Sugar is a full throttled novel about a female serial killer. But she kills for "love".

I love a book that starts out with a bloody bang, and in the very first chapter, Satara kills her husband of six years when she discovers he's cheating on her with her best friend. This is going to lead to more brutal deaths. But as we get glimpses into her past, there's a pattern evident. A pattern of love, rejection, and ultimately, murder.

Told mainly from her perspective, Satara is a truly functioning psychopath. Her crimes are never discovered and she plays the part of grieving widow and innocent bystander perfectly.

But this book is so much more. It was a horrific pleasure getting to know this character and seeing her life unfold as things begin to weave together with her crush on her boss, book club members, and several romantic/sexual encounters which lead mostly to bloodshed.

But the ending.... chef's kiss. No spoilers but there are two huge twists at the end which are mind blowing and cements this novel as a must read in my opinion.

This author writes about Satara's compulsive need for affection and acknowledgement so well. You almost feel sorry for her. In fact, something which happened to her at the age of fifteen will maybe have you siding with her decision to gain retribution.

The story is compelling, engaging, and leaves a gory mark. I highly recommend it.

Sugar by Mia Ballard was just the spooky story I needed to get me out of this reading slump!
This is an engrossing, chilling, and entertaining story that immediately grabbed my attention, and hooked me from the very first page. I loved the creepy atmosphere.

Thank You NetGalley and Galaxy Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I don't know what it is about me lately, but I've been going into books blind. I had initially judged this book by the cover- which is great by the way- but where I thought it was going was definitely not where this book went.

The book follows Satara, a 35-year-old woman living in 1970s suburban Orange County. After discovering her husband’s affair with her best friend of six years, she concludes that the only solution is to kill him—something she’s no stranger to, having murdered other men before him.

From the first page, I was completely absorbed. The pacing never lagged, and if I'd had a physical copy, I would have highlighted most of the book. Mia Ballard’s writing style is unique, blending a poetic quality with a simplicity that makes it easy to get lost in the story. She portrays Satara in such a compelling way that, despite her increasingly unstable and depraved actions, I couldn’t help but be on her side.

Although it’s clear from the beginning that Satara isn’t mentally stable, her full psychological depth becomes apparent through flashbacks that reveal her history with men. A woman who’s been wronged too many times, she spirals into deeper madness as the story progresses. Even though I recognized that many of her choices were morally wrong, I still empathized with her and found myself rooting for her—even as her actions became more dangerous.

Just when you think you’ve figured out where the plot is headed, unexpected twists shake things up and everything starts to fall into place. By the end, I felt an odd sense of satisfaction and found myself thinking, "Good for her."

Satara’s use of LSD throughout the book made me feel as though I was on a similar trip—unable to put the book down. I was so hooked that I read it while cooking, showering, and stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it. The lack of sleep was worth it.

I’m already planning to recommend this book to everyone I know. It’s easily the best book I’ve read this year, and I doubt anything will top it anytime soon.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Galaxy Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did - I was pleasantly surprised! I got sucked in pretty quickly - I read about 80% in one sitting. The main character made some questionable decisions and had a back and forth personality. She was very strong willed at times while also lacking self confidence and questioning herself. I think that played into her addiction to LSD though. The whole story was pretty unhinged and made me laugh at times with the twist making me gasp. Overall a pretty addicting story that I enjoyed.

I was completely drawn into this story for the first half, then it was all a bit downhill after that.
It is very well written and eloquent but to the point that it sometimes felt like hard work getting through it and to the point.
The main characters shenanigans were humerus in the beginning but one the “witch” was introduced I started to lose interest and counting down the pages until I was finished.
This could have been a lot shorter and sharper and it would have held my attention. There was a lot of unnecessary filler and repetition for my taste.
Having a strong, unhinged female serial killer turn to a love spell was just a bit meh.

Sugar starts out great, offering a mix of betrayal and murder. The first half of the book is suspenseful, it has a dark and twisted storyline set in the 70s. As someone who hadn’t read a thriller in a while, it felt exciting to finally find a book that hooks you from the beginning.

But, the second half takes a turn for the worse. (The book was 191 pages, I read it in the netgalley app, so it was a quick read.)
The big twist is both disappointing and frustrating, feeling rushed and really lacking the logic needed to make it believable. I really hated it and it just ruined everything for me. It feels like everything was thrown together too quickly, over-the-top and unconvincing which was weird and i didn’t understand why the author decided that this is the best way to end this thriller.

Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBHb9SSi5mk/?igsh=N2o2MTA2dTR1dXl1

Sugar was such a fun, campy serial killer romp. I enjoyed every second and was invested from the get go. Hell truly hath no fury like a woman scorned. The serial killer/domestic suspense mash-up along with the punchy, fast-paced writing style kind of reminded of A.R. Torre’s books. So many cool twists that kept you on the edge of your seat. My only gripe was that I wasn’t really getting the temporal setting from Ballard’s writing. Nothing about it screamed 70s. Had there been no years mentioned, it easily could’ve been set in modern day.

Overall, a ton of fun. Totally recommend to anyone looking for a quick feminist serial killer read.

This book follows an unhinged, serial killer FMC who gets revenge on all the men who have hurt and betrayed her and it’s definitely a wild ride. Satara is obsessed with getting attention and love from men, but this obsession turns deadly when things don’t always turn out the way she wants them to. When her relationship with her husband and BFF go awry, she sets her sights on a coworker who isn’t as keen on her. This is when the Love Witch comes into play, and with her powerful spells, she is able to make ANY man fall in love with you.

An absolute page-turner with fantastic writing that captures the essence of female rage. At some stages I could resonate with Satara but then she goes completely overboard and turns sadistic.

The ending was a blast and well thought out!

Thank you to netgalley and Galaxy Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

It's the 1970's and Satara has had enough of the men in her life who have treated her poorly and is out for revenge. It's a fantastic story about a woman who takes back her power and doesn't take anyone's nonsense, albeit in a fairly gruesome way. She suspects her husband of having an affair with her best friends so Satara what's he is removed from her life. Her best friend becomes convinced that Satara is responsible and is determined to out her.

A fabulous story with an incredible ending I didn't see coming.

“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.”

Sugar is a campy, gory romp of a debut novel. Mia Ballard’s prose is propulsive, dripping with tension and atmosphere. This book isn’t going to work for everyone — but I think it will find its home as a new favorite for readers who love stories about unhinged women, witchcraft, desire, and deceit.

Satara sunk into my heart with her teeth — I couldn’t help but support her through her crazed, acid-fueled exploits. Ballard has crafted a compelling main character who is unapologetically twisted yet empathetic at the same time.

I would’ve loved to see a little bit more description of the 70s setting in this novel, especially since Ballard’s writing is so lush. I also do wish the ending was a little longer and more detailed, which is why I’m giving this four stars instead of five stars.

However, this debut is absolutely worth picking up upon its release and it’s a book I’ll be recommending to many people for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads on 10/13/24.

Brief review will be posted to Instagram in my October reading wrap up at the end of the month, and a full review will be posted on my Instagram Story on release day.

I have mixed feelings about this book! Overall, I enjoyed the plot for the most part - I love a book about a terrible woman - but I had trouble getting through a few issues. Namely, it didn't feel like it needed to be set in the 60s-70s. There were a lot of anachronisms that distracted me from the plot. Like organic foods being a socioeconomic indicator for someone who is rich -- would not have occurred in the 70s. And there are books that do the historical piece way better. It felt like it was originally going to be set in the modern day, but instantaneous communication via cell phones would have been a plot hindrance for the main character. And they wanted to talk about fashion I guess. Anyway, this caused me to stumble quite a few times and made the plot a bit more disjointed than I would have liked.

Overall I think this book will do well - folks love a "woman behaving badly" book - but it didn't all work for me, and I wouldn't really recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sugar was absolutely vile.

I loved it.

If you enjoy books like Maeve Fly, please pick this one up. It’s wild, over the top, disgusting, funny, and somehow endearing at times. Talk about a plot twist. I never saw that switch up coming. I really enjoy when a book can completely throw me off of its scent.

Yes 👏🏻 yes 👏🏻 yes 👏🏻 !! Do you ever read a book and think I’ve just been WAITING for this book to be written? That’s how I feel about Sugar.

Sugar is THE book for everyone that supports women’s rights AND women’s wrongs. Unhinged female rage, witchcraft, revenge - literally everything I want in a book.

I can’t even lie, it does get a little batshit and did go a slight direction I personally wouldn’t have chosen but nothing can pry these 5 stars from my hands.

I will be extremely impatiently waiting for Mia Ballard’s next book.

I could not put this book down and was hooked from the beginning. One of the most interesting minds I have ever been in.

Sugar is the perfect read for fans of complex, unhinged women and chaotic, witchy vibes. Satara, the ultimate femme fatale, navigates betrayal and manipulation with an unpredictability that keeps you hooked. Set against the backdrop of the 1970s, the story is psychedelic and dark, with impeccable writing that balances fast-paced action with deeper, emotional layers. This was my first read by Mia Ballard, and it certainly won’t be my last—the depth of the characters and the tight narrative flow are exceptional.

The book has serious Killing Eve energy, with Satara giving major Villanelle vibes as the villain you can’t help but root for. The foreshadowing builds perfectly to an ending that leaves room for more, but still feels satisfying. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy—this was a wild ride!

The best book I've read all year. The plot twists kept coming! Hauntingly poetic prose. Masterfully done imagery and descriptions.
Absolutely incredible debut from the author. I cannot wait to read more from her in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I had a lot of fun with this book. We have seen so many male serial killer books, and particularly ones where the main character is complex and it's hard to find an 'in' for sympathy. This book takes those expectations and tropes and turns them on their head, giving a main character who is intentionally irredeemable, and yet somehow still compelling and, indeed, sympathetic. While the setting is the 70's, I feel like this book takes on only a bit of that context - some of the attitudes are apparent, but not in an overt way, which is a shame because it would have been nice to have it be a little more heavily emphasised.

This book is incredibly fast-paced, which makes for excellent reading, and the twists are heavily and well-done. Sometimes they get a little bit out of control, but for the most part, you can suspend your disbelief and go along with it. There's a sprinkling of the supernatural in here too, which makes for excellent reading. All in all, this book was a great time, and while it has a couple of flaws, it's a heck of a lot of fun.

Round up to 3.5/5
This story works well for its time settings of the 1970s and occasionally we reach back in to the 50s for some character build. The remembered social place of a woman has examples shown through work status, men vs. women in a work setting and one of the main character’s friends.

This story is so unhinged with the feminine rage. I have mixed feelings as a woman reading this story about a woman and what she does, more importantly why she does what she does. Satara is a woman with a tough history. Her first experience with sex is bad, traumatizing. Her followed experiences left me with mixed emotions as far as the mc was concerned and how she dealt with them. Let’s just say if the goal was to make the mc unforgivable, then she succeeded. I don’t condone the actions of the men, not by a long shot, but maybe if Satara just laid off the acid, she’d seen things more clearly. I know, self medicating. The journey is definitely thought provoking and the story delivery is quite wonderful, especially for a debut!

As the reader, I sensed early on that there was something beyond unsettling about Satara, and she made me feel uneasy to the point of complete mistrust during the entire book. There are some eventual twists. Maybe it would have been better to know earlier as the reader, it it would have been difficult with the story being in first person. The book name is revealed during the read, which will be another nod to the 1970s period. Pretty clever, I thought.

…, each dalliance a withdrawal from the bank of my patience, until now, when I’m overdrawn and bankrupt of fucks to give. 2%

I’m sure she must think I’m crazy, but what matters most to me is that she doesn’t show it. 8%

I oftentimes think about digging him up just to see him again. 11%

Correction: I’ve gotten revenge on a few people. That’s all. Murder sounds too serious for what I’ve done. 27%

“Repent to me, you idiot. I’m the one holding you at knife point. I am your god right now.” 38%

If she’s going to paint me a villain, I’ll be damned if I don’t dip her in the same ink. 53%

In my head, I marked each chapter of my life with the men I had loved, as if they were bookmarks in the dog-eared novel of my existence. 57%

It turns out that once you step into darkness, it’s impossible to find the exit. 77%

I finished Sugar this morning. I never write reviews immediately after finishing a book, but wow.
You want a murdery, gory, satisfying read for October? This is it.
Sugar is the firsthand account of Satara Stratton and the trail of men who have disappointed her. She doesn't WANT to murder, no - she wants love. But Satara doesn't like when men promise love, take from her, then leave her behind. She won't be used, and she certainly won't let men continue to take and take and suffer no consequences. But Sugar takes place in the 50s through the 70s - there is no such thing as DNA evidence. No one is looking for her - or so she thinks.
Everything spins out of control when Satara kills her husband Dean and noisy neighbor Lilah won't stop meddling around.
Now we're dealing with a Love Witch, cops sniffing around, and Chris - the coworker Satara has set her sights on for husband number 2.
There were some twists that I thought were corny until... they weren't. Author Mia Ballard manages to make every wrench thrown at the story make complete sense. And the ending?
Oh so satisfying.
This is the debut novel of indie writer @galaxygrImia and it's fantastic. I highly recommend it for this spooky season!
Thank you to @galaxygrimia and @netgalley for the advance copy for my review.

When I saw this cover, I skimmed the synopsis and immediately hit Request. If you know me, you know I love some lady rage.

Satara hasn't killed in years, but then she discovers her husband's affair with her best friend. This triggers flashbacks of her past conquests and feelings of rage but also vulnerability. All Satara really wants is love, and she's willing to do all the wrong things to get it.

This could be a good fit if you enjoy:
- campy female rage & revenge stories
- unhinged behavior
- a splash of witchcraft

I'm glad I have friends with better entertainment-related vocabulary than me. When I started Sugar, I was immediately drawn in. Then it felt a little over-the-top, flirting with too unhinged. (Who am I even typing that? 😆) When a friend suggested it may be a "campy" novel, I changed my tune and leaned right in. That is a perfect word for it. Sugar is wild, violent, and unapologetic. I thought the ending was amazing.

Rating: I really liked it! (4.5 rounded up)