BOOKS

This Wretched Beauty (A Dorian Gray Remix)

Happiness needs to be earned in the face of impossible odds, or there’s no beauty in it.

London, 1867. Dorian Gray is the heir to a title and their family’s estate, but they’ve never been given the chance to decide whether that’s actually what they want out of life. Forcibly estranged from their father by their manipulative grandfather, Dorian feels trapped in the life that has been decided for them.

Then one night they sneak out of their grandfather’s house, they meet a sweet and talented young painter named Basil, who immediately recognizes Dorian as his new muse. They agree to sit for Basil for a portrait, and Dorian is struck by the beauty and depth that Basil paints into their likeness—and they dare to begin hoping there might be more to life than being their grandfather’s perfect, empty-headed heir.

Dorian is further elated when Basil introduces them to the world of molly houses and drag performers—they’ve never seen such joyful variety of humanity and gender expression. But, as the barrier between the London they know and the one they're discovering begins to crumble, Dorian must face the fact that freedom and safety do not come hand in hand.

The aftermath of this realization pulls Dorian into a terrible downward spiral, torn between guilt over their own actions and hatred for the suffocating expectations of society. They push away those closest to them, surrounding themself instead with vapid courtiers and decadent socialites. And as Dorian’s spiral of self-loathing deepens, something strange happens—Basil’s portrait of them begins to change. Their smile becomes a little sharper, the glint in their eyes a little colder.

Dorian will have to choose—embrace the wickedness within and allow themself to become what they were always meant to be, or dare to try for something far more fragile and dangerous: a life of their own making.

"Grenier’s prose aches with immersive melancholy. As a remix, the story acts in conversation with the history of the original work and uses its scaffolding to explore relevant themes of identity, abuse, and trauma. ... Artfully atmospheric, sensitive, and nuanced." —Kirkus Reviews

"A compelling look at an oft-forgotten era of queer history that will appeal to teens who crave descriptive historical fiction." —School Library Journal

Out February 17th, 2026

Praise for This Wretched Beauty:

"This Wretched Beauty was plucked from queer history to land on today’s shelves. Sometimes heartbreaking, often thought-provoking, always beautiful." —Andrew Joseph White, New York Times-bestselling author of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

"Elle Grenier's spin on Dorian Gray reminded me to find compassion for the parts of myself I'm most ashamed of. This Wretched Beauty is a haunting portrayal of the insidious nature of guilt, but it's also a reminder that guilt does not need to spiral forever. If you've ever looked at yourself and seen only shame, this book may be for you." —Sonora Reyes, award-winning and bestselling author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

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