Scan barcode
noveldeelights's review against another edition
4.0
There is always something quite fascinating about the relationship between sisters, for some reason. However, the relationship between Penny and Hattie is a tad on the dysfunctional side.
The two sisters have always found themselves on the outside of the small community where they’ve lived their entire lives. As a teenager, Hattie makes a break for freedom but young love and the lure of her hometown soon bring her back home. After Hattie’s husband dies in a fire, the sisters retreat to their family home and try to live with a massive secret. Sibling rivalry is a dangerous thing, however, and cracks start to appear in their relationship.
Sister of Mine makes for some compulsive reading. While relatively on the slow side, I found myself glued to the pages; wondering what would happen, all the while feeling it couldn’t be anything good. These two characters don’t exactly come across as particularly likeable. Is one a good sister and the other a bad one? Are they both bad? I had a heck of a time trying to decide. Yet, having a younger sister of my own, there were some moments I could absolutely relate to.
There’s a rather great sense of claustrophobia throughout this novel. It’s not only brought on by the small town feeling, where everybody seems to know your business, and no matter how hard you try there doesn’t seem to be any escape. It’s also in the relationship between the sisters themselves. This secret they both keep is an explosive one. One that could change their lives if it ever came out. If you’re not entirely sure the other person will keep their mouth shut, there’s little you can do but constantly keep an eye on them, ultimately putting your own life on hold.
Sister of Mine is a tense and character-driven psychological thriller that really brings to the fore how thin the line between love and hate can be. There are no dazzling twists or shocking surprises but there didn’t need to be. This dark story is all about the complex characters and how far they will go to test the bond between them and this gripping tale of sisterhood will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the domestic family genre.
The two sisters have always found themselves on the outside of the small community where they’ve lived their entire lives. As a teenager, Hattie makes a break for freedom but young love and the lure of her hometown soon bring her back home. After Hattie’s husband dies in a fire, the sisters retreat to their family home and try to live with a massive secret. Sibling rivalry is a dangerous thing, however, and cracks start to appear in their relationship.
Sister of Mine makes for some compulsive reading. While relatively on the slow side, I found myself glued to the pages; wondering what would happen, all the while feeling it couldn’t be anything good. These two characters don’t exactly come across as particularly likeable. Is one a good sister and the other a bad one? Are they both bad? I had a heck of a time trying to decide. Yet, having a younger sister of my own, there were some moments I could absolutely relate to.
There’s a rather great sense of claustrophobia throughout this novel. It’s not only brought on by the small town feeling, where everybody seems to know your business, and no matter how hard you try there doesn’t seem to be any escape. It’s also in the relationship between the sisters themselves. This secret they both keep is an explosive one. One that could change their lives if it ever came out. If you’re not entirely sure the other person will keep their mouth shut, there’s little you can do but constantly keep an eye on them, ultimately putting your own life on hold.
Sister of Mine is a tense and character-driven psychological thriller that really brings to the fore how thin the line between love and hate can be. There are no dazzling twists or shocking surprises but there didn’t need to be. This dark story is all about the complex characters and how far they will go to test the bond between them and this gripping tale of sisterhood will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the domestic family genre.
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
2.0
Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou was not quite the book that I was hoping for. The story sounded like something different that I would enjoy but I struggled to get into it and found it to be pretty slow paced. The sisters were just awful people who I could not connect to.
The Grayson sisters Hattie and Penny only had each other. Their mother died in a tragic accident when they were young and their father walked out on them. They live in a small town where everybody knows everybody, but these sisters are hiding dark secrets. Penny's husband dies ins housefire that is caused by the sisters. The girls don't really like each other, but they feed off each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Old Castle Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
The Grayson sisters Hattie and Penny only had each other. Their mother died in a tragic accident when they were young and their father walked out on them. They live in a small town where everybody knows everybody, but these sisters are hiding dark secrets. Penny's husband dies ins housefire that is caused by the sisters. The girls don't really like each other, but they feed off each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Old Castle Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
kba76's review against another edition
4.0
Sisters are often privy to secrets, but not like these two.
Hattie and Penny have been reliant on each other for a long time. Both sisters have got used to depending on each other since their father abandoned the family and their mother died. Dysfunctional from the off, and these two are the talk of their small town.
As time goes on, Penny tries to make a life of her own. Her husband, Buddy, is abusive and the two sisters take drastic steps to ensure their safety.
The trouble with secrets is that they have a tendency to be revealed...eventually.
Inevitably, the secrets these two stack up in their desire to settle the debt each feels they are owed become dangerous. I’m just amazed that it took so long for things to come to a head.
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication.
Hattie and Penny have been reliant on each other for a long time. Both sisters have got used to depending on each other since their father abandoned the family and their mother died. Dysfunctional from the off, and these two are the talk of their small town.
As time goes on, Penny tries to make a life of her own. Her husband, Buddy, is abusive and the two sisters take drastic steps to ensure their safety.
The trouble with secrets is that they have a tendency to be revealed...eventually.
Inevitably, the secrets these two stack up in their desire to settle the debt each feels they are owed become dangerous. I’m just amazed that it took so long for things to come to a head.
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication.
lizziesharples's review against another edition
4.0
*** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***
Sister of Mine is a story about two sisters who seems to have some kind of strange co-dependant relationship. Penny and Hattie live together in their family home since they lost their mother in an accident and Penny lost her husband in a house fire with the twist being that the fire was deliberate and the sisters are in on this together. The weight of this secret lies heavily on the two of them and things get more complication when a new man enters their lives. Can secrets ever stay secret?
I really enjoyed this book and it is the first book by this author. I have since looked at her back catalogue and ordered another, so I think that says it all. I would definitely recommend, perfect gripping holiday read!
Sister of Mine is a story about two sisters who seems to have some kind of strange co-dependant relationship. Penny and Hattie live together in their family home since they lost their mother in an accident and Penny lost her husband in a house fire with the twist being that the fire was deliberate and the sisters are in on this together. The weight of this secret lies heavily on the two of them and things get more complication when a new man enters their lives. Can secrets ever stay secret?
I really enjoyed this book and it is the first book by this author. I have since looked at her back catalogue and ordered another, so I think that says it all. I would definitely recommend, perfect gripping holiday read!
lizziesharples's review against another edition
4.0
*** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***
Sister of Mine is a story about two sisters who seems to have some kind of strange co-dependant relationship. Penny and Hattie live together in their family home since they lost their mother in an accident and Penny lost her husband in a house fire with the twist being that the fire was deliberate and the sisters are in on this together. The weight of this secret lies heavily on the two of them and things get more complication when a new man enters their lives. Can secrets ever stay secret?
I really enjoyed this book and it is the first book by this author. I have since looked at her back catalogue and ordered another, so I think that says it all. I would definitely recommend, perfect gripping holiday read!
Sister of Mine is a story about two sisters who seems to have some kind of strange co-dependant relationship. Penny and Hattie live together in their family home since they lost their mother in an accident and Penny lost her husband in a house fire with the twist being that the fire was deliberate and the sisters are in on this together. The weight of this secret lies heavily on the two of them and things get more complication when a new man enters their lives. Can secrets ever stay secret?
I really enjoyed this book and it is the first book by this author. I have since looked at her back catalogue and ordered another, so I think that says it all. I would definitely recommend, perfect gripping holiday read!
paddlefoot55's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 "You Owe Me" stars
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
I don't now where to start with reviewing this book. Suspense, betrayal, family - it has a bit of all of it.
Penny and Hattie are as close as sisters can be, however I am thankful that my relationship with my own sister is not like theirs. Their relationship is a toxic codependency that can't be good for either of them.
I won't like, I didn't really like Hattie much at all in this book. She came across as selfish, a user, and whiney when she didn't get what she wanted. As the story progressed I could understand more why she was the way she was, however it didn't make me like her much more (until the last couple of chapters at least).
Penny, well I wanted to shake some sense into her, tell her to stop giving up everything for Hattie, but again, I could understand why she was like she was but it didn't make me any less frustrated at either lady. Even when she tries to make changes, Penny allowed herself to be drawn back into the vortex that is family.
My heart hurt, I got frustrated, I got angry, but most of all I wanted Hattie and Penny love and be loved.
This was my first Laurie Petrou read. I enjoyed her writing style, the story flowed well, and I was drawn into this story which I read in one afternoon.
I will be checking out more of her work in the future.
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
I don't now where to start with reviewing this book. Suspense, betrayal, family - it has a bit of all of it.
Penny and Hattie are as close as sisters can be, however I am thankful that my relationship with my own sister is not like theirs. Their relationship is a toxic codependency that can't be good for either of them.
I won't like, I didn't really like Hattie much at all in this book. She came across as selfish, a user, and whiney when she didn't get what she wanted. As the story progressed I could understand more why she was the way she was, however it didn't make me like her much more (until the last couple of chapters at least).
Penny, well I wanted to shake some sense into her, tell her to stop giving up everything for Hattie, but again, I could understand why she was like she was but it didn't make me any less frustrated at either lady. Even when she tries to make changes, Penny allowed herself to be drawn back into the vortex that is family.
My heart hurt, I got frustrated, I got angry, but most of all I wanted Hattie and Penny love and be loved.
This was my first Laurie Petrou read. I enjoyed her writing style, the story flowed well, and I was drawn into this story which I read in one afternoon.
I will be checking out more of her work in the future.
kawaiiquinn97's review against another edition
4.0
'Lives engulfed in flames'
Penny with her long black hair and her younger spitfire red head sister lives are forever changed after a match is struck, a fire starts and a husband dies. Living with guilt is hard but sharing that guilt is harder. It leads to resentment and jealously constantly keeping an eye on those around you wondering what their next move is.
At only 251 pages in length this story is both engaging and greatly written. I really enjoyed this quick read
Penny with her long black hair and her younger spitfire red head sister lives are forever changed after a match is struck, a fire starts and a husband dies. Living with guilt is hard but sharing that guilt is harder. It leads to resentment and jealously constantly keeping an eye on those around you wondering what their next move is.
At only 251 pages in length this story is both engaging and greatly written. I really enjoyed this quick read
etakloknok's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
clair_82's review against another edition
4.0
Sister of Mine is an absolutely stunning read, beautifully written and highly addictive to burn through (see what I did there!) to find out more about the sisters and their lives. Combined with Petrou’s wonderfully writing style and, for me, it was a relatively short read at 250 pages I just flew through it!
Sister of Mine centres around Penny and Hattie, Penny is the older of the two and is our narrator, and what a wonderfully unreliable narrator she is! When the girls were younger their father walked out on their family which meant it was the girls with their mother for a long time, until their mother tragically dies. Right from the start, Laurie Petrou lets her reader into the secret that binds Penny and Hattie together, Sister of Mine then effortlessly moves forwards and backwards between various time periods to tell their story. Interestingly, the reader is never told the time frame but it’s clear enough from the experiences of the girls as to roughly how old they are. I felt that this was a brilliant touch as it added to the suspense and intrigue as to the direction of the book.
When the sisters first lost their mum, they lived in the family home however Penny meets Buddy and moves into his house which is only a few minutes away from Hattie. It is clear from the outset that this was not a happy marriage, one in which Penny was regularly abused. Following Buddy’s death, the sisters are living together again in the family home, Penny meets a kind stranger and brings him home for dinner one evening. Penny can see that there is an attraction between Hattie and Jameson so Penny selflessly steps aside to give her sister a chance at romance and happiness.
The sisters have a complex relationship, at times as thick as thieves but at other times there is a distance between them. Petrou has created two wonderful characters in Penny and Hattie, they are two incredibly complex women whose individual personalities are intrinsically linked to the other through their childhood experiences and their secret. For me, that is what this book is, a fascinating exploration into the bonds of sisters.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sister of Mine and look forward to reading more from Laurie Petrou.
Sister of Mine centres around Penny and Hattie, Penny is the older of the two and is our narrator, and what a wonderfully unreliable narrator she is! When the girls were younger their father walked out on their family which meant it was the girls with their mother for a long time, until their mother tragically dies. Right from the start, Laurie Petrou lets her reader into the secret that binds Penny and Hattie together, Sister of Mine then effortlessly moves forwards and backwards between various time periods to tell their story. Interestingly, the reader is never told the time frame but it’s clear enough from the experiences of the girls as to roughly how old they are. I felt that this was a brilliant touch as it added to the suspense and intrigue as to the direction of the book.
When the sisters first lost their mum, they lived in the family home however Penny meets Buddy and moves into his house which is only a few minutes away from Hattie. It is clear from the outset that this was not a happy marriage, one in which Penny was regularly abused. Following Buddy’s death, the sisters are living together again in the family home, Penny meets a kind stranger and brings him home for dinner one evening. Penny can see that there is an attraction between Hattie and Jameson so Penny selflessly steps aside to give her sister a chance at romance and happiness.
The sisters have a complex relationship, at times as thick as thieves but at other times there is a distance between them. Petrou has created two wonderful characters in Penny and Hattie, they are two incredibly complex women whose individual personalities are intrinsically linked to the other through their childhood experiences and their secret. For me, that is what this book is, a fascinating exploration into the bonds of sisters.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sister of Mine and look forward to reading more from Laurie Petrou.