Sweet Evil (Sweet, #1) in Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books

Feb 19, 2012 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, own, reviewed

To say that Sweet Evil is not your typical YA paranormal romance would be an understatement. Sweet Evil really stands out and has to be one of the most uniquely crafted Angel books out there right now. It is just, well, different. Different in a good way. No, scratch the last statement. It's different in an amazing way. The manner in which the author of this book tackles the romance, the angel lore, and the plot is truly unmatched and quite special. And even though Sweet Evil is immersed in the To say that Sweet Evil is not your typical YA paranormal romance would be an understatement. Sweet Evil really stands out and has to be one of the most uniquely crafted Angel books out there right now. It is just, well, different. Different in a good way. No, scratch the last statement. It's different in an amazing way. The manner in which the author of this book tackles the romance, the angel lore, and the plot is truly unmatched and quite special. And even though Sweet Evil is immersed in the paranormal it has a realistic feel. It read like contemporary fiction sometimes which was something I had never encountered before. Why? Well, because Wendy Higgins tackles a lot of the issues that face so many young people today and granted with the paranormal elements of the book these issues are heightened but nevertheless remain so true to what happens on a day-to-day basis in our current society.

The characterization in Sweet Evil is just top notch. Our female lead, Anna Whitt, is a rather sweet and normal girl, that is until the reader learns that she is actually nephilim, the daughter of an angel and demon, and that can sense the feelings and auras of others. What I loved about Anna in this book is that yes she is really sweet but it doesn't mean she tries to be perfect all the time. Anna definitely faces a lot of temptation to go off the deep end and try dangerous things because of her angelic/demonic heritage and her inner emotional conflict was hard. Kaidan Rowe on the other hand, our male lead, is a total bad boy who is charming with good looks, cute witticisms, and a British accent that makes all the girls swoon. And on the surface he may seem like a shallow person who is a bit disconnected and a player but when we get to learn more about his story, we soon learn that he is also nephilim with the charge of influencing others to behave badly and that he has a hidden struggle and desire to maybe not lead the life he is forced to live because of who his father is (head demon with no morals).

The secondary characters in this novel just shine, in my opinion. Wendy Higgins makes sure to make the family and friends of the main characters an integral part of the story and it was really refreshing. Many YA paranormal romances get so caught up in the romantic lives of the main characters that they choose to ignore the social and familial life of the female and male leads and kinda lose what to me is a very important aspect to cover in a young adult book.

What I loved the most about Sweet Evil has to be the world-building. The angel lore in this book was just amazing. It had that rich detail to it that books like Dante's Inferno or films like Constantine have. It really delves deep into the classifications of angels, demons, their offspring and everything in between and truly embodies the classic, good vs evil, power struggle. Everything just felt epic and like it was either life or death. And even though many YA angel books do have this dilemma, it doesn't quite always feel as dangerous and important because they tend to lose themselves in the romance and sometimes ignore the paranormal elements of the story.

I also have to say that the romance in this book was just so well done. It felt real and raw. Yes, Anna and Kaidan have an extreme chemistry and a lot of tension and passion and they get to go on a road trip and it was one of the best parts of the book BUT because of their angelic/demonic origins they face a lot of challenges. And I thought that it was impressive that unlike many YA paranormal romances they did not get lost in their love and forgot to live. And even though they liked each other from the start, they didn't give into it that quickly. It took a bit of time because like every relationship their is a hesitance of "is this person playing me?" or "if I get into this relationship will I lose myself and ignore everything around me" and so on. Like in real life, their relationship faces challenges and it's not always smooth sailing because when you are dealing with matters of heaven or hell, how could things be simple, right? With the stakes so high, it is impossible to work everything out and just face the world together. It is always a challenge and in this book that challenge was represented really well through Kaidan and Anna's relationship.

And honestly the villains in this book were so scary that how could everything be rainbows for Anna and Kaidan. The evil characters in Sweet Evil are so cruel and defying that they make Voldemort and Darth Vader look like new born puppies who like to roll around the grass in the park chasing after a Frisbee. This book was just flawless and an incredible debut novel.

My Rating: 5/5
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Apr 23, 2012 Anya rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf, abandoned-series

I can't deal with this book. I want to bang my head against the wall just to forget what I put myself into.
The dialogue was cringe worthy to the high heavens:

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Feb 06, 2012 Sharrice rated it really liked it

After reading this I like Kaidan a lot more than I did.

Merged review:

So....I think this book blew a circuit because I have no idea what to think about how I feel about this book.

Read More on Original Post: Here

It took me a while after I finished this book to finally write the review for a couple reasons. One: I wasn't sure if I liked this book or not. Honest. After hearing all the great rants, reviews, and everything this book was I guess maybe I was expecting something, I don't know, different. After reading this I like Kaidan a lot more than I did.

Merged review:

So....I think this book blew a circuit because I have no idea what to think about how I feel about this book.

Read More on Original Post: Here

It took me a while after I finished this book to finally write the review for a couple reasons. One: I wasn't sure if I liked this book or not. Honest. After hearing all the great rants, reviews, and everything this book was I guess maybe I was expecting something, I don't know, different. Reason two was once I figured out what I felt for this book I didn't know how to express my feelings without sounding weird. So now here I am, and here's my review.
Anna Whitt's life is anything but ordinary. She has heightened senses, remembers her life in the womb, and every moment afterward, and can see and feel peoples emotions. When her best friend Jay takes her to go see one of his favorite bands she meets Kaiden Rowe, and realizes she may not be the only one who's different.

Returning home she asks her adoptive mom Patti about it and realizes just how different she is. A half-angel, half demon combo, the only one of her kind. When Patti finds out about Kaiden, she tells Anna to stay as far away from him as possible, for her safety could become at risk if she is ever having to meet Kaiden's demon father. Too bad Anna feels a connection to Kaiden and is drawn to him despite him being the biggest player she's ever met.

After revealing her secret to Kaiden and having the entire demon world find out she's a virgin, Kaiden's father sends him to train and teach Anna the ropes of being a Neph. After Anna finds out that the secrets to her identity, and her father are in California, Kaiden agrees to take her. While Kaiden teaches Anna more and more about the Neph and the way the demon world works Anna is more and more worried about what the future may bring.

When Anna starts discovering that she has feelings for Kaiden, he knows that he must stay far far away from her. Easier said than done though now that Anna's father is out of prison and having her start "working" for him. When Anna meets the other Neph, Anna realizes she may be the only one to free the Neph from their demon and parent rulers.

*Sigh* for the most part this story is predictable. There wasn't much in it that I didn't really see coming. Girl falls for bad boy, you can't tell if he really likes her. She learns how to use her "gifts", she learns the beginning of her destiny. Plus you know, a hint of a love triangle, and forbidden love, good versus evil, and all that other jazz.

Anna is...eh I wasn't really a fan of hers or Kaiden's for that matter. Sorry Kaiden fans but I just mean...it's so predictable. Plus most of the time he was a jealous ars hole. He did have an accent though so...that made up for some of his arslyness. Anna for the most part after the trip to California was pulling a Bella for much of the book. Depressed, wouldn't eat, failing school, lonely, ect. Boring!

However, I did like the whole world that Annalived in. That was extremely new for me and I liked it a lot. Plus although I'm not sure but I could be right that there is an African in this book. I was super excited about him and I am so so loving that there is more and more ethnicity making it's way into the book world. I am totally team Kopano, even though I totally know he's not the guy who will win Anna's heart in the end.

So, Sweet Evil wasn't bad. I liked it and I didn't. Lots of people loved this book, and I mean lots. So, please don't not read this book simply because I wasn't a huge fan. I am still going to read the second book Sweet Peril, and I still enjoyed many parts in this book. I truly hope everyone checks this book out and I hope you enjoy it. If you have read this book let me know what you think and tell me if Kopano is African, I would super appreciate it! Oh and if you didn't know there are mini stories with Kaiden's POV! ...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Jenny rated it really liked it

I loved this book way more than I thought I was going to! The characters were very intriguing, as well the story line. Anna is the true good girl. She made me think a little of Sandy from Grease. Kaidan is the ultimate bad boy. But extremely hot! Anna can't help being drawn to him. Opposites do attract! And it seems the more time they spend together, Anna becomes a little more naughty, whereas Kaidan becomes a little more good.

I loved the friendship between Jay and Anna. Jay is her best friend, ...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Zara Arshad rated it it was ok

Shelves: don-t-even-remember-reading-it

I saw this books on the list of "Fav reads of 2012" and I was on the lookout for a new story , so I thought what the heck.

This book didn't do as much for me overall, as it did in separate pieces. The overall flow for me was abrupt and disconcerting. But if I count the various scenes, they were really enjoyable and good.

The characters were nice too. I specially liked the best friends and the supernatural gang of teens. The aura reading and different kids of the Deadly Sins was a great additio

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Nov 09, 2011 Say rated it it was amazing

Shelves: january-2014-reads

OMG!!! KAIDAN.............<3

Merged review:

Oh Kaidan!!!

Merged review:

Solid 4 stars for me. Glad I didn't read the reviews (especially the bad ones) coz if I did I wouldn't have given this book a chance. Review to follow. ...more

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