Short Take: Infuriating. Depressing. Delicious.

*Note: I received a free advance copy of this book for review purposes.*

I think there’s something wrong with me, at least by society’s standards. You see, I’ve never watched any of the reality shows that The Favorite Sister seems to be modeled on. I have never kept up with a single Kardashian, and I have no idea who any of the Real Housewives are, or why there’s a show about cooking, cleaning, and wiping toddlers off (that’s housewife stuff, right?). I’m not trying to be snobby, I think I’ve amply demonstrated (many, many times) just how lowbrow my tastes really are, but the “women being nasty to each other in front of cameras” thing has never interested me.

So it was with a kind of anthropological fascination that I began Jessica Knoll’s newest book, The Favorite Sister, which is centered around the five women who make up the cast of a reality show called Goal Diggers. Diggers is supposed to be the anti-trash show, featuring women who are smart, business savvy, hip, young, and successful. Its mission statement is full of grandiose feminist ideals, in which the women support each other’s endeavors and celebrate their own successes instead of downplaying them.

So far, so good, right?

The problem, it turns out, is that awesome strong women getting along makes for boring TV, and probably boring reading. Which is why The Favorite Sister is so freakin’ good, but at the same time, so deeply upsetting.

There are two levels to The Favorite Sister. The first is the plot itself, which is FANTASTIC. The sisters are Brett and Kelly Courtney. Kelly was always the favorite, the golden child who received endless love and attention from their mother, and went on to become a single teenage mother to Layla, who is now twelve. Brett, on the other hand, went her own way. She founded a chain of spin gyms that also benefited charity, and was the first one cast on Goal Diggers.

It’s a really brilliant dynamic. Which sister had it worse - the one who was so smothered by parental adoration and demands that she never really became a functional adult, or the one who felt unloved her whole life, but went on to do great things? Clearly, that kind of dysfunction can be reality show gold, so a few seasons in, the producers added Kelly and Layla to the show.

The book opens with Kelly being interviewed about Brett’s murder, which is, of course, the huge central mystery. But there’s really so much more to everything. There’s also Stephanie, who wrote a best-selling memoir, and Jen, the Vegan Guru, and Lauren, the heavily alcoholic founder of a hot dating site. Toss in a couple of producers who just want to blow up the ratings and get lots of on-air drama and are willing to pull some nasty tricks to that end, and you have a deliciously twisted soap opera that I could NOT. Stop. Reading.

There’s another level to The Favorite Sister, however, and that’s the message that it sends. For all the feminist rhetoric spouted by the various characters, these women are exactly what the more awful corners of Reddit claim that all women are: they are shallow, catty, materialistic, status-obsessed, fighting over men, hurting each other for attention, lying about abuse, and turning every interaction into a zero sum game. There’s not a single speck of loyalty, caring, or any genuine support for anyone else, ever, at all, by any of them. Any seemingly kind gesture is for the benefit of the cameras or career only.

It’s horrifying, but not in a good “disembodied head floating around the room and cursing everyone” kind of way. I’m left wondering if Ms. Knoll meant for Favorite Sister to be kind of a satire, but it just doesn’t read that way.

Overall though, I couldn’t put this book down, and read through it in a single night, and now it’s three days later and I’m still obsessing over it. So I would say, read it, enjoy it, and don’t internalize a word of it.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and carbs. Lots of carbs.)

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

Intriguing premise, 5 women on a reality show called Goal Diggers – right? Although I can’t bear to watch shows like Real Housewives or KUWTK, the fact that this was described as “Big Little Lies meets Real Housewives” made me somewhat optimistic that it might be a guilty pleasure kind of read – sort of like the book Bachelor Nation. With thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of Jessica Knoll’s The Favorite Sister in return for my honest review, I apologetically confess that I couldn’t finish it.

Admittedly, my TBR pile is in double digits, and I am feeling some time pressure to get it together, but life is just too short to spend time reading something where you just can’t stand ANY of the characters, especially when one character is murdered and you realize you sort of wish more of them would meet the same fate.

Looking at some other reviews, I think this will be PERFECT for many readers. If I were still working in a public library, I know I would be able to recommend it wholeheartedly to lots of library patrons. Sort of how I used to say when people would ask me about the latest Danielle Steel book: “It’s VERY popular!”

So, for me this is a one star review. Just not for me, but as I said above, it will be great for lots of people.

My final rating for The Favorite Sister would be between a 4 and 4.5-stars. I really, really enjoyed this. It wasn't what I expected and it is not really the type of book I would normally pick up for myself but regardless, it was a blast to read. Since finishing, I have been thinking about how best to classify this one. We know the world loves to categorize things - as this book definitely points out! I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as a thriller if I were discussing it with friends. I found it more 'contemporary women's fiction' than 'thriller'. There is a dead character, you know that from the beginning and then the narrative fills in, taking you through the events leading up to that death; but I personally didn't feel it was psychologically suspenseful. It was a great character piece; the characters were full of it - ambition and snark galore!
In addition to very strong character development, I loved the overall writing style. It was very modern - full of current pop culture references and slang. I had never read a book that follows a cast of reality television stars...in fact, I don't even watch reality television. The author did a wonderful job of creating a fun and fast-paced novel that actually had a much deeper level of societal analysis; misogyny, feminism, women/women relationships - I ended up being pleasantly surprised by this! The way the author constructed the relationships of these women laid bare a common problem - we are raised, as women, within a society that forces us to view other females as a constant source of threat and competition - statistically, very few women succeed at the levels the characters in this story succeed - so if your friend is succeeding, does that mean there is no room for you too? Maybe I am reading too much into it but I felt this was an excellent expose on the current state of the feminist movement/status of women in American society!
My only negative, and it is a very small one, would be that I felt through the middle it dragged just a little bit. Besides that, the pacing on the front and back-end were both excellent. Thank you so much to the publisher for allowing me to read this book early and to share my thoughts on it. I am really looking forward to this book being released and to reading other people's opinions on it. I think it is going to be well received and I will definitely be recommending it to some friends!

I haven’t read Luckiest Girl Alive, but had heard great things so was drawn to pick up this one. I also have been loving mystery/thrillers lately so had high hopes for this.

The plot is based on a reality TV show, Goal Diggers, set in NYC, and we know at the outset that one of the stars of the show has been murdered. The story then goes back in time putting the pieces of the story together. I was totally sold on this blurb and thought it’d make a cracking story!

How wrong I was!

So much of the content of this book was just so so negative - awful descriptions of women laying into other women, gossiping, bitching, negative body image calls outs left, right and centre! It just kept getting worse, and I almost did not finish the book because of this.

The other really frustrating thing was I feel like the book is incorrectly described as a mystery/thriller - to me, there was a complete absence of this for the entire plot. Yes there was a murder. But until 90% into the story, there was nothing even remotely close to the genre for me. While the twists in the plot at the end were ok, I didn’t think they amounted to ‘thriller’ like at all.

Really disappointed with this one, but will perhaps give the authors earlier novel a try at a later date.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for my review copy of this book..

This book is for the type of woman who watches reality TV shows solely for the cat fights. Who loves drama, backstabbing, lying, deceit- not in their own life of course, but loves to watch it play out at a safe distance, weekly, preferably while holding a glass of something alcoholic. Live tweeting optional. If that description vaguely sounds like you, then I'm willing to bet you would love this book.

I myself do not fit into the above description, but I do like to finish what I start. I'll have to admit, that I often found the dialogue to be witty and even informative (thank you for defining Casamigos as well as all of the other fashion fads I am completely oblivious to). Even so, it was a bit of a struggle to finish. It should come as no surprise that there are no likable characters and the plot mirrors that of a reality show- lots of talking, without much being said. In the end, I was mildly entertained, then quickly picked up the remote to see what else was on.

Although someone is murdered, this is more of a Real Housewives/Desperate Housewives kinda book. Chick lit and full of drama. I'm not really into reality TV, so maybe this book wasn't for me. We are introduced to several characters right from the start and it was difficult to keep them straight l, as they are all obnoxious and selfish. I think the book was well-written and executed, just not for me.

Juicy, dramatic and compulsive, this is a fun thriller that will appeal to fans of Knoll's debut, Luckiest Girl Alive, as well as reality TV viewers (especially The Real Housewives Of...) Twisted, funny and definitely one to be read in a single sitting. I had a lot of fun with this and think it will be a hit with readers of domestic thrillers and women's fiction.

Calling all Real Housewives fans, line up ladies, because have I got THE perfect juicy summer read for you! If you’re a fan of any reality TV shows I have a feeling this book will be for you actually, it’s like getting an insiders look into the making of a reality show with the added bonus of a murder mystery, I mean is there anything better?! Not to me, and this will be one of the most talked about books this summer, I have no doubt about it, so mark your calendars.

It took me a little while to keep the cast of characters straight here, you’re thrust right into the action and keeping all the players and their over the top personalities and complex lives separate took a bit of time. The beginning is also setting the stage for what’s to come later, so be patient to start and the reward will come later, and believe me, it really does! You hear from Brett, her sister Kelly and Stephanie, Brett’s ex BFF and man do they have a lot to say. These are women with strong and loud opinions, bad ass entrepreneurs, boss bitches, exactly the type of women who dominate shows like RH, but their fictional show, Goal Diggers has a female empowerment edge that eschews traditional roles and this book had a lot to say about current social issues, especially those effecting women today. Sure, reality TV isn’t the classiest setting for feminism, but it’s sure as hell makes for an entertaining read!

This was juicy and a little campy, Knoll has an acerbic wit and her pop culture references were so on point and hilarious. She created a cast of characters that were, at face value inspiring, strong women but underneath the surface they were actually all hiding some pretty dark secrets. They’re they type of people that you love to hate when you watch reality TV and in the end I can’t decide if I really liked any of them, but that didn’t stop me from being fascinated by them. They are cutthroat and super driven and will do all sorts of messy and shady things to get what they want, again how could I not be entertained?! Plan to pack this in your beach bag this summer and prepare for some drama…

The Favorite Sister in three words: Biting, Dramatic and Edgy.

I received a free copy of The Favorite Sister from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Knoll's second novel focuses on the relationships of 5 women staring on a reality show about entrepreneurial women but these women have more to hide. They jockey for control of story lines, throw each other under the bus and manipulate their public image, but how does one of the women end up dead?

Brett has been on Goal Diggers for a few season now as the lovable underdog but this season things are changing. She is the owner and face of a wildly successful fitness company in NYC, despite being the "fat" one on the show. She has a beautiful girlfriend. Her charity is rescuing girls in Northern Africa. Now her sister and niece are joining the show. But all is not perfect in her world. She is publicly feuding with costar and former best friend Stephanie. Her sister is cozying up with her arch nemesis and the other cast members are actively trying to get her off the show.

I was excited to read Jessica Knoll's new book since I like her first novel so much. The story is timely with the Real Housewives franchises still dominating television. I like Knoll's take on the background story of a "reality" show and how producers and cast members manipulate the way reality is depicted. I had a hard time with the flow of the writing as there are a lot of wandering thoughts or excess descriptions that side track from the story. I also didn't find a character to latch on to that I really liked. I think this is why some reviewers, myself included, struggled with this book.

I really wanted to love this book and was excited when I saw the author had a new book coming out. I loved and could not put down luckiest girl Alive. However, the same can not be said for her newest novel *the favorite sister*. It was a slow read; found myself putting it down and going to another book I was reading several times. It just did not grab my attention. Confusing at most points in the novel; too many characters I think trying to follow and keep them all straight played a huge part in this.


**Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for advanced copy for honest review

I started this book months ago and I just couldn't finish it. I went back to it on several occasions after finishing other books I was reading, and still, I couldn't bring myself to get into the book. I really wanted to finish this so I could give a fair review on its entirety. I'm sorry, I give up.

From what I've read so far, I didn't find the characters likable.

Jessica Knoll's follow up to 2015's "Luckiest Girl Alive" is set behind the scenes of a reality TV show focusing on a group of female entrepreneurs in New York City. Some elements of the story are highly engaging - Knoll is skilled at developing interesting characters with complex backgrounds and strong voices. With that said, it is sometimes hard to separate one character from another in this ensemble-driven novel, and a number of intersecting plotlines makes for a confusing read.

The Favorite Sister was entertaining and a little thought provoking. Can successful women support each other, or has misogyny indoctrinated women that raising up your female peers means lowering yourself? The book posed some interesting ideas while appearing innocuous. I would not call this a thriller as some parts felt far too descriptive and unnecessarily slow, but rather a slow burning mystery. Jessica Knoll pleasantly surprised me with the release of her second novel; I was not a particular fan of her first.

This ARC was given to me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review by NetGalley.

I did not like this book at all. It was not good. I didn’t realize it was a reality type story. Like reality tv show. Just could not finish it.

Although I read The Luckiest Girl Alive and really enjoyed it, after getting about 20% in, I could not finish this book. I found the characters to be shallow, the setting to be mind-numbing, and the 'mystery' not that compelling. I am sure there is an audience for this type of book - I just don't think it is me (I do not watch reality TV, and have no interest in the people that inhabit that world). My apologies.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, it’s based on reality television which I love and watch regularly. I thought all of the behind the scenes parts were interesting and also like Unreal, the fake bachelor show. On the other hand, I found the book to be heavy and slow at times. There were also tons of names to keep straight.

I enjoyed reading the book and I would recommend to others who like reality tv and especially the Real housewives. I would pass if reality tv isn’t your thing.

I do love a soapy and sudsy mystery, and given my weakness for books with poorly behaved people having catfights with each other I had high hopes for THE FAVORITE SISTER. The story itself really kept me enthralled as I read it, and there were so many twists and turns that my head was spinning. I will admit that I didn't correctly guess any of the big reveals, and that I was genuinely surprised as the story went on and more secrets came out. But I think that the reason that I didn't really connect with it on the character level was that every single person in the book was totally unlikable (except perhaps Layla, Brett's niece, but she's TWELVE, so of course she's going to be okay by comparison). I appreciated the commentary on how women really can never have it all and are always judged by society and each other, even when supposedly lifted up for their ambition and drive, but man were these characters all reprehensible. The main character in LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE was also pretty unlikable, but I feel like she was given enough depth and complexity and backstory that her actions were understandable. The closest we got in this was Stephanie, as he character opened up a lot of room to address racism and tokenism and how damaging it can be for those who are victims of it.... But ultimately, she was just a terrible person and just came off as a caricature, which kind of derailed the commentary.

I think that if you are just looking for women behaving badly THE FAVORITE SISTER may scratch that itch, but I had hoped that there would be a bit more beneath the surface to it.

Because I am a fan of The Luckiest Girl Alive, I was thrilled to receive an arc copy of this book from net galley. I was not disappointed! While the 2 books are wildly different, they are meaty in their own ways. The Favorite Sister is more of a slow burn, building up to a shock of an ending. It dives into how women's relationships run hot & cold at the same time. There is no relationship as complicated as one of sisters! The authors note at the end tells why she wrote this story, & the thought process behind it. Very thought-provoking.

I wasn’t quite prepared for the malicious hilarity this book entailed. I had read Jessica Knoll’s previous novel, Luckiest Girl Alive, and while it was good, this is better by far. The Favorite Sister sounded so salacious I knew I had to ask for an ARC. Being a huge fan of all the Housewives shows, this sounded like a perfect, new read that was unlike anything out at the moment.

Again, I was seriously unprepared for how funny and twisted this book would be. Not only was there backstabbing, cheating scandals, vicious rumors and copious amounts of lying, there was a hysterical element that was entertaining as hell. These women/characters say the most effed up things to each other, AND IT’S HILARIOUS!! You’re basically watching an episode of The Real Housewives. This book had me gasping with a wide open mouth. Some of the smack that comes out of their mouths (and in their minds) is S H O C K I N G.

The author unleashes some hateful observations about the other female characters. Some so dark and hurtful, there’s no doubt we’ve all thought those same feelings at one point or another. (Or maybe just me?) But the accuracy of these unsettling, painful comments is what makes the book so realistic. Sure, some of my favorite lines that made me laugh out loud (which is so rare for a book to do) are so twisted and cruel that you can’t help but gawk at the viciousness someone would have to think such a thing.

"You have a small penis and if we were the last two people on earth I would rather masturbate"

That pretty much sums up the extent of this book. How catty their comments are and how judgmental and selfish they can be all the way up until the end. There were a few chapters that were a weeee bit too long and lengthy for me, but it's all worth it in the end. Did not deduct points for that.

If you loved Luckiest Girl Alive, I truly believe you will eat this one up. It’s so binge worthy, I just had the unfortunate timing that it took me a solid two weeks to finish because life got crazy. But I wanted to go back to my Goal Diggers to see what dramatic events happened next!!!

The road this story goes down is a dark one, filled with bumps and swerves, minor braking, accelerating at high speeds, and side streets that will have you wondering how the author was capable of creating such a fascinating, hate-filled story. There are many shocking revelations that will blow your minds. So much so that you'll be begging for another season of these bitches.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly didn't even finish this book because I couldn't get past the first couple chapters. The characters just annoyed me so much, I felt it wasn't worth trudging through.