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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sisters - Joan and Vivien are two very different women.
Joan stayed home, looked after her mother, got a job as a palliative care doctor., spent her life taking care of other people.
Vivien also took care of people, but she did it as far away from home as she could, throwing herself in the line of danger, traveling to remote villages, never settling down.
When their mother falls ill, Vivien concocts a plan, that should anything happen to her, Joan would pretend to be her until after their mother has passed.
So because this would be a VERY short book otherwise, Vivien passes away and Joan takes on the roll of her sister.
I don't think there was one member in this family who did not suffer from unchecked and untreated mental illness and trauma, so that made this book quite intense and often hard to read.
There is a lot of sadness in this book, so be prepared for that.
Unfortunately for me I felt the sadness bogged this book down, I didn't think there was enough of a story to carry that weight and because of this I just felt anxious while I was reading it.
Maybe I was just in the wrong headspace for this, but I cant say this is a book I would recommend.
Joan stayed home, looked after her mother, got a job as a palliative care doctor., spent her life taking care of other people.
Vivien also took care of people, but she did it as far away from home as she could, throwing herself in the line of danger, traveling to remote villages, never settling down.
When their mother falls ill, Vivien concocts a plan, that should anything happen to her, Joan would pretend to be her until after their mother has passed.
So because this would be a VERY short book otherwise, Vivien passes away and Joan takes on the roll of her sister.
I don't think there was one member in this family who did not suffer from unchecked and untreated mental illness and trauma, so that made this book quite intense and often hard to read.
There is a lot of sadness in this book, so be prepared for that.
Unfortunately for me I felt the sadness bogged this book down, I didn't think there was enough of a story to carry that weight and because of this I just felt anxious while I was reading it.
Maybe I was just in the wrong headspace for this, but I cant say this is a book I would recommend.
Suspend your disbelief. There's a lot going on here. Although it was lovely to read references to Toronto, they really didn't add much to the story.
emotional
ONLY SISTERS is a complicated, and tough, look at family - loyalty, obligations, lies. Joan agrees to impersonate her sister, Vivien, after she dies, so their dying mother won't have to grieve the loss. Certain events lead to Joan falling into the role of Vivien maybe more that expected, and the choices, and lies, that follow are complex.
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style and think this would make a great book for a bookclub.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style and think this would make a great book for a bookclub.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked:
✔️exploration of family dynamics, sibling roles and family loyalty
✔️exploration of grief, secrets, resentment
✔️exploration of morality vs the greater good
✔️exploration of healthcare, death/dying and mental illness
✔️highlighting social media and its influence and the warnings
✔️secrets
✔️interesting characters
✔️exploration of how past influences our present and future
What I struggled with:
✔️plausibility
✔️connecting with characters
✔️sadness and anxiety that increased as I read
✔️multitude of triggers
I was gifted this copy by Penguin Random House Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
✔️exploration of family dynamics, sibling roles and family loyalty
✔️exploration of grief, secrets, resentment
✔️exploration of morality vs the greater good
✔️exploration of healthcare, death/dying and mental illness
✔️highlighting social media and its influence and the warnings
✔️secrets
✔️interesting characters
✔️exploration of how past influences our present and future
What I struggled with:
✔️plausibility
✔️connecting with characters
✔️sadness and anxiety that increased as I read
✔️multitude of triggers
I was gifted this copy by Penguin Random House Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I think all the themes in this book were really well executed and I found myself quite emotional when the author described all the different family dynamics going on. There were so many intimate moments between the reader and her relationship with death, grief, loneliness and loss, I really enjoyed this book.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness
Two sisters grew up in a loving but dysfunctional household. Dad was addicted to alcohol and Mom dealt with anger and other emotions by cleaning/purging most everything in the house - furniture, kitchen items, clothing etc. The sisters had opposite reactions. Vivien became a nurse, traveled the world to crisis areas and rarely came home. Joan became a palliative care doctor but stayed home to care for her parents. Vivien and Joan stay in touch but only occasionally - until Vivien asks Joan for a huge favor. The novel touches on identity, grief, families of origin, and families we create. All the characters seemed plausible to me except the mom - her purging 'addiction' seemed too over-the-top - but who knows, perhaps there are such people. Interesting story.