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complicaitreads 's review for:
She's Too Pretty to Burn
by Wendy Heard
I was excited to read a mystery thriller with a sapphic relationship. Especially one inspired by a Picture of Dorian Gray.
I liked very little of the book. It has a lot of potential, but the writing and storytelling was incredibly shallow. It might’ve been better in a single perspective.
The storytelling felt like a contemporary coming of age book that last minute decided to be a thriller. There was very little thrill. Only the bridge was heart pounding, but it was poorly written and so short lived to redeem the rest of the book.
Not to mention the actual holes in the writing where it felt like sentences were tossed out, mid action, and ruined the flow. The writing itself, despite being in dual perspective, was only action. It read more “and then” with a lack of thought process or emotions. Mick was supposed to be some sort of ticking time bomb, but even reading from her perspective, she had 0 depth. All of her “deeply rooted issues” were only described as surface level. She didn’t come off as complex or mysterious or troubled.
There was no chemistry between ANY of the characters, even the main characters. They just kind of hop into a relationship even though their conversations flowed like stale crackers. The relationship itself was toxic and only one person pointed it out, but there was nothing done to promote a healthy relationship. Instead they just ended up solving all their relationship issues by bonding over shared trauma.
I liked very little of the book. It has a lot of potential, but the writing and storytelling was incredibly shallow. It might’ve been better in a single perspective.
The storytelling felt like a contemporary coming of age book that last minute decided to be a thriller. There was very little thrill. Only the bridge was heart pounding, but it was poorly written and so short lived to redeem the rest of the book.
Not to mention the actual holes in the writing where it felt like sentences were tossed out, mid action, and ruined the flow. The writing itself, despite being in dual perspective, was only action. It read more “and then” with a lack of thought process or emotions. Mick was supposed to be some sort of ticking time bomb, but even reading from her perspective, she had 0 depth. All of her “deeply rooted issues” were only described as surface level. She didn’t come off as complex or mysterious or troubled.
There was no chemistry between ANY of the characters, even the main characters. They just kind of hop into a relationship even though their conversations flowed like stale crackers. The relationship itself was toxic and only one person pointed it out, but there was nothing done to promote a healthy relationship. Instead they just ended up solving all their relationship issues by bonding over shared trauma.