Member Reviews

I’d say this was a 3.5 rounded up. I felt like I was in a fever dream and never really knowing what was going on. I felt for this family but wow was it a wild story. Overall, the audiobook was done well with multiple narrators. There did seem to be a coupe glitches in the ALC but it didn’t take me out of the story. If you like a fractured family with tough dynamics dealing with life and survival and horror elements, you’ll love this one.

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Listen to your sister is different, it’s weird and want not exactly what I was expecting. There is a lot going on,and heavy topics and character working through various types of trauma. Even through everything they experience, the sibling dynamics though frustrating and anger inducing for them is still strong. The characters were well done and I was horrified, confused, laughed and teared up along with them. The plot was wild and out there, there were some points of confusion but Viel’s writing pulled it together. I won’t say too more about the plot to prevent spoilers and going in not knowing exactly where it is going was a good way to experience this novel.There are clear undertones of social commentary mixing supernatural horror with real life horror of being Black in America. This one stayed with me.

Listening on audio was a whole production and the each narrator understood the assignment.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

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Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 2/4

Listen to Your Sister is a very original story. Told in a multiple POV between the three siblings - Calla, Dre and Jamie. I absolutely loved their bond; I found myself laughing at their banter but also loved how much you could see they really cared about each other. Each of the siblings grew tremendously throughout the story and I really enjoyed watching them grow and really begin to understand one another and the different hardships that each of them went through. Very interesting how the nightmares came to life and how the siblings came together in order to stop what was happening.

The pacing was a bit odd; it felt almost like it was too slow at points and then became almost too fast that everything became a bit too convoluted. I really seemed to struggle with what was real and what was a part of this nightmare. I love a good paranormal horror but I just found myself having a hard time following which led me to honestly not really care all that much as to what happened.

I listened to this one via audiobook while reading along with the eBook. Eric Lockley, Kristolyn Lloyd and Zeno Robinson were great. I think they complimented each other perfectly as far as sibling go but there were some super cringe parts when some voices were acted out. Also; this story is so much of a fever dream that I definitely think having both the print version and the audiobook would be helpful.

Overall, this one wasn't necessarily for me, but that's okay. I think that horror fans will really get a kick out of this one! Be sure to check it out. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Neena Viel, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

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What a ride! Heartfelt, spooky, and even funny! I definitely did not expect the book to be as deep and unique as it is. The cover, while cool, does not let the reader know what they’re in for. The audiobook narrators really upped the creep factor which I loved! I can definitely see this being made into a movie - kinda gave me Us vibes at times. The characters felt real and down to earth. I laughed out loud a bunch of times. A fresh new horror voice! I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for letting me listen!

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Woah. What did I just read? This was a bit bizarre. It was a book where you didn't truly know what parts were actually happening and which parts were hallucinations. I still don't know for sure. I appreciate the overall message of the story and the family dynamic. They really should have treated the sister better. It was definitely a different style. It gave Grady Hendrix vibes, but a little disjointed at times. I think the publisher's description of it is very accurate.

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This audiobook is amazing. The narrator really drew me into the mystery. I like this authors voice and it was very character driven. I felt like I was a part of the story. Of was so mysterious that I had no idea where the story would go. Everything that unfolds was really neat.

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When I saw the recommendation for fans of stranger things I was really excited to listen to the audiobook of “Listen to your sister”, unfortunately that comparison just didn’t land for me and I found I struggled to get through this one.

I think the main issue for me was that the horror aspects came around way too late in the book, and the beginning was filled with mundane every day events that had way too much focus and lengthy description, if all that filler was removed this probably could have been shortened into a novella which would have been preferable in getting to the good jumpy / creepy parts a lot faster.


In terms of audio narrators the story is narrated by various voice actors and I had no qualms with any of them, they did a good job reading it was just the overall content that wasn’t for me.

If you are looking for a slow burn horror then maybe give this a shot!

Thank you to Macmillan audio and Neena viel for the ALC !

Publish date - February 4th 2025

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Calla, Dre, and Jamie are all siblings. Calla has custody of Jamie after their mother could no longer care for him and Dre is supposed to help out with his care. Jamie is a rebellious teen who has been getting into trouble and making life harder for his sister Calla and she is on the brink of losing it.

This was a major slow burn horror book, which isn’t quite my niche. There was a LOT of set up at the beginning of the book and things didn’t really start to pick up until about 60% of the way through.

Overall, I thought the book was okay and gave it 3 stars.

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Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for the ALC.

Unfortunately I DNF'D at 50%. Maybe I'm just not reading/listening at the right time and I should get back to it another time? But I felt like the horror part, and not the horror of how people are, came waaaaay too late. Some parts were weirdly too descriptive and boring while others felt skipped over.

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Listen To Your Sister is an amazing roller coaster of not only horror, but also social cultural issues that are faced by young teens of color. This is an amazing adventure of darkness got these three siblings endure throughout this novel. I was really invested in each of the characters throughout this book from the writers. Amazing development of each sibling. Such a great young adult novel for a first time writer.

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This book embodies sibling relationships, especially with the parents out of the picture and twenty-five-year-old Calla taking responsibility for her handful of a brother Jamie. The middle brother Dre promises to help, but then fades out of the picture and stays busy with his life. The three are eventually forced to flee to a cabin in the woods where Calla's deep-rooted reoccurring nightmares come to life and the story takes the creepy turn I was hoping for. If you're into unique horror, this is a great read. I particularly enjoyed the full-cast audiobook which brought the story to life.

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Unfortunately I couldn't continue with this book. I am currently listening to it as a current NetGalley ALC and I think that's where it falls short for me.
It is describe as a book for fans of You and Stranger Things with horror, social injustices, and overall thrilling suspense. It follows 3 siblings all different yet all fighting daily life struggles of racism, family past, and what lift has dealt to them in the now.
I feel that this is a book everyone will start talking about, and can see it being turned in to a movie or tv series. My issue is the audiobook; the narrators are great, fully embodying the characters, but I don't think this book translates well as an audiobook. I think I would be able to carry on with it if I had a physical copy to read. It's fast pace and the scenes jump around too much, especially with Calla's dreams and reality, that I found my self trying to go back and re-listen to the same things over and over again to understand what was happening. It's all just a little chaotic to listen along.
I would be willing to give this book another chance with the physical/ebook when it becomes available.

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Listen to Your Sister is a complex, unique, and intense debut novel about three siblings dealing with their difficult upbringing. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of each of the siblings, which allows the reader to fully get to know each of them. While Calla is ostensibly the main character, her brothers, Dre and Jamie, both get to tell their story, as well. The audiobook alternates narrators for each character, and they did a great job bringing them to life.

I was really impressed by this debut novel! It took me a little while to get into, but I couldn't put it down once I did! The characters were realistic and their motivations were believable. I wasn't expecting the nightmares to be so intense, so be prepared for that if you're squeamish. Some parts were hard to follow, but I just kept reading and was able to figure it out.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes psychological horror that deals with social issues, complicated sibling relationships, and alternate realities.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Audiobook Review
4 ☆
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 that the paperwork is finalized, 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.

This is a very thought-provoking story, one that requires careful consideration. Is Calla really seeing things, her fear becoming something real, or is she just mentally exhausted? I enjoyed this story a lot.

The audiobook is good, and I love how there are three narrators for the three characters. They did a good job telling the story and bringing it to life.

Thank you, Netgellay, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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This book follows the Williams siblings, Calla, Dre, and Jamie, and is told through all 3 perspectives.

Calla agrees to take legal guardianship of her youngest brother Jamie with the promise that Dre would help. However, Dre is no help, never around. And Jamie is literally the WORST! Jamie skips school, does drugs, and hangs out with a rough crowd.

Calla is overwhelmed and just trying to keep her brothers safe, Calla has been caring for Jamie since he was a baby because their mother was deemed unfit. However, both brothers think Calla is overbearing and make her the butt of all their jokes.

However, Jamie and Dre are in major trouble, and Calla is spreading herself thin to meet her needs, but then her other selves appear, and they are absolute nightmares...

This book was a bumpy road to follow. It shows you the reality of our nightmares and why we do the things we do even when we know it's wrong. As an older sister of two younger brothers, I felt for Calla. She put herself last to take care of them, and she would have gone to the ends of the earth to do anything for them.

Beware, this book deals with some heavy topics: siblings guardianship, abandonment, childhood trauma, and nightmares. With some supernatural elements to the horror.

I would give this book a 4 out of 5 because while it's hard to follow and at times I keep thinking to myself what the fuck, I felt for Calla and her nightmares and for a debut novel @neenaviel did a phenomenal job 🖤

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I really liked the overall concept of this book, but the execution really missed the mark for me.

I expected a horror book to be a little more fast paced, but this was just a bit too slow in the beginning for me, which made it hard for me to get into.

Overall, I liked this one, but I didn’t love it.

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Wow, this was such a wild ride from beginning to end. Calla was doing her best as her youngest brother's guardian. Jamie is very easygoing and doesn't seem to think about the consequences of his actions. At first, I didn't expect Calla's nightmares to be so intense, but as the story progresses, they get worse and more violent. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I loved that we got to see situations from the perspective of all three siblings and get a little into their psyche as they faced danger.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the arc and alc!!

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Calla is in charge of taking care of her younger brother Jamie, with the promising help of her other brother Dre. Though Dre can be unreliable and doesn't follow through with his promises. When Jamie gets into serious trouble at a protest, the siblings go on the run. What they ran to was something out of Calla's nightmares.

It was a bit hard for me to get through the book and I had to push myself. Parts of it felt disjointed, and confusing to follow. The nightmares descriptions were vivid though and something you do expect out of a horror novel. However, the plot felt lacking and I couldn't connect with the characters.

2.5 stars rounded up.

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This is one of those awesome concepts but meh deliveries. I loved the idea of the story but getting to the 'alternate reality' was odd? It was incredibly fuzzy but I kind of just went with it. I loved the sacrifices that these characters made for each other and to 'keep trying' for one another. Also the narrator's for this story were great. Overall, I would recommend this to someone who likes alternate reality sort of stories with a good amount of horror!

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I was not the audience for this book

Hard to follow and so much racism

I'm sure this is a great read/listen for the right peeps

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