The Good Sister
The Good Sister
By: Sally Hepworth
“Sisterly relationships are so strange. The way I can be mad at her but still want to please her. Be terrified of her and also want to run to her. Hate her and love her, both at the same time. Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best.”
Fern and Rose. Twins. With a close sisterly bond forged in a traumatic childhood. Plus a pretty cute relationship between one of the sisters and a stranger that resembles ‘Where's Wally?’ (aka Waldo-this is set in Australia) who lives in a big orange van. But there is a foreboding cloud hovering over all of them. I had my suspicions near the beginning but the situation is more sinister than I had first imagined.
The book has alternating chapters— present day from Fern’s POV and a mix of past and present told through the pages of Rose’s therapy journal.
We find out right away that Fern did something bad when they were 12. More and more is revealed as the book progresses. But we know from the outset it’s bad enough that they must keep it a secret.
While this book has several dimensions of story, the story is moved along by the plot that Fern finds out Rose is having a hard time conceiving a child and Fern decides to surprise her with a gift. A baby.
This drastically raises the stakes as we learn more about the sisters’ relationship and how Fern plans to accomplish her goal. There are hidden motives, a new romance, and the sinking feeling that things aren’t what they seem:
“I hate the feeling of not knowing my own mind, not trusting myself, even if the fact is that I’m not to be trusted.”
I think Fern is a pretty powerful character for Hepworth to depict. Though it’s not directly stated, her sensory sensitivities and struggles with understanding others’ feelings or certain social situations implies that she is probably somewhere on the Asberger’s spectrum. Since her chapters are told from her POV we get to be in her mind and see how she processes information and dialogue. I thought the author did a fantastic job portraying this and helping readers understand her.
Fern’s inner processing also adds humor and charm to the story as we spend days in the library with her as she goes about her typical day interacting with coworkers and library patrons.
[For all the book lovers out there, I’m throwing in this snippet we get about Fern’s previous boss at the library: “Janet had read every book in the library and told staff that our job was to be a frontline soldier in the war against illiteracy and lack of imagination.” Thanks librarians for fighting the fight! People need books!]
The beginning is actually a little slow-moving— it lulled me into a false sense that maybe this was more of a rom/com/drama type of story. But by 40-50% through, the intensity grows and the subtle panic sets in. The trap has been triggered...
I highly recommend this book!
This is a psychological thriller you’ll probably finish in one day— two tops.
“My sister holds the key to my sanity (even though I never gave it to her).”
And. That. Last. Page.
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
Pin this to Pinterest!