i thought there were really great discussions on generational trauma and healing and how people -- most specifically the blank community -- are affected by how their ancestors were treated. however, the pacing was incredibly off. things that should've happened in the 30-50% range were happening in the 70-85% range, and the ending felt incredibly rushed and unresolved. i wanted to love this, but unfortunately it wasn't for me

My sister is a bitch, but that doesn't mean I want her dead. One of my favourite quotes and reminder of long lasting siblings' love.

This tale is told mainly from the point of view of a well off, mixed race but mainly African American teenage girl. Due to her position, she has some liberal views that direct some of her narrative thinking. Such thoughts like about racism, privilege, and class and how they, in the main character's point of view, may have had an impact on who and how her sister was searched for and what may be wrong. These "politics" do not have a huge effect the overall story, but if you are sensitive to such things, I would say this book is not for you. While I did not agree with every one of Casey's opinions, I did not mind stepping into someone else’s shoes for a different take. This is what storytelling sometimes is. Different perspectives that we have to be open to. Often times these make the book even better.

A compelling and intense read with a mystery that had me powering through this book, desperate to know what was going on. I loved all of the historical aspects of the story. Their father is a historian researching their family tree and its roots in slavery. I found this very fascinating because many families were broken up and sold, and they may have never found each other again. Overall I enjoyed this story. I do wish however considering the time it took to buildup to the conclusion that a little more was put into the big reveal because it kind of just served as “here it is” the end. It felt a little rushed.

Wow! I finished this book in less than 2 days because I could not out it down. The cover is gorgeous. Butterflies and all the flowers drew me in immediately. The premise was so interesting. I was expecting a usual thriller but nothing could have prepared me for the actual twist ending. It was definitely not something I was expecting. The story tackles social issues that are faced by people of color in our community. It also discusses the importance of family, remembering our ancestors and remembering that we can always find our way back to our family. A wonderful book from an amazing author. I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an eARC of The Shadow Sister in exchange for my honest review!

This YA fantasy mystery from debut author Lily Meade thrives on its complex sisterhood between Casey and Sutton. It always feels like a convincing dynamic that helps us understand why each sister harbors such deep resentment for the other sibling, even with the genuine love they've got for each other at the end of the day. The commentary that this tale presents on the challenges of being a mixed-race individual, specifically the feeling that you're "too much" of one race and/or "too little" of another race, is well-handled, too. All that being said, I did find myself criticizing a few elements. The supernatural atmosphere was nice, but I wish it could have been a little moodier. The plotting is structured compellingly enough, but the climax ended up being underwhelming and abrupt. And then the big old villain came off like such a cliche, especially when they're compared to characters from other media who fit into their stereotype, but get much more fleshed-out.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Shadow Sister 3.5 out of 5 stars. I wish it could have been stronger, but I still enjoyed it, especially for a debut novel. I'll be looking forward to more of Meade's writing.

I'm flipflopping on this reviewing but I think it's a solid 3. I had a good time with it, but I definitely felt like something was missing.

I thought the true villain was not developed well enough, and honestly? I thought there needed to be more fleshed out between the sisters and the family. Holy fuck do those sisters have issues with each other - which was super refreshing to see instead of like "oh geez, i hate her but we'll be best friends due to the plot," but considering how the parents also reacted to each sister, I wanted some resolve.

But the story was highly readable, and entertaining. I guess I thought it would be a bit more detective work but once that fell all to the wayside, I thought the true answer was that the sister might be a changeling. (spoilers, she's not). And while I get what happened at the end, I'm not sure I love it.

Idk! Read for the sister dynamic and for a quick story. Entertaining!

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a really good, creepy YA mystery/thriller that keeps your attention from page one. The book opens with Casey being mad that her sister Sutton is missing. She's convinced that Sutton took off for selfish reasons and is laughing that everyone is frantically looking for her. Casey puts on a show as a worried sister for the cameras, but inside she's fuming. There is no love lost between her and Sutton, but no way is she telling the police about their argument just before Sutton went missing.

When Sutton returns everyone is relieved. She claims to not remember anything and is acting strange, but Casey isn't buying it. Especially when Sutton seems hyper focused on Casey and wants to spend time with her, something she never seemed to want to do before. Hoping to catch Sutton in a lie, Casey starts to dig into the days and weeks before Sutton went missing, and finds she may not have known her sister at all.

Told in alternate timelines of both Casey and Sutton, the author does a great job of building tension and suspense, with a few dashes of creepiness for good measure. Late into the night I found myself turning page after page to find out what would be revealed next. Anyone with a sibling that was close when younger, only to drift apart during puberty, will identify with the slights, hurts, and pangs of regret that litter almost everyone's youth. The question is, will you figure out your mistake and mend fences before it's too late?

If you like a quick, gripping page turner, definitely check this one out.

I was provided a complimentary e-copy of this book by NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS, Fire. All opinions are my own.

This book was a very random request for me, but I am so glad that I decided to request it. I found myself doing some additional research into the practices mentioned in the book, and couldn't help but be fascinated with the history I never learned in school.
I really liked the story of finding your way back to your family despite hardships, and I also liked that the twist wasn't super easy to guess. I figured out who did it, but I didn't figure out the why or the how.

This book was a super quick read for me, but I really enjoyed it and recommended it to a few people I knew would also enjoy it!

Prepare to be captivated by this compelling debut YA novel that strikes a chord with readers on a personal level. While the author's notes reveal that it's a work of fiction, the story's themes and experiences will undoubtedly resonate with those who share similar connections to their ancestral heritage. From the very first line, "My sister is a bitch, but that doesn't mean I want her dead," I was instantly smitten with the charismatic protagonist, Casey, whose sassy demeanor made her instantly relatable.

"The Shadow Sister" shines through its rich character development and an enchanting exploration of family history intertwined with captivating folklore. As a character-driven narrative, I found immense enjoyment in immersing myself in the world the author skillfully crafted. This well-developed story left me eagerly anticipating future works from this talented author. Get ready to lose yourself in this literary gem!

I really enjoyed this book. Sisters, Cassie and Sutton have been at odds for a long time. When Sutton goes missing and returns a shell of herself, Cassie is determined to catch her sister in a scheme but realizes there is much more going. I appreciated how real Cassie's character was. Her and Sutton were really not getting along, and the emotions that Cassie felt when she went missing were real. She hoped that her sister was okay but because there was so much animosity between them, a little bit of her seemed okay with her never returning. The story was rich in that it was just more than the sisters being at odds, but also historical generational trauma, race/color issues, a little paranormal, and family dynamics that added an interesting twist to this story.

I requested this book for two reasons:
I read a lot of mysteries aimed at adults.
The cover was beautiful and drew me in.

The book lived up to the cover. Starting off with a strong first line, Lily Meade grabbed my attention with the extreme animosity between the two sisters focused on in this book. While most of the story is in the POV of Casey, the younger sister whose older sister Sutton has been missing for a week at the book's start, there are several glimpses into Sutton's first person POV at key points in the story. This worked really well to have me doubting the perspective of both girls since they viewed things and each other so drastically differently.

The sisters are your stereotypical popular versus introverted duo, but I did think Meade did a good job adding depth as the story went on.

The story is set in modern day and weaves in discussion of systemic racism as seen through media coverage and police concern for missing black girls, which is certainly a very important topic. I felt like Meade's handling of this issue was done well.

One other thing I enjoyed was how family and family history were important to the girls' family, from their father's job to their relationship with their grandmother, etc.. The connection is something I feel like is rare in a lot of YA books, like it's not cool or realistic for teens to be close to their family, but that's not the case for for many I've known.

I'm excited to share this book with my middle school students as I think they'll enjoy it like I did.

I was provided this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade follows Casey, and her recently gone missing sister Sutton. After Sutton reappears with amnesia and strange, new, behaviors Casey begins to wonder, what actually happened to her sister?

What I liked: The writing overall was enjoyable and easy to follow. The story had a consistent flow and did not deviate too far off of what I was expecting thing the book to be about. I really liked how Meade inserted chapters from Sutton’s point of view so we could get a better feel for her, rather than only Casey’s perception. This book was heart wrenching in the way that you see the demise of the relationship between three sisters, but then how it is built up again.

Feedback: I thought the inclusion of the other missing girls gave this book another layer. I really wish they were included more in the story, and have even made this more on the true crime/mystery side of fiction. The ending was also a little abrupt, and I think greater inclusion of their family’s history would have helped make this smoother.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️. I found this book enjoyable, and by the last third I could not put it down. The lead up was a little slow, but once Sutton was found, things began to get more interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoyed this one and I think the teens in my library will too. It was reminiscent of Krystal Sutherland's House of Hollow, but with a more "real world" feel to it. I thought the pacing was well done.

I had no idea where this book was going for most of it, but I’m happy with where it ended up. The story kept me engaged all the way through. The sibling rivalry at the beginning seemed a bit much-my sister and I used to fight a lot, but dang, Sutton and Casey are on a whole other level. I also was glad the mystery began unraveling when it did because much longer and it would’ve begun to drag. The suspense was great, I really loved the premise, and the exploration of race throughout the book. This was such a wonderful debut novel and I would definitely read more by this author.

Immediately sucked me into the story and didn't let me stop reading until I discovered every morsel of information I could. A wild and illuminating ride!

This was a captivating read and I flew through it! I was drawn in by the mystery, and the novel has just the right amount of spookiness. Though I guessed the twist, it was still an engaging experience. The characterization of the sisters was lovely. Seeing their conflict through Sutton’s chapters was a nice touch that helped flesh out their personalities and spoke to the complexity of family. I do love a tale of imperfect parenting, and this has it in spades.

At around the two thirds mark, the writing unraveled a bit. The pacing grew rushed, and some plot points were introduced, but hardly explained and hastily resolved. I did find the conclusion moving, despite the sprint to the finish. An excellent debut novel, I look forward to seeing what’s next from Meade!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

A story of sibling rivalry, love and loss, and intergenerational trauma, The Shadow Sister follows Casey’s journey to discover what her sister, Sutton, is hiding when she is found, claiming no memory of what happened to her or anything from before, after being abducted. Casey and Sutton don’t realize how much deeper their bond is than simply being sisters who hate each other. Incorporating hoodoo, and family beliefs from when their father’s family were enslaved in the south, the girls learn that blood can go beyond this worldly plane.
A quick read, but one definitely worth adding to your tbr!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for a digital ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were both complex, the plot twist was something that I did not see coming, and it was paced very well. This is a must read for everyone this summer.

The troubled sister relationship between Sutton and Casey was one that usually isn't explored in YA novels and this one did it so well. The book also had a great message about sisters.

The ending was a little rushed, but overall it made sense and was enjoyable. I'm so glad I was able to read this book!

I love sister stories. I also love being part of the readership who discover a fantastic debut novel by an author who is sure to become a new favorite. It’s even better when those two things appear in the very same book.

First, let me say that the characters in this book are rich and layered. What they believe to be true isn’t always objectively true (happens to us all). I feel like writing a character who both comes across as genuine and genuinely wrong is really challenging, and Lily Meade makes it look absolutely effortless.

The rich themes of family, history, and reclaiming personal power are expertly threaded through the narrative of this book. I loved the way the characters explored family history and relationships. I also loved the elements of magical realism– again, something that I think is not easy to write in a way that feels believable and anchored in the real world. Yet it’s brilliantly done here.

I also really appreciated the author’s note and the care she takes in explaining her connection to some parts of the story. That only deepened my appreciation of the book, and I think added even more to the conversation within the text about intergenerational trauma and reclaiming power.

I’ve been super choosy about which books I’m adding to my shelves lately (my bookshelf runneth over!), but I will definitely be adding this one. I absolutely recommend this story for readers who, like me, love sister books or stories about family and the transformative power of love.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

This book was, wow. It was so incredibly good! I couldn’t stop reading once I started. It kept me going and going as we discovered more and more about what happened to sutton. It’s an amazing story that shows how much love for your family can do.

This YA isn't for me. I wanted to love it, but there was just something about the storyline that I didn't like. I'll definitely still recommend it to those that enjoy YA, just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean it's not a great book. The cover is absolutely beautiful! Thank you Netgalley for this e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.