Waiting on Wednesday (36): Sweet Peril

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Visit Breaking The Spine to see more entries!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2) by Wendy Higgins

Release Date: April 30th 2013 by HarperTeen

 Format: Paperback

 Goodreads Summary:

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Reasons I want to read & own this book: 

1. The cover. They have done it again, you guys. Sweet Evil (book 1) in this series had a gorgeous cover where the girl on the cover was wearing a stunning red dress with a backdrop of a forest behind her. Well, I am LOVING the black dress on the girl in this cover as well with that backdrop of like a polluted orangey sky, it just looks like it's setting the tone for the PERIL that might occur in the book :O -- LOVES IT.

 

 

2. More Kai & Anna. Gosh, I loved these characters so much in Sweet Evil because they went through such tremendous character growth and were so mature about their destiny and facing things head on. I can't wait to read more about them in Sweet Peril.

3. Wendy Higgins wrote this book. 'Nuff said. She is such a talented writer. The writing in Sweet Evil was amazing. The characters felt real, they were layered, the world she created for us was complex and it wasn't a fluffy romance. It depth to it and never overwhelmed the plot which is not something that happens all the time. Oh, and Wendy is, like, the nicest and coolest person EVAH. She has such a love of Young Adult literature. I will read ANYTHING she writes w/out question.

 

 

 

 What do you guys think? :)

Dreamcasting (4): From books to film

I am a very visual person and when I read a book I like to envision in my head what each book character would look like in actuality and who could play their roles if they ever adapted that particular book into a film.

What is a dreamcast? Well, it's the cast of actors that you think would be perfect to interpret a character on screen. Today I will dreamcast a popular book character and explain why I think the actor I chose for this dreamcast would be perfect for the role of said character.

Dreamcast for Kaidan Rowe

Silviu Tolu as Kaidan Rowe from Sweet Evil 

So, Kaidan Rowe is the male lead in the YA paranormal romance Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (an incredible angel book). In Sweet Evil, Kaidan is described as a bad boy of sorts, a charmer with a British accent who is a nephilim (half demon-half human) and son of the head demon of lust. He is described as being tall, with dark brown hair and blue eyes and when I saw Silviu he immediately struck me as a good fit for Kaidan. Silviu Tolu is a Romanian male model who likes acting.

 In Sweet Evil, the way Kaidan is described physically, kinda reminded of a model since Kai as a nephilim and son of the head demon of lust has the job of trying to kinda seduce girls to make them behave badly and his main weapon is, you guessed it, his looks. And I think Silviu could portray that perfectly since he has the looks for it.

Have you ever dreamcasted your favorite book characters? If you have, let me know about it. Also, if any of you have a different dreamcasting idea for the character I mentioned in this post, I would love to hear about it, as well. Thanks for reading :)

In Her Shoes (8): Ginger from Sweet Evil

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

Ginger from Sweet Evil 

Ginger is a character in the YA paranormal romance Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. She is a nephilim (half demon-half human) and because her father is the demon in charge of inciting adultery on earth, she as his daughter has the task in breaking up relationships. And unlike my previous choices for this meme, Ginger is not all very likeable right off the bat. Nevertheless, I don't believe a character has to be likeable to be great. I think readers most often learn more from unlikeable characters compared to ones they can relate to immediately precisely because they are so different to them. A character that is unlikeable and different to you often makes you think of things that you might have never considered before.

 Ginger in Sweet Evil at first glance is an arrogant, superficial, mean, stuck up, and distant girl. She treats Anna (the main character in the book) with a cold shoulder and through out the story I thought that there was no way in hell that I was gonna like her. That is, until the story unfolded and I got to learn more about her and her family dynamic. Thing is, Ginger has a twin sister named Marna. Marna is more sweet, more innocent and more light hearted. And Ginger is super protective of her and I loved seeing that side to her because it seemed to me that maybe Ginger put up a strong cold front w/ the world because she wanted to protect her sister since their father is so ruthless and harsh with them, as he is a demon who doesn't give a rats about them. 

That protective side to Ginger made me like her because it felt real. It made her a more three dimensional character and it allowed me to not write her off as a villain because things are never just black or white. There are shades of gray in every situation. Not everyone who seems evil may be completely evil. There is sometimes more to people and Ginger definitely had that quality. Granted, she continued being a meanie till the end of the book except in that one spot in her life, her relationship with her sister. Her love for her sister showed that she had a softer, vulnerable and admirable side to her and it did make her seem real and not a typical 'mean girl caricature' so to speak. And because of those things I would say that there is not a thing I would change about her. She was interesting and authentic as a character.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date:  May 1st 2012

 Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Source: HarperTeen/Author Giveaway

Format: Paperback

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Summary: 

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

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.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

 

 

 

 

My Review:

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

 

 

 

 

 

In Her Shoes (7): Patti from Sweet Evil

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

Patti Whitt from Sweet Evil 

Patti Whitt is the adoptive mother of the main character (Anna) in the YA paranormal romance Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (a book that I have recently finished reading - amazing). The reason why I chose to speak about her in this post is because she is an incredibly amazing character. A true heroine in all of the sense of the word. She is fear-less as a mother, a loving person, who is sharp and so classy in how she treats everyone.

It's rare to find a young adult book where they feature a parental figure so much and actually make them an integral part of the story. Personality wise, Patti is just an amazing female character. I would not change a thing about her. She is so selfless and protective but respectful of her daughter's decisions. And Patti in this book is facing incredibly intimidating situations (Anna's real parents are an angel and a demon) and Anna is not human, but nevertheless, Patti does not shy away from helping her daughter. She may be just human but she is always there making sure that she can do what she can in order to help protect Anna and her strength just shines all throughout this novel.

In Her Shoes (6): Anna from Sweet Evil

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

Anna Whitt from Sweet Evil 

 

 

Anna Whitt is the main character in the YA paranormal romance Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (a book that I am currently reading & loving). Anna in this book is facing a lot of challenges. She is just learning about her background/origin which is a complex one. Anna definitely knows she is different as she can sense emotions and feel people's feelings but as the story unravels she learns exactly why this is and I have to say, I think she handles herself with grace.

 

 I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, but lets just say, this book has some of the best and intense angel lore I've read in quite a while and Anna is right smack in the middle of it.

 

 Personality wise, Anna is a really sweet person. She has a innocence to her and though some people tend to be a bit skeptical about such characters as maybe being too unrealistic or naive, with Anna, you soon realize that behind her calm resolve to do the right thing, there lies a person with a darker side, inner demons. She faces a lot of temptations and she definitely has a inner struggle that many can relate to as she is not only battling her paranormal background, she is also facing challenges that many young people face on a daily basis. So, as a character I would not change a thing about Anna. I think she has a lot of dimensionality to her and I think she makes a great heroine.

In My Mailbox #1

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we spotlight the books that we have received for review, won, or purchased that week. 

WON:

• ARC giveaway of Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins at Wendy Higgin's Writes. Thank you Wendy & Haperteen for this giveaway.

Side-note: Wendy, thank you so much for sending me an additional signed bookplate/sticker for my Arc and the Sweet Evil bookmarks. Such a lovely gesture on your behalf and I loved them. You totally made my day <3

PURCHASED:

• Devoted by Hilary Duff - Sequel to Elixir which was a really fun read
• Angel Time by Anne Rice
  

Waiting on Wednesday (6): Sweet Evil

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Visit Breaking The Spine to see more entries!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Release Date: May 1st 2012 by HarperTeen 

Format: Paperback

 Goodreads Summary: 

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

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 forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Reasons I want to read & own this book:

1. The title. It's intriguing to me. Sweet Evil. Quite an interesting juxtaposition if you ask me. Why? because these are two words that are not expected to be connected at all. What evil can be sweet? O_o I surely want to know. Super curious right now. And I'm loving how clever and ironic the title is. And I think it's foreshadowing of how the story will be itself.

2. The cover is awesome. Loving the flaring red gown and the contrast of the girl in the super vivacious gown and the guy dressed in all black

3. Fallen Angels. Angels and Demons -> SO in. I love to read each author's unique take on these paranormal beings, their histories and personalities and I definitely can't wait to see how Sweet Evil portrays them.