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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
Well there is a lot to say about this book. It was definitely an interesting read, with a lot twists and turns. I can't say I saw a single one of them coming. The only problem is if they weren't unbelievable, they were weak or uninteresting. Had some decent characters, I really liked the characters of Charlie, Dan, Lexie and Anna. However the main character Grace really got on my nerves towards the end. She was set up to apparently be a really strong, self assured, intelligent character. But I found that she came off as the exact opposite of that, she was on drugs half the time, drunk the other half, and at times she it was both. Not to mention the amount of stupid ideas she had made towards the end. Not to mention some of the choices she had made prior to this were completely, and utterly stupid not to mention unbelievable.
I felt this book would have been much more interesting if it was maybe a bit shorter, maybe with a few less sub-plots to be discovered. But overall a decent read. Can't say I'll rush to buy the authors future books, but I won't exactly avoid them either.
I felt this book would have been much more interesting if it was maybe a bit shorter, maybe with a few less sub-plots to be discovered. But overall a decent read. Can't say I'll rush to buy the authors future books, but I won't exactly avoid them either.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ominous last words, a friendship that may not have been what it seemed, and a new friend who is suspicious. These are a few of my favourite things and The Sister employs most of them to great effect. Moving between the past and present, Jensen's The Sister sketches a portrait of a woman on the brink, trying desperately to claw her way back. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
At the heart of The Sister is friendship and guilt. Like many other current psychological thrillers The Sister is fascinated with the adolescence of teenage girls, the highs of friendship and the lows of betrayal. The friendship between Grace and Charlie centres the novel and is the relationship around which most of it revolves. Thinking back to my own adolescence and childhood I do remember the intensity of the smallest thing, so seeing the almost obsessive nature of the friendship and of Grace's questioning of it does make sense. Jensen does take it a step further by looking at guilt and its many different forms. We all carry some guilt around, whether it's regretting something we did or regretting something we didn't. The Sister shows this in different ways and in different relationships, between children and parents, husband and wife, friend and friend. Where is the line and what happens when it's crossed? I know there are a lot of questions here, but who doesn't love a book that asks questions?
At the beginning of The Sister we find Grace slowly trying to recover from her best friend's death, but as she tries to do so the past comes back to haunt her and her life slowly begins to fall apart again. I did enjoy much of The Sister, its twists and its turns, but whereas some things remain a mystery to Grace, I feel the reader figures some things out way quicker than she or any of the other characters do. Especially Anna was both fascinating and frustrating since she was rather untrustworthy from the beginning. Part of this is also down to the title. I mean, come on. I don't want to spell it out but surely we all know that titles like these can be major giveaways unless they're actively misleading or only suggestive. Think of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Rebecca is at the heart of the novel, centring the mystery, and Du Maurier wants you to be just as focused on her as her main character. In this case Jensen's title isn't as successful, unfortunately.
Louise Jensen knows how to keep the pace. When a novel switches back and forth between the present and the past, it's difficult to make sure both narratives keep a reader's attention. Jensen uses Grace's past as a way to both inform the present and confuse it. What happened? Why did it happen? And how long will the repercussions last? Grace's voice is strong throughout the novel, even if at times she isn't the most likeable of narrators. Jensen doesn't intend for her to be though, not shying away from showing that no one is perfect and everyone has their vices. In the end The Sister tries to show that forgiveness needs to happen and that this forgiveness can hide behind different and surprising corners. Despite the fact that not all of The Sister was as surprising or smooth as I would have liked, I did enjoy it and raced through it, heading towards the inevitable but juicy conclusion.
I enjoyed The Sister, even though it was quite obvious at times where it was going. However, there were some great scenes which offered a lot of promise so I will definitely keep my eye out for Jensen's next book.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/08/review-sister-by-louise-jensen.html
At the heart of The Sister is friendship and guilt. Like many other current psychological thrillers The Sister is fascinated with the adolescence of teenage girls, the highs of friendship and the lows of betrayal. The friendship between Grace and Charlie centres the novel and is the relationship around which most of it revolves. Thinking back to my own adolescence and childhood I do remember the intensity of the smallest thing, so seeing the almost obsessive nature of the friendship and of Grace's questioning of it does make sense. Jensen does take it a step further by looking at guilt and its many different forms. We all carry some guilt around, whether it's regretting something we did or regretting something we didn't. The Sister shows this in different ways and in different relationships, between children and parents, husband and wife, friend and friend. Where is the line and what happens when it's crossed? I know there are a lot of questions here, but who doesn't love a book that asks questions?
At the beginning of The Sister we find Grace slowly trying to recover from her best friend's death, but as she tries to do so the past comes back to haunt her and her life slowly begins to fall apart again. I did enjoy much of The Sister, its twists and its turns, but whereas some things remain a mystery to Grace, I feel the reader figures some things out way quicker than she or any of the other characters do. Especially Anna was both fascinating and frustrating since she was rather untrustworthy from the beginning. Part of this is also down to the title. I mean, come on. I don't want to spell it out but surely we all know that titles like these can be major giveaways unless they're actively misleading or only suggestive. Think of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Rebecca is at the heart of the novel, centring the mystery, and Du Maurier wants you to be just as focused on her as her main character. In this case Jensen's title isn't as successful, unfortunately.
Louise Jensen knows how to keep the pace. When a novel switches back and forth between the present and the past, it's difficult to make sure both narratives keep a reader's attention. Jensen uses Grace's past as a way to both inform the present and confuse it. What happened? Why did it happen? And how long will the repercussions last? Grace's voice is strong throughout the novel, even if at times she isn't the most likeable of narrators. Jensen doesn't intend for her to be though, not shying away from showing that no one is perfect and everyone has their vices. In the end The Sister tries to show that forgiveness needs to happen and that this forgiveness can hide behind different and surprising corners. Despite the fact that not all of The Sister was as surprising or smooth as I would have liked, I did enjoy it and raced through it, heading towards the inevitable but juicy conclusion.
I enjoyed The Sister, even though it was quite obvious at times where it was going. However, there were some great scenes which offered a lot of promise so I will definitely keep my eye out for Jensen's next book.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/08/review-sister-by-louise-jensen.html
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sticking closely to my theme of reading psychological fiction as of late, I was absolutely thrilled to receive an ARC of The Sister by debut author Louise Jensen, published by Bookouture, in exchange for an honest review. The first thing that drew me to this book was the absolutely blooming incredible cover- I know they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and generally speaking, that’s all well and good but you can’t say that this one isn’t an absolute delight to look at!
Now, we all know that I’m an absolute fiend for a good psychological thriller and because I’m reading more and more of them, I’m getting more and more picky over whether I enjoy them or not. I’ll start by saying that I thought this one by Louise Jensen was incredibly good and I’m absolutely blown away by the fact that this is a debut novel. Let me tell you now: if my debut novel is anywhere near as good as this one, I’ll be over the moon.
The story is based around a girl, Grace, who lives with her boyfriend shortly after the sudden death of her best friend. We aren’t told, at first, how her best friend has died, nor are we sure whether or not her death is homicide. We are aware though, that before her death, Charlie admitted to doing something pretty horrendous and Grace is absolutely obsessed with the idea of finding out what it is. Eventually, we are introduced to Anna, Charlie’s half-sister, and from this point onwards everything seems to go horribly wrong.
I was hooked on the story from the word go and I was SO curious not only to find out the secret that Charlie had died keeping, but also to find out the secret that Grace herself was holding onto. These two mysteries are the ones that keep the story so interesting all the way through: it’s pretty obvious from the word go who the perpetrator of the modern day disasters that are being thrown Grace’s way, with the exception of a few twists and turns here and there. I enjoyed the characterisation and the switch between the present day and the past especially. I felt incredibly sorry for Grace and really connected with her character. I have to say that I actually felt quite anxious reading certain scenes, particularly since I was reading them at night. I took special care in making sure my doors and windows were tightly locked before going to bed, I’ll tell you that for nothing! I’d definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes crime/thrillers, but you’ll have to wait a little bit as it’s not released until July!
4/5.
Now, we all know that I’m an absolute fiend for a good psychological thriller and because I’m reading more and more of them, I’m getting more and more picky over whether I enjoy them or not. I’ll start by saying that I thought this one by Louise Jensen was incredibly good and I’m absolutely blown away by the fact that this is a debut novel. Let me tell you now: if my debut novel is anywhere near as good as this one, I’ll be over the moon.
The story is based around a girl, Grace, who lives with her boyfriend shortly after the sudden death of her best friend. We aren’t told, at first, how her best friend has died, nor are we sure whether or not her death is homicide. We are aware though, that before her death, Charlie admitted to doing something pretty horrendous and Grace is absolutely obsessed with the idea of finding out what it is. Eventually, we are introduced to Anna, Charlie’s half-sister, and from this point onwards everything seems to go horribly wrong.
I was hooked on the story from the word go and I was SO curious not only to find out the secret that Charlie had died keeping, but also to find out the secret that Grace herself was holding onto. These two mysteries are the ones that keep the story so interesting all the way through: it’s pretty obvious from the word go who the perpetrator of the modern day disasters that are being thrown Grace’s way, with the exception of a few twists and turns here and there. I enjoyed the characterisation and the switch between the present day and the past especially. I felt incredibly sorry for Grace and really connected with her character. I have to say that I actually felt quite anxious reading certain scenes, particularly since I was reading them at night. I took special care in making sure my doors and windows were tightly locked before going to bed, I’ll tell you that for nothing! I’d definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes crime/thrillers, but you’ll have to wait a little bit as it’s not released until July!
4/5.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finished reading: July 12th 2016
“We all have to carry the consequences of our own actions, no matter how heavy they are. I know that better than anyone.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I decided to read The Sister after a recommendation and I'm glad it turned out to be just as good as I was promised it was going to be. This debut by Louise Jensen is without doubt a psychological thriller at its best: an intriguing plot that switches back and forth between past and present, unreliable characters and many plot twists that will mess with your mind. The fact that there are so many flashbacks can be a bit confusing and in the beginning it's hard to get a proper grasp of what is going on, but in the end it only adds to the whole mystery around Grace and Charlie. The story is well written and the character development is excellent. I can't say I actually liked the characters, but they fitted their role perfectly and felt 'real'. The main character Grace is a bit naive and I saw part of the big 'revelation' coming from a mile away, but most of the plot twists did manage to surprise me. If you are looking for a good psychological thriller and don't mind flashbacks and unreliable characters, make sure to check out The Sister!
Grace hasn't been the same since her best friend suddenly left town six years ago, let alone when Charlie suddenly died four months ago. She is still haunted by Charlie's last words and decides to open an old memory box they had buried when they were teenagers. And it turns out that Grace didn't know her best friend that well after all... Grace decides to try and fulfill one of Charlie's last wishes and find her father. Her husband Dan helps her set up some pages that might help locate him, and then suddenly a girl steps forward claiming to be Charlie's sister. Anna looks a lot like Charlie, and Grace believes she has found something she thought she had lost when Charlie died. But is Anna really who she claims to be? And why is Dan acting so strange? Grace life seems to be turning slowly into a big mess and she cannot deny the feeling that someone is following her. What is really going on?
Even though the flashbacks can get a bit confusing at times, I still ended up really enjoying The Sister. The story is fast-paced, well written and the characters were both unreliable and felt 'real', making it quite easy to connect to the story. Not everything in the plot was a surprise and I kind of wish that Grace would have been less trusting, but I guess The Sister does do an excellent job of showing what might happen if you trust the people around you blindly. Without doubt a great psychological thriller!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
I found this somewhat predictable, but if you haven't read a lot of thrillers it would be good.
The Sister has a few twists that I definitely wasn’t expecting but definitely enjoyed. Overall, kept me wanting to keep going, needing to know what happened next. The narrator was fantastic