Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter

Such an incredible book!!!!! Can't recommend it enough.

3.5 starsEvery Sweet Thing is Bitter by Samantha Crewson is a dark and emotional debut that explores family trauma, redemption, and the complicated ties between sisters. Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd ran over her mother in a single act of teenage violence that left her a convicted felon and fractured her family beyond repair. Now, when her mother disappears under suspicious circumstances, Providence returns home—determined to finally confront her abusive father and uncover the truth. But old wounds resurface, particularly with her sisters Harmony and Grace, each carrying scars of their own and conflicting visions of what reconciliation—or revenge—should look like. As Providence wrestles with vengeance, forgiveness, and her own haunted past, she must decide what matters more: justice or redemption.Crewson’s writing is sharp and poignant, with flashes of brilliance that made me stop and reread. The themes of abuse, trauma, and resilience are heavy but handled with care, and Providence is a compellingly flawed protagonist whose strength and determination linger with you. That said, the pacing was uneven at times, and some sections felt drawn out, which pulled me slightly out of the story. Still, for a debut, this was gripping and emotional, with a rawness that I appreciated.Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is not a light read, but it’s an impactful one that shows the messy, painful, and sometimes redemptive truths of family. I’m looking forward to seeing what Samantha Crewson writes next.

I love the fact that this book starts out with a content warning from the author, which it 100% needed. It is a heavy book, one that you need to take the time to read the content warnings of and, if like the author herself says, if you need to pass this book by, that's okay. Your mental health comes first, before a book. It's more important. There are so many books that don't put content warnings in them, so finding one that does really makes me happy, so props to the author for putting one in hers, for addressing what they specially were to let the reader make an educated decision on whether or not this book would be something they could mentally and emotionally handle reading.Having said that, this was a very well done debut novel. A few fancier than necessary words at times, in my opinion, but very well done regardless of that. It takes place in my home state of Nebraska, so when I saw that but saw that the author resides California, I automatically when, "Hmm. Alright, let's see how this one goes." but was surprised to see that they were accurate. I can't tell if they're from Nebraska or not, so I can't say much on if they just did their research or have knowledge. Anyway.Providence was an interesting character. Both likeable and unlikable at the same time, which I think was the entire point. She was complex and such a, I don't want to call her a broken character, but... I don't know how to put it differently. There were so many aspects of her that were just jagged and raw because of her past that she thought had healed but hadn't quite gotten there yet, that were still sharp, not having quite gotten to that rounded edge that she thought it might have. I sympthatized with her a great deal because of our mutual abusive childhoods, which I once again thank the author for the content warning. I think it would have made reading this book a lot harder if I had been smacked in the face without warning.It was just a good, well-written book. It shows the side of society that people don't want to talk about a lot. That people do know about child abuse and do turn a blind eye to it sometimes. It does happen. I don't live in a smaller city in Nebraska, I live in Omaha, so I don't know how small-town life works. I can only imagine how often it goes unacknowledged there, how often this could be a child's real-life situation.It was a well-written, well-done debut novel that touched upon the sides of society that many don't wish to look at or acknowledge exist, and I think the author did a wonderful job.

This one was a little heavier than I expected. What a life Providence has led. For such a heavy family drama, I was a fan of the mini twists that caught me off guard.Such a rough family life that led her to do some unthinkable things. She made tougher choices in her short life than I have in my much longer one.It's gritty and well written and as emotional of a story that it is, which I am not usually a fan of, it also had me not able to stop reading.Lindsey Dorcus did this one justice as she brought this tough story and family to life.

3.5/5 Stars. Providence is the perfect main character in this book. Although it is filled with triggers and sadness, it’s a good read with good characters and lessons. It starts out really fast paced and then slows down but continues to make you want to know what happens.