4☆

Characters-
The characters were probably the weakest point in this book. I didn't mind so much them being unlikeable, but I thought the relationships they had with each other felt off and unrealistic. I especially felt this way about the two main characters and their romance. In my opinion there should have been more conversations about how toxic they were for each other, but I think either the author didn't see the relationship as toxic or she purposely didn't have much conversation about it.

Plot-
The plot of this book was strange. I know She's Too Pretty to Burn is inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I have never read that. This book kind of had two storylines going on which worked well, yet the thriller aspect that this book is described as having didn't fully come until the very end of the novel which was a little disappointing.

Writing- 
I loved that the author chose to give us two points of view and she did really well with it. I could easily tell whose chapter I was reading without looking at the heading. The characters had very distinct voices and I applaud the author for that.


Overall, I really enjoyed this book and don't have a whole lot of negative to say.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

2.75☆ 

Characters-
 I love the characters in The Great Gatsby because although they're terrible, they have depth and are written well. In this retelling though, I hated every character and not because they were unlikeable. They were written poorly and although the author obviously tried to give them depth, she failed and they felt very two dimensional. 

Plot-
 There's not much I can say about the main plot- it was predictable due to the fact that it's a retelling of an extremely popular classic. I do feel that the synopsis didn't quite match the actual plot though. The book is described as a psychological thriller and I honestly do not understand how it could be called that. Another thing that I can say is that I hated the plot twist. I absolutely hate the trope that was used in the twist and I honestly think it could be harmful in the way mental illness is portrayed in media. 

Writing- 
 The writing was very mediocre in my opinion. It was neither good nor bad. It seemed as though the author tried to come across as more poetic than she is at some points, and I was not a fan of that. 

Overall, I definitely did not love this book but it wasn't the worst thing in the world either. 

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

4.5☆ 

Characters-
 The characters in The Valley and the Flood were so well written. Everyone was very three dimensional and their backstories added a lot to how they acted in the present. There was a lot of LGBTQ+ diversity that was nonchalant and as a queer girl, I loved that. The way the four main characters interacted was so perfect for them being teenagers. The interactions weren't too childish but they weren't too adult either which is often a huge mistake I see in YA novels. The main character Rose struggles with PTSD and panic attacks, and although I can not speak on behalf of PTSD rep, the anxiety side of things felt very real to me as someone who has been diagnosed with anxiety. 

Plot-
 If you were to ask me to give you my own synopsis of this book, I honestly wouldn't be able to. This book was strange and weird and very metaphorical and I loved that about it. My only gripe with it was that the ending felt just a tiny bit rushed. 

Writing- 
 I didn't think the author's writing and style were revolutionary or anything, but it was really good. It wasn't too flowery nor was it too simple and the descriptions were always beautiful and easy for me to picture in my head. 

Overall, I highly enjoyed this book! I would definitely recommend it to people who like weird and speculative books.