What do you think?
Rate this book
SweetFreak
Get ready for a brand new edge-of-your-seat read from bestselling author Sophie McKenzie! When everyone thinks you're a liar, how hard will you fight for the truth?Carey and Amelia have been best friends forever. Then Amelia starts being trolled by SweetFreak, a mysterious and hateful online account, and Carey is accused of being behind the vicious comments and threats. Shut out by her other friends and shunned by Amelia, Carey is determined to clear her name and find out who’s really sending the messages. But as the online attacks spill over into real life, events start spiralling out of control… Can Carey expose the real SweetFreak before it’s too late? A gripping page-turner from the award-winning Sophie Mckenize, SweetFreak will keep you guessing until the very end… PRAISE FOR SOPHIE 'When it comes to YA thrillers, there's one name that defines the Sophie McKenzie' Amy Alward, author of The Potion Diaries 'Sophie's thrillers are brilliant... You can't stop reading' Robert Muchamore, bestselling author
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2017
46 people are currently reading
1062 people want to read
About the author
Sophie McKenzie
84 books1,500 followersHey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
August 30, 2017
Had I read Sweetfreak when I was 12/13, I'm certain I would have loved it, just as I adored Sophie McKenzie's other YA's but at the age I am now, I couldn't connect to it as much as I'd hope I would. The protagonist read very young and a somewhat cliche caricature of a teen. And there being, what felt like, a different suspect in each chapter got a little tiresome. There were also some iffy pieces of description and dialogue that didn't sit too well with me. That being said, I was intrigued throughout and definitely had that gut feeling of *needing* to know 'whodunit'. I also thought the different relationship dynamics made an interesting read. Overall I'd recommend this to any 11-14 yr olds looking for a book to get them into the thriller/mystery genre!
December 21, 2017
Bought this on a whim as I was intrigued by the cover. Didn't even read the blurb, but the fingerprints and the skull key along the title promised a different kind of story. Read it in one sitting because I wanted to know wodunit, unfortunately it was too juvenile and the ending was especially underwhelming. Nonetheless it kept me entertained for one evening. Probably would have loved it 15 years ago.
June 7, 2021
Very nice book with an interesting plot!
February 11, 2019
I thought sweetfreak was a really good book probably one of my favourites. It was a huge page turner because you wanted to know who was setting her up and what was going to happen to her next. It was an exciting story but not very happy because of what happens to her. I would recommend this to girls age 12-16.
March 27, 2018
Up until the reveal I could not put the book down, I found it gripping and intriguing where my only gripe was that I felt the protagonist was a tad stupid sometimes. I like her fine but I just think shes a little too naive, she is being framed and everyone believes her guilty so she should be questioning everyone motives but she just doesn't. And then the reveal was a total let down. Maybe this was just too much young of a thriller for me. It was really good up until the end though.
July 31, 2018
This book was ok I think younger readers who haven't read many mysteries will probably enjoy this. This book was full of teen drama and I didn't really connect with the main character. She felt very cliche and similar to other characters that I have read about.
There were a lot of red herrings dropped in to try and keep you guessing as to who the culprit was. I had guessed quite early on who was behind it and I wasn't surprised by the ending. The reason behind the crime seemed very unrealistic.
I think younger readers will enjoy this but I have read quite a lot of mysteries and this didn't have the wow factor for me. I have enjoyed some of the author's other books so I will be reading more from her in the future.
There were a lot of red herrings dropped in to try and keep you guessing as to who the culprit was. I had guessed quite early on who was behind it and I wasn't surprised by the ending. The reason behind the crime seemed very unrealistic.
I think younger readers will enjoy this but I have read quite a lot of mysteries and this didn't have the wow factor for me. I have enjoyed some of the author's other books so I will be reading more from her in the future.
February 24, 2018
It’s almost painful how simplistic the plot to this is. I not only guessed correctly as to who the real identity of the cyberbully was, but I knew the outcome to all the subplots too. The abundance of cliches were just too much for me, it was physically embarrassing.
Also, I have no idea how this book got through editing because I found numerous grammatical errors and inconsistencies...
Also, I have no idea how this book got through editing because I found numerous grammatical errors and inconsistencies...
October 8, 2018
3.5 rating... it covered the subjects well, but it was still quite a young read for me... I got annoyed with it a few times
February 3, 2025
2 stars, but I know I would've loved this if I was younger, the characters were annoying, and I hated how Carey just kept blaming everyone with no proof and just feelings.
Gave this book to my younger sister, hopefully she enjoys it far more than I did.
Gave this book to my younger sister, hopefully she enjoys it far more than I did.
August 6, 2018
I found SweetFreak in the 'teen' section in my local library and pretty much based on how pretty the cover is I picked it up. (Don't get me wrong, I read the blurb and I was interested in the story too, but have you seen that cover?!) I was a little confused as to why a 'teen' section even exists, because when I asked after YA, the librarian told me they'd moved everything (again) and YA was now mixed in with adult fiction, and I had always just assumed YA and teen were the same thing. But having read this, I get it now. This is distinctly not MG, but it is definitely aimed just slightly younger than most of the YA I usually read; I feel like it would be perfectly suited to sort of 12-14 year olds? This isn't a bad thing at all, and it certainly doesn't mean you can't read it if you're outside that age bracket (I'm 24 and I thoroughly enjoyed it!), but if you're somebody who struggles to relate to the less mature ones then this might not be for you.
In SweetFreak, our protagonist, Carey, is happy, popular and has a wonderful best friend in the shape of Amelia. But when Amelia starts to receive horrible anonymous messages online, culminating in a violent death threat and a scary, gruesome prank, suddenly Carey finds herself at the centre of the investigation, blamed for the whole thing. The book follows her search to find out the truth and the impact being framed has on her life and family, and is full of plenty of mystery, frustration and angst to sink your teeth into.
Set at the start of year 10 here in the UK, the main characters were supposed to be 14 and at first I was thinking 'aren't they a bit young for all this serious drama?', but then when I looked back and thought about it, I remember around the time of year 9 actually being the worst for all that bitchiness, bullying and friendship drama. Obviously, that was 10 years ago, and now, what with social media and technology playing a much bigger part in schoolyard issues than they did back then, I can only imagine it’s even worse. So whilst it does seem extreme and farfetched in places, and is obviously sensationalised to be a gripping, fictional thriller, I do actually think it seems pretty authentic to the lives and feelings of modern kids around that age.
This really felt like a book to be read in one sitting. I desperately wanted to, but unfortunately I didn’t start it until late at night and I was struggling to keep my eyes open, so I had to give up just under halfway through at 2am, but then when I went back to it the next day I finished it in one go. The pacing was just so urgent that it was really easy to read quickly, and some of the chapters ended in quite cliffhangery ways so that I never really felt like it was a good place to stop. I just wanted to know all the answers straight away so I felt like I had to keep reading.
It says on the blurb that it ‘will keep you guessing until the very end’ and that is so very true. I watch so much CSI and Criminal Minds that I’ve gotten really good at figuring out whodunit kinds of mysteries very early on, but with SweetFreak I had no guesses. Carey had her theories of course, and seemed to have a new suspect every other chapter – which I loved, as each time somebody new occurred to her, she became certain it was them, which felt like such a typically innocent, childlike way of looking at it and was so endearing – but I never felt like she’d quite got it and I loved not knowing who to trust. It felt like the author just gave no hints whatsoever, yet still managed to keep the reader interested without having to feed us tidbits of information to hold our attention, and that’s a real skill. When the identity of SweetFreak was revealed, I felt really satisfyingly duped, and was very happy with the way it was all resolved.
I went into the library for a specific thing, not actually intending to get any books out as my TBR is already about three miles long, so this was a completely random, unexpected read, but I’m so glad I took a chance on it. I know I’m not the intended audience, and younger people would probably get something completely different out of it, but for me it was a pure piece of escapism, taking me back to my younger days, wrapping me up in the adventure and heightened emotions of the Teen Age, and giving me a few hours of downright fun. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed right now, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone out there looking for a gripping, thrilling, YA-mystery-page-turner.
In SweetFreak, our protagonist, Carey, is happy, popular and has a wonderful best friend in the shape of Amelia. But when Amelia starts to receive horrible anonymous messages online, culminating in a violent death threat and a scary, gruesome prank, suddenly Carey finds herself at the centre of the investigation, blamed for the whole thing. The book follows her search to find out the truth and the impact being framed has on her life and family, and is full of plenty of mystery, frustration and angst to sink your teeth into.
Set at the start of year 10 here in the UK, the main characters were supposed to be 14 and at first I was thinking 'aren't they a bit young for all this serious drama?', but then when I looked back and thought about it, I remember around the time of year 9 actually being the worst for all that bitchiness, bullying and friendship drama. Obviously, that was 10 years ago, and now, what with social media and technology playing a much bigger part in schoolyard issues than they did back then, I can only imagine it’s even worse. So whilst it does seem extreme and farfetched in places, and is obviously sensationalised to be a gripping, fictional thriller, I do actually think it seems pretty authentic to the lives and feelings of modern kids around that age.
This really felt like a book to be read in one sitting. I desperately wanted to, but unfortunately I didn’t start it until late at night and I was struggling to keep my eyes open, so I had to give up just under halfway through at 2am, but then when I went back to it the next day I finished it in one go. The pacing was just so urgent that it was really easy to read quickly, and some of the chapters ended in quite cliffhangery ways so that I never really felt like it was a good place to stop. I just wanted to know all the answers straight away so I felt like I had to keep reading.
It says on the blurb that it ‘will keep you guessing until the very end’ and that is so very true. I watch so much CSI and Criminal Minds that I’ve gotten really good at figuring out whodunit kinds of mysteries very early on, but with SweetFreak I had no guesses. Carey had her theories of course, and seemed to have a new suspect every other chapter – which I loved, as each time somebody new occurred to her, she became certain it was them, which felt like such a typically innocent, childlike way of looking at it and was so endearing – but I never felt like she’d quite got it and I loved not knowing who to trust. It felt like the author just gave no hints whatsoever, yet still managed to keep the reader interested without having to feed us tidbits of information to hold our attention, and that’s a real skill. When the identity of SweetFreak was revealed, I felt really satisfyingly duped, and was very happy with the way it was all resolved.
I went into the library for a specific thing, not actually intending to get any books out as my TBR is already about three miles long, so this was a completely random, unexpected read, but I’m so glad I took a chance on it. I know I’m not the intended audience, and younger people would probably get something completely different out of it, but for me it was a pure piece of escapism, taking me back to my younger days, wrapping me up in the adventure and heightened emotions of the Teen Age, and giving me a few hours of downright fun. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed right now, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone out there looking for a gripping, thrilling, YA-mystery-page-turner.
July 13, 2017
I was very kindly sent an ARC of this book for review from the publisher and was quite excited about it cause it did sound intriguing,but it ended up not being for me.
I honestly considered DNF-ing the book even from the first 20 pages or so (which retrospectively might have been better than ending up here,but hey ho).The protagonist of the book is a teenager girl and she simply doesn't feel that way,but rather like the cutout of what an adult would see as the most cliché version of an actual teenager with not much of a personality (after over 300 pages of following this character I couldn't possibly even tell her what her favourite colour was,let alone what she is actually like).First page and we get the oh-so relatable "my mother doesn't get me,nor does anyone else that is not my best friend",we then have the ridiculous supposed teen-like texting (a personal pet peeve as it's pretty rare from my experience to actually see teens type like that,especially in this day and age) and the "oh-my god,he unfriended me on everything!!!!!Of course he would never like,I am so fat and ugly" teen drama,how .... original.
Overall,while the plot itself was gripping and I did want to keep reading on to find out how the mystery unfolded,I did not actually care about it all,nor did I care too much about the characters themselves.For someone who is a character-driven reader and not a plot-driven one,you can imagine how meh it all felt from there.
However,that being said,I do feel like it is very much worth mentioning the elements of the book that I did like,that mostly being the family dynamics.To be specific,I thought the sibling relationship felt very real and authentic.Also we much later on see some more things regarding the family develop,which I thought was nice and that was as close to getting me invested,but overall did not quite do it.
I honestly considered DNF-ing the book even from the first 20 pages or so (which retrospectively might have been better than ending up here,but hey ho).The protagonist of the book is a teenager girl and she simply doesn't feel that way,but rather like the cutout of what an adult would see as the most cliché version of an actual teenager with not much of a personality (after over 300 pages of following this character I couldn't possibly even tell her what her favourite colour was,let alone what she is actually like).First page and we get the oh-so relatable "my mother doesn't get me,nor does anyone else that is not my best friend",we then have the ridiculous supposed teen-like texting (a personal pet peeve as it's pretty rare from my experience to actually see teens type like that,especially in this day and age) and the "oh-my god,he unfriended me on everything!!!!!Of course he would never like,I am so fat and ugly" teen drama,how .... original.
Overall,while the plot itself was gripping and I did want to keep reading on to find out how the mystery unfolded,I did not actually care about it all,nor did I care too much about the characters themselves.For someone who is a character-driven reader and not a plot-driven one,you can imagine how meh it all felt from there.
However,that being said,I do feel like it is very much worth mentioning the elements of the book that I did like,that mostly being the family dynamics.To be specific,I thought the sibling relationship felt very real and authentic.Also we much later on see some more things regarding the family develop,which I thought was nice and that was as close to getting me invested,but overall did not quite do it.
August 19, 2017
I haven't read many YA thrillers so I feel like I'm not the best judge of the quality of this. It read as very young in tone and the portrayal of the teenage protagonists felt very cliché, however, I did feel like the author did a good job of capturing Carey's angst and frustration at being falsely accused.
I was a little bit irritated that there seemed to be a new suspect every 5 minutes but I think I probably would have enjoyed this when I was younger. That's why I don't feel entirely comfortable judging it so harshly as an adult! The ending was a little disappointing but I think that was my own fault for expecting a shocking twist as per adult thrillers.
Overall, this was a fast, easy read with a decent story that I would recommend for teen readers but perhaps not for adults who prefer their thrillers a bit more exciting.
I was a little bit irritated that there seemed to be a new suspect every 5 minutes but I think I probably would have enjoyed this when I was younger. That's why I don't feel entirely comfortable judging it so harshly as an adult! The ending was a little disappointing but I think that was my own fault for expecting a shocking twist as per adult thrillers.
Overall, this was a fast, easy read with a decent story that I would recommend for teen readers but perhaps not for adults who prefer their thrillers a bit more exciting.
February 27, 2018
This book was by far the worst that I've read this year, it's so predictable and it changes who is the main culprit for 'sweatfreak' so many times. It's so far fetched the book, it just wouldn't happen in real life. Only reason it didn't get 1 star is that I've not read any other book like this, so for it's originality it gains an extra star.
November 24, 2017
2.75
I hate that after one chapter I guessed it. Which means i trudged through this whole book only to find out I was right. It was a little young for me. I feel like if I was 12-14 i would have loved it.
I hate that after one chapter I guessed it. Which means i trudged through this whole book only to find out I was right. It was a little young for me. I feel like if I was 12-14 i would have loved it.
September 25, 2017
Loads of suspense. Let me confused and mystified!
September 24, 2018
Sweat freak is a very good book, I’m not sure it was for me. However, I would recommend this to a lot of people in my year.
August 2, 2018
Definitely feel like I would’ve loved this more if I was younger, but it’s a really good YA novel & super fast paced!
November 15, 2017
I have read quite a few of this author's books and really enjoyed them so I wasn't surprised that I would like this one too. This book is a YA book so it's about teenagers and the common things that they might have to deal with. I'm 23 and although I really enjoy this author's adult books, I also enjoy reading these books as I really like this author's writing and she never disappoints. Aimed at pre-teens, this book tells the story of the cyber-bullying - it's not the worst case scenario that can happen but it shows how cyber-bullying can affects friendships and relationships and also how easy it is for things to get out of control. I thought this book was superbly written and should be read by every teen. Another great read by Sophie Mckenzie.
January 17, 2019
The book is a thriller or murder mystery. Unfortunately there isn't a sequel. Admittedly the title page did not draw me in but when I started to read I could not stop. It was a easy read. I really enjoyed it. The ending is good no spoilers as to how it ends though, it is slightly predictable. I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers boys or girls but the front cover is more likely to get the girls attention more than the boys, although I would only recommend to people who want something to keep them occupied out of school hours. Teens would enjoy.
February 20, 2020
3.5 I enjoyed this to a certain point. I can honestly say until about page 200ish I thought this would be a 5 star read for me but then things started to really pick up and I was super excited but my excitement wasn’t really met. The ending was clever but I think I was expecting something else and a bit more. I still have a few questions, but I did enjoy it. I’m glad I read it.
February 21, 2018
It was very good and relatable. I enjoyed it very much, kept me on my toes as i could not figure out who was the mystery attacker. I had my suspicions of who i thought it might be but then would change my mind as soon as I read a new chapter.
May 1, 2023
Ogólnie bardzo przyjemnie się czytało. Było to wciągające, jednak zakończenie było dla mnie tak beznadziejne, że dwadzieścia ostatnich stron czytałam, bo czytałam. Jednak mimo wszystko podobało mi się.
January 19, 2022
actual 3.5⭐️
August 3, 2025
#Throwback
January 12, 2025
Amazing thriller, loved the person behind sweet freak no spoilers though 🤫
April 3, 2022
1.5/5 rounded up
Yeah well surprise surprise I hated it.
The plot was so boring, I could basically predict everything.
The ending was terrible.
I only read this because I love all of Sophie McKenzie's other books, but this one's not for me🙅🏻♀️
Also if your looking for an age range recommendation I would say 11 years old (im 13🤷🏻♀️)
Yeah well surprise surprise I hated it.
The plot was so boring, I could basically predict everything.
The ending was terrible.
I only read this because I love all of Sophie McKenzie's other books, but this one's not for me🙅🏻♀️
Also if your looking for an age range recommendation I would say 11 years old (im 13🤷🏻♀️)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews