RaveHypable... features a mysterious island, a film editor out of her depth, and two grizzly murders across two generations… what’s not to love? ... In its first few pages, Pretty as a Picture captures your attention with the promise of a unique glimpse at Hollywood’s filmmaking process: through the eyes of a film editor. But it quickly becomes clear that the book has much more to offer — and that editing isn’t the only intriguing mystery it holds ... This book doesn’t have a big epiphany where Marissa suddenly learns to relate to people like everyone else does. She doesn’t need to change to succeed or be accepted by the people around her. She’s just herself: clever, sarcastic, and not very good at reading social cues. And that’s so, so satisfying to read ... Little does a great job of introducing a large cast of characters in a setting that feels very realistic, even though a mysterious murder island could have easily felt too fantastic to be real. Marissa, of course, is just an incredibly unique and fun character to explore the mystery with. And the novel’s tone smoothly transitions between drama, comedy and thriller, keeping your attention at every turn. These transitions are aided by transcripts of a true crime podcast supposedly recorded after the events of the novel — and for anyone who, like me, listens to way too many true crime podcasts, this just ads a whole other layer of fun and realism to the story ... If you’re looking for an intriguing yet ultimately heartwarming murder mystery novel that you will absolutely read in only one or two sittings, ignoring your responsibilities (it’s that gripping!), Pretty as a Picture is the book for you.
