Title: SweetAuthor: Emmy Laybourne
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: June 2.2015
Rating:
*People would kill to be thin.*
Solu’s luxurious celebrity-filled “Cruise to Lose” is billed as “the biggest cruise since the Titanic,” and if the new diet sweetener works as promised—dropping five percent of a person’s body weight in just days—it really could be the answer to the world’s obesity problem. But Laurel is starting to regret accepting her friend Viv’s invitation. She’s already completely embarrassed herself in front of celebrity host, Tom Forelli (otherwise known as the hottest guy ever!) and she’s too seasick to even try the sweetener. And that’s before Viv and all the other passengers start acting really strange.
*But will they die for it, too?*
Tom Forelli knows that he should be grateful for this job and the opportunity to shed his childhood “Baby Tom-Tom” image. His publicists have even set up a ‘romance’ with a sexy reality star. But as things on the ship start to get a bit wild, he finds himself drawn to a different girl. And when his celebrity hosting gig turns into an expose on the shocking side effects of Solu, it’s Laurel that he’s determined to save.
Emmy Laybourne, author of the Monument 14 trilogy, takes readers on a dream vacation that goes first comically, then tragically, then horrifyingly, wrong.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Sweet by Emmy Laybourne
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne is one of those books that is a perfect read for a summer day. Readers will be swept into the world of the rich and famous to find out how far they will go to maintain their appearances. Set on a cruise ship, Sweet by Emmy Laybourne, has an amazing storyline that contains a powerful message which is incorporated throughout the whole book.
❀ Cruise Ship Setting
The setting of Sweet is so incredible. It is set on an elite cruise ship filled with celebrities and those rich enough to be the first to try a new weight-loss method before the rest of the world. I adore cruise ship books so much! Maybe it’s because I’m always dreaming of summer, but I think that books with this setting are always enjoyable. Laybourne creates an amazing picture for the reader that sets this dream in motion.
❀ Unique Concept
Sweet has such a unique concept. It is about a sweetener that is supposed to make consumers lose weight. It is one of those products that is appealing to those looking for a quick weight loss solution. The first to try the sweetener, Solu, are celebrities sent on a cruise to be testers. Then the product, Solu, short for “solution”, starts going all wrong. I have never, ever read a book even remotely similar to Sweet. It is very suspenseful and quite mysterious. Readers will have their minds blown as the puzzle is solved.
❀ Admirable Main Character
Laurel, the main character, is superbly written. She is so admirable in that she is fine with the way she looks, even if others think that she is overweight. Laurel doesn’t even have an interest in trying Solu. Emmy Laybourne is sending a really powerful message to readers: accept who you are and be comfortable in your own skin. Body image is a topic that is important to include in a young adult novel, as it is a time when many young women are increasingly self-conscious about their looks. I really enjoy and appreciate that Laurel is embracing herself.
❀ Will Appeal to Many Readers
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne is a book that will appeal to many readers. It is written in a way that will engage its readers to unravel a mystery, yet also satisfies the summer beach reader. It is a sweet summertime read!
About Emmy Laybourne
EMMY LAYBOURNE is a Young Adult novelist best known for her Monument 14 series, an internationally best-selling trilogy that has been translated into 9 languages. Her standalone book Sweet won a Junior Library Guild Award, was a YALSA Quick Pick and got a Perfect Ten rating from VOYA. Her latest books, Berserker, and Ransacker tell the story of a family of Norwegian teens with ancient Viking powers and are currently being adapted for television.
Emmy is a former character actress, and is occasionally recognized from her role as Mary Katherine Gallagher’s best friend in the movie “Superstar.” She lives outside New York with her husband, two kids, faithful dog and a flock of seven nifty chickens.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.