Day’s YA: EVERY EXQUISITE THING

EVERY EXQUISITE THING by Laura Steven
9781250346797
5/26/2026
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Penny Paxton is the daughter of a supermodel, a woman who has many adoring fans and immense fame. Now it’s Penny’s turn to find her place in the spotlight and prove herself to her mother, and that chance starts at the elite Dorian Drama School. When Penny’s new acting mentor presents her with an offer to have her portrait painted by a mysterious artist, one who can grant immortal beauty to his subjects, she eagerly accepts, following Dorian’s greatest alumni and knowing that stardom will soon be hers. But her mistake quickly reveals itself when she finds out that her mentor was murdered. Someone is using these portraits to kill off their subjects one by one, and as more and more students begin to fall, she realizes that her time is running out.

This YA feminist sapphic retelling of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY combines elements of horror, thriller, and romance, creating a captivating yet haunting exploration of beauty, identity, and the cost of the pursuit of perfection. I listened to this on audiobook, and it was truly an immersive experience—the characters felt and sounded so real, the personalities were so detailed, and it truly made me feel like I was just another student at Dorian Drama School. The school was perfectly gothic and gave me all of the dark academia vibes I crave, and the Edinburgh setting (my favorite city!) was the cherry on top for me. Laura Steven’s writing is some of the most lyrical and haunting storytelling I have ever read—it’s beautiful, it’s vivid, it’s tense, and it made the story feel both dreamlike and suffocating at the same time. 

Penny really was such a raw, realistic, and relatable main character. She tries everything to get the approval of her mother and others, and to feel loved and admired, even when it causes her distress. She struggles with mental health, and she also fears her loss of beauty due to alopecia. You feel for her and understand her, and watching her growth and acceptance of her feels beyond powerful. And standing alongside her are fully fleshed out characters who also have their own struggles, all of which Stevens handles with care when discussing.

Ultimately, EVERY EXQUISITE THING is a story of self acceptance, of finding self-love, of facing societal pressure, and of the lengths we will go to in order to please other people and feel satisfied with ourselves, even if it comes at a steep cost. It will be a must-read for fans of the twisty and sharp plot of Wednesday, the atmospheric, dark, and fantastically queer vibes in THE HONEYS, and the dark obsession with perfection and beauty that is found in Black Swan.

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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