This is one of the weirdest books I've read but I really enjoyed it as I laughed, cried, and couldn't stop reading when things got crazy! Calla, Jaimie, and Dre are siblings who are tied together by blood but also the trauma they experienced in childhood. Each chapter focusses on a different character so we see the personalities of each in different time periods as they navigate their way through protests, police brutality, bombings, and most importantly their love for each other. It has a dream-like quality that keeps you guessing and I'm still. not sure I really understand it, but it was one of those books I'll revisit frequently!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

I really enjoyed this book. More than I thought I would. I liked the characters! Great writing style and I liked the storyline. This book kept me guessing. I finished it in one sitting.

This was quite the creepy read. The sibling dynamics was quite enjoyable to read and the horror element of this story is genuinely creepy and gave me shivers. Not something you should be reading at night or without your lights on!

Oooooh this is handsdown the best book I've read this year. This does give off a very Jordan Peele esque energy, very scary but also with a kick ass trio of siblings fighting against the horrors of the mind, and the reality of the world. If you have your own group of tight knit, even if forced, siblings, this is a great read for you.

The Williams siblings only have each other, for better or for worse. I think this book covered 'worse'. And I mean that in the best way, the 'my eyed were glued to the page with anxiety' and the 'this is insane' type of ways.

This book was everything painful about having siblings, and it was everything beautiful about them as well - I found it a tough read as an oldest sister, but I was transfixed. I felt Calla's pain and frustration. I wanted to grab her brothers and shake sense into them. I felt a sick glee at the brothers getting some comeuppance, but felt a keen sense of worry for them as well.

Not many books do sibling relationships so well, but it's hard to look away from the glorious mess of Calla, Dre, and Jamie. They love each other, they hate each other. They are their truest selves with each other. They say unforgivable things to one another. They need each other, because in the end, it's them against...well, you'll see.

I really enjoyed this and flew through it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I have read a lot of really weird books lately and Listen to Your Sister is right up there with the weirdest of them. That's not necessarily a bad thing – I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this one – but holy heck I'm not even sure what I just read. I went into it expecting more of a “creepy cabin in the woods” type story, but it turns out it's not really about the cabin – or the woods – at all.

It also deals with some pretty heavy subjects. Childhood trauma, reluctant sibling guardianship, abandonment, parentification of a child, death of a parent, guilt, missed life opportunities, and strained family ties are all topics that are addressed in this novel. The author does a wonderful job of showing how all of these repeated traumas can fracture a person and cause them to resent those that they love most.

At the same time, though, the Williams siblings obviously care a lot for each other and this isn't a story devoid of hope. Even when they're at odds with each other, Calla, Dre, and Jamie still have each other's backs. And they're a witty bunch. I absolutely would not call this a funny read, but it does have some pretty hilarious lines mixed in with all the more serious bits.

As for the plot … I dunno, you guys. I think this is a book that is best gone into mostly blind. It's a fever dream-y and unsettling tale that's as creepy as it is heartwarming. And it's very, very weird. But overall? It's certainly worth a read and perhaps one of the most original books I've read in a long time. This is apparently Neena Viel's debut novel and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. 3.95 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is February 4, 2025.

Great book for fans of horror genre, I loved the storyline and how different it was from other books right now.

4.25⭐️ on this one for me!!! It was a slower read for me, but was so absolutely a great read and so different! From the characters, storyline, and gory details it was all done just right. Since i’ve stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish, i’m finding it difficult to explain how/why i enjoyed this book! I’m not big on “supernatural” if that’s how you would classify the “Callas” in this book, but if this was classifies as supernatural it didn’t feel like it!

Fans of Stephen King will enjoy this creepy novel. My favorite thing is the bond between these siblings, surviving a wrecked family if lies, drugs, abuse, trauma. Although Calla didn't want to assume the responsibility of taking care of her youngest brother, and dealing will all the trouble he creates, because she doesn't feel like she is an adult yet, she is brave and strong and loyal to her siblings. Even when things go south and they feel so lost that they lash at each other. Deep inside, they know they only have each other.

Something is wrong, and it's not just prejudice, racism, or getting into trouble because of protests, bombs, or drugs. Something strange, wicked, and supernatural. Something is happening, and they will have to deal with it. The dreams are like warnings, and they are terrible as well.
I enjoyed reading this one. It's one we highlight and annotate (sassy fun answers and also emotional life realizations).

Thank you netgalley amd publisher for the e-arc.

I love horror books that make me laugh but also make me afraid to go to the bathroom at night. And horror books that deal with family trauma and generational trauma and childhood trauma. Guess what. This book does all of that.

Neena Viel's 'Listen to Your Sister' takes the horror genre and pushes into a realm so different and so unexpected... it's amazing! It tells the story of a twenty-five-year-old Calla Williams and how she's overwhelmed and struggling to be a guardian for her brother, sixteen-year-old Jaime. Calla's other brother, Dre, promised he'd help take care of Jaime, but he's been off doing his own thing. As a result, Calla's left holding the bag and literally sacrificing herself to make things meet and give Jaime the best life she can. Also, Calla has these terrible nightmares that show her brothers meeting their deaths in awful ways.

Something goes terribly wrong, and the siblings are on the run and they end up at a creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere and everything just hits the fan...

Neena Viel's debut novel is fantastic. It is hilarious, heartbreaking, and terrifying all at the same time. I'll be adding this author to my list of 'must read' authors!

Calla Williams is only 25 but she is aging quickly under the stress of raising her younger brother Jamie. Calla has become the main guardian and while she looks to Dre, the middle brother for help she is generally the only one keeping 16 year old Jamie from quitting school and running the streets. Jamie continues to press against his boundaries and eventually cause all 3 siblings to go on the run to a remote cabin. The darkness that awaits them is hard to explain but quite foreboding - definite Jordan Peele vibes.
I loved the casual banter of the siblings and while I sometimes was a a bit confused, I enjoyed this creepy horror and know you will too! If you like your horror to be a bit deeper, a bit more meaningful, a bit more real - this is the book for you!
#stmartinspress #listentoyoursister #neenaviel

I do not think that this book was for me. It was all over the place and felt like a ride that I could not wait to get off of.

✨4.5 rounded up✨
(Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for the advance reader copy!)
If you love Jordan Peele movies you will certainly also enjoy this book.
Calla, Dre, and Jamie are siblings that have truly gone through hell together. It’s a story of a black American family, their trauma, and fight to keep together what family they have left.
Calla, their sister, is a strong force and will do anything for her brothers, to a fault. She has severe and vivid nightmares about horrible things happening to her brothers, unable to keep them safe.
The story is written in third person omniscient and we get perspectives of all three siblings.
It took a little while to get used to the writing style and pacing, often times not knowing what’s actually happening and what is imagined. This is by design.
Neena’s writing is so clever, both cheeky and eloquent and flawlessly bounces between the two. I was frequently cringing and then laughing in the same breath.
It’s a profound message about our younger selves and how damaging they can be to us and those we love if the trauma goes unchecked.
This story was smart, funny, heartfelt, horrifying, and thought provoking. Loved it!