📣LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER📣 by @neenaviel is a dark hallucination fueled by generational trauma that will have you both intrigued and bewildered, which is the point of course. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the e and audio ARCs.

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Calla Williams knows the pressure and tight-rope walking that it takes to be guardian to her two younger brothers, Dre and Jaimie. Dre is busy doing his own thing after promising to help raise their 16 year old brother Jaimie, while Jaimie is young, bright and full of good-natured mischief as all teenagers are. But when Jaimie's actions at a protest put into motion a spiral of consequences, Calla finds that The Nightmare that is recurring about her brothers - that she is helpless to keep them from dying or being killed - is unfolding in front of her eyes.

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This story was dizzying, terrifying and at times, even confusing, expertly imbuing the character's emotional states into the reader's purview. These siblings come face to face with the worst night of their lives, a collective nightmare whose dread has silently but menacingly been creeping up behind them. As Calla reaches her limit of stress and responsibility, her fractured selves take on new life flexing her intersectionality of feelings and desires for herself and her siblings.

I was completely rapt by this story while also feeling pulled in multiple directions trying to pick up the pieces. The disorientation was visceral and unbalancing which is exactly how it feels to constantly have to watch your every move. Both heartbreaking and inspiring, this book at its core is about sticking together through thick and thin and forgiving each other for past mistakes.

I started reading the e-ARC but switched to audio part way through which I would highly recommend as it is narrated by three separate voices, 1 for each sibling and they did a stellar job! The sibling banter in this one is so good too!

I ended up DNF this book. I was not a fan of the style of writing (3rd person) and was not enjoying the characters or the development of the story. I may give this book another go at a later time since the description was so intriguing and I am still curious if its worth pushing though.

Calla may only be 25, but she feels decades older after gaining guardianship of her younger brother Jamie. Her other brother, middle-child Dre, said he would help, but he's rarely there for her. After misunderstandings leave Jamie in trouble with the law and Dre unable to return to his home, Calla does what she always does: she saves them. The three siblings find themselves staying in a remote cabin straight out of a horror movie as the two brothers try to figure out the mysterious circumstances that led them to run, and Calla deals with the recurring nightmare about Jamie and Dre dying.

The comparisons to Jordan Peele movies are warranted, and I could see his brand of filmmaking bringing this story to the big screen. Viel deftly manages a balance of fever-dream imagery, real-life horrors, and biting humor throughout this debut. Although I don't have siblings of my own, I bought the relationship between Calla, Jamie, and Dre, and thought it gave the novel enough heart that I was willing to stick through some of the uneven pacing of the first half. Some of the writing was confusing, some of it was beautiful, and a lot of it was funny despite the subject matter. Overall, an inventive and memorable debut and something you should read if you like surreal and/or sociopolitical horror novels. 3.5 Spongebob references out of 5, rounded up.

Social commentary horror in the vein of Jordan Peele, this story is about a family of siblings and their experiences as Black Americans. Calla is the older sister and the legal guardian for Jamie who is 16. Dre is the middle brother who helps occasionally but is unable to intervene when Jamie gets in trouble. The book starts with Calla being called to Jamie's school after he is found with drugs in his backpack. Calla has always taken a motherly role with Jamie but now that their mother was ruled unfit, she has to do the job legally and it causes a great deal of worry and strain. This strain causes her to have nightmares about her brother dying.

After an incident at a protest, Calla and her brothers have to take refuge in a cabin that seems to fit in a horror film. The horror part of the book is difficult to untangle as it veers between nightmares and reality, past and present and in and out of characters. While I felt the intense adjective filled descriptions on a certain level, I was often confused as to what was really going on. The author has an interesting writing style and uses humor that helps sustain this family as they deal with racism, death of a parent, abandonment and trying to hold onto some dreams in life. A dream like quality permeates much of this book but the love of Calla and her brothers comes through loud and clear. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a AREC of this book for review.

First of all, thanks to St. Marten's and Netgalley for the free eARC in return for an honest review.
I wanted to like this one more than I did, but there were redeeming qualities. Firstly the humor, there is some deeply true sibling rivalry that plays well for laughs. In fact I enjoyed how many moments were simultaneously funny and moving (either sad or horrific or traumatic). I also liked some of the nice, juicy gore moments.

What I didn't like so much was the central mechanism of the book. Without bulldozing straight into spoilers, I'll just say I felt the book was built on a premise that I have seen much discussed in the past 5 years or so. There's also a movie or two I could point to, from a variety of eras, based on the same premise.
On top of this, I'm not giving anything away by saying that (as it says in the description) a recurring nightmare is central to the narrative. This means part of the story is in a dreamscape, which means you're dealing with multiple planes of reality which can get messy. Writers who do this well need to run a tight ship, and I don't know if Viel did the best job of this; I feel like she took a couple of sharp turns here and there and left the reader behind the corner, wondering exactly where the story was going.

For feminist reasons, and for dealing with the issue of older siblings who are forced to be stand-in parents, and for race reasons, this is an important book. I just feel like some of the fantastical parts didn't gel with me well.

There were definitely some spelling errors, and in the beginning I actually found the relationship dynamic between the siblings very annoying and toxic, so much so I almost stopped reading it. However, I'm glad I kept reading. This book is very unique, I not only loved the way the author handled tough topics that actively effect the black community, but also the effects of trauma on all members of a family, and how we can be narrow minded and blindsided by our own that we forget about others. Additionally the horror elements were very good, entertaining, and heart racing!

Fear takes on new dimensions when a book like this forces you to confront the horrors lurking just beneath reality’s surface. Like a waking nightmare, it doesn’t just entertain—it unsettles, creeping into your thoughts long after the final page. The terror here isn’t just supernatural; it’s woven into the everyday struggles of survival, family, and the weight of Black histories both personal and collective.

Reading a novel like this is an exercise in tension, a visceral experience where fear is felt as much in the unspoken as in the monstrous. It pulls you into the suffocating helplessness of trying to protect those you love in a world that feels rigged against them. The horror isn’t just the eerie figures slipping between the cracks of reality but also the looming threats of systemic violence, grief, and the desperate need to escape—when escape itself might not be possible. What lingers most, though, isn’t just the fear—it’s the urgency. A book like this sharpens awareness, making you question how close the monsters of fiction really are to the ones we live with. It reminds you that sometimes, the scariest thing isn’t what’s hiding in the dark—it’s knowing that even if you turn on the light, the danger won’t disappear. Haunting, gripping, and disturbingly real, this is a novel that doesn’t just ask to be read—it demands to be felt.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for providing my review copy!

This book gave me major Get Out vibes!! There is an important social commentary weaved throughout this story that definitely gave me the creeps. It's billed for fans of Stranger Things and Jordan Peele and I think that's exactly the type of fans who would enjoy this one. Pick it up!

I got an ARC of this and unfortunately fell into a reading slump probably about 45% of the way through it--not because of the book, but just generally. I think if I revisited this when my reading mood was better it would rate much higher but as it was it became a victim of my fickle moods. I think I'm currently sitting around a 3.5 but I'm going to round it up because overall I think it's a really solid, creative debut! Also for the Akatsuki mention.

Generally, this was a really cool plot and I liked the humor in the author's writing. I liked the messiness of Calla, Dre, and Jamie and appreciated that they really felt like siblings. It got kind of difficult for me to follow, but again I can't fully blame the book itself for that since my interest was waning hard and I didn't want to read ANYTHING at one point.

The horror felt real and it was ambitious--I liked that it pulled from very real world horrors that Black Americans face regularly and wove it with the surreality of Calla's Nightmare and all that she put into keeping her brothers safe from this variety of threats. Also, don't think I didn't notice that the majority of this book's lower ratings are from a certain demographic and criticize the politics in the book as if that isn't the entire point. Like alright. Also being put off by profanity while consistently logging the nastiest dark romance books anyone has ever seen is definitely a choice!

I do think this book needs to find its audience, and I hope that it does. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Reading 'Listen to Your Sister' by Neena Viel was a deeply moving experience. The first-person narrative drew me in from the start, making me feel intimately connected to the protagonist's journey. Viel's writing beautifully captures the complexities of sibling relationships, family dynamics, and the impact of long-held secrets. The emotional depth and authenticity of the characters made their struggles and triumphs feel incredibly real. Each chapter left me eager to know more, and I couldn't help but reflect on my own family bonds. It's a heartfelt and compelling story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

As an oldest sister, Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel is a book that will stick with me for a long time. It’s a gripping, multi-layered story that masterfully blends horror, humor, and heartbreak—all while delivering sharp social commentary. Viel’s writing is witty and engaging, making it impossible to put this book down.

This novel had me feeling everything: fear, laughter, tension, and moments of warmth amid the chaos. I loved all of the characters and the sibling dynamic between them.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC—this was an unforgettable read, and I can’t wait for more from Neena Viel!

I really enjoyed this read a lot! It is a good mix of suspense and horror elements. The complicated family relationships are a sticking point and really ground the story in realistic depictions of family difficulty. The book is heartbreaking and works in a lot of societal commentary. The imagery in the book was really well done and the power of the characters' bond was really apparent. This is a book that speaks a lot to the parentification of older siblings even before the sister becomes the guardian. This was an excellent book.

Wow, this was an incredible, visceral read. This book had some of the best horror imagery weaved in throughout it in a way that makes the reader question what is real. We get to see the world of Calla, Dre, and Jamie, three siblings Calla has essentially raised (and she, in her mid twenties is Jamie’s guardian). The sibling relationships depicted are truly realistic and show the complexities of real life and real family relationship. In an attempt to protect Jamie from legal trouble, the siblings try to come up with a plan and end up in a terrifying adventure they couldn’t have predicted, and neither could the reader.

This book is split into four parts, and I personally thought the author stuck the landing perfectly. There are several unexpected plot points and the action really picks up in the second half of the books. Recommend to all horror fans! Neena Viel is a gifted writer and I can’t wait to read anything she writes!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the digital ARC. I also bought the audiobook from Libro.fm so I could go back and revisit it- that’s how much I loved this book. Would recommend to horror fans.

Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel is an electrifying and emotionally charged novel that brilliantly explores the complexities of sibling relationships, grief, and the eerie consequences of buried secrets. Viel’s writing is sharp, capturing the rawness of human emotions and the unsettling atmosphere that permeates the story. The narrative pulls you in with its mix of suspense and heartfelt moments, drawing you into the complicated dynamics between the characters. The way Viel gradually reveals the deeper layers of the story keeps you hooked, each twist and turn adding to the mounting tension. What stands out most is the author’s ability to balance psychological depth with eerie moments, creating a story that’s as thought-provoking as it is chilling. Listen to Your Sister is a gripping and immersive experience, making it a must-read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers with emotional depth and a dark edge.

A truly beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, story of a sister’s love and the lengths she would go through to protect her brothers.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Calla is the eldest of three children, Dre and Jamie follow in succession. She becomes the guardian to her youngest brother, a sixteen-year-old Jamie, after their mother is found to be an unfit parent. Dre made promises to help out with Jamie, but has fallen short. Jamie begins to get into trouble which leads all three to run and hide in a cabin in the woods. That’s when the nightmare truly begins. Calla’s nightmare that is. A nightmare that is always the same: her brothers being unalived. How can she stop the nightmare before it comes true?

I thought this book was very profound. It was witty, laugh-out-loud funny, and scary in all the right moments. I loved how the author weaved racial commentary into the story as well. Each character was well developed, interesting, and funny! The book kept me hooked until the very end.

There were times when the book read more like a script as many scenes were hard for me, personally, to visualize and I thought that most of the book would make more of an impact if it was maybe a movie as opposed to the written word. Other than that, I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC, opinions are my own. I really enjoyed the family dynamics of Listen to Your Sister - a set of siblings who deeply love each other are struggling to rise above the weights of their childhood and societal pressures. Calla, as the oldest sibling and the defacto mother figure to her brothers since their births, is crumbling under the work it takes to keep two Black boys alive without sacrificing herself in the process. The boys struggle to understand exactly how much that work is costing Calla until they become trapped in her living Nightmare -which is like a half possession of Calla, half embodiment of their shared trauma. They’ll have to figure out together or not make it out at all. This debut work by Neena Viel was creepy, powerful, and contained a ton of heart and humor. There were times I struggled to understand the more surreal bits of the Nightmare, giving me the sense that I wasn’t imagining what the author necessarily intended, but the fine line between sibling love and hate was executed perfectly. 🤌

I think Viel is going to be someone to watch and I’ll definitely pick up her next book!

This one just wasn’t for me. It started off strong but felt very drawn out and often times disjointed.

Book: Listen to Your Sister
Author: Neena Viel
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: 4 February, 2025
Capone’s Rating: 4⭐ of 5⭐

First off: Wow. Neena Viel is a tremendous writer. Her strength in Listen to Your Sister, her debut novel, is in the characters she’s created. Calla (at center stage), Dre (her younger brother), and Jamie (Calla’s youngest brother) are as real as anyone I’ve met, and they are believable at every page—something that isn’t true of many if not most story characters. And I mean it: These are fully fleshed out humans who curse, make stupid choices, hold grudges, make sudden choices with huge consequences; they do all of this just as a real, and really imperfect, person would do. They’re also characters it’s easy to root for.

These characters are the core of this story, though the conflict is a compelling one: Calla has been looking out for her brothers their whole lives, and a lot goes down in a lifetime. She’s taken it on the chin for them time after time. And all the while, she’s had these dreams—dreams where she’s doing everything in and beyond her power to save them from their own choices and those of ill-intentioned others. And then, amid some protests, things get heated enough in the city that they’ve gotta split. Shit gets really real when they get to their spooky-ass cabin rental in the woods.

Saying more about this book’s plot is tough to do without giving spoilers, and I’ve tried not to reveal anything specifically about the plot you couldn’t glean from the book description posted everywhere books are sold. If you want to be on the safe side, stop reading this and go grab Viel’s debut novel. Supernatural elements meet real-life family sacrifices in this compelling must-read 2025 release.

I had a hard time getting into this book, however I did finish it - this is why I've rated it 3 stars. Interesting debut, but it just wasn't as suspenseful as I was hoping.