Name: Leigh Osborne's review of She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
Item: She's Too Pretty to Burn
Rating: 4
Author: Leigh Osborne

Wendy Heard

An electric romance set against a rebel art scene sparks lethal danger for two girls in She's Too Pretty to Burn, an expertly plotted YA thriller by Wendy Heard. 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. Inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, this sexy psychological thriller explores the intersections of love, art, danger, and power. Christy Ottaviano Books

She's Too Pretty to Burn

Carolin

Of all the colorful things in this new, precarious life, she is the most colorful. 

Leigh Osborne

grace richards

this book actually made me sick with nerves

tahmida tasmia

this was so shat - i've given it 2 stars instead of 1 for the mere fact it was gay.

I can't even explain why it was so good.. I finished this book in under 24 hrs. The writing style makes it nearly impossible to put the book down and somehow you start caring about the characters the second they were mentioned. It's not a "perfect" book, I felt like a few things weren't set up properly in the beginning (wordings that make it seem like something has been mentioned before when it really hasn't for example)

Still I really enjoyed the book and will definitely read more works by this author!

Chriss

I can't even explain why it was so good.. I finished this book in under 24 hrs. The writing style makes it nearly impossible to put the book down and somehow you start caring about the characters the second they were mentioned. It's not a "perfect" book, I felt like a few things weren't set up properly in the beginning (wordings that make it seem like something has been mentioned before when it really hasn't for example)

Still I really enjoyed the book and will definitely read more works by this author!

Yunna Ducharme

Lara

2.5 rounded up

man, this is probably my most disappointing read of 2022. i was so excited for this. 

(a lot of this is my own personal taste, and i can see why people would love this book!)

i’ll be honest, it did get better for me after reading about 50%, and it is an incredibly quick read, so it has that going for it. the last third in particular was pretty good, too! but the beginning, some of the mannerisms of these characters, and some plot points just weren’t believable. i wanted so much more from this story :(

i still think this was nice to read, and it did pick up, as i said, about halfway through. i just personally expected something else, i think!

emily

Meghan M

This book was so addictive, from beginning to end. After just reading Picture of Dorian Gray (because this was based on it), the parallels were perfect, especially Nico as influential Henry. I haven't read a thriller in so long, the fast pace of this one had me reading it non-stop, finishing it in less than a day! If anyone is looking for a fast paced, romance thriller and morally grey characters are your thing, this is it and I highly recommend. This book has a haunting air about it and I'm obsessed!

!!SPOILERS!! 

Two quotes that really stuck with me, bringing out the haunting aspect I mentioned earlier: 

"If you want people to see the failings of a system, you have to attack the machine"

And

"What a waste that would have been. You're too pretty to burn"

✨sunshine✨

3.75⭐

"Of all the colorful things in this new, precarious life, she is the most colorful."

Honestly I don't know how to feel about this book. For me it was okay but nothing too special. The ending was good though.

Maria Luiza

** spoiler alert **
           Let me start this off by stating that I hate installation art and pretentious artists, so this book clearly wasn't for me because these subjects are the central part of the story. I contemplated dropping the read a lot of times but I was still intrigued by the story, so I'll give it that.

"[...] for once I feel like I'm taking something from people and not the other way around."

There is a lot to unpack in this story, and the comparison with The Picture of Dorian Gray really threw me off because I expected so much more. The plot is ok, and the epigraph actually used my favorite literary artifact (telling something impactful that will happen at the end so the reader can read the book more curious than ever), but I think there was just too much and way too underdeveloped.

There are some random phrases the characters think that makes the reader think it will be developed into something but it doesn't? Veronica is awed by Micaela's body and gets sad about her own and then it never gets back to this. She's also terrified a lot of times in the beginning of the book by someone trying to grab her from behind or setting up the information from the Uber to her friends so she isn't kidnapped and I get it, this is something women have to do to stay safe, but the fact that the writer incorporated it into the story made me think we would eventually understand why she, Veronica, as a person, has this heightened fear. Also, Micaela is terrified of taking her picture but we never understand why, what caused this, or any other relevant information about it.

The characters are so unlikable, but since we read from their point of view (and we have the pov of both Micaela and Veronica, and later on from Nico) I felt like we were supposed to like them and root for them. Especially since I felt like the writer couldn't decide if they were supposed to be self aware or not. On the beginning Veronica compares herself with predators who pretend to be photographers to get pictures of naked girls and yes, she was acting like this, but she keeps doing it anyway and I feel like it would be best if the book stopped trying to make a statement about what is correct and incorrect morally and just let the characters be immorally incorrect. Also, because they are so unlikable and so unreal I couldn't really connect with their pain. The scene where Micaela is expelled from her house is so bland, I can't feel bad for her because I can't imagine someone ever acting the way she, her mom or the other characters do. This makes her pain feel hollow. 

Also, they are wound up in this idea of the installations being "powerful" (they aren't) that they never think about what they are actually doing. Once Micaela realizes that the fire they created prejudiced the forest beside it and made a lot of firefighters have to work hard but this is the only example where they see that they shenanigans had a negative impact, when in reality everything Nico does is selfish. They burn the forest besides the installation in anger at the congressman who is... burning trees????? He drops the roof and soil on top of the congressman!!! Which a lot of underpaid people will have to clean it up afterwards without getting anything more for their work, and a lot of underpaid and tired nurses will have to take him to a hospital and help him and for what. For an installation? What about the people close to him when this happened? The roof could have fallen on an innocent person. I just don't feel like the book acknowledges this kinds of things, in favor of an acknowledging other things that make not a single ounce of sense for the story.

I absolutely hated the amount of company name drops this book has, and for no particular reason. We have Macbook, Photoshop, Poptarts (I think? Or something like that), Uber, IKEA, Vans, Apple Maps, Google Maps (?????? why), and it doesn't do anything for the story. If you take out the company names the book still has meaning, and could have better meaning without the names. Instead of "IKEA wardrobe" which I reckon was supposed to be about cheap, small, DIY furniture, it could easily be "there was a fragile, badly put together wardrobe" because it would mean a lot more. Until a few months ago I thought IKEA sold good high quality furniture, and this scene hits a lot differently if you think about it that way. Also, is mentioning that Veronica has a Macbook (or iMac? It took me a whole month to read this book, I don't remember) and uses Photoshop tells me that she has big money and cares about this kind of things, which doesn't make sense with her personality as this rebel artist.

The "plot twist" of Nico being the one who killed the kid was too much for me. I already knew from the start he was a bad person, but this just made him too "villaney". His "descent into madness" is just this. He is a hollowed out version of what he could have been. Why does he does what he does? Because he lived alone and was taken by social services? Seems like villianize of poor abandoned kids for me.

Also, Veronica and Micaela not giving the police the only pictures that his faces appears in to save face was so ridiculous I get mad only thinking about it. This is so irresponsible, even for two kids like they are.

Lastly, about the writing, it's way too over descriptive. I don't need to know everything that happens between an action and another. I don't need to know that you locked the car and pocketed the keys and started walking. This made the book very tiring and redundant to read.

One thing I did like is that this is a story with lesbians that don't focus on the relationship between the characters or the fact that they are lesbians. I want more books like this.

p.s.: Mick finding out she wants to be a doctor/nurse/paramedic/whatever while watching them help her severely hurt girlfriend into an ambulance was too much for me.

alice nunes

No!!! The ending!!!
This was SUCH an interesting concept and it was SO entertaining! I definitely recommend 
It’s pretty wild and intense as well so, be warned about that 😳

Caitlyn DeRouin

Maybe more like 2.5 stars. I have mixed feelings.

Dani Edgin

She’s Too Pretty to Burn is pretty solid, and hooks you from the very start.

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!

- hated the characters, I know thats the point but I just didn't care for them
- my expectation were probably to high
- ending was interesting 

Alex Hill 

**Thank you to the publishers for an earc copy of this book. All opinions are my own**

I really enjoyed this book and I especially liked the whole queer picture of Dorian Grey type story. I don't think I realized when I started reading that it's a thriller. It doesn't really get into the mystery until about 56% of the way through which kind of makes me upset because usually with a thriller, the mystery starts earlier on. I did like the mystery aspect of it though and I would hope that with the way the book ended, we will eventually get a companion novel or sequel. It ends in a way where it could be set up for either.

Heather Heaton

Here is a netgalley arc reading vlog where I talk about this fun YA thriller
https://youtu.be/ep16N2_KGj8

Jelke Lenaerts

I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for honest review. 


This book just simply didn't work out for me. I feel like we just didn't get to know the characters at all. I had no grasp on who they are besides some minor things that were important to the plot. If it wasn't needed in the plot we didn't get to know it about them, which kept me at a bit of a distance. The plot also seemed a bit random. I mean, in the first half everything seemed normal, if not a bit slow. However in the second half, when everything started happening, it went from 0 to 100 a little bit too quick and I had a hard time following what was going on. I just felt like every twist came completely out of nowhere and was absolutely not grounded at all in anything. So yeah, this book wasn't for me. It's a shame though because the idea of this book is really cool and the romance could have been so good if we only got to know our characters better. So yeah, this book was a dissapointement for me.

Anna Wilson

** spoiler alert **
           The idea was great but the execution fell flat for me. I don’t think I got the point, and everything happened soooo fast. I haven’t read or know anything about the portrait of Dorian Gray so maybe that’s the disconnect for me. the stakes for mick to help niko felt off too. I mean she needed a car and in exchange let’s set a fire, kill a couple people & were even? Nah I feel like there’s a better solution than that??? overall not for me and I’m sad bc this cover is STUNNING!

Emily

~ Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review! Release date: March 30 ~

'You're a living, breathing piece of art.'
'Everyone's favorite little thing.'

This book glitters, not in the light, but in the dark. When I heard there was an upcoming YA release inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, I knew I needed it immediately. I wanted to further explore those themes of vanity, of obsession. And boy, did this book deliver. 

What happens when one's muse isn't a willing participant? At one point does reality supersede the art? This book explores these questions expertly all while maintaining a breathtaking aesthetic. Yes, the story is told through black words on a white page, but I didn't see words, I saw a blaze. 

I don't want to discuss plot here because I truly think this is best experienced with the little knowledge I've already given you. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys unlikable characters, psychological dilemma, and sparkling darkness. 

———

‘inspired by the picture of dorian gray'

say no more.

Liliana Paraskeva

I just finished this book on audio and I'm kind of in shock. I always like going into books without knowing what they're about and this book didn't disappoint. This is the definition of "Whelp! That escalated quickly". All I knew about this was that it was sapphic and I'm glad I didn't know more.
So, the characters were actually the most interesting part about this, between abusive mothers that remind me of Yolanda Hadid, relatable teenagers, characters straight out of a show like Skims and a guest appearance of pretty much Joe from You but make it art. I
would highly recommend you pick this up if you're a fan of shows like Skims and/or You. The only reason I'm not giving this 5/5 stars is because that rating is now exclusively for books that tear my soul and I know I will never forget. But this is pretty damn close.

Sam O'Boyle

man this was disappointing.,, i think ya mysteries just arent my thing

“An anxiety-ridden ride as two girls' lives crash together through secrets, love and danger. . . Captivating and stunningly visual.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times-bestselling author of Cemetery Boys An electric romance set against a rebel art scene sparks lethal danger for two girls in She's Too Pretty to Burn, an expertly plotted YA thriller by Wendy Heard. 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. Inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, this sexy psychological thriller explores the intersections of love, art, danger, and power. Christy Ottaviano Books

Becca Futrell

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Audio for providing me with an ALC of She's Too Pretty to Burn in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 rounded up!

Content Warnings: Animal Cruelty, Animal Death, Kidnapping, Emotional Abuse

Ten bucks says I would have loved this book even more if I would have read The Picture of Dorian Gray first. But, alas, here I am with very little knowledge of the classic & She's Too Pretty to Burn is still a solid read. 

Personally, I am a sucker for the antagonist of She's Too Pretty to Burn & was not expecting that twist whatsoever. Listen, everything goes over my head, but still. I fell in love with this person when I thought they were good & loved them even more (but in a hate-y/love kinda way) when I discovered who they truly were & watched them, quite frankly, go off the hinges. A villain with a give-no-fricks attitude? YES PLEASE.

I loved the sapphic romance in She's Too Pretty to Burn, although it was by no means perfect. There were issues & a bit of dishonesty on both sides. But I do appreciate how everything -- kind of? -- worked out in the end for them. 

She's Too Pretty to Burn is a fast-paced thriller that, although it does get a bit silly, is worth the read. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent listening to the audiobook!

Without going into spoiler territory, I strongly recommend the audiobook for this one. There are a couple of chapters at the end that I did not expect & it gave me chills that I doubt would have happened if I just read the book to myself.

Rachel Andrews

Nothing like “A Picture of Dorian Grey”

Leigh Osborne &
She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard

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