As someone without any sisters, I felt this story slightly more challenging to relate to on a personal level but deeply moving still the same. I can seen how this book would connect with and resonate with women who have complicated and close sister relationships. However, I felt that the topic of mental illness and the complexities this introduces into a family dynamic to be intriguing and an important conversation. I appreciated how flawed and perfectly human the characters were, yet found the flitting back and forth narrative jumps jarring and left me struggling to stay in the story. That being said, I enjoyed the melancholic vibe and writing style of the author and would read more from her on a different topic/subject matter.

Shred Sisters uses a formula I’ve seen before. In books about two sisters, one sister (usually the older one) is wild, rebellious, and unstable. The other sister (usually the younger one) is quiet and well-behaved. Typically, these books are told from the perspective of the “good” sister.

Formulaic as it may be, I was really enjoying Shred Sisters… at first. The writing hooked me from the very beginning- a good sign. I liked reading about the tumultuous relationship between Amy and Ollie. In the beginning I sympathized so much with Amy that I was determined not to like Ollie, but she ended up being my favorite character. I just couldn’t help loving the girl who used the alias Addie Loggins when she got caught shoplifting. That being said, it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out the first part of the book is set in the 70s.

Anyway, the book started to lose me when Amy grew up and started dealing with her own problems. It turns out that Amy is just kind of boring when Ollie’s not around. I didn’t care about Amy’s work drama or her failed marriages. The story grew dull and monotonous, and ultimately I was left feeling disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

No one will love you or hurt you more than a sister.

I'm a simple person. You give me a book about family and sisterhood, and I will always eat it up.

Shred Sisters has no actual plot - it is told from Amy's point of view, the younger sister, about her older sister, Ollie, and how her family revolved around her since they were kids until they grew older. I understand why people might dislike Amy, but from her point of view, I also understand how it is not easy for her, watching her sister make mistakes and feeling like her parents still prefer Ollie over her. But on the other hand, Ollie had struggled a lot with her mental health and did not have the privileges that Amy had.

I think the book would have been better if everything was told from two different points of view since Ollie and Amy are so different. I understand this is not an easy thing for authors, but I believe it could have made the story more meaningful. It might sound a little biased but take Blue Sisters for example.

This was a quick read and while I enjoyed it, I think it is mostly because of my preference and I am not sure if others would like it as much as I do.

Thank you NetGalley as always and Grove Atlantic for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good introspective book! I love the style of following the youngest sisters diary and seeing how her sister had affected her and the family through life, and how mental illness affects everyone. It was full of emotion, and made you sad, happy, and feel for our characters I liked this book a lot

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!

Shred Sisters possesses a very intriguing concept and writing - it’s almost written like Amy’s diary as we get to unravel how the mental illness of her older sister affected Amy as the youngest in the family.

I think Lerner did a wonderful job at portraying the effects, trauma and self-denial of dealing with a family member who is both destructive and unstable. I could feel Amy’s internal rage and sadness at being put through the pain of losing both of her parents to the constant care of her older sister and how it affected her adult self and relationships.

The main reason why i think it didn’t quite do it for me was because i started reading this novel with the expectation that, by the end, we would be greeted with a happy conclusion to Amy’s story - which did not happen. Olivia didn’t repent for all of the things she took from her family and Amy remained denied of an apologize from both of her parents. Maybe that was the whole point of the book - it’s definitely quite a realistic ending.

Shred Sisters is, as advertised, a book about sisterhood, but it's also about how mental illness affects a family. Told from the perspective of Amy, the youngest, we follow her relationship with her older sister Ollie from childhood into adulthood. Amy is hopeful but realistic, often frustrated at how much money her parents spend attempting to stabilize Ollie.

The story is fine, authentic but not innovative. At times, I was unsure when in time this story took place--there were anachronisms that took me out of the story (which may be the point, maybe I missed something).

A novel which might well be painful to read for those who can relate to Amy, a glass child living in the shadow of Ollie, her sister who is the blazing star who torpedoes herself and their family. This feels like a memoir-there's an undercurrent of emotion that you might feel if you've lived this story with a sibling (and whether you are older or younger.). There's a vast number of books about dysfunctional families where one member's mental illness impacts the others as well but this one, this one is especially pointed. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Shred Sister was an engaging novel I looked forward to opening each time. Amy is empathetic and engaging as the narrator of family dysfunction and constant crisis. Ollie, the older sister, makes surprise moves constantly, adding suspense to this intense story. Overall, I thought about the sisters and my sister's relationship (though it wasn't comparable). I highly recommend this well-written family saga.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This is a sad story of a broken family. Mom, Dad and two sisters. The older sister has severe mental health issues. The fallout of these issues ends up affecting the rest of the family.

The tagline for this book is:
“No one will love you more or hurt you more than a sister.”
In relation to this story, it is very true. The storyline shows us this from beginning to end.

Without being an expert on mental health, the character of the older sister, Ollie, seems to be accurately depicted. My heart broke for her. Her insides must have been a constant hurricane. Her actions and thoughts have no consideration of consequences or repercussions. And, my heart broke for Amy, the younger sister, whose heart was broken, over and over.

The writing is emotional and raw. At times the plot seems slightly disjointed. I'm not sure if this is an editing problem or if it is a “special effect” to demonstrate the nature of the story. I tend to believe that it was to match the rhythm of Ollie's and Amy's lives. I found it a little disconcerting.

I found the ending to be abrupt, not satisfying. I enjoyed the first part of the story when the girls were young and Ollie's problems were already an issue. But as I read further I started to feel disconnected from the characters. For me, it was just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I am super thankful that I received the e-book as an ARC! My library ended up obtaining a copy early so I finished it in physical format.

Overall, I give this 4 stars, maybe 4.5. I absolutely loved this and it brought out so many emotions in me. I’ve been crying since I finished it a good 10 minutes ago now. I loved following Amy’s life, and I thought the portrayal of Ollie’s disorder was very accurate and real for real life.

My only criticism is I thought there were a few lovers in Amy’s life that were unnecessary to the story. I think we really only needed to see her relationships with Josh and Marc, and maybe Ravi at the end just for the sake of an ending. I thought TJ was a weird addition, as well as Ian being mentioned for like, half a page at most.

Still, overall very good story! I will be recommending this to everyone i know.

Shred Sisters offers a profound exploration of family dynamics and mental illness, particularly through the lens of sibling relationships. While the story effectively highlights the deep bond between Amy and Ollie, I found Amy’s perspective somewhat limiting and at times frustrating. Although the book starts strong, the second half felt a bit slow and repetitive, focusing too much on Amy's everyday struggles rather than delving deeper into the complexities of both sisters, especially Ollie's challenges. I craved more exploration of their therapy sessions and the intricacies of their trauma. Overall, the book tackles important themes, but it didn't fully meet my expectations. I'd still recommend it to those of you looking for more sibling-centric books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

*Shred Sisters* by Betsy Lerner is an emotionally rich and intimate novel that delves into the complicated dynamics between two sisters, Amy and Olivia (nicknamed Ollie). The story spans two decades, chronicling Amy’s struggles with her older sister’s erratic behavior, caused by undiagnosed mental illness, and how it impacts their family.

I have been blessed with a sister who is my best friend. My daughter, much to her dismay, wasn’t blessed with a sister at all. Some sister relationships are fraught with drama. Betsy Lerner explores a complex sister relationship in depth in her upcoming novel Shred Sisters. Amy is the younger of the Shred sisters, but because of Olivia’s mental illness and all of the chaos that results, she often feels like the older or the only sister. From a very young age Olivia fights against her sister and her parents. She is first a free spirit and later in spite of or even because of treatment mentally unstable. Olivia refuses to accept the different diagnoses and medicines. Ultimately she rolls in and out of her family’s life at will. Most of her life Amy feels overlooked or challenged.
Amy struggles to function in the world (don’t we all at times?), and the reader can easily see the impact of Olivia here. She longs to be a stable professional with a stable marriage and family and, perhaps, to get the attention and respect of her parents in the process. She just struggles to get there. She works hard to be a researcher and can’t advance; she chooses poorly in relationships; and always, always - Olivia shows up and wreaks havoc in her fragile world. She perseveres; she sees a therapist; she doesn’t even necessarily blame Olivia, but life feels difficult. Olivia has her own struggles. Beginning with family rebellion, bad mental health care scars her early. Her difficulties are heartbreaking as her family wants so badly to do the right things for her. Luckily, she doesn’t disappear altogether, but her returns home generally raise expectations and lead to further heartache. I often found myself scared for her. Amy and Olivia’s parents battle struggles of their own - ultimately unable to meet Olivia’s needs and often unaware of Amy’s - their marriage doesn’t survive the trauma. Lerner creates complex, believable characters, and this reader felt their joys and sorrows. Through them she explores the impact of one difficult family member on them all. She creates a surrounding cast of folks who are also well developed and who help to highlight all that the Shreds have been through. Lerner is a compassionate writer as she shows us a world of broken people; she invites us to offer compassion.
Ultimately, Lerner celebrates the strength of this pair of sisters - Amy and Olivia Shred. Without giving anything away, the novel does end on notes of hope for these two and their parents. Lerner doesn’t offer a magical resolution for anyone, but she allows for them to see that relationships, therapy, and sisterly love, can prevail over a host of sorrows. I am reminded to be grateful for my sister - for the love and support that she offers me when others cannot. I am reminded that everyone may be just a little bit broken inside. When you get the chance read Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner - she will challenge you perceptions in a very good way.

This is a book primarily about the bond between two sisters. The older sister, Ollie, is the golden child that holds all the parents hope for success. The younger, shy sister, Amy, is studious a bit of an outcast and idolizes her sister. As they mature, you learn that Ollie has a mental illness, possibly bipolar disorder and creates havoc in the family’s life during her manic episodes. She spends time in a facility but refuses to take her medication consistently. It’s amazing she doesn’t get into drugs or do significant harm. When she comes back to earth, the parents are grateful to have her back in the fold and consistently lied to themselves that she’s all better now. Her sister Amy knows better. This is a story that is filled with honesty. It’s difficult to ferret out exactly how Ollie’s behavior impacted Amy’s emotional fitness. I was completely wrapped up in this book. The ending was a little flat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an advanced reader’s copy.

An emotional look at the complexities of sisterhood, mental illness, and the struggle to understand one’s role in supporting a damaged loved one.

Amy Claire Shred is the sister of Olivia (Ollie), who is four years older. Living in the shadow of her beautiful, stubborn, impatient sister, Amy slowly develops an appreciation for the fact that all is not well in Ollie’s internal world. Skinny, bespectacled and clumsy, Amy is brainy and bullied, deeply in awe of her sister, and terrified as she begins to comprehend Ollie’s chaotic and erratic future.

As Amy comes to terms with the reality of her sister’s behavior, she must learn to let go, and to accept a sisterhood that is deeply flawed, fraught with unrealized expectations, and in large part completely without trust.

A skillfully-rendered study of emotional limitations and the journey to acceptance, this is in many ways a challenging read, unsettling in its resolute (and authentic) recognition of pain for, through and on behalf of our loved ones — pain that may or may not be, after all, totally resolvable.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

“no one will ever love your more or hurt you more than a sister.” The truth of that phrase is shown in such a beautiful way in this book. This a raw story about the messiness and pain you experience in sisterhood, family, friendships, and also about the effects of mental illness. It starts off with the girls at a young age and goes through to adulthood. Dealing with a family member with mental illness is hard and this story showed the raw vulnerability of that so well. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was a touching but painful and raw portrait of the lives of two different sisters, one who is inexorably influenced by the other in nearly every aspect of her life. The story, while simple, was engaging. I felt for both sisters, and just wanted the best for them. Sometimes, the narration felt a bit flat, and there was a lack of resolution. While this is more realistic than a neat little bow to end of the story, I felt a bit disappointed with the ending nonetheless. Overall, this was a strong debut and I look forward to reading more from the author.

This was an interesting read. We have the world of two sisters, hence the title: the cautious, tentative Amy, who narrates our journey, and Ollie, the older sister in whose shadow Amy is located for most of the time. Ollie's path is sinusoidal, ravaging, and mercurial, and the rest of the family is left to figure out what to do in the face of the journeys she takes.

I felt frustrated by this - not really by the author at all, and perhaps this was part of the point. The tale here felt so visceral and raw, and I wanted this to be Amy's story. I liked Amy a lot and wanted to get to know her but felt I never could because her story was constantly intersecting that of her sister's, often adversely, as well as other people in her life. I think that might have been part of the point: Ollie seemed to see herself at the center of her orbit, and that complicated other people looking to find their own self-agency.

The writing was great: Lerner's verisimilitude was outstanding. This felt near-memoirish at times, and I always use that as the highest praise. It was a quick read, albeit challenging due to the emotional turmoil that Amy and her family had to endure. Sad but powerful.

In the end everything was fine. Life for the Shred Sisters was challenging but isn't life a challenge for all of us. Betsy Lerner has a voice that I look forward to hearing more from.

This book had its issues, pacing was erratic: started off very slow, then the end felt rushed.

But it was also very deep, the characters development was another level. Each had their own flaws and struggles and the book highlighted family dynamics very well as well as sibling relationships.

Each character is so well developed and I really liked seeing the incorporation of mental illness through the sister. Some things from this book I really related to personally which always makes me very invested in a book. It was a captivating, honest and beautifully written book I really enjoyed and think many others will like and relate to in some way