Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel is a beautifully crafted and deeply emotional story about the complex bonds of sisterhood, family, and self-discovery. Viel’s writing is heartfelt and nuanced, perfectly capturing the messy, tender, and sometimes painful dynamics between siblings. The characters are so vivid and relatable, I felt like I was sitting in the room with them, sharing their triumphs and struggles.

This book is an absolute page-turner, with its rich storytelling and poignant insights about love and forgiveness. It’s a must-read for anyone who values the power of family and the resilience of the human spirit. Highly recommend! 🌟

Unfortunately this book and I were not a good fit. I found the writing jarring and not cohesive. The story didn't work for me and I was left wanting for more.

It was a slow start at first for me. I also wasnt entirely sure what to expect going it to it. I heard sibling drama and dove head first. It had so much more. It has been awhile since I’ve read something supernatural that didn’t turn me away. Thankfully, this book had Stephen King vibes and kept me going!

I was not a fan at all. It starts off very slow and choppy in my opinion. It was not at all what I was expecting. Not something I would even recommend reading unfortunately

Whew, this was a hard one to finish, and admittedly, I skimmed a lot of the last 1/4 of the book. This started off well and I was enjoying the story, but come about the halfway mark, things got crazy, and for me, not in a good way. Doppelgangers galore, multiple personas, multiple settings, it got really complicated really fast. I did appreciate the love of family evident, but, the individual characters were really hard to root for.

There were some interesting ideas, yes, but it got really confusing and overinflated.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

So, like... I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, but wow. It’s giving chaotic sibling drama meets supernatural fever dream, and honestly? I’m here for it. The vibes? Immaculate. The plot? A twisty, dark spiral of family trauma and existential dread wrapped in very witty dialogue. The whole thing? Weird—but the good kind of weird, you know?

Calla is that sister who’s doing the most (and probably too much) to keep her brothers alive—literally. Jamie is a hot mess with a cause, Dre is… well, Dre, and together they are the definition of "it’s complicated." Like, the family dynamics are a lot, but you can feel the love underneath all the chaos. Also, can we talk about the cabin? The vibes were giving "someone's about to get axed," and I ate it up.

This book is a rollercoaster of existential horror, dark humor, and heartfelt moments. It’s one of those reads that makes you question what’s real, but you’re too invested in the ride to care. Neena Viel delivers some wild, vivid imagery, and the story doesn’t shy away from heavy topics. Still, it never feels too heavy, thanks to those snarky one-liners that catch you off guard.

Four stars because it’s unique, unsettling, and weirdly heartwarming. Perfect for a cozy night in when you’re craving something unexpected.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion—totally worth the chills.

Well, if this isn’t a complete mind-bang, I don’t know what is. Calla and her siblings are trying to survive, but are they really? I mean, Jamie is teen angst and trouble galore. Dre is absent and unwilling to share the burden. And Calla is left holding the bag in many ways. She loves her brothers, but sometimes? Sometimes she really can’t stand that they let her twist herself into knots to save them.

And then comes The Nightmare. Yeah. Welcome to the party, folks. This is incredibly twisted up with love, loss, jealousy, betrayal, grief, and the truth that some siblings really will do just about anything to save those they love. The strange beings hounding them maybe aren’t so strange. The desire to end it all? Not so odd when the pieces of the puzzle are all put together for once. And the ending? Well, that’s something that has you worried and afraid while hopeful all at once. And honestly, I don’t think this should’ve or could’ve gone any other way.

So... This book sounded really cool, but then I read the first paragraph and then the second one...

I just think this book isn't for me. I'm calling it here unfortunately, but I think the writing itself seems nice. It's descriptive and not full of purple prose, but oy vey. If the first paragraph with the "gopher" didn't kill this book for me the second paragraph definitely did. Maybe if this hadn't been the first impression, I would think it was funny, but right out the gate? It just didn't hit and took me completely out of it...

So yeah not for me. I'll give this three stars to round up from a 2.5 because again, I think the author's language, flow/pacing is really good! However, I just didn't particularly love the hook. (Maybe it's because I back is always broken from my same body parts as the character idk). It just completely turned me off of continuing further...

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this. I'm sorry I didn't gel with it.

This was a perfect debut novel! This author really wrote this and I thought this was her third of fourth book and I was surprised it wasn’t!! Definitely a must read if you are looking for a thriller

Debut author Neena Viel seems to have already mastered the art of subtle scares that will get under your skin and have you keeping the lights on a little longer at night. Fantastic character development allowing me to have a connection with the story and really care about what happens next. Great pace that kept the story moving. An absolutely wonderful debut! Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Listen to Your Sister explodes onto the horror scene as Neena Viel's unforgettable debut novel. At its heart is Calla Williams, a 25-year-old Black woman juggling the intense responsibility of raising her younger brother Jamie while battling forces both supernatural and all too real.

Viel masterfully blends laugh-out-loud moments with spine-chilling terror, crafting a story that feels like a rollercoaster through a haunted house. The novel tackles heavy themes - family bonds, racial dynamics, and personal sacrifice - but never loses its grip on pure entertainment. Think Stephen King meets Tananarive Due, with a fresh voice that's entirely its own.

This fever dream of a story grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, proving that sometimes the scariest things aren't just the bumps in the night, but the choices we make for the ones we love.

If you're hungry for a horror novel that's equal parts heart and horror, Listen to Your Sister deserves a spot on your nightstand. Just maybe leave the lights on while you're reading it.

An incredibly unique concept, executed well, Listen To Your Sister is a story about family and trauma and the ways the past can (sometimes quite literally) haunt you.
This was a riveting story that I find hard to describe in just a few words.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

For a more in depth review, please check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03dLNhbWSBc

I have mixed thoughts on this book. First let’s go over the pros. I loved the concept of the book. The feminist storyline, and what is expected of women, is a strong foundation for a story. It is also a really unique concept compared to any horror novel I have read. I can truly see this as a movie.

The negative to me is the second half of the book got a bit choppy and repetitive. Maybe another pass by an editor would have helped? I really feel mixed overall because I did like how unique the story is, but I feel like it had potential to be stronger. Either way, a fun read!

I struggled with this one. It was a slow moving book, I found it clunky and at times confusing. I kept on until just past the midpoint but then I gave up as I wasn't interested in the plot or characters. I wasn't even sure what was going on. This was a DNF for me.

What a strange, strange book!

Incredibly chaotic and very strange. It was like a train wreck you cannot look away from. Not because it was bad, but it just blew my mind.

The underlying themes of family dynamics, love and rage really pulled me in and I surprisingly enjoyed the twisted way the author told this story.

Calla, Jamie and Dre are siblings that have been through hellish experiences together. Calla at only 25 is guardian for Jamie who is hard to control, constantly pushing boundaries. Some dark subjects are covered, but done well. I think it is best to just dive in without much previous knowledge of the story. It will blow you away!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read and honestly nothing at all like what I had expected it to be.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and thought that it was a great addition to have the story told from each of the siblings perspectives. I think for me the pacing was just off, the beginning was hard to get through but the last portion was done really well.

I'd definitely try another book from this author in the future.

This book was all over the place, and it missed the mark for me. The pace was uneven, which made it hard to stay engaged. So many parts were confusing. The second half was just overly repetitive to the first half. And I found the writing style choppy. This might work better as a movie than it did as a book where some of these issues might not be as obvious.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Calla is having a hard time raising her younger brother. He keeps getting into trouble. A nice read.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER by Neena Viel in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe holiday season!