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

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In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren and is a great way to see what other bloggers are reading and reviewing. I always love seeing what everyone else got for their week!



FOR REVIEW:
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
The Shattering by Karen Healey
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Amplified by Tara Kelly
Anathema by Megg Jensen

BOUGHT:
Changing the Game by Jaci Burton

An enormous thank you this week to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Macmillan, and Megg Jensen for sending me the above to read, I'm really looking forward to all of them!

Cover Critique: 2011 Top Six Part 1

Since we're rapidly approaching 2011, I thought I'd spend this week and next week's cover critiques highlighting some of my favorite covers I've seen for books coming out next year. 2010 has had some amazing covers and I'm thrilled to see the trend of beautiful design is continuing into 2011, so below you will find the first three of my favorite covers that have been released so far.

1. THE WATER WARS




I adore this cover. There are a plethora of young adult covers out there that focus on either a partial or full human face, and after a while all the features start to blur together until no single cover stands out for me. This face however, has a very unique addition as the eyelashes are replaced by water splashes to create a truly stunning visual effect. The cool grays evoke a sense of foreboding that compliments a title with the word "war" in it, and I love the contrast between the very dry, chapped lips and the saturated wetness of the eyelashes – almost as though the war is being visually emphasized since one part of the face is obviously in need of moisture, and the other part has an abundant supply of what is needed most.

Furthermore, I enjoy the androgynous quality to the face, it adds an anonymity to the character, as though this person is just another nameless face in the battle; one who fights but whose individual efforts won't necessarily be celebrated or even acknowledged. The dimpled chin and strong jaw suggest a male, but the full lips and wisps of blond hair floating down behind the title suggest female, making this cover all the more interesting to look at as we try to decipher everything we're seeing.

2. SLICE OF CHERRY




For me, the simplicity of this cover is what makes it so visually powerful. At first, we see cutely patterned teacups stacked together and think how adorable they are and how maybe we'd like to own them ourselves. Then we notice the font for the title doesn't quite fit with the adorable vibe of the striped and polka-dotted teacups and we are further put on edge by the presence of a puddle of blood and the drips running down the sides of formerly pristine china.

There are just so many questions raised by such a seemingly uncomplicated design. Whose blood is it? The whole tea party element suggests a child is either the owner of the blood or the one responsible for its presence, either option being equally disturbing, and leaves us all the more grimly fascinated by the unknown.

3. SWEETLY




I'm a huge fan of illustrated covers, and the first cover in this series, Sisters Red, was one of my favorite covers of 2010. Though the purple would not have been my ideal choice, the illustrator's use of both positive and negative space is just gorgeous. In the positive space, we see the stark black branches stretching eerily across the dusky purple of an early night's sky, but then upon further inspection, a face starts to form in the negative space. The crooked branches form the eyes and mouth, while three falling leaves form nostrils, together giving the overall illusion of distinctly female features staring out at us. The crooked nature of the trees and their barrenness have a sinister quality, as though whatever presence is watching over this quaint cottage is not someone we want to meet in a dark forest. Love it!

What do you guys think? Do you have any favorites so far for 2011?