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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Liked the main characters and the fast paced nature of the book, but the ending was off and it seemed a little far fetched at some points.
Somehow campy but goes down a rabbit hole of darkness
Once I hit the turning point of this teen romance/ thriller, I raced through to the novel's conclusion!
Mick meets Veronica at a party that her friend drags her to one night and they immediately hit it off. Mick isn't a fan of having her picture taken but let's Veronica pretend to take her picture allured by her beauty and their instant attraction. But the photo blows up big time and catches the attention of far more people that Mick is comfortable with seeing her in such an intimate moment frozen in time. Veronica brings Mick along to her friend Nico's art installation where he takes an interest in Mick and convinces her to take part in his unconventional art. She feels like she owes him after he helps her when she's kicked out of her mom's apartment. Until one night when things get out of hand and their lives start to spiral out of control.
I really hope there's a sequel in the works!
Mick meets Veronica at a party that her friend drags her to one night and they immediately hit it off. Mick isn't a fan of having her picture taken but let's Veronica pretend to take her picture allured by her beauty and their instant attraction. But the photo blows up big time and catches the attention of far more people that Mick is comfortable with seeing her in such an intimate moment frozen in time. Veronica brings Mick along to her friend Nico's art installation where he takes an interest in Mick and convinces her to take part in his unconventional art. She feels like she owes him after he helps her when she's kicked out of her mom's apartment. Until one night when things get out of hand and their lives start to spiral out of control.
I really hope there's a sequel in the works!
I really wanted to like this book and there were a lot of things I did like. The writing was well done, I thought the conceit of having this in California with fairly self-centered queer artist teenagers was spot-on and I thought the dialogue was well-done. I also didn't have a problem with the leads falling for each other ridiculously fast (teenagers do as teens do). But I never got to like the characters (particularly Nico), which I've seen in other reviews. I also felt that the pacing became a major problem particularly in the second half of the story and the story dragged considerably. Finally, there's a lot of content warnings in this story, while I think it's an interesting read overall before diving in (since this is intended for a YA audience) check out the list of content warnings first. There's a lot.
She’s Too Pretty to Burn, a debut YA book by Wendy Heard, takes genre bending to a new level. Her story, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Grey, is filled with romance, thrills, mysteries, and drama.
Mick is desperate to escape her unstable home life in San Diego by earning a swim scholarship to a university as far away as possible from her negligent and self-absorbed mother. Mick then meets Veronica, a stunning photographer, and her friend Nico, a rebellious performance artist, both of whom introduce her to an underground art world where some extreme sacrifices are made in the name of artistic expression. Mick transforms into a muse for both Veronica and Nico, but her world quickly unravels when a photo Veronica secretly took of her goes viral and when Nico’s art installations go from misdemeanor acts to acts of terrorism.
Wendy Heard’s novel is a rollercoaster of a story with some obvious plot holes and unrealistic circumstances. Readers who can set aside those questionable qualities will be rewarded with Mick’s extraordinary coming of age journey which will keep you on the edge of your seat and take you places you do not expect. -Christina B.
Mick is desperate to escape her unstable home life in San Diego by earning a swim scholarship to a university as far away as possible from her negligent and self-absorbed mother. Mick then meets Veronica, a stunning photographer, and her friend Nico, a rebellious performance artist, both of whom introduce her to an underground art world where some extreme sacrifices are made in the name of artistic expression. Mick transforms into a muse for both Veronica and Nico, but her world quickly unravels when a photo Veronica secretly took of her goes viral and when Nico’s art installations go from misdemeanor acts to acts of terrorism.
Wendy Heard’s novel is a rollercoaster of a story with some obvious plot holes and unrealistic circumstances. Readers who can set aside those questionable qualities will be rewarded with Mick’s extraordinary coming of age journey which will keep you on the edge of your seat and take you places you do not expect. -Christina B.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated