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bellaleelibro's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
trekkermom's review against another edition
I read this book start to finish in a little over a day. Interesting, intriguing, from start to finish.
Not having a sister, something this only child always dreamed of, didn't seem so bad.
Read The Good Sister, today, tomorrow, but soon!
Not having a sister, something this only child always dreamed of, didn't seem so bad.
Read The Good Sister, today, tomorrow, but soon!
dove816's review against another edition
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
wafflereads's review against another edition
4.75
Well thank you Sally Hepworth for getting me out of my reading slump. What a tale this is indeed! Fern is such a fascinating character and I enjoyed her so much as a character. Wally/Rocco is also pretty cool as the side character but man oh man... Rose. Just the way this story flew was pretty darn good. The only gripe I had was that ending seemed super rush AND the whole mystery man. This is definitely worth the read!
suzanneu's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
giigii__e's review against another edition
5.0
Fern and Rose are twins they don‘t look alike and certainly have different personalities, one is quirky and the other more considered. They live together with their mother and her on-off boyfriends.
Both of them have varying opinions on occurrences and they are keeping a horrible secret. Which version can we trust?
In adulthood it turns out that Rose is not able to get pregnant. So her sister decides that she will find herself a man, surprise her with her pregnancy and give the baby to her. But soon Fern starts to feel love towards the baby and is not so sure anymore, if she give her one and only to her sister. Furthermore the past is catching up with them and nothing is like it seems.
Sally Hepworth is getting better and better with each book
Both of them have varying opinions on occurrences and they are keeping a horrible secret. Which version can we trust?
In adulthood it turns out that Rose is not able to get pregnant. So her sister decides that she will find herself a man, surprise her with her pregnancy and give the baby to her. But soon Fern starts to feel love towards the baby and is not so sure anymore, if she give her one and only to her sister. Furthermore the past is catching up with them and nothing is like it seems.
Sally Hepworth is getting better and better with each book
kimreadz's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read several books by Sally Hepworth and enjoyed them all, so when I saw this one on the ‘coming soon’ list, I added it to my holds list on Overdrive. This one did not disappoint!
The story is about a set of twin sisters, Rose and Fern. Fern is probably autistic and depends on Rose to help her out of difficult situations. The story is told from alternate points of view; Rose through her diary and Fern in 1st person. From the diary we learn that the girls grew up with a mother who could be cruel, especially to Rose. Fern did not necessarily see her mother that way, but with Rose there to interpret the situation and tell her how to think and react, she accepted that her mother was cruel, even though she didn’t ‘feel’ it. And we know that Fern has done ‘a very bad thing’.
Rose is having fertility problems and marriage issues, and Fern gets the idea that she can help by becoming pregnant and having a baby for Rosy and Owen. Enter Wally, the ‘sperm donor’. Some of the story is predictable, and some is surprising, but I enjoyed the journey, even when I was pretty sure I knew what would happen next. I really bonded to Fern and to her ‘boyfriend’ Wally, who is also a little ‘neurodiverse’. I was pulling for them the whole time. I was not a fan of Rose’s mother as I read Rose’s diary entries about her mother’s treatment of her. And while at first I was not a fan of Carmel, the library ‘boss’, I came to like her very much!
The only thing I didn’t like about the story is the very end—no spoilers here! So I will only say that it was too open-ended and left me wondering what happens next. It wasn’t the neat ending that I would prefer.
I think bookclubs would enjoy this one. It is a really quick read (I finished in 2 days!), but has plenty to discuss—sister relationship, neurodiversity, infertility, how point of view influences what we see, and so much more!
I read a digital copy of the book borrowed through my library.
The story is about a set of twin sisters, Rose and Fern. Fern is probably autistic and depends on Rose to help her out of difficult situations. The story is told from alternate points of view; Rose through her diary and Fern in 1st person. From the diary we learn that the girls grew up with a mother who could be cruel, especially to Rose. Fern did not necessarily see her mother that way, but with Rose there to interpret the situation and tell her how to think and react, she accepted that her mother was cruel, even though she didn’t ‘feel’ it. And we know that Fern has done ‘a very bad thing’.
Rose is having fertility problems and marriage issues, and Fern gets the idea that she can help by becoming pregnant and having a baby for Rosy and Owen. Enter Wally, the ‘sperm donor’. Some of the story is predictable, and some is surprising, but I enjoyed the journey, even when I was pretty sure I knew what would happen next. I really bonded to Fern and to her ‘boyfriend’ Wally, who is also a little ‘neurodiverse’. I was pulling for them the whole time. I was not a fan of Rose’s mother as I read Rose’s diary entries about her mother’s treatment of her. And while at first I was not a fan of Carmel, the library ‘boss’, I came to like her very much!
The only thing I didn’t like about the story is the very end—no spoilers here! So I will only say that it was too open-ended and left me wondering what happens next. It wasn’t the neat ending that I would prefer.
I think bookclubs would enjoy this one. It is a really quick read (I finished in 2 days!), but has plenty to discuss—sister relationship, neurodiversity, infertility, how point of view influences what we see, and so much more!
I read a digital copy of the book borrowed through my library.
ljax23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
steel_city_peach's review against another edition
reflective
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
4.0
Entertaining
This book didn’t turn out to be the dark story that I expected, but I enjoyed it. I absolutely loved Fern. She was quirky and straightforward like Strange Sally Diamond. I loved how she viewed the world. Her interactions with Wally were so sweet. I really enjoyed the evolution of their courtship. Her relationship with her sister seemed very loving at first. As the truth came out, I wanted to protect Fern from Rose. While it didn’t feel like much of a plot twist to me, I did enjoy seeing Rose’s mask slip off. She was a hot mess. This was a quick and entertaining read.