Monday, September 5, 2011

Review: Sweetly

SWEETLY
Jackson Pearce
Paranormal Young Adult
312 pages
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY
When Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother Ansel venture into the woods near their home in search of proof to the rumor that a witch resides among the trees, she's not sure what to expect. Certainly not the yellow eyes. Or the terror as the three of them sprint for home. And she could never have expected when they went in that only two of them would make it out.

Twelve years later, Gretchen is still haunted by the loss of her sister as she and Ansel travel to a new life by the water after their stepmother kicked them out her home. Unfortunately, their old car breaks down on the highway and they're forced to walk to the nearest town for help. Short on money, Ansel agrees to do some odd jobs for Sophia, a young woman who runs a chocolatier outside of town, in order to pay for the repairs.

Those few odd jobs meant to last a day or two turn into weeks, and Ansel and Gretchen begin to settle into life with Sophia. Gretchen learns quickly though that not everyone in town is a fan of Sophia's, some blaming her for the numerous disappearances of young girls after her annual chocolate festival. News of the missing girls brings Gretchen's own loss to the forefront, and she decides to get to ferret out truth from rumor, not realizing the witch who took her sister all those years ago now lies in wait in the town of Live Oak.

MY THOUGHTS
A companion novel to Sisters Red, Sweetly is a fairytale retelling with an edge, and much like a dark chocolate truffle we might find in Sophia's chocolatier, it has a bit of bitterness to it that gives this story a little extra richness of flavor. Ms. Pearce is a quality storyteller, her world and characters engaging despite not being overly dynamic or complex, compelling us nonetheless to turn the pages to satisfy our seemingly unquenchable curiosity. Her take on the Hansel and Gretel tale is nothing short of entertaining, twisting the events enough to make it refreshing while creating a solid link to Sisters Red that has us hoping and wishing for more retellings that continue on in the same vein.

Gretchen isn't one of those characters who bursts from the pages in a storm of color and personality, however she is a strong protagonist who doesn't let the grief over the loss of her sister keep her behind an impenetrable emotional barrier. We share in her pain without being consumed by it, and when she meets Samuel and begins to conquer the fear that's haunted her for years, we sit back and smile as the last shackles binding her to her past fall away, leaving her with memories instead overwhelming guilt. The romantic element is sweet without being cliched or overdone, and we find ourselves rooting for her and Samuel as much as we're rooting for her to decipher the riddle of Sophia, the missing girls, and the witch with yellow eyes.

Sophia is an enigmatic character, someone whose loneliness and pain is masked by a positivity and infectious enthusiasm just convincing enough to have us continually questioning her role in the disappearances. Readers do not have to have read Sisters Red to understand this story, though there are small clues woven in here and there that help those who have figure things out a bit quicker, however the extent of Sophia's involvement is only made clear at the very action-packed conclusion. She is a woman who exists in dualities–both happy and miserable, innocent and guilty, as well as victim and villain–making our emotional responses to her travel the full spectrum as we wonder how things are going to play out.

Sweetly is not an epic read with mind-bending world-building and unforgettable characters, but it isn't meant to be, focusing instead on unraveling a paranormal mystery that in turn knits a brother and sister back together after they've survived with a sister-shaped tear in the fabric of their lives for so long. A quick, satisfying read with a darkly captivating story, Sweetly will appeal to lovers of fairytales that have grittier versions of the path to happily ever after.

Rating: 4/5

30 comments:

  1. Girl, you have a way with words. I say it time and again, but you sure know how to review! Honestly, I loved Sisters Red, and I'm dying to read this one. So glad to hear it delivers. Fab review, as per usual, Jenny ;)

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  2. I really loved the ties that Sweetly had to Sisters Red. And I can definitely tell that Fathomless is going to be linked to these two books, too! I really enjoyed Sweetly; I'm so glad to hear that you did, too! :)

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  3. This is a GREAT review; I've followed this blog a while and I am continually persuaded by why you write. I'm very impressed and jealous (and also kinda want to hide all of mine forever). I love Jackson Pearce, and this is a nice affirmation that Sweetly will be all I expect.

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  4. I have this one waiting on my shelf as I am a huge fairy tale fan and love retellings that have a dark element to them. Fab review!

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  5. Sounds excellent. Awesome review as usual.

    Note: I wish this book had a less icky cover. This one turns me off for some reason.

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  6. I still haven't read Sister Red but this sounds like a fantastic retelling. Thanks for the awesome review Jenny :)

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  7. Sweetly's a book that I've been seeing around for a while. The Goodreads description alone made me want it and your made me want to read it even more. I feel like you've given me some real insight into what the characters are like and I feel like I might be able to connect with them. Thanks for the great review.

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  8. Jenny that review was epic...I love your details!!

    You know Sisters Red took a TON of slack last year but I really loved it. I cant wait to get a copy of Sweetly!!

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  9. Melissa - *blushes* Thank you, coming from you that's quite a compliment:) This one is a bit slower than Sisters Red, but I just love fairytale retellings and the slower pace worked for me in this case:)

    Lauren - Me too! I wasn't quite sure how she was going to tie them in, but she surprised me:)

    Jessie - Wow, thank you! Can't wait to see what you think of Sweetly:)

    Jan - I love the dark element too, it keeps me wondering if that HEA will actually happen or if things are going to stay dark:)

    Juju - Thank you! I actually like this cover with the trees:) I'm not a huge fan of the purple though.

    Kris - Oh good, glad I could help! Hope you pick it up soon:)

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  10. Oooh Jenny you have me extremely excited to read this one. I am interested in seeing how Sophia is involved and her dualities. Awesome review!!!!!!

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  11. Beautifully written review, as always. I really enjoyed Sweetly -- I think, despite her personality flaws, Sophia was my favorite character.
    Mary @BookSwarm

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  12. So glad to hear this is a good read! I really want to read it, and Sisters Red as well. They both sound really awesome. :) Thanks for sharing your review!

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  13. Rockin' review, Jenny! I read Sweetly and really liked it, I love the fact that he's tying in the books.

    I know it's been said but your review was absolutely amazingly written! So very impressive and well-put together, it just flows.
    You've got some mad skillz, Chica! :o]

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  14. Tina - Thank you! I struggled to write this one so I'm glad to know it was helpful:) I know a lot of people hated Sisters Red and will likely not be a fan of this one either, but I really enjoyed both books:)

    Bailey - Sophia was really interesting I thought, I would figure somethings out about her and then decide I was wrong only to discover I was actually right. Loved it:)

    Mary - Thank you very much! Sophia was my favorite too, she was just fun to read about:)

    Christy - You're welcome! They're not light reads, but they're quick and fun.

    Kristi - Thank you thank you, everyone's comments are making my day today! I really like the tie-in too, I wasn't sure what was going to make it a "companion" novel but she did a great job:)

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  15. I haven't read "Sisters Red" but have it on my tbr pile so I'm glad to know that I won't be missing out on much when I read "Sweetly". I got an ARC of this one awhile ago and haven't gotten a chance to read it yet. I love dark retelling of fairy tales and this one just sounds fun. Thanks for a great review as always, Jenny! I'm going to bump this one up higher on my tbr pile.

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  16. I do want to read both books and especially like that there are small clues in Sweetly that tie into Sister's Red. I can picture myself reading it and getting the thrill of making the connection.

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  17. I like re-tellings :) And espeically if they have an edge to them. Cos the real tales were not happy either

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  18. Rummanah - You can definitely read Sweetly first and still know what's going on, it's a separate story just cleverly linked:)

    Jenny - I just really enjoy this series, I like how she tells a story:)

    Blodeuedd - No, Hansel and Gretel was definitely not a happy fairtytale so it would have been weird for this one to be a light read:)

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  19. I wasn't a fan of Sisters Red, but this does sound good. Perhaps I'll have to give this author another chance.

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  20. Oooh even though it isn't epic, it still sounds awesome! I need to read Sisters Red first!!

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  21. Hee hee... so I don't have to read Sister's Red before getting into this one? So if I do, I can blame you? ;D LOL

    Oh this does sound so good. I might have to pick up this one. I heard such mixed reviews of the first.

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  22. I'm curious to see how this links to Sisters Red. It sounds so different. I like how complex and layered it sounds.

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  23. Oh well written Jenny! You make me want to dive right into my copy and forget all my other obligations! Very good, I especially love "knits a brother and sister back together after they've survived with a sister-shaped tear in the fabric of their lives for so long." I love that!

    Heather

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  24. I wasn't the hugest fan of Sisters Red, but I am intrigued by this one. Great review, as always! =)

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  25. I really like it when villains are complex. I haven't read Sisters Red but I enjoyed Jackson Pearce's As You Wish and since I'm a big fan of fairytale retellings, I've got both Sisters Red and Sweetly on my wishlist. Were you craving chocolate while you read this ?:)

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  26. There were some things with SISTERS RED that I didn't care for, but SWEETLY sounds like something I would enjoy reading. I think I'll give Pearce another try. Thanks for the review!

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  27. Yay, you loved it too! I haven't read Sisters Red, though I have a copy, and I was glad I didn't have to read the it to read Sweetly. Great review, Jenny :) as always!

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  28. I love how this author takes classic tales and makes them new. I loved this book. It made me crave chocolate a lot!

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  29. I've never read a Hansel and Gretel retelling before so I'm interested in this one because it sounds amazing and dark. I think I'll read Sisters Red first though so I can pick up on the hidden clues you mention.

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