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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
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
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
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Praise for this book
"A gritty, compulsively readable thriller that shimmers with California heat. She's Too Pretty to Burn will pull you into the dark twists of the underground art scene-and the jagged embrace of first love." - Hannah Capin
"A smoldering, hypnotic thrill-ride. Heard’s YA debut crackles and pops with electric psychological suspense." - Kit Frick
"Gorgeously written and expertly paced, Wendy Heard’s She's Too Pretty to Burn is an intense, wild ride that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until its stunning conclusion." - Liz Lawson
"An expertly plotted deep dive into a complex web of friendship, desire, and murder." - Mindy McGinnis
"Veronica and Mick's complex, compelling relationship grounds this intense and unrelenting thriller, full of impossible choices, betrayals, mistakes, and danger." - Kate Alice Marshall
"A powder keg of psychological suspense that recognizes the dark side lurking within all of us, this thriller had me riveted right from the very first page." - Caleb Roehrig
"She’s Too Pretty to Burn holds you by the throat until the very last page. Heard has written a perfect, ultra-modern teenage noir of early queer love and the battle to resist our most destructive impulses. Ambition is truly a killer." - Adam Sass
"An anxiety-ridden ride as two girls' lives crash together through secrets, love and danger. There is masterful tension throughout the story as Mick and Veronica's lives pull and tangle together and they find themselves in over their heads and fighting for their lives. I burned through the final 50 pages, desperate to see how it ended and was left with literal goosebumps at the final lines. Captivating and stunningly visual, fans of Lauren Oliver's Panic will love this book and be hungry for more by Wendy Heard." - Aiden Thomas
"Heard paints a mesmerizing portrait of love and betrayal amidst a slow-burn thriller… and once the murders begin, it’s impossible to look away." - Diana Urban
"A smoldering, hypnotic thrill-ride. Heard’s YA debut crackles and pops with electric psychological suspense." - Kit Frick
"Gorgeously written and expertly paced, Wendy Heard’s She's Too Pretty to Burn is an intense, wild ride that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until its stunning conclusion." - Liz Lawson
"An expertly plotted deep dive into a complex web of friendship, desire, and murder." - Mindy McGinnis
"Veronica and Mick's complex, compelling relationship grounds this intense and unrelenting thriller, full of impossible choices, betrayals, mistakes, and danger." - Kate Alice Marshall
"A powder keg of psychological suspense that recognizes the dark side lurking within all of us, this thriller had me riveted right from the very first page." - Caleb Roehrig
"She’s Too Pretty to Burn holds you by the throat until the very last page. Heard has written a perfect, ultra-modern teenage noir of early queer love and the battle to resist our most destructive impulses. Ambition is truly a killer." - Adam Sass
"An anxiety-ridden ride as two girls' lives crash together through secrets, love and danger. There is masterful tension throughout the story as Mick and Veronica's lives pull and tangle together and they find themselves in over their heads and fighting for their lives. I burned through the final 50 pages, desperate to see how it ended and was left with literal goosebumps at the final lines. Captivating and stunningly visual, fans of Lauren Oliver's Panic will love this book and be hungry for more by Wendy Heard." - Aiden Thomas
"Heard paints a mesmerizing portrait of love and betrayal amidst a slow-burn thriller… and once the murders begin, it’s impossible to look away." - Diana Urban
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