Sweet

Gr 9 Up—A posh, seven-day celebrity cruise begins as a pre-launch publicity party for Solu, a groundbreaking new artificial sweetener. Passengers are promised they will lose five to 10 percent of their body fat in a matter of days. Over the course of the week, they lose a lot more than fat. Celebrity TV host and emcee of the festivities, Tom, is 19 and handsome. When he shows interest in Laurel, 17, she is excited but cautious. As a tender romance between the two develops, a strict diet and a case of sea sickness keep them from Solu. Most passengers, however, eat Solu with every meal. The weight loss is dramatic, but so, too is the unexpected side effect of rage. The ensuing addiction to the substance (sucking spilled Solu out of the carpet, anyone?) yields homicidal actions—and worse. As dead bodies pile up, Tom and Laurel realize it is up to them to get off the ship and warn the world about Solu before its widespread public release in a few days. Tom and Laurel are sympathetic characters with personal histories, hang-ups, and hopes. Laybourne's fictional world highlights themes of friendship, the culture of celebrity, and addiction. The horror bits (stated but not described gratuitously) push the story to the border between realism and supernatural horror but in such a believable way that readers will have second thoughts the next time they tear open a packet of sweetener.