Sweet Evil
Written by Wendy Higgins
Narrated by Erin Mallon
4/5
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About this audiobook
Fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series will be drawn to Wendy Higgins's sexy, thrilling Sweet Evil series.
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?
Wendy Higgins
Wendy Higgins is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series, The Great Hunt, The Great Pursuit, Flirting with Maybe, and Kiss Collector. Born in Alaska as an Army brat, she lived on five different military bases across the US. Wendy now lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her husband and children, writing full-time. You can visit her online at www.wendyhigginswrites.com.
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Reviews for Sweet Evil
392 ratings46 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a promising start to a series, with good accents and different voices for characters. Some readers are curious about where the series is going, while others find it hard to stick with due to slow pacing and the narrator's style. Overall, the book offers a fresh perspective on the battles between good and evil, but some readers feel that it seems unfinished and are hoping for a sequel.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not a bad YA angel romance at all, a promising start to a series. Had to get used to the narrator, quite whiney for my taste, plus her pronunciation of the male lead’s name made me cringe every time (first syllable of Kaiden rhyming with “tie” rather than the normal pronunciation rhyming with “bay” but of course I might be wrong). Her accents and different voices for different characters are good though. Looking forward to the next one!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Favorite series
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fresh perspective on the battles we all face to do good or evil.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5booknook — Young Adult book reviewsLet me just say that it's a good thing I was home alone while reading this book. Every single page I would burst out with insanely loud laughter or girly shrieks or "OH MY GOD!" I imagine my family members would have been annoyed with my psychotic outbursts!Sweet Evil is an insane emotional ride through the paranormal. This book is really about good vs. evil, giving into temptations, and romance.. OH MY GOD THE ROMANCE! This is definitely a book that will make you miss your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife, or at least make you desperate to like.. kiss someone.I adored the romance in Sweet Evil because it was so full of contrast. Although Anna is half demon and half angel, she's definitely dominantly angel. She's sweet, innocent, and pure, which made her a heavy contrast to Kaidan — the dark, mysterious, bad boy demon who is all about the one night stands and partying. Although it may seem like the typical good girl and bad boy relationship, I felt like there was so much more here. Maybe it was the intense story behind their relationship, or the obstacles they faced, or just the deliciously swoony scenes where things got hot and heavy. I don't know, but I adored it! I was screaming into my book and constantly texting my boyfriend to tell him that I missed him desperately. This book did crazy things to my emotions!One thing I didn't like was the love triangle that developed. It felt very awkward to me. I feel like the love triangle didn't play a big enough role in the story to actually be important or have a significant place in the book. It just seemed very unnecessary to me. That, and the fact that I'm not a fan of Kopano. He was supposed to be the nice guy to contrast with the bad boy Kaidan, but he seemed kind of emotionless to me. He was a little too serene or something.But that's really my only issue with the book. Other than that, I absolutely adored every inch of Sweet Evil! My heart was constantly racing, my fingers were whipping through the pages, and I was so glued to the book that I even took it in the bath with me — which is something I NEVER do! The story in Sweet Evil was also fascinating to me. I'm not a religious person, but Sweet Evil had a lot of religious plot elements and messages and I found it fascinating! I loved how Wendy Higgins came up with all these eloquent ways of explaining things in the world, like the voices inside our heads that put us down or praise us. There were so many intense scenes filled with love, wonder, confusion, and other crazy emotions. Anna's mom Patti reminded me of my own mom (who's name is Patty!), and I totally wanted a best friend like Veronica!If you like paranormal and/or romance, this is one fierce read that will have you hooked until the very end. And then you'll cry and start begging for the yet-to-be-determined sequel because it's sooo heart-wrenching and surely the world of Sweet Evil can't end until everything has been set right and made happy!!!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Really having a hard time listening to this book. The narrator is killing it for me. I think it would be a better read however, I'm 75 percent of the way through the book and in my opinion not enough is actually happening to stick with the series. Descriptions and meaningless interactions drag on. The narrator reads everything in a light hearted-matter-of-fact way that doesn't do anything for keeping the reader engaged by differentiating emotional highs and lows and leaves little range to each interaction. The combination is the kiss of death for me. It's a bummer though because I had high hopes for the series and liked the premise.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5So far this series is just average, I’m very curious to see where it’s going though because there wasn’t a ton of resolution to the slow building plot in this one and it ended on a tiny cliff hanger.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good book but seems unfinished, there has to be a sequel
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A whole new take on the angel paranormal genre takes flight in Wendy Higgins’ Sweet Evil.
I have never read a book quite like this. Higgins has come up with a completely original take on angels, demons and Nephilim with her YA paranormal début. Anna Whitt is a teenager with a special ability – she can see people’s emotions in the space around them. When she attends the concert of a local band with her best friend Jay, she meets the band’s drummer Kaidan Rowe, a mysterious young man whose emotions are not on display like everyone else’s and who seems to think she is keeping a secret. The only problem is, she has no idea what he is talking about. Unable to forget Kaidan, Anna tracks him down and confronts him, only to learn that he is a Nephilim – half human, half demon – and that he believes she is one, too. Only two people know the whole truth about Anna and it is time she meet them – her father who is in prison for drug trafficking, and an elderly nun who was witness to her birth. With Kaidan’s assistance, Anna is about to find out how unique her heritage really is!
I was very impressed with the detail and original spin that author Wendy Higgins put on angels and demons in this book. Her demons aren’t actually evil; they simply specialize in various sins and are capable of the full range of emotion. Each sin is represented by a Duke, and Anna’s father turns out to be the Duke of Substance Abuse. When the Dukes have children with human women, the children are Nephilim and “work” for their fathers promoting sins. To the Dukes, the Nephilim are basically servants (if they want to live, they work) that are looked down upon. The life of the Nephilim that Higgins lays out is not pretty and extremely dangerous; the Dukes have no qualms killing any of their children if they disobey in any manner – and Kaidan’s father, Duke of Lust, is one of the worst. On the opposite side of the demon spectrum is Anna’s father, who actually loves her, and a couple of other Dukes who seem to actually care for their children. The whole idea of demons who can love is very different from a lot of angel books I’ve read recently.
Higgins has taken her time with the structure of this novel. Two major things she needed to handle in the first book of this trilogy was to set up the romance and explain how the world of her novels works. She takes care of the first by placing Anna and Kaidan on a road trip to meet her father and the nun who wants to talk to Anna in person before she dies. This gives them an opportunity to get to know each other and for us (the readers) to become invested in their relationship. The world-building portion of the story is handled in two parts – the role of the Nephilim is laid out in conversations between Kaidan and Anna on the road trip, while the back story of Heaven and Hell (God and Lucifer) is presented at the first meeting between Anna and her father. After laying the groundwork, Higgins can concentrate on adding the twists and turns to the story that set us up for book two – including a rival for Anna’s affections.
Characters are well-developed and distinct, from Anna and Kaidan to their fathers and Kaidan’s Nephilim friends. Anna is a strong protagonist you can relate to easily, while Kaidan is definitely a bad boy who is broken by love. I could really feel Kaidan’s pain as he struggled with his feelings for Anna, knowing that a relationship with her was impossible but drawn to her anyway. The attraction between these two characters builds throughout the book, right along with the tension. You can sense the threat of the Dukes everywhere in the story, giving it a real edge. Secondary characters never blend into each other and are easy to tell apart.
Each Nephilim struggles with their demon side and the sin they promote; since her father is focused on substance abuse, Anna’s weakness is drugs and alcohol. Anna is very much a “good girl,” but even good girls have urges that can lead them down some dangerous paths. With her demon heritage thrown into the mix, Anna is especially susceptible to that darker side of herself. It was interesting to see the business-like manner her father used in “training” Anna to know her drinking limits, but even he wanted her to “just say no to drugs.”
The pacing is excellent. I never had a point where I felt I could put the book down and walk away for awhile. It was never slow or sluggish but steady throughout, and the tension grew naturally as Anna was drawn deeper into the Nephilim world.
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins is a spectacular YA paranormal debut. World-building is excellent, characters are well-rounded, pacing is steady but gripping, and the romance has an edge of danger – everything works. While book two has not yet been picked up by the publisher, I truly believe it will be. This is simply one of the best debut novels this year and I can’t imagine Harper Collins passing on a sequel. If you are looking for a well-written and unique take on the angel genre, Sweet Evil should definitely be on your list. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good god!! I am in LOVE with this series! It's a must read!!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5VOYA - Katie SadowskiAnna can see people's colors (auras and moods); she can hear up to a mile away and smell pancakes cooking on the next block. She does not drink, is waiting to have sex until marriage, and does not lie. Anna is the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon. Her angelic side may have more control, but once she meets Kaiden, the son of another demon, she is thrown into the world of the Nephilim, the children of demons, where survival depends upon embracing vice. Nephilim are expected to "work" to spread sin; those who do not are killed by their fathers, and they are certainly not allowed to have feelings for one another. One hundred percent fantasy and romance, Sweet Evil follows the current formula set forth by Twilight. Kaiden introduces Anna to the world of the Nephilim and refuses to be with her to protect them both; she becomes depressed in response, and a second, safe love interest is introduced. The book, however, is well written and enticing. Paranormal romance fans will line up to read it. One steamy encounter, the Nephilim's assignments, and encounters with demons make this book more appropriate for a mature reader, as allusions to sex, drinking, and drugs abound. Though the ending is a bit unbelievable, even by supernatural standards, it will draw readers back for the remainder of the Sweet Trilogy
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Really enjoyed this book. Absolutely love Kaidan. His personality and characterization is great. Can't wait to start the next one in the series.
I really enjoy all the background information on Nephilim and the auras. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have heard mixed reviews on this series and have put off reading it for so long. I have all of the books though and decided to give it a go. I went into this with very low expectations, but ended up enjoying it more than I was expecting.This started off pretty strong. I was actually flying through it. It did slow down towards the middle/end and was longer than it needed to be. However; I did enjoy it. Yes, this does deal with younger teens “working” around the sins of the world. Triggers for drug use and underage partying and sex. I can see why others do not like this as it does talk about forcing younger kids to have sex and touches on kids in sex slavery. I knew some of this going in though.The reason I really enjoyed this so far, is the relationship between Anna and Kaiden. Their romance was much needed within the story and I actually wanted more. We only get limited scenes with them and it really stops once you hit the half way point. Overall, I did enjoy this more than I was expecting and plan to continue the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Awwwwww poor thing! He's just so adorable and heartbroken, I wanted to throw my arms around him and hug him...
I loved those little glimpses into Kai's head, he's a very complex guy, and I could never decipher the meaning behind his words in Sweet Evil; I was all: "is he really wanting to push Anna away every moment he told her to?" "How is he feeling all this time far from her?" "Okay what did he just mean by sayingthat?"...
Now, I'm even more crazy in love intrigued by him.
I miss him terribly, and I can't wait for Sweet Peril to come!
Merged review:
Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai!!
One simply cannot get enough of a hot, soul-tortured, half-demon British drummer...
I say Wendy should write at least one book from Kaidan POV.
Merged review:
Rating: 4.5/5
HOLY.FREAKING.SHIT.
Did I seriously skipped two and stayed until 3am on a school night reading this fabulous book and nit wanting it to finish? Not ever?
Kai...
My fangirl heart is being tortured poor thing with all those hot specimen I keep on crushing on... - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely loved this book! For me it started just a tad bit slow, but man it sure did not take long to pick up, and I am not going to spoil it for anyone so READ it. You won’t be disappointed.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I went into this read with an open mind. It really didn't sound like something I would have ever really been interested in, but I felt like I had been reading the same books over and over again. The first week of reading Sweet Evil made me nervous, because I wasn't really feeling it. There was this excessive talk about virtue and it was awkward and uncomfortable. I really think those initial chapters could use some work.
Week two and on. . .I LOVED this story. Everything started to make sense and characters started to really matter to me! Then came the meeting in this week's reading! Holy moly! That was amazingly written! I could feel the tension and I could picture everything so clearly!
This was a book that didn't start well, but in the end was incredibly well-crafted. I'm very, very excited to read the second book! Out of a five star system, for me, this book is a 4/5. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5As a Christian mom I am still on the fence
So this was my first angel/demon series and I am just not sure what I thought. As a mom of 5 girls, I am prereading ya books for them to possibly read. As much as I loved the christian aspects to this book, I didn't like the speculation. I would want my girls to be well grounded in their christian faith before reading this fantasy take on Angels and such because despite what a few reviewers are saying it isn't straight from the bible. Secondly, it was just a little too hot for young teen minds. I applaud the author for at least having the main character value sex after marriage but most of the characters did not. And the descriptions the authors uses of some of the non-sex scenes are pretty intense. Granted I could spend weeks discussing the different issues the author brings up with my girls - underage drinking, drugs, adultery, lust, etc. Like I always say, if you are gonna let your teen read it then be ready to talk about it. I will say I loved the underlying messages of the book. We all struggle with sin and desire redemption. Finally, I loved the ending. It almost redeemed the book up to at least 4 stars and maybe even 4.5. But I'll keep it at 3 until I ponder it some more. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Im not even sure where to start with this review. I enjoyed it, and read it obsessively until the very end. I pretty much ended up thinking "where the rest of the book?" by the end because really? Thats how she ended book one? Love/hate ending! I loved the cliffhanger but hated it.
I loved the innocence Anna portrayed the first part of the book and her eventual evolution into someone much more experienced. Shes experienced much, but is attempting to keep hold of some of her innocent. Brilliant. I must add that in the beginning I hated her innocence and lack of desire to rebel. Shes a teenager, for god sakes! How many of us did stupid things during that time? But, eventually she stops being so "goody-goody" as Anna puts it, and begins to do things with less than "goody" consequences. I loved this evolution, even with what I felt to be dramatic situations to show her innocence.
The only part of this book that has me slightly leery of the second installment to have a release date in July 2013, is the forming love triangle between Kop/Anna/Kai. Yes, people love these sorts of situations, and Anna needs it to develop more emotionally and be ready for anything more "committed" to Kai..but I honestly like Kop's character thus far and would hate to have to start getting through dialogue where Anna is fawning over him.
What do the other Nephs (Anna's friends) think of the moment Kai and Anna shared together? Marna and Ginger can see links between people, so what do they see when Kai isnt drinking? How will they deal with his lust once they are together(because they will be, or I will personally hunt down Wendy! :o). Oh YES, and what does Anna's father think of the son of lust both standing up to fight for her at the summit and their hand holding at the end when he rips them apart? Clearly, he understands whats going on, and I cannot WAIT to see how he deals with this..being a progressively modern demon and all, who wants change for Nephs amd himself.
And I cant wait to see how Jay and Veronica fix their issues, how they find out what Anna is, and how Wendy intends to continue using Jay/Veronica's characters during the time when inevitably they begin to see Anna's changes and for the final battle (come on, we all know its coming!)
In the end, loved all the minor details, character development was strong, a light spicing of romance that kept me page turning for when Kai finally admits to himself he loves Anna..
My only reason for 1 staring this from 4 stars? There was little detail on why these kids are "working" for their fathers. You learn thats what they are bred for, and their role in the demon hierarchy - but how did this evolve? Why is this so important? The Dukes could readily cause havoc on their own in their human bodies - why do they need children to raise for 16 YEARS before they get to play with them? Each has only one child at a time - why not multiples? I feel this was a huge plot hole.
Oh, and cant forget the impending (and sadly, confirmed) love triangle forming between Kop/Anna/Kai.
Hurry up and write me a SECOND installment, Wendy. I must have answers. Although, not to much hurrying, I lust for the same kind of quality of writing in the next book! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One word : KAYDEN !
It might be a little cliché but Kayden and Anna are one of the best fictional couples that I ever read about. The interior fight they have with their own feelings makes this particular story super delicious and addicting. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5*weeps in the corner*
KAIDEEEEEEN, you stupid little git. I love you. Be brave. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5At first Sweet Evil looks and sounds like just another story you may have read many times before, only its not. Anna isn't just another girl in a paranormal story that will accept anything if it means the lead boy will notice her, she isn't stupid or self centred or reckless. She hasn't just been thrown into a world far different than what she knew before without asking questions. No, Anna is a strong female character, who may let her heart lead a little but doesn't let it rule her or the choices she makes.When I first so this was on Scribd I instantly added it to my library, but even so it wasn't until my friend Amanda over at Book Badger recommended it did I decided to just get it over and done with. And I wasn't at all expecting to love it as much as I did. At best I thought I would like it. As already stated, Sweet Evil has such a unique story. Firstly, Anna has always known she was different so she isn't faced with seeing the world differently one day. However, she did not know that she was a daughter of a fallen angel. That would make for a common story right? well add the fact that the fallen angels are no ordinary fallen angels, but ones that represent the 7 (and more) deadly sins themselves in charge of corrupting the souls of mortals. I could tell you which is which, but that would be giving it away ;).Instead I will talk about that characters. Anna is such a sweet, innocent and loyal girl that her character (apart from the daughter of a fallen angel part) is totally relatable. She has always known that Patti wasn't her real mum, but not once in the book do you get the felling she loved her any less, instead she is the most important person to her, like it should be. The relationship they have, goes far beyond just a mother and daughter bond, there is such a strong friendship and its so lovely to see. As well as having a strong bond with her surrogate mother, she also has Jay, her best friend. Although he doesn't know what she is or what she is capable of , he is such a well written character that you know without a shadow of a doubt, he would accept her anyway. He's funny, cocky and so protective, to the point where he will sacrifice something he would consider fun because it goes against Anna's beliefs. In short, I loved him.Now we can get on to Kaidan, being the the main boy character in it and possible love interest, I know you are all dying to know about him right? well one word for you. SWOON!. Not only is he the bad boy but he's a band, I mean come on!!. I love him, I'm not even ashamed. I love his cocky and sarcastic nature. He may not be good for Anna from the off, but I think by the end of the series he could be changed for the better because of her. Kaidan and Anna are completely different but they have this attraction that is on a deeper level than you would expect and they just work together. In a twisted, awkward way. I can't wait to see how their friendship or more develops as the story goes on that's for sure.This book was so much better than I thought it would be, I loved the idea of the deadly sins, I loved that the son's and daughters of the fallen angels inherited their persuasive skills shall we say, I loved the whole concept of this book and it just worked so well. The story flowed perfectly, everything progressed as it should do and Wendy Higgins did a great job of not only trying to create a world that we could picture easily ourselves, but characters we could find pieces of ourself in. It may not be for everyone, but its one of a kind story deserves to be given a shot.Basically I just really enjoyed this book and I need to get my hands on the second. NOW!! Thank you Amanda for recommending it to me, you sure now how to pick them :)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I completely enjoyed this book and finished it in record time. The characters are a diverse set and the story keeps you entertained and clinging for more. What I enjoyed most about the book was the relationship between Kaidan and Anna. Their relationship just hooked me from the start. This book might have a good amount of sweet but, with a cliff hanger ending, it also developed the evil. The story is a healthy combination of good and evil mixed with an epic love story that will have you racing for the next book.(Favorite Quote)"Even the worst eartly pain and heartache doesn't last into the heavenly realm. And it all serves a bigger purpose."
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anna is the poster child, goodie goodie girl. She pretty much hasn't done a bad or rotten thing in her life (so sickly sweet sometimes it makes me want to choke her). She finally commits her first bad deed shortly after meeting her teen heart throb Kaidan Rowe, son of the Demon of Lust. I found that bit a tad hard to believe...never told a lie in your life until that moment? Hmm I call shenanigans. Oh yes, and soon after she meets him is also when she learns that she is the daughter of a Guardian Angel and Fallen Angel.
Wendy Higgins takes the cliché 'why do good girls like bad boys' and runs with it in a new an interesting direction. Especially since it seems bad boy Kaidan may not want to be bad after all. I think this plays up to the idea that some girls that fall for the bad boys think they can change them. Now then! - let's mound oodles and oodles of obstacles in their path shall we? - because what romance is worth having unless it breaks your heart into teensy teenage pieces first. *evil laughter*
What I found most interesting about Sweet Evil were the twists on demons and their hierarchy as far as how they carry out their work here on the mortal plane. I wanted to know more about all of these elements, and just how Anna being the only Nephilim born of the two opposing angel factions was going to make her special. I have to comment that there were two particular scenes that I felt were very convenient information dumps on demon background. These were like interviews, so to speak - where she gets almost all her questions oh so easily answered. Even though these were extremely convenient they still managed to work well within the story.
In fact, when I thought about it, my biggest gripe was I felt that not enough time in Sweet Evil is spent on the angel/demon storyline aspect and that too much was spent on romantic teenage angst. This might be my own personal bias showing here in that I prefer romance take the backseat in the plot lines.
There were just these huge chunks of the book to me that were focused completely on Anna's mental and emotional state in regards to Kai. All of the swooning and agonizing over him was much too much for my tastes. Then throw in what looked like might be the possibility of a love triangle?...But as to that maybe there won't be - I guess readers shall just have to wait and see in the next book.
Essentially, the romance portion of this book took away some of my enjoyment only because it ruled the plot such that a lot of interesting things that could have been given attention were shooed to the side. For instance a certain angelic artifact...I was thinking *drumroll* now here is going to be something to spice things up - but I was a little let down in regards to that. However, Wiggins did a great job of setup for round two and I'm interested to know how things develop.
With all that said, Sweet Evil will definitely tantalize the taste buds of many a YA romance reader but might not be for those that are looking for something with more meat rather than teen heat to it. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved it!!!!!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Let me start with this: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book. I can't not give it 5 stars. It just totally won me over. And I couldn't put it down, finished it in one sitting :))
Okay, enough ranting, let me tell you what was so superb about it.
First, there was the story itself. It was unique, it was daring, and it was light at the same time. I haven't read anything quite like it, and I really appreciated that. It's difficult to write a unique story nowadays, what with all the thousands of different novels that pop up on the market..
Second, the story telling was enchanting. It make me love the book from the first page till the very last one. I can say that I breathed Sweet Evil from cover to cover. And what was more important was that I was with the characters every step of the way, feeling what they felt, seeing what they saw.
And last, but definitely not least: the characters.
*Anna was the lead girl, whose POV we read the entire time. She's sweet, and naturally good, even though she's the descendant of a demon. Her better half seems to have the advantage in her, which is why she's such a goody-two-shoes. I know some people feel irritated by her character, but I can say that I honestly loved her. She was very much like me in personality, and that pulled me real close to her.
*Kaiden, a.k.a. lover boy. Literally. He was the guy that every girl swooned after. Even Anna. The playboy, the lust-god, or demon. Or son of the lust demon. Anyway, he was cute the way he was in denial most of the time. But of course, I could easily see through his defenses. I was really impressed when he denied his nature for Anna. It was cute.
*Patti, Anna's adoptive mother was loving and caring and I really liked her. She was always there for Anna, even when Anna wasn't all that truthful.
*Kopano was my favorite guy here. He wasn't in the spotlight, he wasn't a girl magnet, and he definitely wasn't a playboy. He was cute and very outward, and outright delicious. He had a steady, open personality and I think I could see him beside Anna. Too bad she's got someone else on her heart. *sigh*
In conclusion, if you're into angel/demon stories, this one should definitely be on the top of your list! It was ah-mazing! - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I wish I could say this book wasn't for me because I'm just not into YA paranormal romance, but that wouldn't be true. In fact, I quite enjoy this genre. Nothing beats a good love story for giving me all the warm and fuzzy feels, I say, and the best ones do just that. On the flip side, however, there are books like Sweet Evil that somehow manage to kill my mood by pushing all the wrong buttons. There were a couple things about it that I found offputting, though others might find trivial. Unfortunately for the characters Anna and Kai, the two of them simply come too close to being pet peeves of mine.Pet peeve the first: a weepy, insecure female protagonist. I have no problems with Anna being the living embodiment of goodness (in fact, I admire her all the more for it) but naivete and innocence does not have to translate to neediness, ceaseless pining, crying or completely falling to pieces over a guy. Especially when the guy in question has done so little to deserve this kind of obsession. So many times I just wanted to shake her and ask her where is her self-respect.Which brings me to pet peeve the second: male love interests that are pure scum, just wrapped in a pretty package. Take away Kaidan's good looks and hot accent and all you'll have left is arrogance and patronizing smugness as artificial as they come. I'm not even taking into account his life's work (literally!) to sleep with as many women as possible; seeing as he is the half-human son of the Demon of Lust, I'll just let that one slide as an ingrained part of his nature. Still, regardless of whether he can help it or not, most sane people tend to find that sort of behavior to be a huge turn off, which only goes to show, just how shallow is Anna?Anyway, with that out of the way, now I can tell you about the things in the book that DID work for me. Sweet Evil offers an interesting take on angels and demons and how they interact with us mere mortals here on the earthly plane. It's a deliciously sordid affair involving the demons of sin and vices seizing the forms of men to have children with human women, resulting in the half-demon sons and daughters called Nephilim. The intricate system describing the hierarchy of fallen angels in this book shows how much care and effort was put into this aspect of the world building, proving Sweet Evil is not just about the romance, and that there is quite a lot of substance behind the story as well.In spite of this, the plot flounders in many places for being too convenient and coincidental for my tastes, as in it's very obviously done for the sole purpose of forcing the characters right where the author wants them, because otherwise you know there would be no story. For example, Anna's demon father who has been behind bars for the last sixteen years suddenly has a parole hearing coming up, well-timed to be just right after Anna meets him for the first time. And then there is the part about Patti being a good mom, but of course what mother in her right mind would allow her teenage daughter to go on a road trip with a seventeen-year-old boy (son of the Demon of Lust, no less) just the two of them alone driving across the country and staying in hotels, to visit a total stranger in a penitentiary? It's just a little too hard to swallow.I will give the story this though: at no point did I want to stop reading. That I was going to see the whole thing through was always a foregone conclusion, despite the character flaws and the hitches and holes in the plot. I was entertained, even if I felt zero sympathy for either Anna or Kaidan. Like I said, I had some pretty idiosyncratic reasons for why this book ultimately didn't work for me, but I can also see how other readers with a penchant for the young adult genre and paranormal romances may find plenty to like.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5UGH.. my heart is breaking!! The roller-coaster relationship between Anna Witt and Kaidan Rowe tore me up. Drawn towards each other, yet fate keeps them separated. Wendy Higgins did such an amazing job drawing you into the story, better yet the relationship between Anna and Kaidan. I felt every emotion that Anna felt, the longing, the desperation, the love. This book was definitely deserving of the hype!!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Holy Shit I am so lusting after the son of Lust! Dayum
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hmrrr.... Not really sure what happened. I dropped this book after ten pages thinking waste of time and money... Then I picked it up again... And read the whole thing in one sitting. Yeah. Anna annoyed me, sure, but she had a resilience that the other ruling good girls (queen eye rollers) lack. There was also a good reason behind her purity... And it was interesting to see the reverse battle that this books premise proposes. I'm not sure i felt the zing the romance was suppose to produce, but it had its moments.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I wrote this review like.. 4 months ago, I just forgot to publish it x_x
The Basic Summary: Anna Whitt is your typical good girl. You know, the one who calls her adoptive mom to let her know she's safe, the one who turns in her homework on time, every day. She's the girl who Just Says No to drugs, and it's a good thing she does, because her well being, and the well being of the ones she loves depends on it. Anna has always known that she's, shall we say, different from everyone else. She can see the "colors" of everyone she meets, a secret she reveals to no one. When Anna meets Kaidan Rowe, everything she thought she knew about herself, and the world changes, and she's left struggling to keep the ones she loves safe.
My Review: I actually enjoyed this book a lot. Lately, I've been reading a lot of fallen angel books, and this one is by far the best I've encountered. At first, i wasn't particularly fond of Anna, she was just too.. Good. But as I continued reading, she evolved as a character, and by the end I was rooting for a happy ending. Basically, Anna encounters Kaidan ("Kai, like Thai, but yummier." Anna's words, not mine) while at a concert with her best friend, and she's immediately drawn to him. As the relationship develops between the two, Anna learns about a whole world she never knew existed, and is introduced to a life she neither wanted, or is prepared for. While there were parts where Anna was naive to the point of stupidity, she was an overall likable character, as was Kaidan. Kaidan is the bad boy of the book. As the son of the Baron of Lust (oh yes, they're not called demons in this book, the head honchos are called Barons of whatever particular sin they're supposed to tempt people to), his job is to tempt unwitting teen girls into his bed. At first, Kaidan enjoyed his role, and he excelled at it; but once he met Anna, all of that changed. This is actually one of the few things that annoyed me about the book- it's completely unrealistic that he'd sudden have a change of heart so quickly after meeting Anna. I wish that Higgins had given it more transition time instead of having Kaidan meet Anna and about a week later, suddenly having a change of heart about what he does.
My Overall Opinion: I really enjoyed this book overall, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who asked. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.When I first started Sweet Evil, I was really nervous. Try finding a review that's less than four stars on Goodreads, you know? I'm not afraid to dislike a popular book (*cough*The Fault in Our Stars*cough*), but it makes me kind of nervous about expectations, you know? Anywho, my worries were completely stupid! I really enjoyed this one, in the end.But before we get into my love for this book, I gotta list what I didn't like. Because there were a few things! First off, I'm absolutely tired of girls getting giggly and thoughtless around the main "love interest" as soon as they see him. "He's so HOTT!!" That's unnecessary, in my opinion. It's not like it adds to the story. You'll do better showing me that he's hot. Also, Anna was uncomfortable in the clothes she was wearing. If you're uncomfortable in what you're wearing, you should wear something else. It's common sense. And if you're uncomfortable, you can't own it. One last thing (it's not related to the book, but needs to be said): If you're uncomfortable talking to someone, don't talk to them.The boys are all brawny. Everytime that Anna describes a guy, he's brawny. Excuse me, but how many of us know all "brawny" guys? I mean, I know a few, but they're mostly all beanpoles or chubs. Honestly, we're all around sixteen, so none of us have really filled into our bodies yet, LOL! Only the lucky few. ;) I'm also a little upset about the drugging-- shouldn't she be more upset?Random funny note: I really want to say Kaidan like Kaedon, even though it's pronounced Kyden. The only time I made the "i" sound in his name was when they called him Kai.Anywho, now we can move onto what I liked! The list is long, so prepare!I liked the story. It kept me interested, and I followed it really well. I've also always liked books about fallen angels and regular angels, and the nephilim, so this was a hit for me in that sense. Also, ROADTRIP! I love books that incorporate some kind of roadtrip, because I really want to go on one. Like, a lot. Books about roadtrips make me smile, so here we are.You know what else makes me smile? Funny one-liners, and there were a few of those for me. I snort rather unattractively, I must say. The romance, though? Did not make me snort. AT ALL. It was AWESOME. Kai and Anna just worked for me, after I got over the initial "son of Lust" thing. They work well for each other, and the kissing-- *fans self* I was totally swooning. But I sense a love triangle coming, which is disappointing.I will admit to having my doubts about them, at first. Anna was just so...I don't know. She let everyone boss her around, and was easily pressured into things. She was nice. But once I read about her a little more, she kind of shed that persona, and became more plucky, which was great.Kaidan was really annoying to me at first, because he was kind of a heartless player, and that bothered me. But as we get to know him, I realized that he's actually kind of nice. He can be (but isn't always) a gentleman, and he really knows how to make us girls swoon.While I liked our two main characters, I feel like some of the secondary characters like Jay and Patti and some of nephilim could have gotten more development. While it's disappointing that they didn't, it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story, nor did the chaos towards the end. All these things started happening at once, so much that they kind of blurred together, but it still didn't bother me.All in all, I really enjoyed Sweet Evil. As you can see, though, I had a lot of thoughts on it, not all good. Hopefully, I persuaded some of you to read it. (: