Sweetpea is the first book in a series written by C.J. Skuse, following a serial killer named Rhiannon. A seemingly sweet young lady, who has dark secrets lurking underneath. This is a slightly different review, as I’m going to talk a little bit about the book and series that was on Sky. Below is my Goodreads review of Sweetpea (book review only). But let’s get into it.
Sweetpea was a book that I picked up months ago. I saw it in the shop, read the blurb, thought it’d be a fun read and then honestly, forgot about it. There were other books that started to take priority that I wanted to get through (especially in the summer). However, I then saw an advert for ‘Sweetpea’ on Sky and thought it sounded familiar. Surely it’s not one and the same? But yes, yes it was.
I’m one of those people who enjoy reading a book before I watch the film (or in this case TV show) to get the full experience. Doing it the other way around makes it more challenging to read, in my opinion.
Anyway, I picked up the book and was pleasantly surprised by the first chapter. Rhiannon is very relatable in her though processes and grievances. She’s a little bit bleak in her way of thinking, but then a lot of us are some point or other. However, the ending of that chapter? Wow. I mean it was written in such a humorous and unexpected way that I couldn’t wait to read on.
Something else I should mention is that the book is really well-rounded. There are things that come back into play that are mentioned so casually at the beginning. It’s great in that sense as it really pieces the story together (but unfortunately ends on a cliffhanger).
There were things I didn’t love about the book. As mentioned in the Goodreads review, it’s quite bleak at times and not all that funny. Personally, I don’t enjoy reading about things that are miserable and result in death. But maybe some people do, who knows?
Anyway, the reason that I mention that part is because the series took me by surprise, and not in a good way. It stars Ella Purnell (who starred in Fallout) and Calam Lynch (who was in Bridgerton); both of whom I admire greatly. I was super excited when I finished the book to see the best bits acted out. Surely, they would cut out the boring bits?
Unfortnely not. The series doesn’t manage to translate the humour from the book at all. Rhiannon also comes across very weak, which doesn’t match up with the book. In the book, there was a calmness about her but in the TV show, she’s more chaotic. Something was lacking from the show.
There were also a lot of different plot points in the show that didn’t match up to the book. Which was a real shame, because the plot of the book is actually great; it’s just that sometimes the commentary isn’t so enjoyable to read. But the TV show, took that away from the story. It actually didn’t feel like the same story at all, aside from the character names and general concept.
What was the most disappointing thing for me, is that when the TV show of Sweetpea decided to keep one of the worst parts of the book Sweetpea, after already changing so much. They could have changed that part of the storyline too, but sadly they chose not to. I have no idea why. In the book it made sense. In the show, not so much. It was a shame, as changing the ending could have really changed the overall impression of the show. There were some really fantastic moments in the final episode.
If you’ve read the book, I wouldn’t recommend watching the TV show. However, if you’ve haven’t seen or read it, I’d recommend watching it first and then reading the book. The acting is great from the whole cast, but it’s the age old case of the book being better. Perhaps if there’s a season two, it’ll be a step up.
Let me know in the comments what you thought about either the book or TV show. Would you watch a second season? Have you read the whole series?
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