Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins Review

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 464
Source: Publisher

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 it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Anna is strong, determined and fearless, but like everyone, she has a past – whether her own, or her destiny – that seeks to bring out her true nature every day of her life. Yet, she’s managed to control it her whole life. Anna can sense people’s emotions, their auras and she sees their true colours…literally. Darkness lurks everywhere though, and it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with her. When Kaiden enters the picture, gorgeous, alluring and oh-so insidious Kaiden, she’s nearly powerless to his charm. The truth is about to come out, and Anna has to figure out which side she is on before it’s too late.

I have a confession to make, guys. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins is a novel that latches onto and utilizes pretty much every element of YA paranormal that I hate, and yet, for some reason, it was utterly captivating. From start to finish, the novel is rich, alluring and sweetly sexy, lending a tension-filled tone to each and every page. Rather than spinning a tired tale from the age-old angel and demon storyline, Sweet Evil tackles the Nephilim, spinning the reader into a whirlwind of action, rage and an epic plot. With perfectly balanced characters and a haunting and nearly melodic tone, Sweet Evil will take your breath away.

There were so many incredible strengths to Sweet Evil that I hardly know where to being. It’s a first for me; I’ll tell you that much. Anna was such a brilliant character. There was a sweet vulnerability to her, but it was never misconstrued as weakness or lack of character. Rather, it was her heart that sang through, giving her strength of both mind and will. I felt drawn to her because she was so subtly charismatic, and despite the fact that this is, indeed, another paranormal tale, she was tangible. Kaiden, was her perfect complement. Naturally, he just oozes darkness and boy-boy character, but he somehow does so without becoming the riddled cliché that’s obsolete. His darkness and blatant disregard for rules was perfectly juxtapositioned with her personality so the two balanced and offset one another, adding another layer of depth and intrigue. Plus, the first that burns between them is equal parts engaging and dark, making you just wonder…maybe because that sexual tension was just so dang strong. These fallen angels amp it up a notch, kicking Sweet Evil into the next gear and letting it embody it’s title because it’s oh-so-sweet but Lord, is it deadly. With characters to die for and an ending that should be outlawed because it was so dang brutally awesome and crazy, you’ll be dying for the next installment. Like yesterday.

Honestly, I was just floored by Sweet Evil. It was everything I thought I’d hate, but it was so well done, that’s one of my favourites for 2012. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal, paranormal romance and fallen angels.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.