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A review by mezzarella
She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
She's Too Pretty To Burn is advertised as a thriller retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray with female protagonists. Readers should know that any connection this story has with Oscar Wilde is very loose and more inspired by than a true retelling. As a thriller, there are all the elements that screams YA: the small town feel, the feeling that no adult can help, and the friendships. The best part of this book is certainly its simple but beautiful writing, which helps the book maintain its swift "must read" feelings. Overall, however, there were aspects that were unsettling that kept me from enjoying the book in a not-so-thrilling way.
Towards the middle of the book, the main character is pushing another character into romantic actions that the other character is not explicitly comfortable with. This scene isn't blatant rape or assault, but does toe the line and is very ambiguous on its consent. In addition, the fact that neither main character is involved with the murders (at least how its written here) makes the plot contrived or easy to predict at certain parts in the book. Typically when reading a thriller, I want the horror to feel earned and I want the twists to be surprising. Unfortunately, She's Too Pretty to Burn's flame peters out here.
Overall, I wished this book had not been advertised and compared to something that it does not hold a match to. It's a tall order to match The Picture of Dorian Gray's message, tone, and feeling. When readers learn that the closest this book gets to a retelling is incorporating paintings into its visual aesthetic, there's a lot of room for disappointment.
Towards the middle of the book, the main character is pushing another character into romantic actions that the other character is not explicitly comfortable with. This scene isn't blatant rape or assault, but does toe the line and is very ambiguous on its consent. In addition, the fact that neither main character is involved with the murders (at least how its written here) makes the plot contrived or easy to predict at certain parts in the book. Typically when reading a thriller, I want the horror to feel earned and I want the twists to be surprising. Unfortunately, She's Too Pretty to Burn's flame peters out here.
Overall, I wished this book had not been advertised and compared to something that it does not hold a match to. It's a tall order to match The Picture of Dorian Gray's message, tone, and feeling. When readers learn that the closest this book gets to a retelling is incorporating paintings into its visual aesthetic, there's a lot of room for disappointment.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Sexual assault