Book Review: Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate

 

Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate

Author: Wray Ardan 

Published by: Ulu Productions, LLC 

Publication Date: 8 Nov 2014 

Page Count: 428 

Buy it at Barnes & Noble or Amazon 

Source: e-book provided by author 

Audience: Young Adult – Sci-Fi, Suspense/Horror, Fiction 

Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate is about fifteen-year-old Jaden and the relationships she has with those around her: her family, friends, love interest, and the little creatures running around the manor home her family is fixing up in Louisiana. Jaden’s life was pretty normal until the summer her family inherited an estate from a recently deceased aunt; she fought with her sister, complained to her mom, and had crushes on boys. Then one day a storm uproots an old tree on the property and unearths sealed jugs buried beneath the tree. Jaden breaks the pottery and unwittingly releases chaos, terror, and torture in the forms of little ugly creatures that had been sealed away for 50 years: crossbreeds of human DNA and some of the most poisonous plants, animals, and insects around. Jaden, along with a colorful cast of characters, must find a way to destroy these creatures before they kill her and everyone she loves. 

I honestly can’t decide whether I like this book or not. It was well written, it has a compelling story line, and the characters are well thought out. I love suspense, mystery and even some horror stories, but I have always had a problem with anything that has to do with insects. There is nothing wrong with the subject in general, other than it just completely creeps me out! This book doesn’t necessarily involve insects, but the creatures that were created have tentacles and poison and venom that they love to inflict and inject into their prey. There is a bit of torture from them as well, and that’s also something that I’m not fond of in anything I read or watch. That’s not saying this isn’t a good book, it just means it’s not really my cup of tea.

I liked the background story to the Mal Rous, the creepy little creatures. The author, Wray Arden, did a great job of fleshing it out. Some of the folk that were around when the creatures were first created play a huge part in helping Jaden and her family and I love their backstory. I would love to read more about their lives. 

The story was very suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat till the very end.  Arden kept the plot moving smoothly but with an intensity you don't often see in young adult or children's books. Not only were the scenes with the Mal Rous suspenseful and nail-biting, but also not knowing who would survive from the venom and poison.  That in itself made it a good read.  

It was quite easy to envision the plant/insect/animal/human mutations and get chills at the thought of being bitten or stung by one of them. They had attitudes that made you laugh and at the same time could gross you out. I could easily see them in a horror movie. Arden has an amazing imagination and I respect her for that. 

While I probably won’t be reading the sequels to this book, I don’t want my review to put anyone else off from reading it. If you like horror and don’t mind a bit of torture and bugs, then I would definitely recommend this book along with the next two in the trilogy. I wouldn’t, however, recommend it to a younger audience, just for the simple fact that there is some torture involved. 

One Last Thought: Jaden’s love interest is 18 years old. I don’t generally have a problem with age differences, but I will admit to being a wee bit uncomfortable reading a make-out scene between a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old guy. 

Favorite Thing About This Book: Even though the make-out scenes bothered me a bit, I will say that Briz was an incredibly loyal and loving boyfriend.  He would do anything for Jaden, and he was a support and a rock that she needed to fight the Mal Rous.

First Sentence: Family. 

Favorite Character: Violet 

Least Favorite Character: Professor Thatcher 

Synopsis: 

Discovering long lost relatives can be a real nightmare. Do you know who or what you're related to? 

Jaden Lisette never imagined she might not live to see her sixteenth birthday, or that befriending reclusive triplets and a mentally challenged man could be her only chance of survival. Days after coming to Louisiana, Jaden falls for eighteen-year-old Briz Nolan. Then she falls into a living nightmare when she discovers a side of her family that she never knew existed. Once she uncovers her family's deadly secret, Jaden is forced into a world she could only imagine in horror movies. There's nowhere to run.