Veronica and Nico are artists and best friends. Veronica aspires to be a famous photographer, Nico creates sculptures and political art a la Banksy to stand up for injustices. Enter Mick, a lonely, neglected young woman who wants nothing more than to belong and to hide in the background. Veronica falls for Mick, and Mick gets sucked into Nico's art web. Soon enough, bodies are turning up around Nico's art installation and Veronica and Mick must figure out what is happening before they are found next.

She's Too Pretty to Burn started off slow for me, but got very thrilling by the end. I wasn't in love with any of the characters, but they all served an important purpose and had strengths and weaknesses - no perfect characters in this book. The psychological aspect of this book was well hidden for a large portion before springing to live and sucking you in.

I haven't read The Picture of Dorian Gray, which this book is inspired by, so I can't speak to how closely or not it resembles Dorian Gray - but even not knowing the original work, I feel She's Too Pretty to Burn stands on it's own. I would have liked more background into Mick's family life, I feel like it's a thread that isn't really pursued especially towards the end. But other than that, I don't have critiques for this book.

If you find yourself in the mood for a YA thriller with art, stalking, and unreliable characters - sign up for this one quickly!

**Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co (BYR) for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

CW: death, murder, child death, parental neglect, manipulation/coercion

This book was so aesthetic heavy and it was perfect in that regard. I have little to zero knowledge of The Picture of Dorian Gray so I can’t expand on how the inspiration was woven throughout the story. But I will say this story was intense straight from the beginning like it was just straight up took you on a ride and it was fantastic!

The backdrop is summer in San Diego where first love is starting to bloom. I loved the relationship between Mick and Veronica, I just loved Veronica’s character so much! Mick on the other hand was sometimes just too much but the reasoning is explained throughout the story. But it’s much more than a romance, it’s a deeper exploration of art and the relationship between muse and artist and how that can take a drastic, dark turn.

The ending I will say, just went completely off the rails. Like I didn’t really see it coming but I guess for the wild ride that was the story it made sense. Some of the choices were just interesting and I wish they would’ve explained some more.

3.5 stars Mixed feelings alert!

She's Too Pretty to Burn is a current day YA LGBTQ romance/thriller inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray. Set at the end of summer in San Diego, it's a tale of connection and rebellion. Veronica is passionate about her photography and makes friends easily. Her best friend is Nico, a self-described performance artist who enjoys chaos and sticking it to the man. Then Veronica meets Mick, a fragile, stunningly beautiful girl who has a phobia about getting her picture taken. Veronica and Mick meet at a party and there is an immediate spark of connection. The two girls start seeing more of each other and feelings of love start swirling about. Then they get caught up in Nico's world and things start swirling out of control with fires and deaths.

The story alternates between Veronica and Mick's perspective. In the beginning I was very ??? about why Mick was so against having her picture taken. It was just perplexing how it was explained initially. Veronica as a character made much more sense to me initially. I really like the chemistry between Mick and Veronica and how they fostered that connection despite their diametrically opposed opinions on social media exposure. I also had a few issues with some of the character motivations, but if I set those aside the book was a fun, crazy ride. The audiobook has different people narrating the different perspectives. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

She's Too Pretty to Burn, by Wendy Heard, is many things at once. It's a YA thriller. It's a sapphic love story. It's an exploration of art and the relationship between muse and artist. And it's a retelling (well, inspired by) of The Picture of Dorian Gray...and a surprisingly good one at that. I don't mean that I'm surprised by how good and enjoyable this book is - frankly, I thought I'd love it from the first three points alone - but I wasn't expecting it to be one of the more thematically accurate riffs on Dorian Gray I've read/seen in quite a while.

Sure, the ending goes a little off the rails, but the aesthetic is undeniable. It's gorgeously cinematic, in such a specific way. I mean, it literally says "Bright sun and death. Palm trees and fear." It's a whole vibe, you know? And while it might be an updated, more youthful, and way more Californian vibe - after all, isn’t aesthetics kind of...a major part of Dorian Gray, and Oscar Wilde generally? When all’s said and done, Oscar Wilde would probably have appreciated the sacrifice of a little plot coherency for the sake of a vibe.

Even that's a little unfair. The end of She's Too Pretty to Burn heads in a slightly bonkers direction, and I really don't like that there's a sudden switch to a new character's POV for a couple chapters just near the end - I've seen it happen in several books recently and it always feels like a lazy, unnecessary addition. But up to that point, it's a smoldering, suspenseful thriller, with characters who are authentically, fascinatingly, damaged and vulnerable and ruthless by turns, and a narrrative spiral into violence and chaos that feels as inevitable as a sunset, and as devestating as a wildfire.

CW: Death, drowning, child death, parental neglect, hospitalization, manipulation/coercion (not sexual).

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the advance review copy!

This book was a different book for me in so many ways. I usually don't read retellings, but I wanted to try this book. I did not connect with the story like I wanted to. The characters were not likeable for me. I felt this book was slow moving, for me, at first but a mess towards the end. This book just did not work for me. It was unsettling and that was the best quality that I liked about it. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

I absolutley loved this! I will be picking up more from her in the future! One of the best I've read this year! Also super quick to get through :)

Okay, so, I don’t completely regret reading this because it got pretty bonkers there towards the end and I found myself unable to put the book down. I may have let out a couple of shrieks during the most unsettling parts (the silver statues, oh my god), so that’s good. Being unsettled is good! However, I won’t be badgering my friends and patrons to pick this up, mostly because the characters fell a bit flat for me. Actually, I think my loathing for Veronica put a damper on the whole thing. Whoops.

Before I jump into the things that bothered me, I’ll mention some things I liked. The writing itself was very good, yet simple. It was easy to consume and hard to put down. It hooks you. Nico hooks you. The further along you get, the more you realize this dude is a completely unhinged sociopath. The shock every time he does something truly horrific is addicting. Also, that last line? Yes, please. Full body goosebumps.

Oh god, Veronica though. I’m sorry, but how did she never cotton on to Nico’s true nature?? There were no clues that he could potentially be, a murderer?? Veronica is very self-involved, so I shouldn’t have such a hard time believing she missed all of the red flags, but good lord. I have a big problem when toxic, borderline-abusive relationships get portrayed as healthy and romantic. The way Veronica treated Mick, how she kept making her do things she wasn’t comfortable with (posing for photos, sharing the photos on social media) was wild. She just kept steam-rolling her into all of these things Mick specifically said she did not want to do. An example that really got my blood boiling was when she told Mick her camera didn’t have film and proceeded to snap a picture of her right after they had their first kiss.

“I feel that first kiss being torn away from me and flung carelessly into the wide, public world.”

Surprise! The camera did indeed have film! Tricked ya! Here, let me post this all of social media even though I can see you’re about to have an anxiety attack over this clear violation! It’ll be really good for my career!

I just couldn’t stomach it. Especially because they got a happy ending and, like I said, it was portrayed as a healthy relationship. There was no character growth either.

I had some other small issues, like the fact that we never really got an explanation as to why Nico was so murderous and chaotic. What was his motive? What’s the back story here? The other characters sort of, under-reacted to him being a murderer as well. I wouldn’t want to pal around with any of them, to be honest.

Overall, three stars from me. It was entertaining, for sure, but I don’t think it’ll stick with me.

A huge thank you kindly to Henry Holt and Co. and Netgalley for sending this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

This was a creative way to tell a story. Inspired with elements from Dorian Grey with a great cast of characters this is a fast paced, steamy, and fun book.

I personally wanted a little more from this plot. It was a bit of a slow burn. I would recommend for readers that primarily read this genre. If you dabble in it, I would recommend other books over this one.

This Dorian Gray inspired YA psychological thriller was so much fun. The rebel art scene gave me 90s nostalgia with a modern spin. Micaela (Mick) is a swimmer, daughter to a terrible single mom, and is terrified of having her photo taken. Veronica is a confident, witty, sexy, photographer who falls for her from first secret photo. Nico is Veronica's older friend and rebel artist. When Nico meets Mick things start to take a dark dark turn. Essentially Nico and Veronica are obsessed with Mick and only one can have her.

Part F/F romance, part descent into madness. I loved this wild ride and look into the darker side of humanity. I really hope they make this into a movie. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Things I Loved:
- Veronica's mother was amazing. There are so many characters in the book who are toxic/have HUGE issues. We needed one person to be a grounding force.
- Veronica pushes Mick to be more confident and see her own beauty and power. BUT at the same time Nico is pushing an already depressed, broken, and vulnerable Mick to spiral into insanity (enter the insane part of the book).
- Nico POVs were fantastic

Things I didn't like:
- Veronica is very selfish and I wish she would talk to Mick more before using her for her own ends.
- I WANT TO KNOW WHAT VERONICA'S MOM SAYS TO MICK'S MOM (that's all i'm saying - you just need to read this)
- Veronica objectifies Mick a lot & we never really see Mick do that idk it's weird to me the relationship seems really one-sided throughout a lot of the book.

Huge thank you to @netgalley for this e-ARC and ALC for my review!!!

It’s summer in San Diego, and when reserved star-swimmer Mick meets charismatic photographer Veronica at a party, sparks fly as an intense and intangible connection forms between them. But when Mick reluctantly allows Veronica to snap her photo (something she’s terrified of doing), this seemingly innocuous moment sets a perilous series of events in motion that will change both girls’ lives forever. Accompanied by Veronica’s artsy and insatiable best friend Nico, they soon find themselves spiraling headlong into an electric romance tainted by obsession, dangerous twists, and even murder.

Wendy Heard’s debut YA is a heart-pounding, sapphic thriller loosely inspired by Oscar Wilde’s seminal novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. As is true in the original work, She’s Too Pretty to Burn explores the intersections of art and power, desire and obsession. The complex dynamic between Mick, Veronica, and Nico bears striking resemblance to that between Dorian, Basil, and Henry in that both trios find themselves inextricably drawn to one another, yet their shared fate is one twinged with a looming sense of doom. With each succeeding chapter—alternating between the perspectives of Mick, Veronica, and Nico—Heard turns up the heat through sharp prose and slow-burn tension. From the very first page, the story vibrates with an undercurrent of anxiety that can’t quite be placed—a feeling that only heightens with every line. There’s no mistaking the aptness of the title, as the book seems to revel in the simultaneously destructive and intoxicating nature of our collective search for beauty—to capture it, and to control it. One thing’s for sure: don’t miss this thrilling story!

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

This was one of my anticipated reads for this year.. and it was a hot mess. I really have no desire to give a long review but I will say this was poorly written and the characters were some of the most dramatic characters I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. I'm glad so many others seem to love it though so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ARC of She’s Too Pretty To Burn thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I read the synopsis, I was hooked. It sounded super intriguing. I’ll be honest, I’ve never read The Picture of Dorian Gray, so I’m not sure which aspect was done for the retelling or whether it hit the mark.

This book is interesting, to say the least. We have a trio of characters, two of whom are artists, and one who is a lifeguard. Veronica and Nico are artists and best friends, and Veronica meets Mick, a lifeguard and the object of Veronica—and soon to be Nico’s—affections.

The dynamics of the main relationship did not feel healthy. I had warning bells going off during some scenes because of the way Veronica was acting around Mick and the things that she said. She didn’t listen to Mick when Mick said no, and she would say creepy things to her. It felt very possessive and toxic.

The parental presence was lacking. Even when there was a parental figure in the storyline, the actions did not seem as that of a typical adult/parent. As a parent myself, I kept saying “That’s really all her mom is going to say?” or “Really? That’s her reaction?” It felt unrealistic that there was such little parental influence during all this time, especially with Veronica’s mom. I won’t say more because I don’t want to slip into the spoiler zone.

I kept trying to understand the motive or the point to much of what happened in the book but I couldn’t.

Heard’s writing kept me intrigued, though, and I couldn’t put this book down. I still can’t stop thinking about it, despite the few hangups I had. I recommend checking it out—publication is set for March 30th.

***eArc provided Macmillan & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

She's Too Pretty to Burn is inspired by one of my favorite novels of all time Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray - which is clear in tone and general vibe, it just happens to be modern. And for the majority of this book I was completely onboard. It's a sapphic YA thriller that runs a mile a minute as it gets more and more intense and the question of who's in control starts to bleed into the unknown.

However, the novel fell apart for me around the 90% mark when a third character starts to get their own POV chapters. I question the intensity of the turn, in general, but the chapters really kind of broke me out of the enticing spell the rest of the novel had worked so hard to put me under. And it's less that the actual events didn't work, but more that the creative choices on how to tell those events stopped working for me.

Wow. I highly recommend this book. Different than what I normally read and completely unputdownable.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the thrill of reading early.

The cover just sucked me in, as while as the promise of a Dorian Gray x sapphic story.
That being said, I didn't quite understand the Dorian Gray references. Maybe it was because it's been a while since I read it or because I had a different interpretation, but it didn't quite hit. I could see where it was coming from but yeah didn't really sell it for me.

The characters were also difficult for me to accept. While characters don't have to be perfect, it fell into this trope where the characters were obviously 'different'. And not in the idea where every person has a story to tell, but Mick in particular just seemed a bit unrealistic to me. The characters have strengths and flaws, but those flaws were only briefly touched upon and I didn't really get the sense that the characters learned anything new. The plot similarly does get unfeasible to a very big extent. This bothered me multiple times and was the main reason why I wasn't able to give it four stars.

Honestly though, this book is just so electric though! The start takes a bit to get used too based on the syntax, but it quickly picks up on a fantastic pace. The tension and the drama of the story is fantastic and I ended up finishing the entire book in an entire day. While I did have a complaint about the characters, once it focused on the plot and the events, it was easier to forget about. The tone is dramatic, it's sensual, it's mysterious and tense...very exciting!

Overall would recommend, because we love sapphic lover stories with a sprinkle of murder.

4 stars

Loosely based on The Picture of Dorian Gray, She's Too Pretty to Burn builds slowly to pack a massive punch as two girls from very different worlds fall in love amidst the art scene of LA.

It took me a hot second to get into this book - there is an absolutely explosive first chapter followed by exposition that goes on just a hair too long for my tastes and some "wait, what?" moments with regards to the speed at which the love interests connected. However, it really hit the ground running about 75 pages in and I was HOOKED! I told myself I was going to stop reading to do other things, but wound up finishing it in less than 24 hours. I'll definitely be picking up Heard's adult thrillers next time I'm in the Barnes and Noble and I sincerely hope that she continues writing for the YA audience after this success.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. (BYR) for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Incredibly unrealistic but wildly entertaining. You come to love every character and you become so invested in the story that the thought of it ending physically hurts. Wendy Heard did an excellent job.

Overall: It gives you pause to think while still being an excellent retelling.

Pros:
Retelling aspects. You can see where this has Picture of Dorian Gray vibes.
Art side. Okay, so art was a main piece of the original story so seeing it be an important part of this story mattered to me.
Emotional reliance. Without giving away too much it really focuses on what happens when you become too emotionally reliant on one-another.

Cons:
Tropes. There are some classic tropes that are used in this that could come off pretty generic if you start to over think it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! If you are looking for a contemporary YA with just a little bit more action, this is the one for you. The sapphic rep is amazing and I absolutely loved the relationship between the two perspective characters. Truly really enjoyed it and can't want to talk about it on my account!