A review by cpeters2384
Sugar by Mia Ballard

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This story works well for its time settings of the 1970s and occasionally we reach back in to the 50s for some character build. The remembered social place of a woman has examples shown through work status, men vs. women in a work setting and one of the main character’s friends. 

This story is so unhinged with the feminine rage. I have mixed feelings as a woman reading this story about a woman and what she does, more importantly why she does what she does. Satara is a woman with a tough history. Her first experience with sex is bad, traumatizing. Her followed experiences left me with mixed emotions as far as the mc was concerned and how she dealt with them. Let’s just say if the goal was to make the mc unforgivable, then she succeeded. I don’t condone the actions of the men, not by a long shot, but maybe if Satara just laid off the acid, she’d seen things more clearly. I know, self medicating. The journey is definitely thought provoking and the story delivery is quite wonderful, especially for a debut!

As the reader, I sensed early on that there was something beyond unsettling about Satara, and she made me feel uneasy to the point of complete mistrust during the entire book. There are some eventual twists. Maybe it would have been better to know earlier as the reader, it it would have been difficult with the story being in first person. The book name is revealed during the read, which will be another nod to the 1970s period. Pretty clever, I thought.

…, each dalliance a withdrawal from the bank of my patience, until now, when I’m overdrawn and bankrupt of fucks to give. 2%

I’m sure she must think I’m crazy, but what matters most to me is that she doesn’t show it. 8%

I oftentimes think about digging him up just to see him again. 11%

Correction: I’ve gotten revenge on a few people. That’s all. Murder sounds too serious for what I’ve done. 27%

“Repent to me, you idiot. I’m the one holding you at knife point. I am your god right now.” 38%

If she’s going to paint me a villain, I’ll be damned if I don’t dip her in the same ink. 53%

In my head, I marked each chapter of my life with the men I had loved, as if they were bookmarks in the dog-eared novel of my existence. 57%

It turns out that once you step into darkness, it’s impossible to find the exit. 77%

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Murder