Every Exquisite Thing

Gr 10 Up–When Penny enters Dorian Drama School, she is a legacy student: the daughter of a gorgeous and famous mother, with everything ahead of her. However, Dorian is not all that it seems. A secret group of talented students are invited to have their portrait made to gain immortality. But the cost is high, as Penny soon realizes there is a murderer on campus targeting those who have had their portraits done. The premise is intriguing, and the story captures readers’ attention, with several plot twists that will leave heads spinning. However, there are many clichés—the nerdy best friend, the painful mother-daughter relationship—that, while being key to the plot, are rather stilted. The main character presents as white, while other characters are portrayed diversely overall. There are also mentions of disordered ­eating, addiction, and trauma. There is no violence; some scenes contain explicit ­language and drugs. In one intense scene, a character makes another strip down in front of the rest of the students in their class at the instruction of the teacher for a lesson. No sex occurs on the page, but there is an implied ­relationship between teacher and student: the student is seen in the car with a teacher and kisses his cheek. ­