Rating: 8/10
This is now my second book by Sally Hepworth so I kind of knew what I would be in for before I read The Good Sister. The first book I read by her was The Mother-In-Law, which you can check out here. I have to give a massive thanks to St Martin’s Press for sending me a free advanced review copy of this hotly anticipated read! I happened to have finished reading this book the night before it was published which was quite exciting! Ha It was released on April 13, 2021. I always have to throw in a Mystery/Thriller read and y’all know I’m a total sucker for my psychological thrillers. Let’s get on with the plot & review right?
Plot:
The setting is Brisbane, Australia. (I’m pretty sure it’s Brisbane! Haha I can’t fully remember - but definitely in Australia)
We follow two fraternal twin sisters, Rose & Fern. From the outside, everyone thinks that they’re as close as can be. Fern is the quirky sister, and Rose is the responsible one. The two sisters are completely devoted to one another and Rose has always been the protector from a very young age.
Their mother was a true sociopath who held her true nature from the world and only Rose could see this, and Fern needed to be protected by her sister. Fern always saw the good in everyone. When the sisters were much younger, Fern did something terrible, and Rose never told a soul about it. Fern wanted to repay her sister and she knew the perfect way to do it. Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart’s desire of having a baby. Rose soon realizes that Fern can make choices that to her, will have a terrible outcome. Rose doesn’t realize that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets that Rose is keeping. And one of the sisters will stop at nothing to get what she truly wants.
My Review:
Well then. What a book! I do have to say that Sally Hepworth always delivers when it comes to her psychological page turning thrillers. I do have to say that this book was more of a domestic thriller but it was still a gripping read.
We follow the lives of these two sisters who are extremely close to each other. I loved the character development in this read, so I do have to say that this aspect of the book was brilliant. We’re told the story from mostly Fern’s perspective but Rose does get to chime in here and there. Their relationship was quite believable. You have one sister who’s the stronger, more disciplined, independent and dominant one, and the other sister, Fern, is a bit more sensitive, quirky, and on the spectrum, of which Rose has always cared for. We follow them from a young age so we do understand quite early on the dynamics of their relationship.
The writing in this book was extremely gripping and was a massive page turner. It’s one of those books that you’re immediately drawn to once you start reading it. I wouldn’t say that it had much action or that there were some major twists or anything like that, but this book was ALL about the drama! Haha I think that’s what kept me hooked. As a massive psychological thriller reader, I actually kind of guessed I would say halfway through, on what the big twist was in this book. But I still wanted to read on and see how it would all play out. So in terms of shocking endings, there wasn’t one really, and you’re reading it more to see how the story plays out. I was pretty satisfied with it at the end! So well done Hepworth! Ha
The Good Sister was a fast-paced and intriguing read. I also loved that it dealt with mental health issues and developmental disorders and it made it a much more interesting book, especially with the dialogue in the book. I always like books where I get to learn something, and I definitely had the opportunity to take something away from this book and went off to research it further which I always appreciate in a good book. You definitely find yourself invested in the story and characters of this book. Highly recommend it for all women’s fiction & domestic thriller lovers out there. A perfect and easy read to read in between those heavy books!
Song Pick:
Oo this was a fun book to work with ! I knew I wanted a song about a relationship that used to be strong but also at the end, things change and things can never go back to the way they were. I also sort of knew the artist I wanted, so once I found listened to the lyrics of this track I knew it would be the perfect song for this book! I chose ‘Bad Blood’ by Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar. If you don’t know that song, well I suggest you take a listen to it here! Haha, also I love that it mentions blood in the lyrics because the characters in this book are sisters, and it totally fits in with the story of the book. Love a bit of Taylor Swift every now and then.
Click the Amazon link to order 'The Good Sister'.
Genre: Domestic Thriller | Mystery | Suspense
Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Pages: 320 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
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Check out my review for another Sally Hepworth read, The Mother-in-Law here, or click on the pic for my full review.
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