(Content warnings: self-harm, addiction, domestic abuse, mental illness, generational trauma)

This book doesn’t pull its punches- and honestly, I respect the heck out of that.

Samantha Crewson’s Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a dark, lyrical debut that digs deep into the tangled roots of generational trauma, alcoholism, and the wreckage it leaves behind. It’s not a feel-good read, but it’s a necessary one—and it’s good. 

We follow Providence Byrd, a 30 year old woman with a violent past—convicted of attempted manslaughter as a teenager after running over her mother. Years later, her estranged mother vanishes, and Providence returns to her rural hometown not just to search for answers, but to confront her abusive father and face the family she left in the aftermath.

The themes here are heavy – abuse, isolation, vengeance, the messy reality of trying to love people who’ve hurt you, and the almost impossible task of healing – but Crewson writes with such control and clarity that none of it feels gratuitous. There’s real grace in the storytelling. Her prose is poetic without being flowery, raw without veering into stereotypes. The biblical allusions (referencing a mother who is obsessed with scripture) add an eerie, grounded weight to the story, especially as Providence wrestles with the notion of forgiveness vs. justice.

What makes this novel stand out even more is its refusal to offer clean resolutions. Providence is not looking to be redeemed in a way that fits a mold—she’s messy, angry, deeply scarred, but she’s trying. And her sisters, Harmony and Grace, each carry their own trauma and truths. Watching them collide, grieve, and attempt to make sense of the past is painful and beautiful and horribly real.

This is not a story that wraps itself up with a tidy bow—and that’s what makes it matter. Crewson’s debut is deeply personal, achingly honest, and absolutely not for the faint of heart. But if you’re willing to go there, it rewards you with a story that sticks.

Releasing April 22, 2025 – add it to your list. Just… brace yourself first. I wouldn’t say it has a happy ending, but it does have an achingly realistic one that will leave you thinking.