This book. Oh. My. Gods. You know that feeling when a book knocks all the air from your lungs and leaves you staring into space thinking you might never pick up another book? That.

Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven promises a sapphic, dark academia retelling of Dorian Grey, a haunted portrait gallery trying to murder people and a deep dive into beauty standards, and it absolutely delivers.

The Dorian Drama Academy is the perfect setting: old, decadent, with dark, sprawling estate vibes and a lake filled with vicious swans.

Penny has come to make her name in the acting industry, desperate to make her mother proud. It hit me hard in the mummy issues. Her mother is so distant and dismissive, and nothing Penny does ever seems good enough for her. Penny's journey back to her self is the most beautiful thing about this book for me. Honestly, the way this was explored was very healing for my inner child and I loved it.

Penny is obsessed with staying beautiful and Laura dives into this with Penny's disordered eating, which is dealt with beautifully and sensitively. When she's offered the opportunity to stay beautiful forever with a portrait in an exclusive gallery, she jumps at the chance. But, of course, actions have consequences and Penny ends up in a situation she didn't expect.

Alongside all this, she's made an enemy of Davina. Davina is all sharp edges, spiky, stompy boots and venom. If Soulless Alice is a throat punch, Exquisite Davina is being slammed hard and fast into a stone wall (were I not old enough to be her mother without it being a scandal, I would let her slam me into any wall she liked and thank her for the opportunity).

When other portrait subjects start showing up dead and aged, and warning marks appear all over Penny's body, she and Davina are forced to work together and it is just exquisite. The way this mystery played out floored me. The ending had me screeching (in a very literal way).

Put simply, Every Exquisite Thing eviscerated me and I will absolutely let that happen again. Don't sleep on this book. It's out in September.

Thanks to the absolute legends at @farshorebooks for approving me for this.

I couldn't put this book down--it's smart, enthralling, and has so many important messages for teenage girls about beauty standards and societal expectations.