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mbpartlow's review against another edition
3.0
This is my opinion--YMMV. I found all the jumping around in time hurt my brain. I didn't really see why the story couldn't have been told in a linear fashion, or with fewer flashbacks. Again, just my opinion. I liked the actual story.
katiegilley's review against another edition
This is the third book I've read by McMahon and I love her. Her stories are creepy to the core, set in New England, and just good fun. I heard a clip of her talking about this one on a Books on the Nightstand Podcast and knew that I needed to read it asap. This was a blend of the movie Now and Then with Psycho - which makes my heart go pitter patter!returnMuch like Now and Then, this is set up as flashbacks to Piper, Margot, and Amy's childhood. As young teenagers, the girls play at The Tower Motel, the motel that Amy's grandfather built and was a roaring success while Amy's mother and her Aunt Sylvie were children. But much like Psycho, after the highway was built, the guests stopped coming and the motel became rundown and unused. Aunt Sylvie dreamed of being a Hollywood starlet, and one day she just up and left, never to be heard from again.returnreturnWhile playing at the motel, the girls find a clue that makes them believe that Aunt Sylvie might not have made it to Hollywood and that Amy's grandmother is hiding something. They spend the summer trying to uncover the mystery. Present day, Amy is accused of a terrible crime, which brings this group of friends back together and back into that mystery in order to prove Amy's innocence. Keep the lights on for this one!
katiegilley's review against another edition
This is the third book I've read by McMahon and I love her. Her stories are creepy to the core, set in New England, and just good fun. I heard a clip of her talking about this one on a Books on the Nightstand Podcast and knew that I needed to read it asap. This was a blend of the movie Now and Then with Psycho - which makes my heart go pitter patter!
Much like Now and Then, this is set up as flashbacks to Piper, Margot, and Amy's childhood. As young teenagers, the girls play at The Tower Motel, the motel that Amy's grandfather built and was a roaring success while Amy's mother and her Aunt Sylvie were children. But much like Psycho, after the highway was built, the guests stopped coming and the motel became rundown and unused. Aunt Sylvie dreamed of being a Hollywood starlet, and one day she just up and left, never to be heard from again.
While playing at the motel, the girls find a clue that makes them believe that Aunt Sylvie might not have made it to Hollywood and that Amy's grandmother is hiding something. They spend the summer trying to uncover the mystery. Present day, Amy is accused of a terrible crime, which brings this group of friends back together and back into that mystery in order to prove Amy's innocence. Keep the lights on for this one!
Much like Now and Then, this is set up as flashbacks to Piper, Margot, and Amy's childhood. As young teenagers, the girls play at The Tower Motel, the motel that Amy's grandfather built and was a roaring success while Amy's mother and her Aunt Sylvie were children. But much like Psycho, after the highway was built, the guests stopped coming and the motel became rundown and unused. Aunt Sylvie dreamed of being a Hollywood starlet, and one day she just up and left, never to be heard from again.
While playing at the motel, the girls find a clue that makes them believe that Aunt Sylvie might not have made it to Hollywood and that Amy's grandmother is hiding something. They spend the summer trying to uncover the mystery. Present day, Amy is accused of a terrible crime, which brings this group of friends back together and back into that mystery in order to prove Amy's innocence. Keep the lights on for this one!
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
I just finished reading The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon. Amy grew up in the Tower Motel. It was closed in 1971 after a highway was built that diverted traffic from London, Vermont. One of the attractions was a tower (made of stone) their grandfather built for their grandmother who came from London, England. It is now in bad shape and should be torn down. Jason Hawke grew up with Amy (had a big crush on her). He is now married to Margot and they are expecting their first child. Jason is an officer with the London Police Department. He is going off duty when he hears a call out to the Tower Motel. When he arrives, he finds a very bloody and disturbing scene. Amy, her husband, Mark, and their son, Levi are all dead. The only survivor is their daughter, Lou (who climbed out onto the roof with her bloody feet). Margot is confined to bed and asks Piper to investigate what happened to Amy’s family.
The book is told from the perspective of Rose, Piper, and Jason. It jumps from 2013 (present day) to 1955, 1961, and 1989 (which makes it jumbled and confusing). Sylvia and Rose are sisters (1955 and 1961). Sylvia is the golden girl. She dreams of being an actress and she writes odd letters to Alfred Hitchcock (which Rose steals out of mailbox). She disappears in October the year of her eighteenth year and is never heard from again. Amy, Margot, and Piper (Margot and Piper are sisters) find her suitcase buried in the floor of the tower their grandfather built. They start looking for more information and find her typewriter. Inside is another letter to Alfred Hitchcock which mentions a secret 29th room at the motel. The girls are curious and start investigating Sylvia and the mysterious room. Where could the 29th room be? Amy is a strange girl. Raised by her grandmother after her mother, Rose takes off (has issues).
When Rose was little her Oma came over for a visit from England. Oma would tell Rose stories about mares. Rose believes her Oma’s stories about mares. Humans that can transform into animals. Rose thinks that Sylvia is a mare and keeps watching her over the years. She wants to catch Sylvia in the act of transforming. Is there such a thing as mares? What happened to Sylvia Slater? Did Amy kill her family and herself?
The Night Sister tells the story about the two investigations and what happened to the family. I found the novel extremely strange (sad, but true). A paranormal element was added at the end which actually made the story worse. I think the novel would have been better off it had just been a mystery. It is confusing to read as the book jumps all around. It does come together in the end, but I did not especially like the ending. I give The Night Sister 2 out of 5 stars. The idea is intriguing, but I found the execution of the idea lacking. The writing is just lack luster. I never got drawn into the story because it was going to different years and different characters. Unfortunately, The Night Sister was just not for me. If I use one word to describe this book it would be weird!
I received a complimentary copy of The Night Sister from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-night-sister.html
The book is told from the perspective of Rose, Piper, and Jason. It jumps from 2013 (present day) to 1955, 1961, and 1989 (which makes it jumbled and confusing). Sylvia and Rose are sisters (1955 and 1961). Sylvia is the golden girl. She dreams of being an actress and she writes odd letters to Alfred Hitchcock (which Rose steals out of mailbox). She disappears in October the year of her eighteenth year and is never heard from again. Amy, Margot, and Piper (Margot and Piper are sisters) find her suitcase buried in the floor of the tower their grandfather built. They start looking for more information and find her typewriter. Inside is another letter to Alfred Hitchcock which mentions a secret 29th room at the motel. The girls are curious and start investigating Sylvia and the mysterious room. Where could the 29th room be? Amy is a strange girl. Raised by her grandmother after her mother, Rose takes off (has issues).
When Rose was little her Oma came over for a visit from England. Oma would tell Rose stories about mares. Rose believes her Oma’s stories about mares. Humans that can transform into animals. Rose thinks that Sylvia is a mare and keeps watching her over the years. She wants to catch Sylvia in the act of transforming. Is there such a thing as mares? What happened to Sylvia Slater? Did Amy kill her family and herself?
The Night Sister tells the story about the two investigations and what happened to the family. I found the novel extremely strange (sad, but true). A paranormal element was added at the end which actually made the story worse. I think the novel would have been better off it had just been a mystery. It is confusing to read as the book jumps all around. It does come together in the end, but I did not especially like the ending. I give The Night Sister 2 out of 5 stars. The idea is intriguing, but I found the execution of the idea lacking. The writing is just lack luster. I never got drawn into the story because it was going to different years and different characters. Unfortunately, The Night Sister was just not for me. If I use one word to describe this book it would be weird!
I received a complimentary copy of The Night Sister from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-night-sister.html
pollyb23's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this 4.5 stars if I could. It was a really good story and I loved the ending.
jenhurst's review against another edition
3.0
I love the multiple timelines that Jennifer McMahon does in every novel. You can tell that each book is written by her since they have similar vibes, but are different enough to stand on their own. I like how she utilizes lesser known folklore elements.
stepriot's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoy Jennifer McMahon's writing style. This one just didn't resonate with me. There weren't very many people in this story that I actually liked. The balance of sympathetic victims to unsympathetic ones was a bit off. Also, the mystery took too much work to get interesting and the backstories were dull. I really liked the Winter People. While this one was a miss I'd still happily read another of Jennifer McMahon's books. I look forward to it actually.