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.
Sweetpea is published on 20th April 2017
