Starting the Next Chapter: Review

by Wendy Higgins
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: May 1, 2012
format: paperback
pages: 453
source: purchased

From Goodreads:

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?

Sweet Evil is a book that I have heard much about since it was released late this past spring. Though it is a theme that I have seen often in books, the premise of Sweet Evil was enough to pique my interest and led me to buy a copy soon after its release. I had some worries going into the book that I would find more about the story objectionable than I would find to be enjoyable. Fortunately, Sweet Evil delivered with an entertaining story and some surprisingly steamy moments.

Anna Whitt turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable character. While at first I feared she would prove to be a Mary Sue type of character, she surprised me with some unexpected layers that gave her character a nice amount of depth. Her friendship with Jay reminded me a lot of a friend of mine and made me smile, which was a very nice touch. It was Kaidan, however, that left me with "meh" feelings. There comes a point when the bad boy character becomes just too much to handle. While his character brought an important element to the story, I just fail to find the bad boy type all that appealing.

The hidden world in which Anna finds herself immersed is an immensely intriguing one. On the surface she lives in a small town just outside Atlanta. Beyond the visual scope of everyday humans, however, lies a much darker world inhabited by frightening beings bent on leading humanity astray. Where there is dark there is light, however, and I found the ways in which the light were included to be very appealing. When you include the background for both sides, you have an engaging book that makes for a great reading session.

Even though I am not as much of a Kaidan fan as others who have read and enjoyed this book, I found Sweet Evil to be a fun weekend read all the same. With such a good main character, a sinister hidden world, and a classic conflict, Sweet Evil makes for a very nice reading experience. I, for one, plan to continue with this series and look forward to finding out what will happen next.