Nari, a confident and charismatic dealmaker with a penchant for deals that fall on the wrong side of the law, recruits her shy, sweet roommate Jennifer for a heist. Their plan: steal and resell quantities of an artificial sweetener, Sorbelate, which is in short supply and incidentally manufactured by Jennifer’s employer, Essentrix Labs. Jennifer is reluctant at first, though tempted by her dreams of teaching surfing in Hawaii. When she finds that Essentrix has been profiting from exploiting near-slave labor in the Congo, poisoning its underpaid female workforce in the cobalt mines, she sees a chance to fight evil and help its victims at the same time. Thus begins a lively, funny, action-filled scheme, spiced by romance and fueled by female solidarity.
This is probably a very good moment for a book like THE SWEETEST GETAWAY to come out, given recent public anger at the extremely wealthy and corporations that actively damage human lives. Sasha Preston presents her characters’ adventure not so much as a theft or a criminal act, but a chance to get back at evil—and of course to donate a large percentage of the proceeds to the women wronged by Essentrix’s labor practices. The characters are sympathetic and well-designed. Nari’s desire to win her mother’s approval and respect is touching, for example, while watching Jennifer overcome her fear and claim her courage is quite satisfying. Both have romantic arcs that add a little spice to the action without getting in the way. The action itself is vigorous, entertaining, and frequently amusing, from Jennifer’s dinner party escape in the first part of the book to the final exciting chase at the end. Both Nari and Jennifer have to fast-talk their way out of any number of awkward situations with wit and charm (and sometimes clumsy but charming accident). It’s delightful to read.
At times, however, it feels almost as though that righteous angle is pushed a little too far (and too unsubtly) through repetitive assertions. When one of the heist members states, “No deaths or injuries. Just theft from a company that deserves it,” there’s a missed opportunity here to personify that evil by, say, giving us a villainous or coldly profit-driven executive face to hate. As it is, the quote feels too easy, with no one to defend the other side (however spine-chillingly) and trustworthy allies being recruited with surprising ease. Plus, there’s room for a couple more plot twists here.
On the whole, though, it’s a satisfying novel—a lovely piece of Robin-Hood-style wish fulfillment with a sympathetic cast that’s easy to cheer on.
In THE SWEETEST GETAWAY, Sasha Preston’s fierce, funny, and feminist heroines mastermind a coup against an evil corporation with vigor, charm, and a little help from their friends (and lovers).
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader