A review by lindsayslittlelibrary
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Twins, Rose and Fern, have an incredibly close relationship, but couldn’t be more opposite. Rose has brown hair and is short. Fern is blonde and tall. Rose has been married and Fern has never had a serious relationship. Rose is an interior designer and Fern works at a library. Rose can’t get pregnant and Fern can. Rose remembers their traumatic childhood and Fern loves and cares for their mom. One is a master manipulator and one has always been the victim to her sister’s schemes.

This book was recommended to me and I honestly didn’t know if I’d like it, but I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did! I’ve seen this book described as a thriller, but I think it’s more of a domestic drama with a twist. This story is told from two points of view. One is Rose’s perspective via her diary entries. The other is Fern’s present day viewpoint. Rose’s POV was very hard to read from because she frequently recalled the neglect and abuse they experienced as children. Fern’s POV was overall more interesting and you couldn’t help but find her character to be endearing.

While I liked this book a lot and do recommend reading it, I have to express how incredibly stressed out this book made me. I was frequently frustrated and had a lot of real anxiety throughout, especially towards the end. This was absolutely the author’s intention, and she did an amazing job evoking the right emotions, but this book was not the mental escape I normally seek through reading. Look up TWs if you need to. 

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. This book takes place in Australia, so listening to the accents was fun for me. The narrator did a great job telling this story!