Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Published: May 1, 2012 by HarperTeen
Rating:


*A copy of this book was provided by HarperTeen for review

What if there were teens whose lives 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 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?

My Review: 

Forget everything you know about Angel books because Sweet Evil has just twisted this fast growing genre into a tumultuous love affair! This book is all bout bringing the bad to the angelic and corrupting the innocent in such a dark and twisted way. Its utterly addicting and will tempt any girl into bending her halo.

The premise of Sweet Evil screams maturity. (I mean, look at that title!) Anna is a good girl with some special abilities- she can detect others' emotions through colorful auras- a strange gift with significant meaning. When she meets bad boy Kaiden, self control walks right out the door. He has a dark soul with a purpose of tempting people with his body allowing lust to take over. While the two work on discovering Anna's role with fallen angels, their relationship steams up. Anna and Kaiden's paths become deeply intertwined, moreso than either realize, and they must both decide whether their feelings are worth defying nature to pursue.

My favorite aspect of this book was its brazen approach toward the mature themes. There are a lot of topics presented that aren't normally in typical YA books: sex, drugs, alcohol. These aren't necessary for a successful read, but for this story in particular it added the edge that sent this story to the top. Being a 'bad angel' meant that Kaiden and his friends needed to use and manipulate these subjects and it made the story  so much darker and enjoyable! I'm so glad that Higgins wasn't afraid to add these elements to the story!

The romance is also incredible. The chemistry between Anna and Kaiden is electric and there are some steamy scenes between the two that any girl will appreciate. I love that their relationship faces numerous obstacles, making the fight much more real and appreciated. It also doesn't hurt seeing the 'bad boy' with a good side, although Kaiden hardly shows it. It also ALWAYS a bonus when the guy has an English accent. 

Although the book does have a slow start, once you've gotten into the heart of this story you won't be disappointed. The characters are easy to fall for and then plot will suck you in. Get ready for Sweet Evil's dark temptations!