Sweetpea

As a big fan of Hannibal and the dark sociopaths of shows like Fleabag, I was excited to read this - and it definitely paid off! From the first page, the protagonist is shocking and unlikable in the most refreshing way. At times it felt a little unrealistic - surely psychopaths aren't thinking about murder constantly, even when they're in the bath or eating ice cream, right? RIGHT? (What do I know, though) - I think that's the point of books like this. You have to embrace the awfulness. The freedom of a character who kills everyone they want to meet. Sweetpea provides. Oh, boy does it provide.

Warning: Skuse also writes YA, but this is definitely, definitely an adult book. I don't really believe in putting age categories on books, but I would say that don't read this unless you're above 18 - or are fully prepared for the contents. It's not pretty.

Ok having just finished this one tonight I can tell you its going to divide opinion!

I'm giving it 5* and a big fat YAY because it made me laugh and laugh and then go ewwwww then laugh and laugh some more.

It is brutal when it comes to the violence, it is quite definitely irreverent and it embraces its own heart - the psychopathic serial killing main protagonist will have you falling in love with her even as she does the most horrendous things - but she has enough redeeming features that you feel you can love her anyway. Plus the kill lists are classic - you will find yourself nodding along although for most of us these things form a mild annoyance rather than a distinct and sometimes unstoppable urge to commit murder...

I loved it. And will review it in more depth nearer to its publication date.

Wonderful!!!! Is it weird that I found this book quite humorous at points, even though the subject matter was actually pretty dark? I am used to having inappropriate humor, though. I completely loved the main character....even if I didn't agree with all her actions. The last character I was this obsessed with was Alissa Nutting's bad teacher in "Tampa" named Celeste, which was another highly controversial book. What can I say, I like my main characters to be good at being bad. I can't wait to read more from this author, this was my first book of hers to read and I loved every page.

OMFG – This book is OUTRAGEOUS – it’s dirty, disgusting, crude, rude, inappropriate, tasteless and I f*cking LOVED IT. The main character Rhiannon has to be the funniest psychopath I’ve ever read about, I was practically salivating from the first page until the last and was shaking my head in disbelief at the things she was saying and thinking. The story is told via diary entries and each day Rhiannon writes her Kill List – OMG – some of her observations are priceless. I do need to point out that this book is without doubt a Marmite book and if you are easily offended then I would avoid this like Genital Herpes. In the meantime I am going to track down and stalk CJ Skuse and make her my new bestfriend because I think I LOVE her and her brutal wit.

this is entirely good entertainment - you are quickly inveigled by the narrator into being on side with her, even as you realise the life she is leading which is cleverly revealed to us by the skillful author is not what it seems - her past has damaged her, and no one will know it - and we get on it the farther into this engrossing and fast-paced work we go - Rhiannon works as a junior in a newspaper, has friends she does not particularly enjoy and a boyfriend she's not sure she even likes - sharp talking and quick jealousies and irritations escalate until we realise just how she is dealing with it - we are surprised right up until the last pages - i dare not give it away - but you won't out it down - prepare for a late, late night.

This is a book that you will either love or loathe - for me I loved it, although very dark & some brutal scene depictions there is also a lot of humour & much that one can relate to in the main character's attitudes & thoughts. The daily kill lists are hilarious, with incredibly witty observations into the annoyances of daily life. I found this book very hard to put down, and it kept me entertained from beginning to end. There is some colourful language but it adds to the reader's immersion in the story & does not detract from the book in any way. Rhiannon is a modern day psychopath who you can actually like! Very highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley .

So where to start to explain this book to you, i’m really not sure, its a book that might touch you on a lot of levels, and most definitely not the happy fluffy way.

Rhiannon suffered a head injury and trauma as a young child, now an adult she’s working for the local newspaper. She starts each day with her “murder list” which mostly comprises of people who have ticked her off, insult her, work colleagues and those who have committed sex crimes. She feels totally detached from relationships and people in general, her boyfriend is having an affair with one of her workmates and her life is never content. But as her daily life becomes more frustrating, Rhiannon finds another way to fill her blood lust and needs.

I have to say, i found this book strangely addictive, even though the subject is dark i found myself laughing, I mean really, any of us could be this girl Right? Haven’t we all had sinister thoughts about someone we didn’t like? Haven’t we taken pleasure in our imagination of their lives falling apart around them, hasn’t our own imaginations envisioned those who do us wrong suffering? Maybe there is a little bit of Psycho in us all? BUT this book takes us even further into the realms of that thought. We travel along the path with Rihannon, where she not only thinks of the dreadful deeds, she follows through on them. And carry’s on with daily life with nothing amiss. This author keeps you on the edge of your seat, at times your almost in agreement with Rhiannon’s thought process, and much to your own horror you grow to like this girl !! At other times your smiling and questioning yourself but you really can’t put this book down, you just have to know !!! Surely she will make a mistake, surely she will get caught!! Is anyone in this girls life gonna survive her? Is her past responsible for who and what she is today?? Definitely a book worth picking up! Sometimes its good to read something that’s out of our comfort zone and this book was definitely that for me! Excellent writing !

Certainly not for the faint hearted or easily offended this book is full to the brim with foul, graphic language and detailed descriptions of gruesome murders.
Having said that, my book of the year so far! Brilliantly written with a very different take on a serial killer novel. Packed with hilariously dark humour. Definitely a new author to watch out for in future, well done!

It's marmite!! You are going to love it or hate it. I loved it !!! Female psychopath /serial killer who you can't help fall in love with . Told in dairy form wth her kill list on every entry.. these list made me laugh so much . Reminded me of a female dexter !! Definately Not for the faint hearted ! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my arc copy which I have chosen to review. Simple genius writing !!

The story of Rhiannana is one that is Funny, inappropriate, tasteless, Crude and bloody fantastic. She is a Woman who loves her dog, her Sylvanian Families and dislikes her job, friends and pretty much everything else. Oh and shes a serial Killer.

The book is written in a diary format with Kill lists at the start of each day, think Bridget Jones but really really angry, readable and deeply dark and funny.

I did start to worry about my sanity when I agreed with every single one of kill lists. Your not going to like it if your tolerance for violence and bad language peaks with midsommer murders but I loved Rhiannana she was as mad as a box of frogs with a body count but we all make mistakes sometimes. Its a genuine can´t put down book and I was sad to have reached the last page.The ending for me was sad, and without ruining it for anyone I hope Rhiannana gets the future I want for her rather than the one she deserves.

I have read some fantastic books during the last year or so doing this Blog but this one is by far the best book I have ever read. May as well give it my book of the Year already. Although I was given the chance to read this for a honest review, When it is published I shall be buying a copy that will sit on my shelf with pride.

A massive 5 stars and highly recommended.

Well, that was a ride! When it comes to this book you might love it, you might hate it, but you will certainly have an opinion on it... I don't think I've ever read anything quite like 'Sweetpea' before.

Ever wanted to be inside the mind of a psychopath? No? Well maybe if you're of a sensitive nature, or easily offended, this book won't be for you - but if you are a fan of dark comedy drama such as Dexter, and you like your protagonists with a dark side (ok, she's pretty much all dark in this case), but laugh out loud funny, then this book will likely hit your sweet spot.

An unique combination of inappropriate behaviour, downright psychopathic behaviour and some really unsettling mental and physical thrills, Sweetpea is a confusing read - based around Rhiannon, the sole survivor of a nursery killing who outwardly appears to be fine - she has a (cheating) fiance, a little dog that she worships & she collects Sylvanian Families...but she's completely undone inside her head. She's so normal, she could be anyone. The girl you sit next to in work, one of your group of ex high-school friends, your babysitter - you get the picture.

This book confused me because I really didn't want to like her but I did, because she's funny and she also has a 'kill list' (c'mon, we've all done it, no? No? Just me then...), which consists of people who wind her up in the queue at Lidl, to paedophiles. Yep, they're on the same list and if Rhee gets her way, then they're all going to hell in a handcart.

When it comes to what Rhiannon gets up to, there is an element of the unreal about it - I mean, without giving too much away, it's unlikely she'd not get caught, but then we do sometimes wonder how people got away with murder after the event, don't we? I was kind of rooting for her, despite thinking 'Oh no, what's she up to now..."

Right up until the last part of the book, (the Beyonce concert), I was with her, I felt like her actions were at least in some way reasoned, if not justified...then she did something that actually made me gasp out loud (seriously, I'm not kidding) and that was it, we were done, I couldn't be her facilitator any more.

In summary, Sweetpea is crude, crazy, funny, utterly abhorrent, awful, and most importantly, an absolute joy to read. I miss Rhiannon now I've finished the book. CJ Skuse has made the jump from fantastic YA to a really adult themed book - and I cannot WAIT to see how opinions are divided when this hits the shelves. All the way through I was thinking what an amazing series/film this would make...

Well what a crazy book, darkly funny (you know you shouldn't laugh but you do). What was more disturbing was that I could actually associate with her haha. The violence and gore was quite heavy in parts but I didn't mind, I loved all the scenarios she came across and how she "dealt" with them. It's a bit of a you'll either love or hate it kinda book and I loved it.

The book is written as a series of diary entries and tbh I thought this worked quite well, and gave a good insight into how Rhiannon's mind worked (darkly!). At some points I could easily see why she would react the way she did lol especially the part where she comes across a guy after a drink and he well basically tries to rape her!

As I've said if your easily offended by violence and language stay clear of this book, me however I just wanted more from the little psychopath.

Loved it all the ending worked well and Rhiannon was a great character unlike any I've eve come across before.

This book was described as Bridget Jones meets Dexter, and man that is so true! This book is in diary form, and is laugh out loud funny from the first page. It's a modern classic in the making. Rhiannon is a character that got into my head right from the get go. This book is amazing, it combines the funny with the dark - just up my street. Could not put it down. CJ Skuse is now my spirit animal. Genius.

Wow! Bridget Jones meets Dexter! Brilliant, original and unputdownable! This book is certainly not for everyone but everyone will be talking about it. I loved the witty writing style and sharp accurate observations. All the characters were very well drawn out and realistic, dialogue amusing and believable. This is a book like no other and one that I will remember for a long time.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is probably going to be a love it or hate it book, but I for one absolutely loved it! It certainly isn't one for the faint hearted lets put it that way.

Rhiannon is just the most fabulous character. Each chapter starts off with a list of people and things she hates. It's like watching an episode of Grumpy Old Men, apart from it's a young female serial killer. Not sure I should be worried as there were so many things that I agreed with on her daily lists.

To be honest it's not shocking that Rhiannon is slightly damaged. She has been through quite a lot in her life. If anything it has left her quite un attached from things and people. There's only really Tink her dog that she seems to have any affection for. She's someone you certainly wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of that's for sure!

Sweetpea is without a doubt a deliciously dark and twisted read that had me well and truly gripped. Everything is very much a matter of fact in Rhiannon's world. People who do wrong to her or to others in society deserve to die, simple as that. Whilst it may be a dark read it is actually a very humorous one also. Without a doubt Sweetpea is going to be THE much talked about book in 2017. Brilliant just brilliant!

This was just a humdinger of a book. Abso!utely gripping from start to finish.

I would not like to meet Rhiannon on a dark or even light evening.

A fantastic book.

Really don't know where to start with this book. It is so hilariously funny but in such a dark and twisted way. I actually felt guilty for laughing, it's so wrong on or many levels! I really don't think such subject matter is a laughing matter, but this story is written so well that I could not stop the sniggering. A really original concept with some seriously shocking incidents. I will take great pleasure in introducing this book to the book club. Smashing read.

Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me pre -publication access to the title.

WOWSERS!!

Where do I start except to say,CJ Skuse is a brave new and modern voice that I am so glad to have discovered. In SWEETPEA Skuse produces an incredibly quirky and entertaining read, it’s a utterly eccentric and off beat- the personality of the writer shines through! It’s clever, it’s witty, you will LOL and you will gasp in horror! SWEETPEA is so, so very different from anything I’ve personally encountered before and I’ve read widely…

This book WILL divide opinion, whether you love it or hate it, it will be the topic of much discussion…

I personally bloody loved it- observationaly it was SPOT.ON. A real Craic – You will relate to so much, even if you feel guilty admitting it! She could almost be your best friend!

Sweetpea is written from the perspective of a 27 year old serial killer, who is an incredible character! What an interesting parody- A psychopath with a wicked sense of humour! It’s LOL funny, controversial, witty and a very modern tale of murder most horrid by THE most unlikely perpetrator!

We spend lots of time with SWEETPEA and she makes for the funniest, most disturbing character I’ve ever had the pleasure to get to know. She is in some ways so ‘normal’, she eats Quavers, gorges on chocolate Eclaires then worries about her weight, she has a mundane day job, a boyfriend and a chichuana, and she watches the goggle. But she also has a filthy ‘ potty’ mouth, is a sexual deviant and a cold blooded murderer, who fantasizes about death on a regular basis. The normality of some aspects of her life makes it all the more shocking when she kills,one minute I was chuckling away to a brilliantly observed line and before I knew it my smile was wiped off my face As she was gruesomely ending someone’s life. It proved to be a delicious contrast.

I don’t want to include any spoilers but some of the deaths are beyond shocking and will leave you horrified but you will be smiling or laughing again before you know it! This crazy yo- yo’ing between humour and horror made for a novel experience and worked in perfect unison!

Its been described by other reviewers as Bridgette Jones meets Dexter, what an accurate comparison… I couldn’t have put it better myself!

Written in diary form her way of percieving the world and the humorous was she describes her thoughts relating to her observations and experiences , alongside her daily Kill list (comprised of some very annoying people who do very annoying things), like those who push past you in starbucks an make you say sorry! I found yourself nodding in agreement to the reason for their inclusion! You’ve meet these people, you know them- OH.DEAR… A psychopath serial killer who I felt at times I could actually relate to!

This book won’t be for everyone ( it really is a Marmite book) , it’s NOT for the conservative or the faint hearted- the language is from ‘the gutter’ ( put it this way it would give my grandma a stroke), the entire book is littered with profanities, its crude, over the top and bloody, but perfect for forward thinking, open minded readers, the narrative can be gruesome at times and some of the sexual references are extremely explicit. I love that Skuse has pushed the boundaries within her writing I n so many ways, fearlessly putting into print what others wouldn’t dare . Its a brave literary feat, and I am in awe of Skuse for this very reason.

Grab yourself a copy… And ENJOY!

Outrageous, brutal, dark and vicious this was fabulous. I absolutely loved it, it made me gasp and laugh in equal measure.
Written as a diary of Rhiannon's daily life with her hit list of hated people at the start of each day it was gripping in the extreme. I was held captive from the first chapter and loved every minute. I have recommended this highly to friends.

Sweetpea

Holy crap on a cracker! This book is amazing, I devoured it in a couple of days...the ending made me want to scream out loud! I can't wait for the next instalment. Talk about a warped and twisted story that messes with your head...I LOVED it!!!!

Sweetpea is not for the faint hearted or easily offended, it's not a sweet, cozy story. What it is is pure genius. Rhiannon is a psychopath, pure and simple! She starts each diary entry with a 'kill list' and goes out late at night 'hunting' for people who she believes deserve to die.

If you have a slightly skewed mind, this will be the perfect read for you! Highly recommend and not to be missed! 5*

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

A funny, laugh-out-loud book.

Rhiannon seems like a normal woman, settled with a boyfriend and little dog, but in her spare time she is a killer. She has not killed for 3 years but soon that is all to change.

I loved this book! I laughed all the way through. It is so well written you cannot help but be drawn in by Rhiannon and, dare I say it, empathise with her.

At the beginning of every chapter she writes a kill list with anyone from her local café Barista to her boyfriend and the reason why they should die.

The killings and language are a little crude at times but it just adds to the story and her character. It is written humourously and you cannot be offended.

I really recommend this book. It was a great change from the usual run of the mill murder books.

Keep it up C.J. I will read more from this author.

Helen

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Do not read this if you are easily offended - it is pretty outrageous! I really enjoyed it, and found it really funny in parts, then thought - should I really be laughing? I enjoyed it as a black, very black, comedy which always appeals to me. Rhiannon has a kill list that she compiles every day, usually she manages to resist acting on it, but not always. In a scary sort of way, I could identify with a lot of the things that annoyed her and could relate to her a lot of the time! I would definitely recommend this if you like something a bit quirky, dark and outrageous.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc and I just hope there is a follow up!

Absolutely brilliant! I won't say much for fear of spoilers but this book combines a cracking heroine (Sweetpea) who has a very dark sense of humour with wry observations on the people around her.

This isn't the kind of book that I usually read - granted I like my thrillers but it is more graphic (violent) and more raunchy than I'm usually comfortable with. In the context of this book, it's entirely appropriate and Sweetpea's sarcastic humour really adds to the telling.

In short, if you like your stories a little bit dark and thrilling with an intelligent and amusing protagonist, you should love this book.

5* highly highly recommended (but not for everyone)

First let me say that I absolutely loved this one. I’m a long-time reader of crime novels and, as such, can feel a little jaded with them on occasion. Sweetpea smashed through that with a massive sledgehammer. It was full of wit, great humour that had me actually laughing out loud (which virtually never happens) and a lead character who I could not get enough of. One of the things I loved about it was that our fierce, psychopathic, cold-hearted but brilliantly funny protagonist was every bit, if not more, brutal than any fictional male serial killers I’ve come across. Often when the lead in a ‘serial killer novel’ is a woman, it’s because she’s somehow vulnerable or damaged or out for revenge. Whilst Rhiannon does possess some of those qualities, the undercurrent of her murders, and one of the reasons the book is so compelling, is that she simply gets a thrill from killing. This was such a refreshing angle for the book to take and I loved it.
The writing was convincing and so readable that I constantly had ‘one more chapter’ syndrome, the dialogue felt real and the situations were so well written that there will be countless readers feeling slightly uncomfortable as they recognise that they too have felt those same murderous thoughts on occasion!

There were some good twists and turns, and I loved the ending. Talk about leaving a reader hanging on for more, please give us a follow up!

You might have heard that the same author started out writing YA novels. Have no fear, Sweetpea is about as far from a young adult novel as you can get. Yes it contains vulgar language, regular descriptions of sex, graphic and brilliantly gory murder scenes and all manner of other ‘adult’ content. But really, if you’re reading this review, does that stuff really bother you?! Read it, I’m sure you’ll love it.

This book will appeal to that little bit of psychopath lurking inside us all. Who hasn’t had a day where we would have made a list of the people we could kill if we could get away with it? Or gone through the day pretending to be nice when really you just want to say ‘get lost’ to the world and everyone in it? If that is just me, then perhaps I have a lot more in common with Rhinannon, the main protagonist in this book than I realised. But I am pretty sure you will have been nodding along with me on this!

This book is at its most basic, a book about a serial killer. But it is really so very much more than that. It is about a person trying to fit in every day and be ‘normal’. A person who has dark thoughts and impulses, but unfortunately acts on them at times. A person who as dark and broken as she is, you find yourself connecting with her more and more as the book progresses, and her story unfolds. Her seemingly normal and boring life unravels before you, and you laugh, cry, stress out and scheme along with her at every moment of the journey. It is a dark journey and one so skillfully written that you can't help but empathise with Rhinannon.

It is a dark, dark comedy, gruesome, violent and full of coarse language. It is a dark, twisted humour book, that delivers from the start, and keeps up the pace the entire way through. It is definitely not a book for everyone, but if you like it you will love it. I certainly loved it, I found it an explosion of energy and uniqueness that I have not read in a long while with a book. Thank you C.J. Skuse - and what happens next??

Dark, disturbing, utterly brilliant! I loved this book!

My first thought starting to read this was that C.J. Skuse obviously needed a break from writing children's books to get rid of all the expletives abundant from the start. That makes me sounds like a right old fogey, sorry, it's not meant that way, it's just that Sweetpea is certainly not censored in ANY way. It has very bad language, explicit scenes of sex and violence; it's rude, crude and very funny - I loved it.

I don't think I've ever had such a soft spot for a serial killer before, but Rhiannon was so darn likeable. Yes she's totally deranged of course, and has an ever-changing hit list of potential victims, but considering she was the sole child survivor of the massacre at Priory Gardens, she's remarkably clear-minded. She isn't just killing anyone, no, on the whole her murders are somehow a little justified as they cleanse the streets of sex attackers and paedophiles (not that I'm condoning murder of course!). It's fair to say she has her targets firmly set in her mind and despite the brutality of the killings she still has her softer side, with her fascination for all things Sylvanian families - see she's not all bad.

Rhiannon is so unashamedly judgemental it's like reading a breath of fresh air - from her collection of irritating work colleagues to those guilty of somehow invading her personal space on trains, no-one is safe from her murderous imaginings. The only difference I guess, is that she's more than capable of finishing them off.

It's told through diary entries which I have to say work extremely well as the events steadily build up in an ever-growing snowball of death. Honestly once you start reading this you're never going to want to stop; so be sensible, don't start it late at night in bed because even when you do finally give in a succumb to sleep, those dreams are not going to be pretty. Believe me, I know!

It is so worth it though; who knew murder could be so much fun! A terrific, laugh-out-loud catalogue of horrors - brilliant.

Whoa! There is nothing, and I mean, nothing, sweet about Sweetpea. Rhiannon has some major issues, issues resulting from her past, her family and the fact that she's a little psychopathic. Killing appears to be her release, and it would also appear she has a very addicting personality, because she can't seem to stop. I've got to say there are some truly gruesome scenes, which actually had me cringing as I read them. Other scenes had me laughing and some scenes had me worried!! Why? Well, basically because I agreed with some of her grumbles, I understood her 'kill list', I get peeved off by many of the things that Rhiannon does. Thankfully I'm not up for killing someone! Although I understood her revenge/vigilante killing spree, she upped the anti when she started feeding her addiction with innocent people. An extremely clever story that had me hooked from the first page. With a few twists and turns on the way, along with some fabulous writing, I've got to say, I really enjoyed this book. I was provided with an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rhiannon is a monster, a psychopath. She just can't help herself. Her head might be telling her that she's a vigilante, killing the bad guys who prey on women and children, but let's face it, she gets off on it all far too much for us to believe that justice is her only motive. But still, even knowing all that, I ended up rooting for a happy ending for her, even though she is a cynical, damaged, murderous bitch, and I would hazard a guess that I won't be the only reader who feels that way.

Sweetpea is not a book for the easily shocked or faint hearted. Sexually explicit, cynical and darkly comic, it would be easy to dismiss the style of writing as being too brash and the humour as a little too over the top, but the story is so addictive that you cannot stop reading.

All in all, this is a very original and daring book and one that kept me entertained throughout. I was glued to its pages long after I should have been asleep and was sorry when it ended.