Three little girls set off to school one morning. Something happens and within an hour one of them is dead, Fifteen years on Kitty lives in a care home unable to speak or remember her past. Her half sister Alison, seems fine on the outside but is struggling with life. Someone is watching Alison and can watch her even closer when she takes a job as an art teacher in a local prison. An interesting story which was twisty and interesting.

Three girls head to school. Before the bell rings one is dead, another catastrophically injured, and the third left to pick up her fragments and live with her guilt. 15 years later Kitty resides in a care home, unable to care for herself or communicate. Her sister Alison lives a deliberately solitary existence, only seeing her art students. When she sees a job advertised for an art teacher in a local prison she seized the chance.....maybe she can still set some thing right....

Imagine a mystery wrapped in an enigma contained in a riddle and all bound up with a solidly brilliant plot. Imagining it.....well there's no need because it's all in this book. Jane Corry has taken several delicate issues and handled them sensitively, the main one been Kitty's disabilities and those of the people she lives with. Having worked and lived with special needs people I felt she captured the way many care homes and day centres are perfectly. And she really hit on the fact that isn't because someone has special needs it doesn't mean they can't be an a-hole too. Not a pc view I know but it's true.

The story flits between the time of the accident to 'now' and Kitty's and Alison's very different existences. They novel melds the stories perfectly right up to the very satisfying ending. 5 stars easily given for this excellent thriller.

I received this from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is a tale of two sisters Alison and Kitty who were involved in a dreadful car accident when Alison was 18 and Kitty was 11. A friend of Kitty’s died and Kitty was so seriously injured that she’s in care home unable to speak or communicate effectively with serious physical limitations. Alison, as the older sister with responsibility for the younger two on the day of the accident, is mentally scarred and still trying to come to terms with what happened that day and event leading up to it.

The story is told in two timescale, near present day and going back to 2001 when the accident happened. It’s told from both Alison and Kitty’s perspectives. I found some of this tedious and although Kitty can have some fairly rational thoughts in her head those around cannot interpret them so this makes for very disjointed dialogue and quite a lot of profanity.

There are many twists and turns are come at a good pace throughout the book keeping the reader engaged. I did struggle to believe the behaviour of some characters and also the idea of a ‘talking machine’ to read Kitty’s brainwaves. But, nevertheless, it was a decent read and kept me gripped.

One big reservation I have is the way self-harm is portrayed. Mental wellbeing is a big topic these days and needs to be approached very carefully. I felt this portrayal of self-harm was borderline on normalising it and giving young people (especially but others too) too many ideas.

Fifteen years later, Alison and Kitty are living separate lives. Kitty is in a care home. She cannot speak and has no memory of the accident that put her there or her life before it.

Alison is an art teacher. She looks fine on the surface but underneath she is far from well. When a job comes up in a prison she decides to take it – this is her chance to finally make things right.

However, someone is watching Kitty and Alison; someone who wants revenge for what happened that day and only another life will do…

A thoroughly good book although it is a little long (400 pages). The story starts quite slowly but does ramp up as the book goes along and has many twists and turns as well as a final twist at the end which is difficult to see coming.

It gives an insight into how people cope or not with bad situations that occur in life and the research into various disabilities used in the book have been carried out comprehensively and with care and compassion.

A good book which is very enjoyable.

Helen

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Three girls on the way to school. Two sisters, one best friend. Secrets. Minutes later, one is dead, one severely injured and destined to be in a care home , one unhurt. Only Alison and her sister Kitty know what really happened that day and Kitty cannot communicate with others.

There are a few diversions along the way but gradually the story reveals itself . I loved the character of Kitty - we know all her thoughts but no-one in the book does. Alison finds her guilt to much and begins to unravel but it is only when a way is found for Kitty to communicate that the truth - and the real secret - come out.

A real page turner ! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.

I really enjoyed this book, it was different to what I had previously read. I was totally lost in the plot, which is something that really important to myself that I can escape into a book. I highly recommend this book to friends and would even purchase it for them.

This book was incredible. Honestly. One of the best books I've read this year, and I've read a lot! I absolutely adored the inclusion of Kitty's POV and I felt Cory handled her disability with the utmost sensitivity. It really made me think and not only was it a clever device in terms of tension (as a reader, I shared Kitty's sense of frustration), but it also allowed Corry to utilise the 'unreliable narrator' in a unique way. Everything about this book felt fresh and new - the characters, the structure and the twists. Although it was complex, every element of this novel added to the story, and it flowed perfectly from beginning to end, despite the time jumps and the 2 POV's. I can't think of a single thing I'd change about this book, and I'd recommend it to everyone!

This is the story of three girls. Alice and Kitty who are half sisters and Vanesa who is Kitty’s Blood sister. It is a story of jealousy, teenage girls and tragedy. An accident occurs and Vanessa is killed and Kitty left severely disabled and brain damaged. Alison believes it was all her fault and there is no-one around to prove otherwise. Years later with new development Kitty is finally released from her world to say what really happened. This has a twist at the end which I didn’t see coming!

Let me just say that the cover and the blurb sucked me right in. I knew straight away that I had to read this story. The author didn't disappoint me as I loved this story.

"Three little girls. One good. One bad. One dead. "

The story is told through two points of view in different time zones. Alison and Kitty. Alison is an art teacher who takes a second job in a prison. Kitty can't speak and has no memory of the accident that has her living in a care home.

I found myself reading this in one day as it's addictive reading. So many questions needed answers that I was reluctant to put this book down. Although I thought it started off slow once I got into it the pace did pick up.

A really well written story full of secrets and twists. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

This book Blood Sisters was so outstandingly brilliant, that it is definitely one of my top reads for 2017.

I was totally lost within the story from start to finish, it was gripping, addictively good and literally had me sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what would happen next. There was a fair few moments when I gasped at what I was reading and a lot of oh my gods, really or wow didn't see that coming. It was a real page turner and just when you think you know what is going to happen next, you get the unexpected.

I was truly impressed by the storyplot of this book, was all so very cleverly done and how well the author wrote the  characters, so in-depth and real. This book definitely has the triple WOW factor for me.

I can't recommend this book enough, it is a must read for 2017. You will not be disappointed.

Where do I begin? I read this in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. It's gripping, easy reading full of twists and turns and portrays the sister relationship accurately.

Loved this book from start to finish.... great read. Thanks for the advanced copy. This felt like reading - The Ice Twins - all over again!!

Will add to Summer reading blog recommendations.

I really loved My Husband's Wife when I read it last year. So much so that I have to admit I was a little scared that this latest offering would not stand up to my expectations. Soon after starting it, I realised that my fears were totally unfounded as I simply devoured this one too.
Alison and Kitty are the two survivors of a childhood accident in which one girl died. Although physically unharmed, Alison is still suffering psychologically but Kitty is in a care home, with limited mobility, no speech and little memory of what happened to her. Alison is an college art teacher and one day she spots a notice advertising a teacher-in-residence job in a prison. Still atoning for what happened she feels she has to take the job, well, that and she needs the money. Soon after starting, she begins to receive strange notes and feels someone is watching her. Kitty meanwhile is very frustrated as she can't voice her thoughts. She desperately wants to know what happened to her but is unable to vocalise her needs. What happens next is an extremely well plotted journey, peeling back the layers that have build up around our two main characters since the accident. We go back to their childhoods and see what happened in the build up. Back in the present, it becomes evident that what is happening now is connected back to that day. Will we ever get to the truth? And who needs it the most and what will they do to get it?
Well, this was the book that kept on giving. Just when I thought I had it all worked out, the author spun me around and set me off in another direction. Not without good cause I hasten to add as the characters were spinning quite a bit too. It was also quite original to me in nature and storyline. Something hard to achieve given the sheer volume of this genre book that I read. I found that very refreshing indeed.
The two key locations in the book were also either very well researched or the author has personal experience, and I found both the prison and the care home to be very credible and interesting places. I especially loved Kitty's inner thoughts and really felt for her frustration in being able to communicate them, all attempts being misinterpreted as acting out. Alison was a little harder to get to know. I took a little time warming to her but definitely got there in the end.
Pacing was also very good. I wouldn't say that this is a book that hits the ground running. It starts off at a gentle pace, most of the psychological stuff being cerebral rather than physical and the chapters set in the past are quite slow paced as they are mostly background and scene setting, albeit very important wrt to complementing and explaining what is happening in the present. Delivered in short punchy, sometime cliff-hanging chapters, this book was for me extremely hard to put down when my life insisted I do other things!
In the acknowledgements, the author does admit to taking a few liberties with certain things that I myself also queried but as all taken were integral to the plot and more or less within the bounds of credibility I was well easily able to forgive her for them. Indeed, the subject matter did having me resorting to google to find out more.
Aside from the main story, we also dove into both Kitty and Alison's lives. I definitely had my eyes opened by Kitty's day to day struggles and what happened to her along the way. I also really really want to try my hand at stained glass now too! I found that instead of distracting me from the storyline, their individual stories became integral in building up and defining their characters which, for me, meant that this was a very character driven book which, given the slower paced, more cerebral aspect of the psychological element, meant for a better overall read.
All in all, an excellent read that ticked every box for me along the way and that left me totally satisfied at the end. That is, apart from a nagging yearning for her next book. I hope not to have to wait too long.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Blood Sisters is an intriguing narrative written from the point of view of two sisters. The novel starts well and draws the reader in, however, in my opinion the book seems to gradually lose its way. Although we would expect twists and turns in a novel of this genre the plot became rather incredulous. That said, characterisation was good. I particularly enjoyed hearing Kitty's point of view and witnessing her struggle to communicate so I did want to read to the end and find out what had actually happened on the day of the accident.

I do enjoy a psychological thriller that goes into different difficult and complex situations, and feel this one does exactly that.

Based on secrets, lies and guilt the plot unfolds from the two sisters perspectives. Intertwining the present and past to reveal the impact and consequences of the actions and choices people make. The storyline contains so many twists and turns you don't know which directions you are going in, definitely one to read.

Thank you Jane Corry, Netgalley, and Penguin for allowing me to review this book.

I am reviewing Blood Sisters, by Jane Corry. Here's what I thought:

^^ Three little girls. One good. One bad. One dead.

^^ This is a story of three parts, told by two different ladies, half sisters, Alison and Kitty, both of whom are living very different lives. Alison recently got a job in an men's open prison and Kitty has been living in a care home, disabled, unable to speak and with no memory of what happened to her.

^^ After a series of "too good to be true" coincidences at the beginning, I thought to myself, early readers of this book are not going to like this, because a lot of what was happening appeared unbelievable and realistic. I almost stopped reading myself, but then decided against it as I wanted to see how it all panned out. After all, the author, Jane Corry is not stupid, there must be some trick up her sleeve, right? At least this is what I hoped...

^^ I'm so glad I carried on, for not long after it all became clear and what on the surface seemed like a simple novel about sibling rivalry actually turned out to something much more complex and shocking. Just as I had suspected. It turned out to be a very well written, satisfying and most enjoyable read. Very cleverly thought out.

Overall: Whether you can't get past the coincidences is something only you can decide, but I thoroughly enjoyed this, and the reasons behind it. Towards the end there was quite simply one twist after the other. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, I was proved wrong. Again. I thought about giving this four stars, because of the false start, but no, in my opinion it's still worthy of five!

Blood sisters invites you into the lives of Alison and Kitty who in their own way are dealing with the after effects of a childhood accident.
An okay book with a few twists and turns although not the best book I've read by Jane Corry.

This was an interesting read, with some mystery and thriller aspects but basically a family drama that stretched on for far too long. We follow two young women in the search for the truth, resolution and redemption. That's how I would summarize it. I enjoyed it, I was enjoying it but there came I point where I just wanted to get to the end already. Too many variables entered the pictured to give the mystery more depth but for me, didn't quite work.

This was my first contact with Jane Corry's writing and I must say I didn't anything to complain about in that respect. The introduction to characters, descriptions and interaction were very clear and concise. I found especially thrilling Kitty's point of view. Her train of thought really seemed like a little girl's and that's why I was a bit confused as to how old she really was, but that only proves that the writing was on point. Still I didn't connect with this as I had hoped! 
The story alternated between the two main characters introducing also a look into the past and present. This change in personality and also in time period didn't feel forced and was very easy to follow. I am grateful for that because sometimes novels that do flashback they don't do it in such a coherent way.

This is where things start to get complicated. Like I previously said the story takes part in the UK where we follow a couple of young women. An artsy and severely damaged woman who starts in a new place of work (certainly a unique place to work for her) and another deranged (ok yes, I might be overreaction, I just didn't like her at all) one living in a home for people who need special care. What's the connection? Well, a secret (better said, secrets) and naughty behaviour.
We pick up years after an accident happen which ended up affecting, in the worst ways, a lot of people. Alison starts trying to pick up pieces and trying to redeem herself. She gives the impression of being a fugitive because she has a very secretive and solitary life. When she meets someone new, and immediately starts in a new job she starts to get paranoid but lives goes by. As for Kitty. she is not as vegetative as she seems for the outer world but still her situation only made me feel sympathy for her at the beginning, because as the story progressed we really got to meet her and... let me just say, there wasn't much to safe there.
When this two characters finally come together, the mystery starts to unravel, slowly (too slowly). Let's just say everything doesn't come completely clear right until the last page. That's why I was so frustrated. I liked how the characters were introduced and how the story progressed but it was too slow-paced. Every time we were given some notion, some clue of what happened 15 years ago, something new came along and it just kept stretching and stretching until all of our players came together to unfold the truth. New things kept coming, new surprises, although most of them quite predictable (I guess first impression most of times are correct).
And that ending?? Well, that felt more like a history repeating itself, but with nicer and much less catastrophic results.
Overall this story had some good points and I can see the good intentions and potential. For me didn't make the final cut it could have and I think that might have been because the author tried to make the story extra complicated. If that was the case, well let's say it backfired.

We mainly follow the sun and the shadow or as you might know them Kitty and Alison.
Alison is sweet but not perfect. She is nothing like her young self. She was never as strong or as independent as she would have liked and after what she lost with the accident her life ended up taking a 180 degree turn. Ultimately she is good-hearted, or at least that's the image she  projects.
Kitty is a bossy drama queen that cannot get enough of herself. You might feel sad for her situation, of course, but other than that she doesn't do anything to gain any kind of sympathy from the reader. Yes, you discover that there something there, very well hidden, but still it wasn't enough for me to appreciate her.
Let's just say the family was a very complex one. A mother I didn't feel much for. I was sympathetic towards her but I just didn't care enough. The father/step father didn't have as much screen time as you would have hoped but he really did have importance.

A fantastic book that I sat up until 3am to finish reading as I was totally engrossed in the story of the two girls.
Kitty is a fascinating person who the author has given a blow by blow account of how it must feel to be trapped inside one’s own body, unable to speak. Despite being such a Princess the reader cannot help feeling sorry for her and the actions she takes to try to be understood. Jane Corry has managed to make Kitty not just a person to pity but tells her life inside the care home with an incredible humour that makes the reader laugh out loud.
Alison, in sharp contrast, has a confusing personality from the start but yet is equally lovable and all the way through I was trying to sort her issues out. I have to say that although I did see a part of the ending I did not see it all.
The background characters are so well described that they were alive. I particularly loved the stories of Alison when she was artist in residence in the Open Prison as this really began to bring so much together.
The title is made clear on more than one occasion and fits in well with the story. I loved the book and would certainly recommend this author to all my friends.

Well done Jane you have done it again, a brilliant book that kept me up all night, a fantastic, gripping read and I would highly recommend. Please lets have another book as your style of writing is second to none.

Three girls walking to school, moments later one of them is dead and for the two survivors life will never be the same again.

This story is told across two timelines, 2001 when the accident happened and 2016 onwards to how Kitty and Alison are now dealing with what happened. This is the first book I've read by this author and she certainly knows how to draw you in, the story does start off slow but once you get into it and get woven into the lies and deceit that is evident you are hooked. There are many twists and surprises along the way but it's the final twist which leaves you with mouth open thinking 'no way'!

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author. I would like to thank Penguin Books UK for approving me on Netgalley and will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.