Two snakes turn themselves into immortal humans and spend centuries loving and hating each other. Emerald can't stay in one place. Su just want to settle down and be the perfect human. A hilarious, enchanting, unputdownable novel.

A wonderful read from first to last page ,astory that stays with you,I wil be recommending Sister Snake.#netgalley #ecco

I love novels about sisterhood and even though I did like this novel at first, ultimately, the story started to lose steam halfway through. The main problem I had was the writing style. The prose was very choppy and uneven which made for a frustrating read. I think if the writing would've been stronger, I would've enjoyed this novel more. This is a fun and silly romp, but I was expecting much more from the overall story. The ending felt rushed and weak in comparison to the first half. Good solid book but not enough plotline to keep me invested. The cover art is absolutely gorgeous though.

Sister Snake
by Amanda Lee Koe
Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters—one in New York, one in Singapore—who are bound by an ancient secret.

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim as she freely uses her beauty and charms to make ends meet. But they share a secret; once they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang Dynasty China.
Many of you will like this book but it was not a good fit for me.
At times, the writing is a little heavy-handed, stating directly the point instead of leaving it to the reader to grasp the metaphors and the meaning. The tenses were a bit weird in places too, maybe that'll get fixed before it's published later this year. And I'm not sure I can get over what was done to the gay best friend.

Amanda Lee Koe wrote this perfectly, I enjoyed the way it showed the elements of the Chinese folktale in a unique way and enjoyed how it was used in this story. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed the way this story was told. I appreciated the bond of the sisters and enjoyed getting to know everyone in this story. It was everything that I wanted and glad I read this.

Sister Snake is both beautiful, lyrical book retelling mythology and a biting, dark tale of sisterhood and vices. This is the kind of book that builds off of myth and folklore I've been craving, something that does something new and interesting while remaining rooted in themes that hit me right in the chest. I loved the strained sisterhood at the heart of the book, and I found myself highlighting quotes every five seconds.

Forget "The Parent Trap"—this is the sibling reunion you didn't know you needed, with a dash of ancient magic and a whole lot of sass. Su and Emerald, once moon-bathing serpents, now navigate the concrete jungles of Singapore and New York, bound by a secret that's both a blessing and a curse.

"Sister Snake" is a wild ride of reinvention, queer love, and family ties that are more tangled than a ball of yarn after a cat attack. It's laugh-out-loud funny, unapologetically queer, and packs an emotional punch that'll leave you wanting to hug your own sibling (or maybe hiss at them, depending on the day).

If you like your fiction with a side of the unexpected, a dash of ancient lore, and a whole lot of heart, grab a copy of "Sister Snake" and prepare to be charmed. Just watch out for those fangs—they might be hidden, but they're definitely sharp.

What a fun read! It had me laughing, while also caring and feeling deeply about the characters. The book was fast-paced and very readable.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Sister Snake.

I was so intrigued by the premise and excited when my request was approved.

First, I love narratives that revolve around a close sibling relationship and this one immediately drew me in, the bond between Emerald and Su, sisters who chose each other, as opposed to being related by blood.

And not just sisters, but snake sisters. Wow, I love the mythology behind their origins, and would have loved if if the author had delved more deeply into it.

The writing is good, and is, at times, beautifully poetic and luminous, befitting the sisters' thousand year life span.

I wish the narrative had focused more on Emerald and Su's relationship, or more so on developing Su more. She came off as a caricature of a affluent wife. I understood that's what she yearned for, but why?

Why did she want to be married and be a stereotype of a privileged wife? Did she truly love her husband?

Has she learned anything from her thousand year existence? Why hasn't she wanted to do more?

Emerald is the most honest of the two; she is who she is and doesn't make excuses for who she is.

The narrative seemed to focus more on Emerald, delving into her sex-positive behavior and blunt and strong personality.

I can't help but wonder if Emerald's characterization was just one of the not so subtle ways for the author to take a jab at Singapore's militant authority on its people and community.

I actually felt the scenes between Emerald and Tig were kind of dull and wanted more interactions between the sisters.

I just didn't care about the supporting characters enough to care what happened to them. At least, they were loyal and protective of Su and Emerald.

The premise is unique and I loved the flashbacks to the sisters' past to see how they survived and had each other's back.

There's nothing amusing about this narrative, its dark and magical and I wished the author had gotten really dark and scary with the premise.

Also, I wish Su had been better developed and not so one dimensional and superficial.

I look forward to the author's next book.

This was a fun time! Sisters in a chosen family kind of way who are also snakes AND immortal deal with the minutiae of their very different lives and relationships. I enjoyed the Chinese mythology part of the story a lot, but found myself drifting into a bit of boredom when the author focused more on the additional (mortal) characters within the book. The sisters were well written, especially Emerald, and I was interested in their points of view. I could see this becoming a popular new read when it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for providing this arc for me to review.

An entertaining, if not quite mind-blowing novel that takes a feminist contemporary twist on a mythological story. A page turner.

I thought about this book a lot in the past weeks since I read it. Powerful story about female agency and found families. Highly recommend.

Amanda Lee Koe's "Sister Snake" is a beautifully written tale that intertwines myth and contemporary themes. Her lyrical prose and vivid imagery create a world where the supernatural and everyday life coexist seamlessly. The characters are richly developed and it’s easy to see yourself in both of them. They embody self discovery and transformation.

The plot is full of surprising twists, keeping you engaged from start to finish. "Sister Snake" is an enchanting, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page. Highly recommended.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC of Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe in exchange for an honest review. This book is a fast-paced contemporary retelling about sisters who turn into snakes in Chinese mythology. I enjoyed reading this book because it's funny and glamorous. While I found it a bit middle-of-the-road, it was still a lot of fun to read. I expect that changes will be made once the final book is published later this year but I'm sure it'll be well-liked by audiences. There were times when things were unnecessarily wordy and borderline mundane which took me out of the story but the good moments were great. It sags a little in the middle but being able to read about these sisters and the things they go through in their day-to-day lives was interesting. Emerald was suffering in New York and her sister Su was suffering as well in Singapore. When they came together, I felt a spark but I also liked the invisible strings that bound them. All in all it's a pretty solid book but I don't know how memorable it will be for me.

This is incredibly unique and spellbinding. I've never read anything like it and I probably will not stop recommending it to friends. The magical realism is beautiful and eccentric. The writing is incredible. I'm a huge fan of Amanda Lee Koe now.

I really enjoyed this book! It was something different than what I usually read and I’m glad that I actually picked it up. I had never heard of the folklore that this was based off of, but it made me want to look it up and learn a little bit more about it. I love how different the lives of the women were even though they shared the same secret. I have been recommending this book took quite a few of my friends and I really enjoyed it.

Endlessly readable. I breezed through this in two sittings and kept thinking about the book even later on. Highly recommended.

This was a beautiful retelling. I loved all the characters, even the ones you aren’t supposed to. Thank you Ecco and NetGalley for the ARC

This story follows two East Asian female snakes who decide they want to be human and follow a regiment of meditation and magic to become human "sisters." Their snakely ways continue to color their experiences and perspectives on human life. The storyline takes us from China to New York City to Singapore. AS someone who teaches Southeast Asian Studies, I thought this book was terrific. It was not only entertaining but well written and filled with cultural insights about Singaporean life, and Chinese perspectives on the family and mythology. I can imagine my students really enjoying this book, while learning a fair bit. I can't wait for the author's next book!

This book was beautifully written and so captivating. I loved this book and the characters, I couldn't put it down. Lee Koe has so much talent and I want to read more of her work because this book was everything I could have wanted. The writing was beautiful, the characters are captivating, and the story was engaging all the way through