In her debut novel, Neena Viel weaves a fast-paced, emotionally charged narrative that delves into the intricate web of sibling relationships. "Listen to Your Sister" explores the nuanced dynamics of birth order, familial trauma, and the bonds that both bind and separate us.

Viel's narrative prowess shines as she introduces us to Calla, Dre, and Jamie, three siblings whose tragic past casts long shadows over their present. The author masterfully plays with memory and perception, using the siblings' varying recollections of their father's death as a tantalizing thread that unravels into a shocking revelation.

The novel's true genius lies in its ability to balance humor with profound emotional depth. Viel peppers the narrative with witty sibling banter and comedic mishaps, creating a delightful counterpoint to the weightier themes of self-image and identity. Calla's ever-changing phases and Jamie's struggles with anger management are portrayed with deep sensitivity.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of "Listen to Your Sister" is its foray into the surreal. The recurring nightmares and the enigmatic saviors who appear in moments of crisis add a layer of mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Viel's deft handling of these elements culminates in a twist that is as unexpected as it is satisfying.

At its core, this novel is a poignant exploration of familial love and the lengths one will go to protect their own. Viel's narrative dances on the knife-edge between light and dark, humor and tragedy, creating a reading experience that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

A solid debut leaving me anticipating future works.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley, for my free book for review.

Calla, Dre, and Jamie are siblings without parents. Their father is deceased and their mother may as well be dead since she is less than useless. Calla has taken custody of teenage Jamie, with promises of help and support from middle sibling Dre, but that never did amount to much more than empty words.

"To raise a child was to guard them. To raise a child was to let them find their own path."

Jamie has always been a handful, and Calla is plagued with nightmares and visions of both brothers deaths. It's been a struggle all along to keep Jaimie out of serious trouble and she prays to whatever is willing to listen, to keep him safe. She is exhausted, and resentful, yet fiercely loyal in her love for her brothers but she is pushed beyond her breaking point. How can she protect them both at the same time? She is only one woman. Isn't she?

I can't say much else about the plot without spoiling it for you. So I will just say it's an original, imaginative, humorous yet horrifying debut novel.

"He'd knocked over a guest book, or possibly the Necronomicon because the last guests of this cabin were probably the undead skeletons in the basement."

This is a remarkable story of family, love, dysfunction, and grief. It is alternately hilarious, frightening, and heart rending. If you are in the mood for something wild and weird this is it.

My thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the invitation to read an early e-copy.

I'm not entirely sure where I thought this book was going, but I didn't expect anything that I read. I was really into the horror while Jamie and Dre were trying to figure out what was happening. After they arrived at the cabin the pacing felt off and I began to lose interest. The action scenes with the antagonist characters were discombobulating that I found it hard to stay interested or even follow the story clearly. I'm sure many people will enjoy this one, but it wasn't a great fit for me personally.

Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel

The reason I requested Listen to Your Sister was because I found the premise of an older sister caring for her siblings, particularly with the inclusion of nightmare sequences, intriguing. However, the very slow start and jarring use of the N-word detracted from the story and made me want to DNF. While the pacing eventually quickened, it felt disjointed and like a chore to finish. This one just didn't resonate with me.

If you were to throw a Grady Hendrix novel, Jordon Peele's movie, "Us," and a few episodes of "Stranger Things" into a blender, you would get this novel. I spent just as much time laughing as I did, being creeped out and wondering WTF was happening to this family of siblings. It's the perfect blend of psychological horror, social commentary, and familial drama. I'm still thinking about it.

The story centers on the three Williams siblings. Calla is the oldest. She's a 25-year-old woman burdened with the responsibility of caring for her 16-year-old brother Jamie after becoming his legal guardian. Dre, the middle child, has shirked much of his promise to help, leaving Calla to carry the load. But Calla is tired of making sacrifices and being the glue that holds her family together. She's also tired of the recurring nightmares that haunt her sleep. These dreams, which she calls The Nightmare, show her brothers dying in terrifying, inexplicable ways, and she feels powerless to stop them. The nightmare comes to a terrifying high one evening when Jamie is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone ends up dead. Calla and Dre pack up Jamie and drive from Seattle to Southern Oregon to wait for things to die down, but the cabin they picked from Airbnb is creepy AF. While they thought they were leaving the danger behind, they may have run toward a bigger evil waiting for them in the woods - something that will blur the lines between reality and nightmare.

What I loved most about this book was how it seamlessly intertwines its supernatural and psychological elements with important social issues. Viel doesn't shy away from addressing systemic racism or the immense burdens placed on Black women. Through Calla's perspective, we see the emotional and physical toll of constantly having to hold everything together, of being the family's protector, and of being denied the space to prioritize her own needs while trying to hold her space in a white world. The book also highlights how societal expectations and systemic inequities force Black women into roles of perpetual self-sacrifice - a theme that resonates deeply throughout the narrative.

The sibling dynamics are another highlight of the novel. Calla, Jamie, and Dre are vividly drawn characters, each with their own complexities, flaws, and strengths. Their interactions feel real, capturing the mix of love, frustration, and loyalty that defines many sibling relationships. Calla's resentment toward Dre's lack of involvement is palpable, as is her fierce protectiveness over Jamie (and, to an extent, Dr, even though he's grown and living on his own). Viel's nuanced portrayal of these relationships makes the stakes feel deeply personal, intensifying my investment in the siblings' survival.

The prose is sharp and evocative, balancing humor with horror in a way that feels both effortless and deliberate. The pacing of the story is another strength. Viel builds tension masterfully, alternating between moments of heart-pounding suspense and quieter, character-driven scenes that deepen our understanding of the siblings' bond. The transitions between these moments are seamless, ensuring the story never feels rushed or uneven. As I said earlier, I found myself laughing at something someone said and then suddenly terrified by what was happening on the page.
I both read an ARC and listened to an ALC of this one, and all three narrators did an outstanding job. They captured each of the siblings perfectly. If you prefer audiobooks, I would recommend this one.

This is a rare gem and one I'll be thinking about for a while. I'll likely buy a physical copy when it's released just to have it on my shelf so I can revisit it down the line. For anyone who loves a story that's equal parts chilling, thought-provoking, emotionally resonant, and has something important to say - this is a must-read. Neena Viel has crafted something truly special, and I, for one, can't wait to see what she writes next.

Calla Williams, 25, has been responsible for raising her younger brothers Dre and Jamie. Jamie is 16 and Calla struggles to keep him on track while simultaneously herself suffering from recurrent nightmares that reveal her deepest fears for the brothers. When Jamie’s involvement at a local protest puts him in danger, the three must run to protect him, but running puts them in more danger.

This book was interesting to me but there was a lot of issues to try to unravel. Family drama, horror and supernatural suspense was really a lot. The rotating POVs really worked to set up the story but there were times I struggled to follow the storyline. The first part is really slow as it lays everything out and was hard to keep going through. Overall, this wasn’t necessarily my thing but it had a lot of promise so I’d read more by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available February 4, 2025

A powerful debut and impressive for a seamless effort at weaving in horror, themes on race and identity, and a reflection on the power of family and sibling bonds. Neena Viel offers a strong story, one that is at times humorous in the ways that she captures how siblings talk, inner thoughts from Calla, and one that is truly immersively creepy, if that is a thing, in terms of the unraveling of Calla's nightmares into a stark, intense reality. A fast, intense read at times, this is recommended on audio for the strong narration and production as well as the opportunity the audio gives to feel in the story, to be in Calla's experience.

Thank you SMP and MacMillan for the free review copies.

This book was....weird and that's a compliment. Do not read if family trauma triggers you. I want to talk to the author and see how their mind works. How they came up with such a twisted story. The story is about a sister that would do anything to protect her 2 brothers. After some trouble in the city, they go to a remote cabin in the woods and that's when things start getting weird. Is the sister the protector or is she the danger or can she be both?? Read to find out. I give this book 3✨. I liked it but didn't love it.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I really enjoyed the creepiness of this book and the weirdness. This gave me vibes of Jordan Peele's movies. 5 stars.

Listen To Your Sister
By: Neena Viel

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: Feb. 4, 2025

For fans of Jordan Peele’s films, Stranger Things, and The Other Black Girl, Listen To Your Sister is a laugh-out-loud, deeply terrifying, and big-hearted speculative horror novel from electrifying debut talent Neena Viel.

Twenty-five year old Calla Williams is struggling since becoming guardian to her brother, Jamie. Calla is overwhelmed and tired of being the one who makes sacrifices to keep the family together. Jamie, full of good-natured sixteen-year-old recklessness, is usually off fighting for what matters to him or getting into mischief, often at the same time. Dre, their brother, promised he would help raise Jamie–but now the ink is dry on the paperwork and in classic middle-child fashion, he’s off doing his own thing. And through it all, The Nightmare never stops haunting Calla: recurring images of her brothers dying that she is powerless to stop.

💭When I say this story had me clutching my imaginary pearls for dear life. The story told from all the siblings pov’s, Calla, Dre and Jamie’s. Buckle up for one HELL of a ride literally. Calla is truly overwhelmed and under appreciated for all that she’s done and sacrificed for her younger brothers. She’s spent their whole lives keeping them safe and out of danger through her dreams during the day and night. But when she finally has had enough and she give her brothers over to her nightmares once. We get to experience first hand the families dysfunctional upbringing through the experiences of Calla, Dre and Jamie. Calla’s Nightmare world is horrific, visually disturbing and what nightmares are made of. Each sibling’s journey will surprise you and make you laugh and disgusted at the same time. But you see the love that they have for each other runs deep. They’ll need to all come together and find that connection, forgiveness and bond to survive the night.

Horror fans this is a must read, Neena Viel is a new auto buy author for me. I’m still in shock this is a debut novel. Don’t read this in the dark if you scare easily!!!!

I had to DNF at 20%. There was literally nothing scary happening, and the characters were more annoying than anything else. Just couldn't get into it.

This was perfection! So informative. It's a good way to learn about the struggles of oldest daughters in black families. I love the name the brothers gave Calla's other selves.
I could not put it down.

4⭐️

This is the type of book that I can't summarize without spoiling things. But if you like *weird* horror books that make you think, I definitely suggest Listen to Your Sister!

I loved this realistic look at child neglect and trauma, older siblings stepping in to take care of their younger siblings, and the resentment everyone has for each other. You can tell that Calla has tried so hard to be there for Jamie while trying to keep everything a float and just silently resenting Dre while also not asking Dre for help. Calla falls into the stereotypical oldest daughter role and it's interesting to watch.

This was a fast paced, unsettling story and I loved trying to figure out where this was going to go next. It almost felt like a fever dream and I did struggle to form a picture of things in my mind. But overall I really enjoyed this.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing this ARC to me!

I was approved for both the ebook and the audiobook and am leaving the same review under both.

Phew, buddy. I loved Listen to Your Sister. It was so f*cked up and wild in the best way. Weird creepy things happened to Calla, Dre, and Jamie. People popping up murdering strangers for Calla’s brothers, just in their time of need. That was such a wild ride.
I also love how it touched on real issues involving race. A horror book with realistic issues was chef’s kiss. Each sibling had their own personality and way of handling things. It was great. I’m scatter brained trying to write this out without spoiling anything.
I definitely recommend this book. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

dnf 22%
It just didn’t click with me. It felt really slow, and there were too many perspectives to keep track of.

thankful i got the arc tho

When I initially picked up this book, I read the synopsis and mistakenly assumed that this novel would read more slasher thriller than supernatural horror. Horror can be a hard genre for me to read sometimes because my imagination will run away with me when reading it. 'Listen to Your Sister' was so immersive and interesting that I couldn't walk away from it once I realized that this that this book leaned more towards the 'horror' genre than I typically read.

For multiple reasons, I'll start my review with this: I wouldn't start reading 'Listen to Your Sister' at bedtime. For one, from the second you meet our cast of three main characters: Calla, Dre, and the baby of the family - Jamie, you won't want to put this novel down. From the first paragraph of the book, Calla was someone I could see myself being best friends with. Viel catches all the gritty details of being the oldest child, a girl, and all the responsibility and fears and frustrations that position contains. I too am the oldest child, only girl, of 3 brothers and I felt like Calla - all the Williams siblings honestly - were written so well that I really enjoyed all three of them, and their separate viewpoints, during the novel.

Another reason not to start this read at bedtime - it has some seriously spooky stuff in it. From the first chapter in the novel, we are introduced to Calla's Nightmare - a merry go round of changing circumstances that threaten the lives of her boys. Dre and Jamie don't give much credit to Calla's nightmare and indeed don't seem to give much credit to Calla and her familial sacrifices at all. When a night of bad choices causes everything to go sideways for the Williams boys, Calla scoops them up and takes them out a town to a cabin in the woods that by all descriptions sounds like something that would make me choose to sleep in my car before I would ever willingly spend a night under its decaying roof. Just two words y'all: murder doll.

When tensions snap in the cabin (because, murder doll, among other things), Calla accidentally sends her boys into the Nightmare, where they meet different Callas formed during pivotal moments in Calla's life. Little Mama, Prom Calla, College Calla, and Grandma Calla are not all looking out for the boys best interests anymore. Calla has let them off the leash, and they all have different ideas on how to finally end the Nightmare for good.

Full of some of the most imaginative and relatable descriptions of people, places, and things that I have read in a long time, 'Listen to Your Sister' was everything I could have wanted in a horror novel and more. I loved finding out the significance behind each iteration of Calla and found myself both rooting for the Williams siblings to figure out a way to end the Nightmare, but also not wanting it to end for fear of what would be left when it was over. This book has left me thinking about its twists and turns after I've finished it - all the significance of the choices that the characters made up to it's ending. With this debut novel, I've added Neena Viel to all of my author notification lists for news of when she debuts new things, because this is an author I definitely don't want to miss new releases from.

I had a hard time getting into this book to be honest. Wasn’t my favorite. The writing wasn’t bad just couldn’t get passed the continuous reminder of the three breast.

LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER by Neena Viel is a funny, scary, and excellent debut novel. I think the comparisons to Jordan Peele and Tananarive Due are apt, but LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER is also its own beast that frequently makes you go "Huh?" in the best way. I really liked the dynamics between the siblings because they were so funny and their discussions, arguments, and what have you, felt genuine. Every single Spongebob reference made me chuckle. I also LOVED where the horror came from in this book, which I sadly can't say without giving away a major spoiler. Needless to say, it's unique and I think a lot of people, especially caretakers, will relate to this part of the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

- DNF 12%, unfortunately this book just was not for me. A bit too descriptive for no reason (first chapter about main characters bra?), wasn’t a huge fan of him playing the racism game, & a lot of foul language! Another thing I found weird was the the way she described her brothers and how hot they were.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read another book!

I gave it seven chapters before I had to give up on this one. It just wasn't for me, it moved to slow and there were too many points of view that I just couldn't keep up with. I may come back to it at a later time, but right now it just wasn't one that immediately caught my attention and sucked me in.