I read a NetGalley reviewer say, “I have nothing nice to say, and yet I still enjoyed it.” And this is exactly how I’m feeling about it right now.

I’m so used to a “kill your darlings” type of book, but this almost feels like “explain your darlings.” There were moments where the trauma and characters made sense; take Mick’s turn around to arson after the boy drowns. This action makes sense, as her setting a fire to be under control of something after she majorly lost control seems psychologically correct. But everything beyond that seemed to have little explanation, and when they did come, they were a sentence or two that just didn’t hold the suspension of disbelief that the issue was resolved/explained. The issue of disbelief comes into larger contexts. Take the pictures, for example. I just wasn’t entirely convinced of Mick’s complete phobia for images; Mick’s total captivation for a girl she had just met convincing her to take a photo just mere hours after the initial fight with her mom? It was my first red flag, and there were so many to come. Especially the ending--the ultimate slap in the face for all the things I had just endured.

The characters and the plot are interesting enough to keep you reading, but they are so drastically underdeveloped. There is so much background to Mick’s relationship with her family that we don’t get, meaning I don’t have much emotional attachment to how things work out with her mom. The love came so quickly, and while I loved the immediate spark between the two, it seemed too fast that they had begun dating. I’m not one for a slow book with a lot of buildup, but this book had nearly none.

And in the end, everything centered on this political plot that didn’t even make entire sense. Beyond that, the blatant irony and “trickster” of Nico’s name… that was too much.

After all of this rambling, you may think I didn’t like the book, but that’s not entirely true. I found it entertaining enough that I put aside my main read to finish it. This author has so much potential with her storytelling, this just needed maybe one more draft.

TL: DR- While the book has much potential, the overall execution falls flat. It’s entertaining enough, but don’t set your expectations too high. Do I regret putting this on my wish list? No. Is it a good time? Yes. Is it a memorable time? Not so much.

Have you ever read a book and thought “I have very few nice things to say about this…yet I still enjoyed it?”

Mick is a shy, lonely, high school senior with family problems who can’t wait to get away to college. Veronica is an artsy, passionate young photographer in search of inspiration for her final school project. When the two collide, they find everything they were looking for, and so much more. But, when an environmental art installation they are involved in turns destructive, the two must unravel the mystery and fight to stay together.

Clearly, I have very mixed feelings, so lets break it down.

The good: The writing was pretty fast-paced. I hate when things are too bogged down with detail, and this book really moved, while still putting readers in the scene. I was compelled to keep reading, and even though I had a lot of other problems with the story, I somehow liked the journey. For me, even if I don’t appreciate the finer parts of the book, if I’m entertained, I’m pretty happy.

The not so good: Let me start by saying the only likable character is Veronica’s mom, and she’s got a pretty small role. Veronica keeps pushing Mick to get what she wants, Mick inevitably gets mad, and then Veronica realizes what a bad girlfriend she’s being. Over. And over. And over. Mick doesn’t trust Veronica and continuously lies to her, as well as makes really dumb decisions repeatedly. And Nico is, well, Nico (I mean the man killed a chicken to encase it in silver, that set off some alarms). My big problem is that NONE OF THEM LEARN. You would think after the first 5 stupid decisions there would be some growth, but no.

Mick and Veronica were also very insta love-y, which I’m never a fan of. It didn’t seem like there was enough between them to start the romance, never mind keep it going after so many lies and deceits.

Finally, the murder mystery part itself just seemed really far-fetched. The culprit’s character went 0-100 real fast, and I didn’t quite buy their reasoning/backstory for all of it. On the one hand everything felt a bit juvenile, and on the other the characters should not have been able to pull of what they did.

Despite its flaws, it was very original and I was invested until the end. Also, those last few lines are a 10/10. If you want a kinda cute, if unrealistic sapphic romance-murder mystery, I’d say this is a good book for you. Just don’t think too hard on it.

3ish/5 stars
Pacing: medium-fast
Intended audience: YA
Content warnings: murder

This definitely was not the book that I expected and I was pleasantly surprised. The twists were actually twists, there was horror that seemed, while not overly gory, still horrifying.

She’s Too Pretty to Burn tackles art, obsession, family and the consequences of poor and irresponsible parenting, photography, environmental terrorism, friendship, and the tangled lines of fear, excitement, fun and danger. This turned out not exactly what I expected it to be. This was somehow underwhelming. It was conflicting. I overall still enjoyed it, but I also didn't like some things.

I love how the book explores art. I also like that the characters are complex. I like Heard’s writing. I was engrossed, I was kept interested about what was going to happen next from the beginning until the end. The book has a good amount of surprise and thrilling and creepy moments.

I found some things at the beginning unconvincing and uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable with how Veron talked about Mick’s body especially at the start and find many of the things that happened in the beginning of their relationship to be unjustifiable. Some plot points were also predictable and there were instances when I almost forgot that this is a thriller because I couldn’t really feel it. I was shocked by the ending but cannot say that I am fully satisfied either. I feel like there are many missing pieces that are not beneficial to the story—especially to a certain character’s narrative, but would have been beneficial if they were included instead. If there will be a sequel that would have made more sense to me and can probably make me enjoy this story more.

This book is an intense ride from the very beginning. The writing is clearly well thought out and purposeful which I always respect but especially in YA because it shows respect for the audience from the author as well as for their work. This one should be in all libraries that serve teens!

I loved the premise of it, but felt that the execution had a little more to be desired. I just really think that the Doian Grey inspiration shone through in the very best of ways.

Fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. Good story line and I think people are gonna love it. I would definitely read again and recommend

Great story and loved the slight romance. Really enjoyed the characters and how the plot moved and how the characters changed throughout the book. I would read this author again.

This was a weird book. Not gonna lie, I had a hard time there at the beginning trying to differentiate between the two perspectives. It started off extremely slow without much development and then once the fire happened things started getting weird . . . dark.

But once the fire happened, *whoa*.

The only way I can describe this book is it felt like watching Pretty Little Liars where someone does something stupid, makes a bad decision, and the whole time I'm screaming at them to do the right, responsible thing and call the police or get their parents involved, but they just keep digging a deeper and deeper hole and they get caught up in their lies until someone or multiple someones ends up dead.

What psyched me out the most was the ending.

I feel very unsatisfied, but also haunted?

I will say Wendy Heard has set up a stellar sequel that I'm sure is gonna be pretty dark. IDK if I'll read it. This book was just a bit too dark and weird for my taste. However, the writing was atmospheric and compelling and for that it gets 3/5 stars.

While the pacing was initially awkward and the dialogue had issues throughout the text, She's Too Pretty to Burn turned out to be a solid YA thriller installment. The cover itself is gorgeous, and the last paragraph, especially the last sentence, was fantastic. I'd say this skews toward slightly younger teens, but still enjoyable for older audiences.

Heard paints a mesmerizing portrait of love and betrayal amidst a slow-burn thriller… and once the murders begin, it’s impossible to look away.

Okay so I don't want to say to much about this book cause I think its best to go in blind but just know you are in for a wild ride! This reimagining of the classic "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is absolutely phenomenal both as a reimagining or as a great thriller in its own right! I loved that this was the first time I have seen a Dorian Gray story keep the LGBTQ+ vibe as well. This book really is a fast passed ride though an amazing thriller. This is deffinatly on the list of best books of the year!

There I was, just reading along, minding my own business and then it was 4am and I had finished this book. SHE'S TOO PRETTY TO BURN is a scorching YA thriller that dances on the edge of dangerous, and I loved every minute. Wendy Heard paints a dark picture of San Diego centered around Veronica, a photographer, and the girl of her dreams, the introverted Mick who just so happens to have a fear of having her photo taken. When they help out Veronica's best friend Nico with a rebellious experiential art performance that goes horribly wrong, they'll find out just how far they'll go for one another.

I really loved it all. The bad decisions, the dangerous political art, the shitty parent, and the awesome parent too. I found myself yelling at this book a lot because of terrible decisions the characters made which, for a psychological thriller, is exactly what I like. The pacing kept me reading through the night worrying for these kids, so for that alone I give this book 5 stars.

While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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BRB hiding from my netgalley dashboard. I promise that in the new year I will be better and reading and reviewing my titles, because it is such a wonderful opportunity that I shouldn’t be taking advantage of.🥲
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She’s Too Pretty To Burn follows three teenagers. First we have Veronica, a photographer, who is desperately trying to find inspiration for her art. Next is Nico, Veronica’s best friend, who is obsessed with chaotic art, leading danger to follow him closely. And finally, Mick. The outlier. When she begins hanging around the two, it’s clear her and Veronica are perfect for one another, both pulling one another out of their slumps. But soon into their blissful romance, things start to go into madness, beginning with two murders, slowly escalating into more. Will they be able to survive this crazy summer?😨
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The book description says ‘perfect for fans of E Lockhart,’ and I can’t disagree, since well, everything I hated about this, I also hated in Lockhart’s thrillers. I will give this book some credit, it did try, as well as it was awesome that there was LGBT rep, but that’s the thing. I think the author tried to do TOO much. So much that it made me disconnect from not only the characters, but also the plot as a whole. Maybe if the author decided to hone in on one particular aspect, either the mystery or the romance, I would’ve enjoyed it much more. I’m so sad this was a miss for me, as the cover is STUNNING.😔
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What’s the last book you read where the author tried to do too much? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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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!