Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though her mother 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.

This book contains scenes depicting self-harm, child abuse, and domestic violence as well as mentions of sexual assault.

Come for the dramatic showdown between forgiveness and revenge; stay for the brilliantly drawn characters, tense plotting, and moody Midwestern aesthetics. Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a stunning debut with more twists and turns than the winding dirt roads of its rural setting.

When Providence Byrd returns to her claustrophobic Nebraska hometown, thirteen years after she became a felon for running over her mother with the family car, she’s not expecting a warm welcome. While her mother survived that long-ago day, she has recently gone missing—and Providence is convinced her abusive father was involved. Add in Providence’s two estranged (and angry) younger sisters, the neighboring Long Grass reservation with its own agenda in play, and the same local law enforcement that failed the Byrd family thirteen years before, and you have the makings of a mystery you won’t be able to put down.

I’ve never met a protagonist who defies easy categorization as much as Providence Byrd: tattoo artist, devoted but estranged sister, queer woman, felon, loyal friend, and (attempted) murderer. If you’ve ever said “let female characters be complicated,” this gritty, tender, propulsive novel might just be one of your favorite reads of the year—it’s certainly one of mine.