Content Warnings: Self-Harm; Child Abuse (Sexual, Physical, Emotional, Family Member Perpetrator); Spousal Abuse; Dementia; Racism; Alcoholism

As the title implies, this book covers a lot of bitterness, but I found it balanced. This book layers characters’ experiences and traumas in authentic ways, and even if you don’t like the actions of all characters, you at least understand how who they are, where they come from, and what they’ve done weave together. (With the exception of the villain who, in my opinion, is purposefully unexplored because that character is literally everyone’s villain.) This book had a good mystery, well-constructed characters, and a satisfying resolution. I would recommend it.

An absolutely amazing and gripping read! Samantha Crewson will be in author I look out for from here!!

When Providence Byrd was 17-years-old, she ran over her own mother with a car. From that point on, the aggravated assault defined her entire existence. After serving her time in prison, she moves on as best she can with no family, until her mother goes missing and she must return to the scene of her original crime.

Things are as bad as they ever were - her sisters don’t like her, her father is still a mean, nasty man and the townspeople can only see her as a convicted felon. But she must help find her mother as a way to make amends with not only herself but her sisters as well. It’s a long road to redemption for Providence.

This book is mesmerizing and powerful. It speaks to the strong bonds of family love and the resilience of someone who has made many bad choices in life. It has so many great qualities and easily deserves 5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

I absolutely devoured this book.

The pacing was strong, albeit a little slow in the beginning, but held steady throughout the last 60 percent. It’s not the most exciting or suspenseful but I think the pacing blended well with the plot. The exploration of trauma, abuse, grief, family, friendship, and all the things in between was more important.

But I think it suffered from telling rather than showing, Providence’s plastic surgery was a large part of her life post-prison and it felt overexplained. The metaphor for change could have been much stronger without the need for constant over-explanation.

This is a great read for fans of the female rage genre, especially the religiously traumatized queer ones.

I finished the majority of this book in a day, which is rare for me lately! I just had to know how this story was going to end, and I'm genuinely pleased with how it turned out. There's a lot here that works: sentences that make you pause and think because the language is so lovely, an MC who is complicated and flawed and interesting, a plot with enough going on to keep you invested without the whiplash of twists some suspense novels try to cram in, lots of tasteful representation. My only minor grievance is I wish I understood the relationship Providence had with her mother a little more before she went to prison. I got the vibe that her mother played a huge part in making her feel unloved, but not how? Since a couple of the flashbacks seemed positive, I can only imagine it had to do with her mother choosing the bottle and her husband over Providence, but there seemed to be something more there under the surface that I couldn't grasp. But honestly I think that will make this story stay with me, and I'll be thinking about these sisters for a long time, so that's a win for me. Read this if you liked The First Day of Spring, definitely similar vibes!

4.5 stars rounded up

A hard-hitting and layered story about family, trauma and healing with a wonderfully flawed but loveable (and badass!) queer protagonist at the centre of it all. A strong contender for my favourite debut of the year, but do check trigger warnings as there are some heavy themes.

Bitter and sweet and bittersweet. This book was emotional and harrowing in parts and I didn't want to put it down. I thought the story was well written, suspenseful and thought provoking. I think the plot twists were done well and I I was surprised by the ending. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter was just that: a resounding tale of resilience, which is both bitter and sweet. Providence was a beautifully rounded and complex character, allowing for a meaningful relationship to blossom with the reader.

The book delves into themes of loss, identity, and the quiet moments that shape our lives. The ending left me somewhat disappointed. I felt that the resolution, or lack thereof, didn’t do justice to the emotional journey the characters had undergone. There was a sense of unresolved tension that, rather than adding to the story, felt like a missed opportunity to tie up the narrative in a satisfying way. It’s as if the author intentionally left things open-ended, but for me,
Still excellent book to read.
Thanks NetGalley for advance copy

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a tough book to read due to the violence, horror and abuse and is tough due to the incredibly resilient heroine, Providence, being knocked down at seemingly every turn in her tortured life. It is tough but rewarding to move through the horrific life journey with her. Couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is an emotional, layered story that dives deep into grief, trauma, and healing. Providence Byrd is a queer main character, and I loved seeing her journey as she worked through guilt and unresolved family issues. As someone with a difficult relationship with my mother, I found her grief and guilt really relatable and well-written.

There’s a lot to like here. The Indigenous representation stood out in the best way, and the way the book explored self-harm felt unique and thoughtfully handled. The specific method Providence uses was one I hadn’t come across before, and it added an extra layer of depth to her character. Sara was another highlight—she might’ve been my favorite part of the whole book.

That said, some parts didn’t work as well for me. The focus on plastic surgery was interesting at first but felt repetitive after a while. And while the premise is great, I wouldn’t call this book gripping or exciting. It’s a bit slow-paced for something marketed as suspense. Plus, I get that it’s an ARC, but the grammar and spelling mistakes—especially toward the end—were hard to ignore and kind of pulled me out of the story.

Overall, this was a decent read with meaningful representation, but it didn’t wow me. If you’re into character-driven stories that focus more on emotions than thrills, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

This is a beautifully written book, a book about despair and violence and love and family. A woman returns home after being estranged from her family and being in prison for a car accident gone wrong. Her mother is missing and is feared dead by her violent father's hand. This is about the damage we do to ourselves and others as we try to heal. It is about coming to grips with our past and what it takes to move forward.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

EVERY SWEET THING IS BITTER is a suspenseful and well-written story about a woman's disappearance. It's also about so much more. The author does a superb job of exploring themes of generational trauma, friendship, and family ties. I especially admired how the author portrayed the development of Providence's relationships with Sara (who takes her in) and her younger sisters. These relationship change over time, which seems realistic. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep mystery lovers satisfied. At the same time, this novel should appeal to fans of literary fiction and women's fiction given the importance of the relationships to the narrative, especially Providence's struggles to deal with past (and present) trauma. There is also a great sense of place, which the author conveys with just the right amount of details. The mood here is gritty but never overwhelmingly dark. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Crewson's novel is dark and gritty, but also a very tender look at familial relationships and queer coming of age in a small town. She strikes the right balance of literary exploration of those relationships with a very compulsive and well-paced mystery. This book could appeal to both literary fiction and crime thriller lovers!

4.5 stars

A captivating debut! Providence Byrd left her hometown in the back of a police car 13 years ago and never returned. Now out of prison, her mother has gone missing and she is returning to the Nebraska sandhills to assist in the search.

Being from the UK, I actually learnt a lot from this book! I think it captures a moment in time in the midwestern US, with discourse on religion, reproductive rights, racism and republican politics (unintended alliteration here). The context of the majority white town and the neighbouring reservation community was really interesting, particularly the links to alcohol and addiction.

It reminded me a lot of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects - but with an LGBT main character! The story explores various complex relationships, from family to law enforcement to ex-lovers. Through great twists and brutal writing, we learn about Providence’s traumatic past. Ultimately, this book is a question of healing - but through revenge or redemption?

“𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴?”

Overall, this is a domestic/crime/queer/suspense novel that gives you a little bit of everything!

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸.”

This is the type of book that I want to read for the first time a few times.

Providence has returned to her hometown to help try and locate and figure out what exactly happened to her mother. But even just driving into down, all of her old secrets and problems push right up to the surface. Being faced with them, and faced with the memories of abuse she just keeps pushing forward and digging harder in what could have happened to her mother.

The suspense in this book was top notch and something about it reminded me of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, there were points where I felt like the pages were turning themselves. An absolute must read if you ask me.

4.5 /// Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson is a striking and emotional debut that masterfully blends mystery, thriller, and literary fiction. The story follows Providence, a deeply introspective protagonist who returns to her rural Nebraska hometown to face her past and search for her missing mother. The vivid descriptions of the setting draw you into the stark beauty of the landscape. This is a novel best approached with little prior knowledge (as I often view mystery/thriller), as its twists and turns are part of the allure. The pacing of the revelations kept me hooked from the first chapter, though one significant twist felt slightly rushed and underexplored towards the end of the novel. It was also left mostly unresolved, which was obviously a decision made by the author but I kind of think it could have deserved a bit more page-time. Despite that, Crewson's prose is captivating and full of poignant reflections on grief, trauma, and resilience.

Providence's relationship with her best friend (and true sister) Sara, an Oglala Lakota woman, is a highlight of the book. Their tender moments and shared understanding bring emotional depth to the story, shedding light on the familial trauma that haunts Providence. The representation of Indigenous culture feels respectful and thoughtful, although I did not see if Crewson has a direct connection to the Oglala Lakota or the region.

This novel delves into heavy themes, including familial trauma, cycles of violence, and the struggle to forge a new path amid pain and loss. Crewson balances these weighty topics with a narrative that's as gripping as it is heartfelt.

Content warnings are essential to note: the book includes depictions of violence, self-harm, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and references to physical and sexual abuse.

If you’re drawn to emotionally charged, introspective stories with layers of suspense, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a compelling and memorable read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for an Early Reading Copy!

Providence Byrd’s mother has been missing. She returns home after having spent many years locked up in prison for having run over her mother. Her hometown is a place she wishes she did not have to go back to; haunted memories, trauma and an abusive father await her there. But there are also her sisters, who she feels guilty to have left behind all these years. She wasn’t able to protect them. 


I appreciated how this book includes a content warning right at the beginning and how it described complex trauma in such a raw, human way. Providence’s rage and jealousy as she observes those around her having safe and loving parents felt so real; the grief of a lost childhood suffocates her throughout the whole novel. Her relationship with her sisters was complicated and thankfully not sugarcoated, which made their story feel so real and intentional, showing how trauma affects every person differently and how there isn’t just one way to look at situations.


The plot twists and pacing in this novel were so so good!


A stunning debut that left me crying in bed at 1 am. It is so much more than a crime mystery; it is about generational trauma, queerness, friendship, grief, sister love and so much more.


Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an early copy of this beautiful novel!