Well, this book was not at all what I expected, it was. better. I loved Dorian Grey so was excited to see where this would go. This book gave me all the seasonal feels and got me ready for Autumn. The fact it was sapphic as well was amazing. If you want a dark, horror story with some excellent twists then this is for you. I cannot wait to see what Steven does next.

Every Exquisite Thing is a clever retelling of Dorian Grey set in high school, and is definitely a horror novel with creepy vibes. I found it a bit much for me personally - although the heavy topics were covered really well, it wasn't the book I was hoping it would be. Definitely worth picking up if you're looking for an atmospheric thriller with a fantasy twist!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Every Exquisite Thing is a dark, contemporary retelling of The Picture of Dorian Grey. It is thought-provoking, intense and wickedly addictive. I had no idea what was going to happen next and I couldn't put it down.

I thought the premise was extremely clever: if you're going to write about obsession with appearances and the need for perfection then setting it in a high-stakes drama school is perfect. I thought that the body dysmorphia/eating disorders/alopecia aspects were delicately and sensitively handled and the story as a whole was great.
I have seen it being promoted as a sapphic enemies-to-lovers book and while there are gay characters and one brief scene between two characters, it seems like the tropes are being used to attract more readers. It doesn't need it, in my opinion. You had me at dark academia and Dorian Grey retelling!

A gripping, contemporary gothic horror story. I really enjoyed it.

Laura Steven's sapphic, dark academia retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray is everything I could've asked for in a retelling of my favorite classic. It's incisive, harrowing, and unflinching, and Steven's sharp, distressing examinations of beauty—its use as currency, its psychological effects, its physical reckonings—will leave you reeling.

Every Exquisite Thing is the perfect book for the upcoming autumn season, but please take care of yourself going in, as this book heavily tackles body image and eating disorders, among other sensitive issues such as animal death, parental addiction, and suicidal ideation. If you wander into the school of it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

This book is absolutely incredible. It is so sinister and such a great retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray!

When I heard it was a sapphic retelling I knew I needed it.

I loved the twists and turns and the atmosphere set was so good. It really helped me visualise.

Really recommend however it is not for the faint hearted and triggers should be checked. It does handle some dark themes such as bullying, eating disorders & body image.

When i read something like "TicToc sensation" I always wonder if it will be a good book or a hyped one.
This is a good book, a well plotted retelling of Dorian GRay with the right level of horror.
A gripping and well written story that kept me reading and on the edge
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Every Exquisite Thing is another complete win from Laura Steven and exactly what you'd expect from a writer who has build her career on poignant stories that hit hard, that delve into topics that are heavy but so, so important.

In this story, a retelling of Dorian Gray of sorts, we follow Penny Paxton, daughter of an icon and an aspiring actress who just joined the elite Dorian Drama School. There she quickly gets enmeshed in school's drama and as her mentor offers her an opportunity of a liftetime - getting her portrait painted by a mysterious artist who can grant immortal beauty to all his subjects - Penny cannot refuse. But soon the subjects of portraits start turning up dead and Penny needs to find the culprit before it's too late and she becomes another victim of the sinister invisible killer.

THIS STORY! The commentary on society and our unattainable beauty standards was immaculate! I underlined several lines that I'll return to again and again when I get too in my head about looking a certain way, behaving a certain way, painting over all the little things that make me me to be more palatable to our society. Through Penny's story we experience immortal beauty but the true lesson lies in what that entails - all the sacrifices, all the ugly, unsurvivable bits, how it's all just an illusion and how this illusion only profits the corporations. The corporations that pray on our insecurities and make us believe that we can only succeed by being beautiful, by conforming. It was all so *chef's kiss*!

You should read Every Exquisite Thing, if you like:
- dark academia books with a touch of magic
- books with social commentary (specifically beauty standards)
- books with mental health rep (EDs)
- sapphics galore!!
- dark reads perfect for colder days

All in all, Every Exquisite Thing is a perfect creepy, atmospheric, fall read, peak dark academia with magical vibes. But it's also the kind of story that is much needed today and always, a book I am sure many will return to again and again (me included).

Thank you NetGalley and Farshore for this eCopy to reveiw

I found Every Exquisite Thing quite a difficult read, the plot was quite slow, the characters were very shallow, I know the theme was about beauty and society upholding it and how individuals control their own bodies and the anxiety caused when they are unable to do so (hair loss and the mutilation).

Tying your life and beauty to a painting seems very extreme and I can't believe no-one warned her to eat and make herself warm. Then the person killing ad scarring the girls was a complete shock and very unbelieving that it could be them (don't want to say who it is as it would spoil the plot)

Ultimately Penny was able to overcome societal expectations to follow her own dreams and stop letting being "beautiful" control her

Honestly I would read anything Laura writes, I love her work so much. EET is definitely another example of this, and I love that we get her trademark feminist anger, but taking on a different theme - body image - in this one. Honestly linking that theme to a retelling of Dorian Gray is frankly genius.

I flew through this, and found the ending in particular so haunting and fantastic. Penny’s backstory is so good - and how it plays out into the Dorian Gray theme is honestly terrifying in places. She is so nuanced as a character and i love it so much. Her rivalry with Davina and friendship with Catalina are both great. I would actually die for Catalina.

I will say that there are some very heavy trigger warnings for this around body image and eating disorders. I think Laura has done such a great job of discussing it without being too graphic, and also not making it about fatphobia or similar - the whole point is that its the societal pressure. As someone who hasn’t struggled with that side of this, I didn’t connect quite as strongly as i have with her previous work, but i know it has hit home for a lot of people who have.

Honestly stunning and well worth the read. 4.5 stars.

Every Exquisite Thing trembles with scarcely contained fury at the world constraining young women and binding them to their image, but also retains a powerful and poignant sense of hope.

Some books just burn incandescent with rage and this is one of those. Steven’s reinterpretation of The Picture of Dorian Gray brings it straight into modern concerns, but these are deep-rooted, societal and structural forms of control that have existed for aeons. They are not truly modern concerns, we are just beginning to have the conversations needed to acknowledge and unpin them.

I loved how atmospheric the writing in this book was. It is a true Gothic tale, with blood, gore and violence beneath the surface of a beautiful facade. The pacing and tension are excellent, with the pages just flying by. Steven packs in some excellent twists that heightened the central themes and are proper rug-pulls. Also, the focus on acting and pretence within the school levels up those Dorian vibes. It is layer after layer of pretence, constrained by what you think you should be. At the book’s centre is Penny, a phenomenal protagonist. Her voice is battered and bruised by the life she has had, squashed beneath the weight of expectations and the impossible ideals she must live up to.

This is a book that delves deep into hunger - both as a physical gnaw and the type of hunger that sits within your bones. A hunger to be more than what is expected of you, to succeed, to thrive and to just be happy. It is an all-consuming feeling. Penny embodies that hunger in several forms, making her character arc unforgettable. This, in combination with a poignant look at love, abuse and trauma, makes for some heavy reading at times. The physical hunger driven by societal and personal expectations, dictated by years of an image of unattainable perfection, manifests in a variety of ways that deeply skew body image.

Every Exquisite Thing is a beautiful, haunting and deeply rageful re-imagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray that takes distinct aim at the beauty industry and societal pressure over body image.

A deliciously spooky read, exquisitely written and expertly plotted. I loved the Dorian Gray aspects but even more so, I loved how it tackled problems of perfectionism, fitting in and eating disorders amongst young women (something I think a lot of girls and women will relate to). I'm *slightly* annoyed that the ending isn't wrapped up neatly but it was also a spine-chilling ending, which makes up for it for me. I've read a few titles by this author now and I look forward to what else she'll write.

Wow, what a captivating re-imagining of The Picture of Dorian Grey. I was absolutely enthralled by this story, it's powerful, thought provoking and explores a lot of dark themes.

'Had I just doomed myself to a lifetime of dizzying hunger? Of pain in my ribs and cold in my bones?'

𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀
Penny Paxton is the daughter of a supermodel icon, attending the elite Dorian Drama School. Being the daughter of an icon, Penny carefully creates her image to how she wants others to see her.

When Penny is offered a chance to have immortal beauty, she jumps at the chance. But what she doesn't expect is the horrors to come with it. How you are feeling when your portrait is painted, is how you will feel eternally.

But that's not the only problem, someone is killing people off one by one, attacking their portraits - which correlates to harm on the real person. Can Penny find the perpetrator before anyone else's portraits, including hers, is destroyed?

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
A hauntingly beautiful, sapphic, feminist, dark academia re-telling of The Picture of Dorian Grey. The theme of body image is depicted throughout, which is an important topic for people of all ages, especially for teenagers.

Through this re-telling, we're reminded of body positivity - being your own person, being your true self. Every main character you meet in this book explores identity, no matter your background, everyone has their own personal struggle.

I love the character development we see in Penny, from putting on an act, to accepting herself.

'Maybe love did not have to be carved with a scalpel'.

Thank you to NetGalley, Farshore/Electric Monkey Teen Fiction for this copy. This review is voluntary.

I loved this. I really like Laura Steven's books generally, so I came into this with a lot of hope and some high expectations. And boy was I not disappointed. A modern, sapphic retelling of Dorian Grey, set at the elite acting school Dorian Academy, our main character Penny is beautiful and privileged, acting royalty. The daughter of icon Peggy Paxton, she's had every privilege in life, and this has led to being here, at the Dorian academy, about to land the lead in the first year production of Macbeth, It's just ... parts of her hair keep falling out. And she's hungry all the time. And she's not actually sure whether she wants to be here, or she's desperately trying to get the attention and admiration of her famous but aloof mother.
It descends from there into more chaos as Penny makes decisions and is handed opportunities which take her down dark paths of beauty, immortality, and power and privilege. And honestly, this is so, so good. There's body horror, animal death, bodily mutilation, eating disorders, emotional estrangement and neglect, plus plain old jealousy and bitchiness, and it's all so compelling, so dark, and so delicious. Penny is spoiled and materialistic and at times incredibly nasty, but she's so very relatable in her desires and her actions. And the cursed swans, well they're something else entirely. I loved them! Davina, the foil to Penny's beautiful, privileged light, is dark and brooding, carries a knife, and has secrets upon secrets, not all of which are revealed throughout the book. But by far my favourite character is Penny's flatmate Catalina, who is just so sweet, pure, smart, and thoroughly adorable.
This book isn't soft or light, but it is delicious and funny and whip-smart. And that cover? Oh my God, I think it's the most gorgeous cover I've seen all year. Possibly all decade.

“I wanted to be loved, but I also wanted to be left alone.”

Oh man, this book… There were a multitude of quotes that resonated with me but I went with the above for personal reasons. It feels like Laura Stevens looked deep into my heart and wrote that line just for me, and I can’t wait for other readers to find themselves in her writing. Laura is beyond talented and I am so grateful that I got the chance to be a part of her street team.

It’s been so long since I read something that invoked all the characters feelings inside of me, and it was gripping until the end. Penny’s character development over the book was impeccably done, I loved how well rounded and realistic she was, especially when I was able to love and hate her in different scenes!

I will absolutely be buying myself a hard copy of this book upon release, 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I firstly want to thank, Laura Steven, net galley and Electric Monkey.

- Lgbtqia+ characters
- Influence from Dorian Gray.
- Mystery

I truly loved this book! It was so easy to follow the characters were flawed but so relatable! It certainly makes you question what would we do if we were given the same opportunity as Penny. To stay young and beautiful? Or age gracefully. I LOVED how we got a mystery, I was sat there trying to piece together WHO was destroying the painting! I just had to know!

Mysteries used to be my favourite genre but haven't read one in a while. It had me guessing and guessing, I loved the twists and turns, fantastic definitely one of the best books I've read in a while.

I was soo soo impressed with this book. I loved the authors writing and the story was engaging. I could not put this down and read it in 2 days! I cannot wait to read more by this author soon.

Due for release in September 2023, Every Exquisite Thing is a sublime read. Thanks to Laura Steven, the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it before publication.
With The Picture of Dorian Gray being one of my favourite reads, I’ll admit to being rather keen for this to go well. After a slowish start I found myself beguiled by this dark academia retelling that oozes menace and yet which also examines our modern obsession with appearance and what it offers.
Set in the Dorian Drama School our characters are obsessive, and used to making the sacrifices they deem necessary to get the success they crave. Our main character, Penny, is the daughter of a renowned actress. She is used to people admiring her beauty, just as they do her mother, and is hoping that her first year at this exclusive school will give her the chance to win the admiration of the woman she is desperate to impress. Her first battle is to blackmail one of her peers in order to play the part she wants.
Once awarded the role of Lady Macbeth, Penny is given the opportunity to be mentored by a well-respected actress. She soon learns that some within the walls of the school have paid a high price for their success…and it’s an opportunity Penny feels compelled to seize. Unfortunately, her portrait does nothing but emphasise the ugliness she recognises within herself.
When a number of those alumni whose portraits are hanging in the basement are found dead, Penny recognises that she needs help.
As the book draws to its conclusion the horror-element comes to the fore. At its heart, however, is a timely exploration of identity. A must-read!

3.5 stars

Every Exquisite Thing is the perfect spooky mystery to read during fall! The plot went in a direction I wasn’t expecting, and gave me vibes of one of my favorite childhood movies, Coraline. This book does lean more towards the mystery aspect than the dark academia aspect, and honestly, I wouldn’t categorize it as such compared to The Society for Soulless Girls. I do think this was a solid read, however, I was really uncomfortable with the teacher-student relationship and how it was brushed over. Aside from that, I loved Penny and Catalina. I loved watching their friendship develop, and it provided much needed happiness for Penny while she dealt with her identity, her body, and her relationship with her mother. I found myself relating to Penny a lot, and her experiences felt realistic.

This book deals with a lot of triggering topics, so if you’re interested in checking this book out, please keep that in mind.
Content warnings: mentions/descriptions of starving, eating disorders, body image, bullying, blood, blackmail, complicated parental relationships, death, murder, humiliation, relationship between a teacher and student, killing of an animal.

Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Stevens takes inspiration from Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey to make a story that is fully her own.

Stevens creates space within Every Exquisite Thing to examine the societal obsession with beauty, the standards pressed upon us (mainly women) and the cost it takes to maintain them.

I really enjoyed this book and the conversations it had within it. I thought Stevens was very thoughtful and considerate with how she explored the topic of beauty. This book is very raw and authentic in how it depicts the lengths that people, in this case the character Penny, will go to in order to remain beautiful and hold on to their (wavering) sense of identity.

Stevens writing was captivating and I felt every one of Penny’s emotions. I was genuinely stressed out when she was stressed out, and stressed out on behalf of her. I also felt so angry for her and all the ways she twisted herself to fit in to a checkbox, especially since this is so indicative of how things are in real life. Many of us have pretended to be someone we are not in a situation, whether it is so we are liked, or to keep ourselves safe.

The setting was very well written, and I could picture the school, the grounds, and the portrait room all so vividly. The vibes were occasionally spooky, which then made me glad I was reading in the daylight.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent read that tackled important topics with nuance and care.

Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven was honestly so good. It's a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray and I found so many relatable moments in it. I couldn't stop highlighting passages because there were just so many that I absolutely loved.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Every Exquisite Thing
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Laura Steven
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA feminist thriller/dark academia
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 14th September 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 20th August 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★ ¼

”‘Girls don’t want beauty. Girls want power. And sometimes beauty is the closest substitute.’”

Every Exquisite Thing is a hard hitting, powerful, and utterly immersive sapphic and feminist retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray. You don’t need to read The Picture of Dorian Gray to be completely reeled in to the murky waters of this reimagining, however, I do recommend you to heed the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book (disordered eating and thinking, violence, disfigurement, animal death, and parental addiction to name a few).

The premise of Dorian Gray is an artist paints a picture of Dorian, a handsome and charismatic gentleman, however the more nefarious and cruel Dorian’s physical actions become, the more his portrait distorts into a grotesque imagery of himself. It’s a simple and clever idea and the way Laura Steven utilised this in Every Exquisite Thing is authentic to her own ideals and yet congruent to the original.

The author deftly explores the topic of female beauty in this book. Mainly, it’s expectations, its limitations, and how the beauty competition called life women seem to be embroiled in line the pockets of rich men. To do this, our main character suffers from disordered eating and alopecia alongside her existential dread and her angst due to a floundering sense of identity so it was a bit difficult to read in parts, simply due to Penny’s strong emotionally evocative turmoils.

”‘It is neither normal nor natural to be so aware of our every unfortunate angle, our every perceived flaw. And it is neither normal nor natural for us to be so frequently immortalised. It carries with it a certain anxiety.’”

There was a lot of darkness in this book. Murder, rivalries, mental health conditions, dysfunctional family dynamics, blackmail, and bullying, to name a few. Yet there was also lightness, budding friendships, some humour, satisfying character redemptions, tender emotions, and maternal concern. This allowed the characters to be three dimensional: flawed yet fundamentally good. Catalina in particular held my heart and soul in the palm of her Dungeons & Dragons loving hand.

The setting was an elite drama institution, coined Dorian Drama School, which seemed glamorous and gothic, and screamed dark academia. Whilst the building is described as an ”old red-brick building with gleaming chequerboard floors, mahogany bookshelves with gilded sliding ladders, and the aphrodisiac scent of old paper and ink”, at its very core was a strange and almost imperceptible sentience that smelled of rot and decay, promising immortality in exchange for souls and consequently, sanity.

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic”–Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

—Kayleigh🤍