The Sweetness Between Us | Review

The Sweetness Between Us
By Sarah Winifred Searle
First Second, $25.99 (hardcover), $17.99 (paperback)
Ages 14-18

Searle, who previously created Sincerely, Harriet—about a girl with an invisible disability—and The Greatest Thing—about new friends helping with anxiety and other issues—tackles another chronic illness situation, this time with a fantasy overlay.

Amandine and Perley meet due to similar circumstances. They’ve both missed the first weeks of their junior year of high school due to medical conditions. Perley was diagnosed with diabetes and is getting used to blood monitoring and insulin dosage calculations, while Amandine has become a vampire. (In this world, it’s just another medical situation, with various guidelines and requirements.)

The two are sent to work with the school tutor, and they become friends while dealing with their new life challenges and missing what used to be their normal. I most felt for Amandine, as she was a sunlight-loving, active vegan, and now she’s photosensitive, having to give up field hockey, and having nutrition challenges. Perley’s family farm was great to see, though, particularly with the variety of cuddly-looking animals.

The book’s hook revolves around the blood testing—Perley’s worried about the increasing costs for supplies, so when Amandine says she can taste blood glucose levels, the two start helping each other out. They’re also getting to know each other, their challenges and families.

Searle’s art style has a unique quirk—the characters always have visible eyelashes. As a result, combined with Perley’s shoulder-length hair, I didn’t realize that character was male at first. It doesn’t matter—his interactions with Amandine wouldn’t have been significantly different—but it does make Perley’s involvement with the knitting club more non-traditional. Having an androgynous take on several characters also makes the story feel current and yet timeless as well as more relatable.

What will stick with me about The Sweetness Between Us is how well Searle handles the path of the relationship between the teens. Once they settle into their new situations, they find their hobbies and work pulling them apart, so if they are going to be together, it has to be a choice, not just a convenience. That the two still have other interests and friends beyond each other is a healthy view of life. I was rooting for the two of them, and I enjoyed the time I spent in their world.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews, Young Adult