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A review by jessalynn_librarian
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
3.0
With a slightly gothic feel, a late 19th century setting, mysterious deaths, crippled brothers, possibly-evil sisters, new friends who can communicate with the spirit world, and an ancient prophecy that gives our heroine a role she'd rather not have, this story should appeal to readers who like a little bit of the supernatural without too much of the scary. The combination of fantasy and historical elements reminded me of [a:Libba Bray|2526|Libba Bray|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206563678p2/2526.jpg]'s Gemma Doyle books, although the mood and style are distinct. Lia's world is lighter on the historical details, but the fantastical elements feel better integrated into the mythology of the story. And while much of the focus in the Gemma Doyle books is on the friendships between the girls, Lia's friendships are less fraught and her friends share more of the weight of the prophecy.
Particularly interesting is Lia's relationship with her twin sister, which is often cold and hostile, yet the sister manages to come across as occasionally sympathetic all the same. If this dichotomy continues to develop, she could be a fascinating character, but if she becomes two-dimensional, a lot of the zip would go out of the story. Which brings me to my main issue with the book - no one told me it was the beginning of a series! It's not terribly long, and in the last third or so of the book I started to wonder how on earth Zink was going to tie things up so quickly. Not only are we left hanging on the overarching story of the prophecy, but smaller questions are also left unresolved as the story closes. Personally, I don't know if I would bother to keep reading, but I'll definitely keep this in mind to recommend to fans of the gothic and supernatural. It's got a YA feel to it, but I would recommend it to middle schoolers, too.
Particularly interesting is Lia's relationship with her twin sister, which is often cold and hostile, yet the sister manages to come across as occasionally sympathetic all the same. If this dichotomy continues to develop, she could be a fascinating character, but if she becomes two-dimensional, a lot of the zip would go out of the story. Which brings me to my main issue with the book - no one told me it was the beginning of a series! It's not terribly long, and in the last third or so of the book I started to wonder how on earth Zink was going to tie things up so quickly. Not only are we left hanging on the overarching story of the prophecy, but smaller questions are also left unresolved as the story closes. Personally, I don't know if I would bother to keep reading, but I'll definitely keep this in mind to recommend to fans of the gothic and supernatural. It's got a YA feel to it, but I would recommend it to middle schoolers, too.