Book Club Monday: Every Sweet Thing is Bitter

Author: Samantha Crewson Title: Every Sweet Thing is Bitter Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Date Published: 04/22/2025

Read Dates: 02/16/2026- 02/21/2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was my family book club pick for February.

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a single POV mystery/thriller. Disowned by her family after running her mother over with her car at 17, Providence has kept her distance and rebuilt her life after prison. But when her mother is reported missing, Providence returns home to help with the search and attempt to reconnect with the sisters she had to leave behind. She is convinced her father had something to do with the disappearance, and is forced to confront him and the memories of her violent childhood as she looks for answers.

This one was fascinating and deeply uncomfortable at the same time. It was very well done and I am interested in more from the author. Without giving away the various twists, I will say that one particular plot line had a very unsatisfying ending, while others were wrapped up in the ways that made the most sense for the story and characters involved.

Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though she survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.

As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.

Sharp and poignant, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a stunning novel that eschews picture-perfect endings and dares to tell a story about a resilient queer woman and her relentless determination to persevere.