Published by Simon Pulse
Released January 4, 2011
512 pages
Where I got it: Public library
Rating: 5 stars

Since sisters Kit and Fancy are daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, they have inherited his lust for killing.  However, they don’t want to go the way of their daddy (locked up on Death Row), so they decide to only kill those who deserve it.  After wishing for a safe place for their mayhem, the sisters find that they are able to open a door to another world–a happy place where all of their most bloody, twisted fantasies are able to come to life without the pesky worries of evidence and getting caught.  However, Kit and Fancy are growing up, like it or not, and become involved with the sons of their father’s final victim, which threatens to ruin everything.

I loved this book!  From chapter one, I was completely engrossed in the rhythm of Reeves’ language, the characterization of the Cordelle sisters, the setting in Portero, and the storyline.  Reeves is twisted, to be sure, but in the best way possible.  She doesn’t try to explain away the events of the story, so she never gets tangled up in the details of the world.  At times, the easy nonchalance of magic and realized impossibility reminded me of early Francesca Lia Block.  Kit and Fancy are fully fleshed-out characters, Fancy even more than Kit.  While we may not condone the murders and torture they commit (or maybe you do–who am I to judge?), we still are able to care about them as characters.  There is a hint of Dexter in that they only kill bad guys, and we love them for it, but the similarities between the two stories ends there.  Whereas Dexter cannot feel emotions, Kit and Fancy drip with drama, happiness, and pain.

The book isn’t all fun and murder, though. Some serious topics are dealt with, without ever coming across as preachy, such as broken family relationships, trust issues, and not wanting to face adulthood. Reeves also did a really nice job at portraying the ups and downs of finding first love.

Readers who liked Bleeding Violet should definitely pick up this book.  I actually enjoyed Slice of Cherry better between the two.  Don’t worry about having to read Bleeding Violet first.  Even though that book does a thorough job of explaining the inner workings of the town of Portero, you won’t be lost in Slice of Cherry without that knowledge.  Each novel stands alone as a fully realized work.

Please, do you yourself a favor: grab ahold of this book, and just enjoy the ride.