A review by breeburkitt
Sugar by Mia Ballard

dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

"I wasn’t a murderer—I was just a woman wronged."

Satara discovers that her husband, Dean, is cheating on her with her best friend. She decides to deal with it by taking him to bed… and stabbing him! Satara is unfazed, and her life continues as usual between baking, book club and lusting after her office crush. The rest of the world isn't as quick to move on, though. We follow Satara as she works to avoid being caught and reflects on the events — the wrongs, bloodshed, obsessions — in her life that shaped her into the woman she is today. 

Satara is the perfect mix of both iconic and absolutely insane — and she knows it. That knowledge makes the story even more compelling, combined with author Mia Ballard's visceral writing and an intoxicating aura reminiscent of the film "The Love Witch." She thrives in this messy and dark space she's trapped in and remains relatable with her desperate need for love despite this. It's easy to find yourself rooting for Satara along the way. 

This is how I viewed love: not just as the most important thing, but as the singular narrative thread weaving through the tapestry of my life. It was a strange, almost clinical obsession, a need to have my identity mirrored and validated by the man who occupied my thoughts. When I looked at a photo of myself, I could pinpoint exactly which man had been the center of my universe at that moment. Each captured smile, each distant gaze was a timestamp of obsession . . . Their ghosts lived on in the most mundane details of my life—a favorite perfume, a song on the radio, the way I styled my hair. My lovers, those lost obsessions, were etched into every aspect of my being, haunting my steps, my choices, my very breath."

Unfortunately, the last portion of the book becomes something else entirely. Mia Ballard's gorgeous writing gets lost in the sudden barrage of twists. The story becomes something else too far along in the plot for these new "twists" to be perceived as anything other than sudden and completely unnecessary. It almost felt like the publisher or editor demanded that every loose end be tied up, leaving the last portion feeling like something entirely different. 

That aside, "Sugar" is a well-deserved addition to the list of Unhinged/Female Rage books. It's easily found a place amongst my top books of 2024. I'm looking forward to reading whatever Ballard gives us next.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Galaxy Press for the advance copy in exchange for my review.
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