Providence hasn’t been back home since before she went to prison at the age of 17. But when her mom goes missing, she knows she has to go back, at least for her sisters. Though they’re more strangers than sisters now, Providence return is met with resistance, suspension, and welcome. As the town searches for their mom, Providence and her sisters will be forced to face Providence’s felony so many years ago, the family they were given, and the anger of being left to their own devices.

I still cannot believe that this is a debut. Masterfully written, Crewson has delivered an amazing coming of age story without complicating the plot. While I wasn’t exactly a fan of the ending, this story is all about the journey and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the complexity of who Providence was versus how others saw her, especially on her return to town. Providence wasn’t the only character with depth, every single character we meet has flaws and a complication relationship with who they are. I felt that Crewson did a phenomenal job of creating multiple sided characters that you can’t love or hate.

This slow burn contemporary mystery is less of a mystery and more of character driven novel about family dynamic. With beautiful and insightful writing, this book is perfect for fans of Jane Harper and Tiffany McDaniels. With this being Crewson’s debut novel, I cannot wait to see what she puts out next.


Every Sweet Thing is Bitter comes out April 22, 2025. Huge thank you to Crooked Lane Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my:
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The setting of this book was so vital and familiar to me. A small prairie town, linked closely to other towns, the nicest building being the church, full of small minded people and people trapped. I had to cringe at points seeing Providence have so many vices and sabotage herself in order to deal with being back in the place that damaged her so deeply. But I was glued to the page at the same time - hoping Providence could rise above, hoping she could salvage relationships with her sisters, and that her father gets what he deserves. An insular, emotional, challenging read about the effects of substance abuse, physical abuse, and generational trauma. It felt like a mini Demon Copperhead - all of these troubled characters and you were still rooting for them.

So incredibly good. The trapped feeling permeates every page of this book. It's both compelling and with a sense of dread of what is coming next. The main character is dealing with her life in a realistic way with small insights peeking through.

Providence is fresh out of jail (for nearly killing her mother) and is actively rebuilding her life. Her days as the abusive Tom Byrd’s oldest girl are years behind her, and things are looking up. That is, until her mother disappears, forcing Providence back into the small town that nearly destroyed her.

While the local sheriff plays nice, it’s clear that Providence is being watched closely by her former neighbors. Under scrutiny, she attempts to reconnect with her two younger sisters, Harmony and Grace, who have grown up largely without her.

As the case into their mother’s disappearance develops, connections to the family begin to emerge, and not the ones Providence suspected. Is it possible that Providence is not the only one with a violent streak? And could the Byrd girls be more than anyone bargained for?

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a thriller through and through. It’s packed with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. Full of heart and rebellious spirit, I found that it got better and better as I read on. Thriller isn’t usually my genre, and so it did take a minute to acclimate myself, but once I did, I enjoyed following this story down its twisty rabbit hole.

A novel like this is one that sits with you for awhile. So much so that it almost feels impossible to review adequately. It's heartbreaking, moving, complex, tragic, emotional and so so heavy. I would recommend this book as one of my Top 5 reads this year -- and yes, I know that it's only March. It's an incredible debut and I will undoubtedly pick up any book Samantha Crewson writes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A literary fiction novel, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson (2025) is succinctly captured by its title. Providence Byrd returns to Annesville, thirteen years on from her family’s estrangement. Having grown up in a troublesome family in the Nebraskan sand hills, Providence returns to assist in the search for her missing mother. Confronting her traumatic past and reconnecting with her two sisters, the narrative has a tenderness despite the harsh realities of life and the consequences of Providence’s actions still impacting. Categorised as a mystery thriller, with plenty of twists, this is a difficult read at times. It’s certainly not a book for everyone, given the author’s graphic content warning, yet there is an underlying whimsical hopefulness that makes for a four and a half star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Providence Byrd is forced to return to her hometown and reckon with her abusive father when her mother vanishes under mysterious circumstances. She’s hopeful returning home may be a chance to reconcile with her two sisters, which seems near impossible. Because several years ago, Providence put the car into reverse and ran over their mother. Although her mom survived, Providence sealed her fate as a felon in the eyes of the town, who is certain she has something to do with her mother’s disappearance. As the search unfolds, Providence must fast the ghosts of her past.

Ever since reading Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, I have been searching for a book that will give me those same emotions, but can never quite find it, until I picked up this book. I loved every page of this, and found the writing to be a perfect blend of lyrical and gothic. The ending had me in tears. I urge all of you to read this when it’s out on April 22nd!

A slow paced emotional thriller. It's about Providence and her relationship with her sisters Harmony and Grace, She is back in her hometown after thirteen years to search her dissappeard mother. She is thirty years old now. Her father is still abusive and a violent man. Book is all about the impact of her past in her current life and her courage to stop the never-ending cycle of abuse. Suspense bulids up interestingly throughout, and the climax is neatly tied up. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

“I thought I was born unlovable. I grew into it because I was never given a chance to be anything else.” This theme entwined in Every Sweet Thing is Bitter makes me incredibly sad for Providence Byrd, who is so well-drawn, she feels real. And I feel deeply for her younger sisters, Harmony and Grace, too. These are three young women tainted by their upbringing, never given the opportunity to be happy or arguably good. But just maybe this might be a turning point for Providence and her siblings. “People love me. I am lovable.” This is Providence’s mantra. And she is lovable, even though thirteen years ago, she attempted to run over her father with the family car. By a twist of fate, her mother took the impact. Providence was imprisoned for attempted matricide. Her mother survived then, but she is missing now, and Providence returns to her hometown to join the search. Going home evokes some happy memories, gives her opportunities to reconnect with old friends, but overriding that are inevitable confrontations. With her abusive father who Providence believes has done something to her mother. With past hurts. When pulled between revenge and redemption, when desperate to repair her relationship with her sisters, what will Providence do? And of those who survive, can they live with their scars and put the past behind them?
Please note trigger warnings: domestic violence, violence against children, abortion, self-harm.
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a haunting small-town noir / suspense novel with a flawed yet incredibly believable main character who is determined to persevere. Highly recommended.

Flawed Providence Byrd has a troubled past. Now thirty years old, she is at last making a decent life for herself well away from the horrors of her childhood and all the traumas that entailed. When she receives notification that her estranged mother has gone missing, Providence decides to return to Annesville, to support her younger sisters and also to join in the search for her mother. When she does return to the family home, she discovers that nothing at all has changed, and that her father is still the monster he always was.

This book starts out with a mystery. Where had Elissa Byrd disappeared to, has she run away, is she still alive? Then it runs into a revenge plot, which somehow lost its way for me.

I think the writing was good, but a little repetitive (chokecherry!!!), and although slow, the story was interesting. I did not especially like any of the characters apart from Sara. I think the reader was expected to root for Providence, but she did nothing for me.

With strong emphasis on many themes, this book certainly gives the reader food for thought. A good ending that tied everything up nicely.

A book I would recommend as I did enjoy it, just not as much as the blurb promised.

3.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books

Say hello to my favorite debut of 2025.

Engrossing, well drawn characters and a compelling mystery.

This book shown in its narrative about going home, our MC hasn’t been home for 13 years and has a sullied past of her own, Crewson captures the nostalgia and pain of a big return.

Though heavy it’s brimming with honest hopefulness and healing.

Brava.

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

When Providence Byrd’s mother goes missing, she returns to the hometown she left, first for a 5-year sentence in prison and then 8 years trying to eke out a living as a felon. The last time she was here, she drove over her mother with her car. But that’s not the only past that haunting her here, from the sisters she abandoned to her abusive father, the adults that betrayed her throughout her childhood and the mother she hasn’t talked to in 13 years there’s a lot of memories to doge her every step.
I really enjoyed reading about all the characters (except the father holy shit), even if not all of their actions are kind, they can be understood in the multi-faceted portrayal of every character. I loved seeing the many ways people here had chosen to survive, even if it means betraying or abandoning another person. In general, the relationships portrayed here were a really strong point. The complicated sibling relationship, the even more complicated relationship to their addict mother, helpless to save her children in any way, Providence’s understandable complicated feelings for the former police officer that never helped her out as a kid and the current chief of police, who is investigating her mother’s disappearance, but judges her for being a felon as well as her old flame Zoe, a former Jehova’s Witness now turned republican congress woman.
My favorite relationships in here was Providence’s connection with her best friend Sara, an Oglala Lakota woman, whom she met in prison and who gives her a place to stay and Gil, a black man, who her father was horrible racist to, but who opened his door as a refuge for little Providence when she needed it (but failed her in equally horrible ways by never trying to actually protect her).
At points reading about the father was tough. When this story deals with abusive parents it really does not pull any punches and the ptsd of the main character (and her sisters) and the way it warps their own relationships to each other and to their bodies plays a huge and heavy role.
The mystery concerning the mother’s disappearance is compelling, but even after it is solved there is still more than enough emotional and interpersonal turmoil happening to keep you reading, desperate to find out if there can be a happy-for-now after all these horrible, horrible events.
All in all, this is a fascinating and intriguing read that functions as both a great character study not only for Providence, but for all the characters we are introduced to (except the father, who tbh, doesn’t need more character. What he’s got is bad enough) and a layered mystery with intriguing twists and turns. I really enjoyed reading it and the end felt satisfying in just the right way.

TW: alcoholism, car accident, domestic abuse (physical, including spousal and against children), emotional abuse, past addiction, racism (discussed), self-harm (graphic), sexual abuse (implied), substance abuse, suicidal ideation, threats of murder, violence

Providence Byrd has a violent past, but when her mother goes missing from her hometown, she is forced to abandon the life she has made for herself to come back, face the ghosts of her past and try to reconnect with her sisters.

This was a simple concept executed very well. The only thing I do wish the author had done differently was to perhaps flesh out the characters a little more. It seemed that we only got two seconds with some of the characters that had the potential to become fully independent people in their own right rather than a vehicle for a plot device. That being said, I loved Sara's character, I loathed the father, and I loved the queer representation in this book.

All in all, a success!

I think this book had big aspirations, but it ultimately fell short. It had strong, descriptive prose, and a well built small town setting with intriguing politics and atmosphere. It had complex characters and relationships. However, I could not stand any of those characters. They were deeply flawed and unlikable, even the main character that I was supposed to be rooting for. I mostly read for character, so this was a bit of a deal breaker for me. In order for me to have enjoyed the book anyway, it would have needed a very strong and engaging plot. Unfortunately, I felt this book had very little by way of the plot. The mystery element was quickly abandoned, the revenge plot half formed, and many elements were predictable. I believe it was supposed to be an emotional journey more than anything, but I just could not engage with the emotions. There was so much pain and trauma it was overwhelming. I did like the ending, which was more hopeful. So overall while this book had a strong concept I did not enjoy the execution.

Providence has returned home to search for her missing mother, the same mother she ran over with a car 13 years earlier. To say that mother and daughter had a fractious relationship would be putting it mildly. Still having survived her tumultuous childhood and the incarceration following her accident with her mother, Providence feels she owes it to herself to uncover the truth.

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter’s content mimics its title. It’s a story of ‘both sides’, exploring the complexities of trauma, family, and the place we were raised – places we haunt like ghosts.

The protagonist is one of three sisters, returning to her hometown to help in the efforts to investigate her mother’s disappearance, after years away. She encounters many ghosts of her own past, ones that persist, as she tries to piece together what happened to her mother, and what role her abusive father has had in both her life and that of her sisters.

Throughout the story I felt profoundly sad, because much of the book depicts the pain and sorrow of abusers continuing to live their lives, sometimes protected by the community, while their victims are left with scars of all kinds. Towards the end, though, there were small mercies, which I feel was a needed ending - hope in the dark.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC!

Every sweet thing is bitter is a story of resilience as a trauma survivor navigates a home she left in hopes of trying to break that generational trauma. We follow Providence Byrd as she heads home in search of her missing mother who 13 years earlier she ran over with her car. Her mother survived and Providence became a teen felon with a life she’d never be able to repair. The circumstances under which her mother went missing seem odd, but Providence knows she’s needed there. In her homecoming she searches her small town for any closure she can get. She yearns for relationships with her two younger sisters Harmony and Grace still stuck under their father’s abusive thumb. She’s also convinced wherever her mother is, it’s Tom Byrds fault. As she searches her home town she is haunted by old memories and ghosts from her past. Trying her best to shield her sisters from the past knowing they’re both also irreparably damaged from Providence’s sin.

Crewson has this fantastic ability to transform a hideous topic with such raw vulnerability and delicate hands. We watch the impact trauma has on survivors bodies and minds. The things our nervous system is willing to put up with in order to keep us going. As well as what we’ll endure to protect those we love. It’s a meditation on found family and the grief you suffer once you finally realize blood doesn’t have to tie you together. The role religious trauma on top of her familial trauma plays within these pages are bone chillingly spot on. Housing bible verses within your body you have no idea how or why you still know them, not coming out to an abusive parent in fear of them harming you even further.

My biggest critique is that a few of the side characters diversity felt a bit forced to me. I do appreciate Crewson’s ability to create a diversity baseline within her novel, just wishing a few of them had a more organic introduction. With that being said, it is a bold debut novel that is going to skyrocket Crewson’s career as a writer.

I recommend this book to readers who love Gillian Flynn, Chelsea Bieker, anyone who came out late in life, and any survivors of religious trauma.

Thank you netgalley and crooked lane books for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, Crooked Lane Books for the copy of Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson. The author’s trigger warnings were helpful but I still found this a tough read. Providence’s childhood was a nightmare and as an adult she couldn’t catch a break. Providence was a great main character and I liked how the other characters were three-dimensional too. I can’t say too much so I don’t want to give anything away, but I loved the unexpected reveals! 4 stars

Providence is one of my best main characters I have come across in a very long time. Yes, she was flawed. Yes, she may be morally grey. Yes, she may not be perfect, but holy hell did she feel REAL. She was so well developed that I feel like I know her personally. As for the story itself, heartbreaking. These poor girls. I loved how the story unraveled. Sisterhood and family takes many forms and that is shown in this novel. As upsetting as it may be, I’d love a prequel that explored the eldest daughters’ childhood and the accident more. Essentially I am just not ready to let go of these characters, if I’m being honest with myself. I CANNOT wait to read whatever this author writes next.

This is a really gripping novel about resilience, coping mechanisms and patriarchal abuse. How families can make you, destroy you and shape your path beyond your control. The cycle of abuse repeats itself unless drastic action is taken, but such action, taken with fear and misguided loyalties, is never straight forward.

The Byrd family has been destroyed by the actions of their father, a man so brutal that even onlookers with seemingly the best intentions, are too scared to intervene. Until one day, Providence, the eldest but only a teen herself attempts to stop him and unfortunately her mother takes the brunt, changing their path and family dynamics forever. Circumstances lead Providence back to her tainted family to try and help when their mother goes missing, but it’s hard to mend relationships when all concerned are so overwhelmingly damaged. Navigating priorities, even in the most functional of families and friendship groups, is hard.