Publisher: HarperTeen (May 1st, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 454 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher
Series: The Sweet Trilogy, #1
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
Review:
I really wasn't sure what to expect with Sweet Evil and I had worried it might be a typical angel and demon story. It is not a typical angel and demon story! In all honesty, it would be more of a 4.5 rating for me because there was very very little I didn't like.Anna is a young, sheltered teenager who is very different from her peers. Besides being pretty quiet and leery of the temptations many teenagers give in to, she has a few special abilities that add to the situation.
Anna can sense emotions from other people. They show up as colors on a person and it automatically tells her what people are experiencing - hurt, sadness, lust. This makes it difficult for Anna to make a lot of friends but she does have her best friend Jay. Jay was a fantastic character who only wanted the best for Anna. I liked that their relationship was truly like a brother/sister bond and Jay helped to protect Anna - even though he didn't know her secrets.
The book started out a bit slow for me and I was afraid I'd hate Anna. She was a bit clueless in the beginning and fell for a lot of things she shouldn't have. But it's easy to chalk that up to her just being so sheltered. Over time, she didn't bug me as much and I felt that she really grew as a character.
Then we meet Kaidan. Ah, Kaidan. Yes he is a bad boy, obviously..but I still really enjoyed him. He seemed so sure of himself in most settings, but around Anna he was a conflicted ball of emotions. And anyone wanna guess what his "sin" is? I'll let you figure it out ;)
Yes, the sons and daughters of the Dukes (AKA Demons) are assigned to do the work of their parents. They must get humans to fall into bad behaviors -- drinking, sex, cheating, envy, etc. This was such a fascinating concept for me! The entire plot of Sweet Evil drew me in. I also loved that there wasn't a true definitely of "good" and "evil" because even the sons and daughters of the Dukes had their own feelings and personalities. Even the Dukes were not just straightforward characters. Each one stood out for different reasons.
As Anna and Kaidan get to know each other, he really teaches her a lot about her powers and herself. It was amazing to see the confidence she gained as the story progressed. And this book has a pretty hot romance too. Wow! Be warned, you'll do a lot of swooning.
I know this book has some mixed reviews but I really think that if you are a paranormal fan looking for something that steps out of the box, give this book a try. I went into it not expecting to love it nearly as much as I did. Now I can't wait to see what happens next! Seriously, I may have to stalk Wendy Higgins a bit till I get my hands on the next book.
Sweet Evil really brings an entirely fresh, engaging story idea that was so well written and developed. Everything from the characters to the settings really helps lure the reader right into the story -- just like the Dukes would want. And with a character like Kaidan along for the ride, who'd want to let go?
I loved Sweet Evil. It wasn't the typical Angel/Demon story as you said and I really loved the different take on it. I thought the author did an awesome job in not sugar coating what went on in their lives. At first, I didn't like how nieve and sweet Anna was... but after reading it i completely understood her point in doing this! Loved this book one of my favorites for the year and well just a favorite!
ReplyDeleteSweet Evil is one of my favourite angel/demon types of book. Too often, these type of supernatural books can tend to blend together, but Wendy Higgins has given readers something that's refreshingly different. Kaidan is irresistible too! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteLiz @ Midnight Bloom Reads