Review by shelfcarewithjess - My Sister's Shadow

shelfcarewithjess 's review for:

My Sister's Shadow by Danielle Jay

2.5

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

📚 Synopsis (Spoiler-Free):

When Jake returns to his childhood home he’s forced to confront everything he tried to leave behind — grief, fractured relationships, and the long shadow of his adopted sister Lucy, who vanished without a trace years ago. As the once-grand family estate decays around him, so too does any illusion that the past is truly in the past. Strange visions, rising tension, and long-buried secrets slowly unravel in this psychological thriller where nothing — and no one — is quite what they seem.

🧠 My Thoughts:

This was an ARC read and I feel a bit guilty for giving it a low rating, but I had several issues with it. I think fantasy has spoiled me a bit — I’d rather spend more time with a book that fully fleshes out its world and characters, even in a contemporary setting. Here, the setup is strong, but the delivery doesn’t quite land.

The story takes place not far from where I live, and yet something about the worldbuilding felt off. The depiction of the village and the “local bigwigs” didn’t quite capture the tone or nuance you’d expect from a setting like this. There were also inconsistencies in the main character’s family dynamics — especially around Jake’s relationship with his parents — that made it hard to stay engaged.

Plot-wise, I guessed the ending really early on, which made the second half feel a bit flat. The psychological tension never fully built up for me, and as a result, those later twists didn’t have the impact they were aiming for. There’s definitely a compelling concept here — grief, memory, family trauma — but the execution didn’t quite do it justice.

Content Warnings