Despite the amazing cover and the fact that I’ve enjoyed all of Tera Lynn Child’s other books, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Sweet Venom. I paid a bit of attention to the marketing Harper was doing for it, and I got the impression that the book was a little more serious than Child’s other work and, well, I just didn’t know how I felt about that. Previously I always read her books because I wanted something fluffy and fun with a happy ending. And it was about three sisters…told from three different point of views. I don’t like it when books have two different point of views. So, I put it off for awhile. But when I finally did pick it up, I was pleasantly surprised about how much I did enjoy it.
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.
Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.
Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.
These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
One thing I really liked was that all three sisters were very, very different. Despite the jumping around in point of view, it was easy to keep the different lives and story lines separate because they each had such distinct personalities. And I liked that the book did have a slightly more serious tone that Childs’ other books, but it still had fun.
The three sisters were great characters. Watching them discover each other, and discover how the feel about each other, was very well done. The need to feel connected coupled with the desire for their lives to stay same. Also, the added element of monsters wanting to kill them. I admit I felt the most connected to Grace, just because of the three sisters she is the one I would most likely be friends with, and I enjoyed her personal journey more than the other two. This is always a risk with multiple POVs. Because I liked Grace more than the other two, I did find myself skimming some of Gretchen and Greer’s chapters. Not because there was anything wrong with them, but because I was eager to get back to Grace.
There was a lot more going on in the book than the three sisters finding each other and killing greek mythology inspired monsters. There were missing people, mysterious people, prophecies, and love interests, and all that great stuff. But it was definitely the relationship of the sisters that made the book. That’s what I’m interested in reading more of.
And also, I want to know what was up with Grace’s brother, Thane? There’s more going on there then meets the eye, I can feel it.
So, on one hand, this book is very much a Tera Lynn Child’s book (fun, fast, with a bit of romance and mythology) and if you’ve enjoyed her other books, you will definitely enjoy this one. On the hand, it is a little different as well. It has a lot more plot and mystery and action. And more point of views. I enjoyed it and recommend it, despite the points of view and that’s always a good sign.