feel like they would happen in real life, despite this being a contemporary novel. This, of course, isn't to mention all of the inescapable ✨cringey✨ dialogue plaguing the book and covered up as romance.

The ending was alright; again, one of the only appealing aspects of this book. But I got the feeling that something was missing, and the conclusion felt more than a bit incomplete to me. The ending was definitely not worth suffering through so much of the book, especially for such a lackluster one.

Overall, I'm extremely disappointed with just how bad this book was. There was no compelling character. relationship, or thriller component to the book, and suffice it to say, the synopsis had already left my expectations sky-high. I would probably warn people away from this book if I ever chose to talk about it at all.

<i>Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This book won't be for everyone, but it sure was for me. It's messy, confusing, and bends morality in all the wrong (or right?) ways. If you love chaotic, imperfect, angry queer girls, you'll love <i>She's Too Pretty to Burn</i>. I know that YA thriller/mystery gets a bad rap for being cliche, predictable, and anticlimactic, but I personally enjoyed the way the events unfolded. This book is best for those who aren't afraid of a bit of escalation.

3.5 stars
This book was okay. I haven't read Dorian Gray so I couldn't compare or see where the inspiration came from. However, I enjoyed the Sapphic relationship and the thriller aspect. I listened to the audiobook of this and I'm pretty sure I audibly gasped when after 95% of the book I heard a male voice take over. I thought that part of the story made it even creepier and I loved it. Overall, some time has past since reading this book and it hasn't really stuck with me unfortunately. Once again love the wlw rep though and would be willing to read more from Wendy Heard.

I very much enjoyed this book. And though the entire thing is good, the ending made it absolutely GREAT! I seriously lost it when I finished reading it and immediately tweeted the author.

The story is very much about secrets, trust, and compromise. It’s a whole case study in relationships - familial, platonic, romantic. But I do think it’s biggest theme is that of consequences. It’s about how one small thing can start a fire that ravages cities and ruins lives. Or how one small thing can create a lasting impact that’s good.

I will absolutely read from this author again, and I’d love to see a sequel to She’s Too Pretty to Burn.

I enjoyed this book, however I would have wanted a bit more. It was still a fun, quick, and entertaining read.

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

Wow, this book took me for a ride. The first third felt slow and clunky and I wasn’t sure where the plot was headed but the last 2/3 of the book were worth the wait. Mick is a 17-year-old loner with a narcissistic mother and no other family. She meets Veronica at a party and they hit it off. Veronica snaps a photo of Mick that changes the course of the next year of her life. She also introduces her to her best friend, Nico, also an artist, who recruits her to help with his disruptive installation art. This book goes slow to go fast because the ending is just a roller coaster and one of the better thrillers I’ve read recently.

This book combines genres I love and I'm now on the hunt for more books intersecting murder, mystery, and an wlw trope!

There's something so intoxicating about the writing that made me want to keep reading until I was sure Mick and Veronica were out of harms way! At many times, I found my heart racing alongside the characters and found myself urging them on--especially as the plot reached its climax. I also thought the conflict related to The Photograph™️ was nuanced enough to not be annoying with how often it was referenced.

With themes about difficult family dynamics, fulfilling your dreams, and testing the waters of a new relationship, this book has something for almost every young reader to relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this e-arc!

I wasn’t prepared for the roller coaster ride this book was going to put me on. The characters are beyond messy (some to the point of murder) and my god; I wasn’t ready for the development one of the characters went through because it was… mind boggling for me. I found the main relationship to be fairly toxic (keeping things from one another and what felt like to me using one’s words to get what they wanted and not ensuring the response was true) and I don’t know… while I wanted to know where everyone ended up and had a good experience reading this story, the ending had me uneasy (which I’m assuming is the author’s intention!) and just unsure of how to feel about the book as a whole.

5 stars! Stunning cover and what an imaginative retelling. This is definitely a twist on a classic and I can't wait to read more from this author.

I had a good time with this book. I feel that all the characters were flawed and morally grey creating an interesting and intriguing premise. It was quick to move through and I found myself frustrated with the characters and the decisions they were making, but in a good way. The twist at the ending was well done, although I found the idea that the antagonist set off alarms to so many first responders at the same time and creating that chaos a bit unbelievable.

I was so excited about this book! I am a big fan of The Picture of Dorian Gray and was intrigued to see how the story would be modernized and have a wlw couple.
Unfortunately, the story ended up falling flat for me. I guessed the twist about halfway through the book. I did not really like Mick as a love interest. Veronica did not feel well rounded and I often felt that her choices made little sense with her character.
I did find Veronica and her mother's dynamic interesting. I also loved the descriptions of the art installations.

4.5/5

The authors writting makes this book an easy and enjoyable read. Dark and twisty is how i can describe this book! Love it. This is YA thriller that will leave you wanting more!!

This just didn’t end up being a book that interested me. When I first read the premise, I was very excited and invested, but getting into it made it clear that it just wasn’t for me. Hopefully it works for others out there!

What a fantastic book! I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous cover, and I'm pleased to say the writing is just as captivating. I've never read a YA thriller quite like this one. It's a great YA thriller for adults as well -- the writing was simply great.