Sweet Evil - Wendy Higgins

Synopsis: 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? (From Goodreads)

This wasn't a book I was even going to pick up - until so many people started raving about it. A lot of people seemed a little bowled over by how awesome this book turned out to be. And I think the hype actually got to be a little much because I was then expecting much more. Basically, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but I was let down as well. It was good, but it didn't have that greatness to it that I came to hope for. There are a few things I love and a couple that could send me off on long rants.

So let's start with what I love. This really is a unique take on demons and angels. I didn't believe it when I heard people say this. It's kind of hard to believe in unique views anymore - they always seem to be derivative of something or following some kind of obvious pattern. But I really don't think I've read any kind of fallen angel novel like this before - and I've read a lot. Fallen angels are always super human and seem to have control. But these ones are complete slaves to this extra power they have. They have to answer to the higher powers - the actual demons - and their punishment is pretty intense. There's really no way out - their choices boil down to: be bad and lead others into temptation or be tortured for eternity. Which clearly sucks.

I also love that Wendy Higgins took the seven deadly sins - and a few other grave sins - amplified them, and gave each character their own sin that they were trained to tempt people with. But all these sins are things that teenagers either dabble in or carry around with them - lust, addiction, envy. If you're forced to indulge in these sins all the time, would they really be that attractive? It's an interesting twist on sin.

So the core principles of this story were great. The cast of characters were wonderful. But I had some issues with Kaidan. *gasp* I know. He's dreamy. I can see that. But seriously. He's the son of lust. He's never been loved a day in his life. He doesn't know what it means to love. He makes this very clear. The only thing I appreciated about him was that he answered all of Anna's questions and never claimed to do anything "for her own good." Well, maybe he did once - but that really was for her own good and it wasn't a situation where he took away Anna's control "for her own good." It's clear they have a connection, but really it's one of those situations where I can't see it ever working out. Especially because she'd basically have to put up with him hooking up with other girls all the time, just because of who he is. Nope. Can't get on the Kaidan fan wagon. SORRY.

There were moments in this book where I was wondering if the extraneous information was necessary. It's a long book and I definitely feel like it didn't need to be that long. There are some things I feel could have been cut or condensed. Particularly in the first 100 pages or so. But even with my few problems with this book, I definitely enjoyed reading it. I'm very excited for the next installment in the trilogy and I'm anxious to find out more about Anna and the other demon children.

Secondary Character Saturday (9)

I've started a new weekly meme here and I'd love for you to join me. Saturdays are now dedicated to honor the characters that don't always get their voices heard, who support (or work to destroy) our beloved protagonists. This is for the third wheel in the love triangle (can you have wheels on a triangle?), for the BFFs, the family members, or even just the kind and loving (or deceitful and creepy) stranger who shows up and changes the game. We all know these stories wouldn't hold up without support so I'd like to take the time to highlight the best secondary characters I come across. This is an opportunity to talk about what makes these characters special, maybe to speculate what their world would be like without them, or maybe cast them in their own primary roles. If you'd like to create a SCS post leave your link in the comments and I'll check it out!

So today it's all about:

Kopano from Sweet Evil


This book was one of those cases where I'm pretty sure I was rooting for the wrong guy. Because I completely adored Kopano. He has this incredibly intense background, but he's managed to get away from that and rise above it. Of all the Nephilim, he's the only one who seems to have a handle on controlling his temptation. Plus, he's sweet and patient. And despite his nature, he's actually kind and considerate. He showed some interest in Anna, and I really wish more would have been done with that. I mean, he can't really compare to the son of lust, but he's by far the healthier choice in this situation.
I'm not crazy. I get why someone - especially teens - go for the hot guy who's all temptation and tortured soul. Most time I prefer the bad boy - sometimes that's hard to resist. Generally I would have cheered Kaidan on through the whole book. But, I don't know. Something about Kopano got to me. I think it's that he knows how things are and he's trying to do what's best for everyone else. He's not first on his list of people to take care of. He's there to watch over everyone, keep them in check, and keep them from getting into trouble with the wrong people.

I so hope Kopano gets a bigger role in the next book, because I definitely want to see more of him.