Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Good Sister

Ok, so I started this book thinking I was not going to like it. The story seemed interesting, but it is a bit complicated when autistic people are represented by a (as far as I know) non-autistic author. And Fern’s descriptions in the beginning seem a bit problematic. But then this changes throughout the book while you figure things out and understand what’s really happening there. I didn’t think the plot was predictable like I’ve seen some people saying. I mean, it was to a certain extent, but the details still surprised me, and even though I had generally figured out what had happened, once I hit like the 200th page I literally could not stop reading cause I needed to know the details and what was going to happen. Fern and Wally are very loveable characters and their love really made me emotional. I loved the ending. However, I do think that it might contain some problematic representation of some mental illnesses that could be harmful to the people who have them. I think the part of Rose’s presumed diagnosis could’ve been left out.

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annaka's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I really struggled with this book as I almost always do when someone writes books regarding mental illness but is not a professional in the field. I believe that the way she portrayed the characters could be harmful to the disorders she claims or alluded that they have. Also the "twist" was entirely predictable from very early on and so there was no interesting moment of reveal or mystery to this book for me. I enjoyed reading a book set in Australia (where I'm currently living) and there was a cute side plot story line I enjoyed but overall I wouldn't recommend picking this book up.

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levelsjerry's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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karinasbookishbrain's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When reading this book, read between the lines!! It’s a great book!

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nataliebootlah's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Told in the alternating perspectives of close-knit fraternal twins, Fern and Rose have gone through everything together. Rose is Fern’s person. Rose took care of Fern when they were children and now, as adults. Rose is the only one who knows how to help Fern when she becomes overwhelmed by loud sounds, bright lights, and overbearing smells due to her sensory processing disorder.

This was a domestic suspense novel through and through. Who doesn’t love a familial drama? I loved Fern’s character, maybe because in typical mainstream books, you don’t often see characters with disabilities portrayed well. It really made the book that much more enjoyable. Representation matters!

Even though it was a slow burn and the twists were a bit predictable, I still wanted to see out the ending. Another good one by Sally Hepworth.

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redhothabanero's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

4.0

I love an unreliable narrator and could guess where the book was going about halfway through but it's still a really good book. I really enjoyed the audiobook as both characters had very distinct voice. I loved the chapters from Fern's perspective and it's great to have representation of people on the spectrum/with sensory processing disorder. Some of the abuse parts were really hard to listen to so check trigger warnings.

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