PLOT
-very intriguing
-fast-paced, no dull moments
-the ending was a little rushed
-I wish we had gotten chapters from Nico’s POV earlier on
-Art is a main theme throughout the book, but some elements of Veronica’s photography (and Mick’s swimming) dwindle out near the end

CHARACTERS
Mick
-swimmer
-hates having her picture taken
-very relatable fears/anxieties
Veronica
-photographer
-knows who she is
Nico
-very 〜chaotic〜
-his manic energy is OFF THE CHARTS
-I wish we understood more of his motivations

RELATIONSHIPS
Veronica and Mick
-their relationship was SO realistic (every relationship has its flaws)
-lots of manipulation at the beginning
Veronica and Nico
-we’re told so often that Veronica and Nico are best friends, but we didn’t really it
Mick and Nico
-I wish we had gotten more of Nico’s motivations and WHY Mick was so important to him
(FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS)
Mick and her mom
-very tumultuous
-I wish we had gotten more closure on their relationship
Veronica and her mom
-it seems perfect, but later on we get to see the flaws it has

WRITING
-Ms. Wendy did a FANTASTIC job of capturing the manic energy that is so present in this book
-during the super intense parts my heart was RACING

OVERALL
-5/5 stars
-best thriller I’ve ever read
-I’m SO excited to own this once it comes out

All I can really say is wow. As soon as I saw this on Goodreads I knew I wanted to read it and I was so lucky to get an ARC from Netgally. I honestly wish this came out sooner because I want everyone to be able to read this. I read this 336 page book in less than two hours in one sitting. It was just that compelling.


We read half of A Picture of Dorian Grey in my 12th grade lit class before we had to stop, which is a long story, but it left me in a position of being somewhat familiar with the plot but quite familiar with the writing style. Dorian is firmly rooted in aestheticism and that style is reflected so well in this book. It was part of why this book was so fun to read, even with a grim subject matter. It definitely is YA but I still thought it reflected the stylistic elements of Dorian very well.


This is not a book about nice people. All the characters in this book take from each other, some in more extreme ways, some in less. I loved reading through the different perspectives of Mick and Veronica. I expected certain things from their characters based on how they were presented at the beginning but was very surprised with what I actually got. There are some things about these characters that I didn't find suprising at all when they were revealed. I was kind of anticipating other things just because I felt some answers would be too obvious but I think with this book it didn't matter if I anticipated events. A surprising factor was not essential to making this a good story.


I loved the dynamic between all the characters. Like I said, these are characters that are not great people. Nico and Mick especially come from very complicated backgrounds and all the characters are very complicated people. I think this book tells you a lot about the characters using their environment which I really appreciated. Even though there are some things about the lives of the characters that seemed glossed over, I still felt like I had a good sense of them as people.


I loved the setting of this book as well. It takes place in Southern California and I think the gilded opulence that I associate with that region was very effective in this story. If you're looking for a setting that mirrors the aestheticism of Wilde's work, it's a great one.


I thought the progression of the plot worked really well and from what I can remember of the half of Dorian I read, it mirrors that book very well. I thought the environmental aspect was really interesting and played really well against the parts of this book dealing with natural elements. There's a lot of play with water and fire especially in this book and I think there is some really interesting imagery when it comes to how those play off each other in this book in relation to the characters and seeing when water dominates vs when fire dominates.


I hesitate almost to call the relationship in this book a romance when really it is more about obsession, just as in Dorian. It really is a dynamic that seems like it could never be healthy because of how they react around each other. The tipping point is the need to capture a person in an image because of their beauty and the sort of challenges that obsession with preserving someone brings about. The picture never changes but the person does.


I loved the feeling that this book created of someone being in the background controlling elements of your life. I really did like the ending, though I was a little surprised it ended like that, because it seemed to play into this idea of pieces of your life being controlled and manipulated by the actions of others. I don't know how Dorian ends, maybe someday I'll go back and read it, but this books ending was to me satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time because I wanted to know more, but it also seemed like the perfect ending to this book. Yes, there are many parts to this book that seemed very unrealistic but I never felt the need to interrogate any one particular choice in this book for realism because that's not what I saw as the aim of this story. I would encourage people to look past realism to see a possible bigger story element.

We can forgive a man for making a useful
thing as long as he does not admire it. The
only excuse for making a useless thing is that
one admires it intensely.

All art is quite useless.

- The Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I loved the cover. I mean, that girl just suggests there is going to be an adventure involved. Granted, the adventure wasn't always fun but there was an adventure :) It starts in a pretty confusing way and then we go backwards to find out WHY it was happening. Essentially it is about two teenage girls who don't really fit in finding each other. One is into swimming, super introverted and despises her picture being taken. Oh yeah, and her mother doesn't seem to give a crap about her. The other happens to be a photographer who takes photos of her best friend doing illegal things all in the name of art. One night, the photographer takes a picture of her just kissed new friend and all Hell breaks loose. The story is about what happens after that. Literally, all you have to do is be yourself and the right people will come into your life and shake it up. I loved the book and did not want to put it down. :)

This book is a slow burn (heh) in the beginning as we begin to meet the characters--Mick is a swimmer with a troubled home life and the desire to get as far from her San Diego hometown as possible, and best friends Veronica and Nico are both aspiring artists--Veronica with her dad's 1980s film camera and Nico with installation art and sculpture.
Veronica and Mick meet at a party Mick is dragged to at the beginning of the summer, and Veronica and Nico quickly envelop her in their world of art--Veronica's candid picture of Mick goes viral unexpectedly, and Nico drags her along to help with is installation art. Things quickly go wrong, and they go very, very wrong. Fires, rip tides, rock climbs, if you can think of trouble teens can get into, they get into it (well, except for drugs and alcohol, which is a refreshing departure). Veronica is offered more and more lucrative options for her photography, leaving Mick on her own to deal with Nico's increasingly more dangerous installations.
I really enjoyed that the lgbtq storylines are presented as normal--no one, not parents or friends, bat an eye at Mick and Veronica's budding relationship. When asked if she minded her daughter being gay, Veronica's mom laughs, she's just worried about what all moms are with their kids' significant others, and Veronica tells reporters to focus on her art, not her sexuality.
I really enjoyed this book, and the ending was just *bonkers*.

She's Too Pretty to Burn is a whirlwind read with unexpected twists and turns. The story revolves around Micaela, Mick, who has a turbulent home life, and Veronica who has a talent with photography. They help each other and might be falling in love, but also have secrets from one another. Veronica's friend, Nico, is a couple years older and an activist artist. His new installation makes a bold statement and they all find themselves in danger. Cops get involved and it takes murder to find the truth. This psychological thriller plays with fear being fun, taking & giving, and the courage to be seen.

This book is chaos and pure fire. It was artistic, romantic, and thrilling. The story starts off as a romance but then takes a turn into a thriller. It went from zero to a hundred and I did not see that coming. I was expecting a romance and a story about two people who were not good for each other falling for each other and their ensuing chaotic relationship, but this book completely surprised me with that and an added thriller/ art murder mystery plot thrown in. It was exhilarating to say the least. The story revolves around Veronica, a photographer who wants to make it big, Mick, a swimmer who hates being photographed and is starting to self destruct, and Nico, Veronica’s friend who is an artist and does disruptive art installations. Wherever you think this story is going to take you, it definitely takes you somewhere else. I found myself completely wrapped up in what was going to happen next. The relationship between the three characters is intriguing and unique. They each take from each other but in varying ways, but they also give each other a sense of relationship and friendship. I absolutely had a blast reading this story and I don’t want to spoil any of the fun twist in this story. I really hope you give this amazing book a chance because I can honestly say, I was completely blown away and I absolutely loved how this book ended.

* Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A binge worthy read, gripping from the first page. Classic love triangle trope entwined within a murder mystery. Engaging; plenty of twists. The author does a great job developing the complexity of the characters and their relationships. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this novel.

I super wanted to love this because of the awesome premise, but the writing style is just not clicking. Wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished and rated it lowly. DNF.

Was this book meant to be predictable? I am not entirely sure, but off of the summary, within the first page as Veronica mentioned a guy looming over her, I figured out that Nico was to blame. Finding out later that he was not just someone who liked Veronica, but also the murderer was a bit tad sad, but his chapters made him such a nice villain! Even if I figured it out since the beginning. I think it shouldn't have been this obvious.

The crazy performance art would look really nice if it were adapted into a movie... but I found that to be the intriguing part of this book
Mick: I didn't like her at first, but over time... she wasn't too bad. Personally, I think Veronica should've fallen in love with her murderer.... since it would've been an interesting turn to the "picture of dorian gray" trope, but overall it did deliver on suspense, and it did trip me up at times. Definitely a good choice if you're into suspenseful thrillers.
Veronica- I think as the artist, she would've made a great basil indeed. Both were painters, had some beauty and definitely seemed to portray a likable protagonist. There were times I disagreed with her, and although her demise fell a bit flat (at least for me), I still enjoyed the book!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish!

'Inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, this sexy psychological thriller explores the intersections of love, art, danger, and power' a truly intoxicating read that you wont be able to put down! I look forward to more from wendy heard!

“She was made to be photographed by me. I was made to photograph her.”

Have you ever been inside a gas station at 3am? Have you ever been driving down a dark road in the middle of the night with no one else in sight? That is what She’s Too Pretty To Burn feels like. Beautiful, mysterious, chilling, longing; I felt it all reading this book. The imagery of blazing fires and the symbolism of death made me feel like I should be back in high school annotating a classic novel, but in a good way. Wendy Heard captured my attention and didn’t let go for the entirety of the book. The ending had my literally on the edge of my seat, desperate to know what was going to happen next. And that’s not even to mention the brilliant yearning between the two main characters, Mick and Veronica. It was refreshing to finally read a lesbian romance with no homophobia in sight. If you’re looking for a good sapphic thriller, She’s Too Pretty To Burn is the perfect start.

Someone is watching Veronica die in the desert . I liked the dramatic beginning. Liz fusses at Mick to make new friends. Her mom wants Mick to do a photo shoot with her. I lost interest after the beginning.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this novel.

This was one of my most anticipated upcoming releases and it definitely lived up to all my expectations. This novel is pitched as a “sexy psychological thriller reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray” (sounds like an automatic five star read in my book) and it is exactly that. From the very first page I was immediately hooked and couldn’t put this book down. This is a beautifully written, fast paced, and thrilling read. She’s Too Pretty to Burn is by far one of my favorite reads of the year and I am very eager to read more from this author in the future.

I’ve been following this book since it was announced because a) inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray and b) wlw protagonists! Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Thrilling from start to finish, She’s Too Pretty to Burn examines how far one can go for art for art’s sake.

Mick is deathly afraid of having her picture taken; that is, until she meets Veronica at a party and she convinces her to let her take one of her. The picture goes viral and Mick gets entangled in Veronica and her friend Nico‘s world of dark art installations. But then things take a turn when people begin to die; will this be a summer they survive?

It’s been, oh, about five years since I read The Picture of Dorian Gray for school, but I remember enough of it to say that this isn’t a straight retelling (pun intended!). She’s Too Pretty to Burn follows the same character dynamics of Dorian, Basil, and Henry (Mick, Veronica, and Nico, respectively), rather than the actual plot of Oscar Wilde’s book. The three of them had such a twisted dynamic, and I couldn’t look away from them.

Art is also an important theme in this book; much of the plot revolves around Veronica’s and Nico’s art although they differ in many ways. Veronica wants to be a professional photographer but her work isn’t noticed until the picture of Mick goes viral. Meanwhile, Nico creates eclectic art installations that call out important issues; he’ll make people see what he wants them to. These installations grow darker and more twisted as they all fall into the danger of good art.

I didn’t think the book was as dark as I thought it would be until I reached the second half. It takes quite a turn, and I was so entranced by the plot that I couldn’t put the book down. I will say that I didn’t think the ending was as impactful because the darker characterizations weren’t developed as much in the first half. Still, I really enjoyed this book!

There is a sapphic relationship in this book! Mick and Veronica are infatuated with each other from the first time they see each other. It’s definitely not healthy at first, but I think by the end, they grow healthier.

This book was honestly such a wild ride from start to finish. I loved the plot and the characters, and I couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy the themes of The Picture of Dorian Gray, twisted thrillers, or sapphic protagonists, I definitely recommend She’s Too Pretty to Burn!

--Thank you to Henry Holt & Company, NetGalley, and Wendy Heard for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.--

Let me just start off my review by saying it deserves the five stars.

“She’s Too Pretty to Burn” is a 2020 YA psychological thriller written by Wendy Heard. It details the story of photographer Veronica and swimmer Mick, finding each other on the outskirts of a party they both find to be boring. They explore the city around them when Veronica finds out Mick doesn’t like her picture being taken and makes it her duty, so to speak, to find a place to take a “fake” photo of Mick so that she can feel better being in front of a camera. Turns out the roll of film that Veronica has in her camera does indeed still have a few shots left, and a few clicks on an empty train later, Mick is shoved into public eyes, for millions of people to see.

If only that were their only concern, but that’d also make for a less lackluster book. Enter Nico Varalica, the best friend of Veronica and golden boy in the eyes of Veronica’s mother. He takes Veronica and Mick to the underground San Diego art scene, where the artists hide behind bandanas in case they are invaded by the police. Nico’s anger with a certain Congressional official spurs on the execution of four installments of live art. His presence in her life takes Mick onto a journey she’ll never forget.
This was a bizarre novel. At the beginning, I couldn’t get into it and I wasn’t even sure which one was Mick and which one was Veronica. Then, I picked it back up again and I finished the forty chapters I had left from day until night. It is an absolutely addicting story and I didn’t expect myself to get wrapped up in it. Now I haven’t read The Picture of Dorian Gray yet, so I can’t make any comparisons to the novels, but I am certain that it is a modern retelling of the original story by Oscar Wilde.

I won’t be able to say enough about the novel as a whole without giving spoilers, but maybe it’s better that you find out on your own what really happens to Mick and Veronica. The novel takes you by the hand, gently at first, then yanks you into the abyss that Nico created for the sake of art.

I will spare you a piece of advice: make sure you’re in the right mindset to consume this novel, especially the last ten or fifteen chapters. It's branded to be a "sexy psychological thriller," and I think that's a great description. The book emphasizes on the psychological thriller, and the romance is the side piece and I definitely prefer it that way. Yes, it is essential to the plot that Mick and Veronica like each other, but it isn’t the entire plot. When I was finishing the book, it was about 1 in the morning. The last ten chapters shook my core and I was actually concerned whether or not I'd be able to sleep well after reading.

Moving onto the plotting, I think Wendy Heard is just amazing. I truly appreciate authors that take the time to plan and plot meticulous points that will eventually be the tipping point of a novel. This careful planning only makes the story richer and more clever. She placed events in the book that don’t make complete sense in the beginning, but by the end, you begin to see some of the puzzle pieces to the big picture. By the last chapter, it is left open enough that even the big picture is not fully revealed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wendy Heard has plans to create a sequel or spin-off novel, but it would also be good to end the story right there and keep readers questioning what happens next.

I enjoyed the characters almost as much as I loved the plot. Nico is a great antagonist, and I’ll be honest with you: I was pretty surprised to find out more and more about Nico’s identity as the novel progressed. To have the last chapter in Nico’s perspective is absolutely jarring and you have his thoughts as the last words in the novel. I also think it's crazy that we only finally see Nico's perspective when the story has progressed past the initial installations. He's the only one who knows what's really going on and at this point, we see that Nico is capable of anything.

That’s the best thing about this novel: there’s just more to discover, even when you think you know them. Mick and Veronica’s romantic relationship is put to the wayside when the antics with Nico start piling up, but it is evident that they don’t need to be kissing or hugging to be seen as caring for one another. This is the kind of friendship or relationship we should be striving for, even if they aren’t perfect. We should strive to be kind without asking for anything in return, and they saved each other from imminent doom.

I want to talk more about it but you all deserve to form your own opinions about the book. There’s one thing for certain: I think you’ll love it. I’m not a fan of thrillers; in fact, this is probably the first thriller I’ve read and I am head over heels for this book. World, you better be ready for the release of this book. I am certain this will take off to the stars.

She’s Too Pretty to Burn is pretty solid, and hooks you from the very start. I legit binged this in a single afternoon and have zero regrets.

The book follows Mick, a shy swimmer with family problems, and Veronica, a photographer searching for her next muse. They meet by chance at a party and instantly become infatuated with each other. Unfortunately their love bubble doesn’t last for long, loyalties are tested, and the lines between obsession and desire become blurred. There may or may not be some ecoterrorism and murder, as well.

Such a gripping read!

Also shout out to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book! Thank you!

This book is exactly what you want in a young adult thriller. Mick is a teenager on the edge. She has a conniving horrible mother, a selfish best friend, nonexistent father, and is looking to set something on fire. Veronica is a spoiled narcissist completely focused on her photography. With alternating pov chapters we get an inside look as each girl circles closer and closer to destruction. It is racked full of suspense, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Not one of the characters is a good human being, but yet you find yourself rooting for the heroines to win. It's a molotov cocktail of secrets, lies, murder, and deception. This book is on fire, and I know people are going to be talking about long after it's release.

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.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. If you pick this up, you are in for a wild adventure. Get ready. Buckle in. Twists and turns at every corner. The ending had me shaking and gave me chills. 5/5 stars.

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>✨