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A review by looseleafellie
The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade
5.0
In this speculative YA thriller, teenager Casey knows that her sister Sutton is a horrible person — but when Sutton goes missing, everyone is determined to paint her as an angel. And then, Sutton comes back, but she’s strangely different. As Casey unravels the truth of what happened to her sister, she realizes that Sutton isn’t the only girl who’s gone missing.
This is a super compelling read that I basically blew through in a single weekend! I was desperate to find out what happened to Sutton. The odd details of Sutton’s behavior created an eerie atmosphere that left me glancing over my shoulder just in case a monster was sneaking up on me.
The story is mostly told from Casey’s perspective, but there are some flashback chapters from Sutton too. The contrast between these chapters reveals that one or both of the sisters are unreliable narrators. Even after finishing the book, I’m still not totally sure who was telling the truth and when, and I LOVE that!
Ultimately, the book ended in a way that was unexpected but extremely satisfying. I really enjoy sister relationships and it was lovely seeing how this one evolved. I also thought the story cleverly pulled together themes of African-American ancestral ties, racism in how kidnapping victims are treated (or ignored), and ways of reclaiming heritage.
If you enjoy mystery/thrillers with an otherworldly twist, you should definitely pick this up!
CWs: Anti-Black racism, colorism, kidnapping, murder, bullying, religious bigotry, and discussions of slavery.
This is a super compelling read that I basically blew through in a single weekend! I was desperate to find out what happened to Sutton. The odd details of Sutton’s behavior created an eerie atmosphere that left me glancing over my shoulder just in case a monster was sneaking up on me.
The story is mostly told from Casey’s perspective, but there are some flashback chapters from Sutton too. The contrast between these chapters reveals that one or both of the sisters are unreliable narrators. Even after finishing the book, I’m still not totally sure who was telling the truth and when, and I LOVE that!
Ultimately, the book ended in a way that was unexpected but extremely satisfying. I really enjoy sister relationships and it was lovely seeing how this one evolved. I also thought the story cleverly pulled together themes of African-American ancestral ties, racism in how kidnapping victims are treated (or ignored), and ways of reclaiming heritage.
If you enjoy mystery/thrillers with an otherworldly twist, you should definitely pick this up!
CWs: Anti-Black racism, colorism, kidnapping, murder, bullying, religious bigotry, and discussions of slavery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Kidnapping
Moderate: Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Slavery