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A review by audreychamaine
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
3.0
When they were young, Gretchen and Ansel were out in the forest with Gretchen's twin sister when Gretchen's twin was snatched away. Gretchen remembers intense fear as the red-eyed "witch" took her sister. Ever since then Gretchen and Ansel have been dealing with the guilt of having lost her, and their family fell apart because of the tragedy. With both parents now dead, their step-mother has kicked them out, and they wander lost. That is, until they stumble upon a small town and the sweet, beautiful Sophia who runs the chocolatier candy house where they begin to stay. The town has a dark secret, though--teen girls have been disappearing after going to Sophia's chocolate festival, and town residents suspect Sophia has had a part in it. Ansel and Gretchen may be in danger, and it is up to Gretchen to get over her past tragedy and do something before more young lives are lost.
If you can't tell from the above plot description, Sweetly is a modern-day retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Just as she did in Sisters Red, Pearce has transformed the fairy tale into a gritty fantasy set in the modern world. While Sweetly isn't a sequel to Sisters Red, it does seem to take place in the same universe, within the same mythology, and acts as a companion book.
Of the two books, I enjoyed Sweetly more. I was able to relate to Gretchen's guilt and concern, but also loved seeing her grow as a person. Gretchen goes from being a victim to a person of action, a heroine who risks her own life to save others. At the same time, we spend the entire story wondering if we're supposed to like Sophia or fear her. There's definitely a mystery that surrounds her, and while I wish it would have unfolded a bit more quickly, it was nice to be kept guessing whether or not she was good or the evil witch in the candy cottage.
Speaking of candy, this story was dripping with it. Reading the descriptions of things like candied lemon peels and chocolate covered orange slices made me drool with longing. It was great fun to read about, but if I gained weight while reading, I blame Jackson Pearce.
Sweetly was a fun rehashing of a familiar tale, made all the sweeter by the confectionery setting and dark tones.
If you can't tell from the above plot description, Sweetly is a modern-day retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Just as she did in Sisters Red, Pearce has transformed the fairy tale into a gritty fantasy set in the modern world. While Sweetly isn't a sequel to Sisters Red, it does seem to take place in the same universe, within the same mythology, and acts as a companion book.
Of the two books, I enjoyed Sweetly more. I was able to relate to Gretchen's guilt and concern, but also loved seeing her grow as a person. Gretchen goes from being a victim to a person of action, a heroine who risks her own life to save others. At the same time, we spend the entire story wondering if we're supposed to like Sophia or fear her. There's definitely a mystery that surrounds her, and while I wish it would have unfolded a bit more quickly, it was nice to be kept guessing whether or not she was good or the evil witch in the candy cottage.
Speaking of candy, this story was dripping with it. Reading the descriptions of things like candied lemon peels and chocolate covered orange slices made me drool with longing. It was great fun to read about, but if I gained weight while reading, I blame Jackson Pearce.
Sweetly was a fun rehashing of a familiar tale, made all the sweeter by the confectionery setting and dark tones.