Sweet by Emmy Laybourne Review

"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."

Everytime! Everytime! I always, always tell myself to not read a scary book right before going to bed and guess what happened a few days ago? I read the book, finished it, and then stayed awake for too long while fearing for my life. Oh, yes. I did. I also got some nightmares. After this book, I swear that I will stop reading before going to bed. Dreaming of crazy addicts wanting to drink my blood is horrifying. 

Sweet is set on a luxury cruise, and the book has all the makings of a romantic tale that will end at a black tie event. But there are underlying tones of something shifty and suspicious going on, and Laurel is picking up on them. The mystery of Solu, the "supplement" that is said to help people lose weight without any side effects, is getting much more interesting as the plot trots on, and I can't help but try to guess what sinister things are going to happen. 

Laurel is normal compared to the rest of the passengers on the ship. She isn't profoundly rich. She isn't there to lose weight. She is quite happy with her body. In a way, she is the audience's surrogate and she sees things others don't. As the book moves forward and progresses, she becomes a great, awesome character who is most certainly capable of taking care of herself. Tom should live in awe of her, because she is amazing. 

Tom is a celeb. At first, he's on the cruise ship for his job and to become even more notable. But he doesn't quite fit in. He has a complicated history and is a wonderful character with an unique perspective that comments on Hollywood in the first few chapters. When he meets Laurel, he is so drawn into her. Their romance is very cute, despite getting off on the wrong foot. 

The plot is dramatic and tense. It starts off with sweetness and then dives into the unimaginable. The plot twists are so surprising yet they fit in so well with the story. The story is of a battlefield and our two narrators (Tom and Laurel) are stuck in the middle of it. 

The ending is most definitely the most epic part of the entire story. I can't wait for a sequel, because that is the most stunning cliffhanger I've seen in a long time. 

Overall, Sweet is a thrilling mystery that will scare the wits out of you. Don't read before going to bed, kids. I recommend this to anyone who loves zombie tales and mysteries. 

Rating: Four out of Five