16 October 2024

ZELDA’s  REVIEW

I was wandering around a bookstore earlier this year and this book caught my eye. I have so few pink books on my bookshelf, and that is why I brought this book home. I never even read the blurb – I just liked the cover. (Talk about judging a book by its cover)

I finally got around to reading Sweetpea, and I found myself left with mixed emotions about this one. I must admit that I both loved and hated this book. Before you ask – that is why it has a low rating on Good Reads from me. While I had to finish it to see how it ended, I had times when I just had to walk away while reading. Mostly due to the intensity of being in this character’s head. However, I am keen to read the rest of the books in the series, and yes, I have them waiting for me on my TBR. (I am also rather excited to watch the TV series).

This book is a darkly humorous, twisted, and unique thriller. The protagonist, Rhiannon, seems like your typical girl-next-door—complete with a steady relationship and a cute dog. But behind her everyday facade is a ticking time bomb of murderous intent. She is simply not normal. Skuse doesn’t hold back in introducing us to Rhiannon’s secret: she’s compiling a kill list of people who irritate her, from minor offenders to those who genuinely deserve it.

What makes Sweetpea unique is how Skuse makes Rhiannon both disturbingly relatable and chillingly psychopathic. Despite her brutal, sometimes random, acts of violence, there are moments when her inner commentary about modern life hits home. You can almost empathize with her frustrations about rude people, terrible bosses, and the monotony of life. The way Skuse mixes Rhiannon’s morbid sense of humour with her violent tendencies creates a compelling anti-heroine you can’t look away from.

The diary-style narrative pulls you into Rhiannon’s mind, with her casual, witty asides making you feel as though you’re in on her secret. However, that same style also underscores her cold detachment from the world around her. She’s terrifying in her normality, which makes her all the more dangerous. The contrast between her mundane daily life and her secret life of murder keeps the tension simmering.

Sweetpea isn’t for the faint of heart. The humour is dark, and the violence is explicit. Yet, Skuse’s ability to balance the gore with sharp wit makes this thriller an addictive read you battle to walk away from. If you enjoy anti-heroes, psychological thrillers, or a wicked blend of humour and horror, Sweetpea is a killer choice.

Alicia’s Review

Sweetpea has been on my TBR pretty much the whole year and we decided to make it a buddy read.

 The story follows Rhiannon, a girl with a dark sense of humour who’s on a revenge spree against everyone who’s wronged her and honestly everyone in her life was terrible and I think they all had it coming. It sounded intriguing, but I didn’t feel as hooked as I thought I would be.

I chuckled at some of her snarky comments, but at times, I felt like the humour was a bit too dark for me. The book was at times a bit slow, but things picked up at the end and I couldn’t put it down as I had to know how this book was going to end. I will say the last chapter of the book gave me serious heebie-jeebies.

Rhiannon is a complex character, and I appreciated how Skuse tried to explore the idea of her character. I am normally a sucker for a strong female character but honestly, I didn’t connect with her as much as I wanted to. Sometimes, I felt like her motivations were a bit all over the place, and I think the lack of a main plot in this book is what made this happen.

Overall, Sweetpea was entertaining in parts, but it was a tad bit too slow and dark for me.  If dark humour is your thing it might be worth checking out, you just might enjoy it more than I do.