Listen to Your Sister is an interesting debut horror novel that blends everyday horrors of race and family dynamics with the supernatural. I switched between the ebook and audiobook for this one and highly recommended this book!

Add this to your TBR and read if you enjoy:
🖤 BIOPC POVs
🖤 Complex sibling relationships
🖤 Psychological horror
🖤 Small, funny moments to break up tension in the story
🖤 Audiobooks with a cast of narrators

I was excited to read this book after seeing it was for Stranger Things and Jordan Peele film fans. I am definitely one of those. I did like the first half or so of the book while the siblings were still in the city. Once I got to the halfway mark things got a little too strange and unbelievable. I understood what the author was trying to do and I will see what other novels she comes out with in the future. I very much enjoyed the narration and how they gave each character in the story their own unique voice.

Okay, the narrative in this book is undeniably captivating at its core, offering an intriguing foundation that promised much. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the story suffers from some of the hallmarks of a debut work. Once the initial third of the novel had passed, I found myself adrift, struggling to keep up as the plot spiraled into a maze of confusion. It was difficult to distinguish between what was a vivid dream and what was genuinely happening, leaving me unsure of the reality within the story.

What did resonate, though, was the heartfelt exploration of familial bonds, specifically, the unspoken responsibility of caring for one’s siblings. The portrayal of sibling relationships felt raw and authentic, capturing both the complexity and tenderness that come with those connections.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing the ARC which I enjoyed in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so weird and a wild ride through the mind boggling manifestations of the psyche. I was able to listen to the audio of this novel. This book has three POV’s and in the audio they have three different people playing Calla, Jamie, and Dre. All of the narrators are amazing! This horror novel is about the survival of families and indiscernible threads that connect each of us. Even if we fall apart. “Listen To Your Sister,” is a dark and gutsy debut by Neena Viel and it is amazing.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

This is an interesting horror novel that deals with a lot of deep topics, such as the importance of family bonds, dealing with trauma, women's responsibility in families, and the way the country treats black boys/men. It was as much a traditional horror story, as it was a scathing look at society. Told through three points of view this book will keep you entertained until the end. I especially liked that the audiobook used three different narrators for each of the main characters. That added a wonderful depth to the storytelling.

I was so excited to be approved for an ALC for review. I’m really sad that it didn’t work for me.

The best thing about this audiobook was the narrators. They did a great job of making each character separate and giving a clear indication of whose point of view we are following.

This book deals with very real issues and subjects I’m not well versed in. It was an interesting experience to step outside my comfort zone.

Overall, this book didn’t live up to the premise for me. I found nothing humourous, found the narrative hard to follow and kept getting confused as the narrative felt choppy. While I looked forward to the nightmare aspect, it was difficult to tell what was the nightmare vs what was reality.

While I deeply looked forward to the supernatural horror, I found this to be more of a political and social commentary.

While I knew going in that the beginning of the book would have protesting, I felt like all of the horror was based on racial and political agendas. I’m not a big fan of this type of messaging in my horror reads.

The book was needlessly crass at times. For me, the supernatural horror was not enough. It felt basic and I wanted a lot more.

Overall, I had a hard time finishing this book. I felt like it had a great premise, but not well executed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. All views are mine and mine alone.

🏚 ARC REVIEW 🏚

LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER by Neena Viel
4.5/5 🌟
Pub Date 🇺🇸: Feb 4th

This book was so great in the emotional heartache sort of way. The storytelling and writing were visceral, and the way she described the characters' experiences was masterful. I really identified with the big sister as both a sister and a mom, though I couldn't imagine becoming a teenager's guardian at 25.

The story follows three siblings who end up going to a rundown cabin in the woods to escape the consequences of the youngest brother's action. Please read if you like the following:

😨 Not knowing where reality ends and the nightmare begins
😨 Chuckie dolls
😨 The hardships of being a guardian 
😨 The Black experience, as told by three siblings whose parents neglected them
 
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Review Copy!

🔖#netgalley #horror #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #instabook #bookrecommendations #read #bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookshelf #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklovers #booklove #booktok #reader #instabooks

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!

This is how you combine metaphor and real life trauma AND bat shit crazy horror that goes there! And holy shit this book goes there HARD.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. Neena Viel's authorial voice is so developed and impressive and I absolutely love her writing style. Even when truly awful things are happening in this book.....she throws in a tiny bit of respite and I'm laughing. I think I will always hold onto Calla, Dre, and Jamie. These siblings are real and raw and beautiful and impossible not to feel for. The plot and the horror of this story ramp up to a 150 really early on, about 40% in, compared to most that make you wait until the final 10% for any action. I loved that but it did leave you in it for a little too long, I think. Like a break dance that goes on for so long that you are left gasping for air and water by the end. But still, I'd rather there be too much happening than not enough.

I would also implore you.....no, demand of you, to read this on audio! These 3 narrators are so incredibly skilled and impressive, I hope they win awards for this book! Just perfection.

This is a must read. I cannot wait for more from this insanely talented author.

3.5 ⭐️! This was a strange and unique story. Enjoyed the horror aspects. I was confused at first but once I understood the premise, I was all in!

The narrators for this audiobook were fantastic. Sometimes I have difficulty with being able to hear male narrators clearly when I'm driving, but I didn't have that problem with this one.

I did enjoy this book, especially the conflicts that came up with these siblings (subjects with race, the guardianship of a sibling, abandonment, etc). Those were the moments that really held my interest and they were interwoven well throughout the story, even in the Nightmare portions. I felt like the first half was well-paced, though I think others might find it slow.

The second half, though, was so fast-paced I thought I was close to the end of the book. It was a bit jarring and difficult for me to understand what was happening at times when they were suddenly in the Nightmare/dealing with the Nightmare. It did feel like there wasn't a ton of build-up before we're thrown into dealing with the Nightmare. I also didn't find it necessarily scary, but that has to do with my personal preferences in the horror genre.

This was an unusually peculiar adventure, but an adventure nonetheless. However, it was definitely worth the read! Full of family drama that is TV drama worthy and then jump into a paranormal nightmare!
Calla Williams, a 25-year-old woman, is trying to live her life and make ends meet. However, she is also her 17-year-old brother's guardian, trying to prevent him from going into foster care. When a protest turns ugly and the police go to her apartment, her brothers are in trouble. They quickly escape by borrowing a car and going to a secluded cabin.
This is anything but a dream escape, more like a nightmare escape. The nightmares they are experiencing, they have to figure out what in their life and history is causing the nightmares to escape. The author is very talented at writing about hard subjects and showing how everything a person goes through all the trauma and history can cause resentment of people even if you love them.
I read the book first, then received an audiobook copy. I listened to the book, and the narrator fit the story and made it come alive—way creepier than just reading the book alone! If you are an audiobook lover, you should pick this one up! The ebook is amazing as well, but the audiobook is stellar! Thank you, Netgalley, Macmillan Audio,, and St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read, listen, to, and review this one!

Being a kid raising siblings has got to be tough. The traumatic upbringing these 3 main characters seeps in every page.

It’s clear that they cannot run away from their past.

Where it fell short for me was the execution. This is a fantastic debut for sure, but I feel like the concept needed longer to get there. The synopsis makes it seem like they have to quickly get out of town, but it took more than 35 percent of the book to leave the city.

The horror is truly a nightmare come alive and I enjoyed the last half of this book and how many one-liners the author put in throughout, such as “Their Family was a collectively formed tongue, smooth and dangerous.” That line just works.

Overall, this was a good time and I enjoyed. It just really needed polishing and some editing to tighten the plot.

This was a wild story! It did not go in a direction that I expected, but I ended up enjoying it. The concepts covered in here were very interesting and I think its best for readers to go into it blind.

Listen to Your Sister follows three siblings: Calla, Dre and Jamie. They lost their father to an accident, and their mother wasn't able to properly care for them. Calla legally became guardian for Jamie, the youngest, with Dre's promise that he would help her. Unfortunately, Dre, the middle-child, hasn't really followed through on those promises. He cares, but doesn't take it seriously enough.

Jamie, at 16, is a strong-willed and energetic teen, who is getting more difficult to parent by the day. He has many positive attributes, but Calla feels at wits end. She's only 25-years old, and has already sacrificed so much trying to keep this family together. Her job is at risk, as she has had to miss so much time due to being called away after Jamie gets up to one mischief, or another. She's also finding it difficult to maintain any sort of healthy adult relationships.

After Jamie gets into serious trouble at a protest, the siblings must go on the run, taking refuge in a remote cabin. It's there that Calla's worst nightmares become reality. No, seriously. Calla has been plagued by nightmares for years. Horrific dreams in which her brothers die because she's unable to protect them. Also, in these dreams, the worst iterations of Calla come to life. Alternate versions of herself that embody the worst things people have said, or assumed, about her; the worst feelings they've made her feel. It's truly frightening stuff.

Now as Calla is pushed to the brink, by her brothers and their unstable circumstances, the things of nightmares are manifested into reality, and they're after the trio. Will the siblings be able to come together, move past their past traumas and be able to defeat these nightmares, or will the nightmares win out, ruining them one-by-one?

Admittedly, this is much more Fever Dream than I tend to enjoy, but there was something about how raw and real these characters felt that had me by the throat. I ended up really being drawn into the dream-like qualities. I loved the topics and themes that Viel explored and look forward to seeing what other Readers think. Speculative stories tend to drum up a wide range of opinions.

The audiobook is very good, with three narrators matching each of the MCs. I definitely recommend that format. It brought this story to life; a great production. I was really so impressed with the character work. The siblings and their relationships were the star of this show for me. They had been through so much and I love how they related to one another. It's not all perfect, sunshine and rainbows, but you could feel the love and dedication.

I feel like this has some great Social Horror aspects as well, I just hope the right Readers end up picking it up. The cover is giving very Haunted House vibes, and while there is a creepy cabin, it's much more of a Literary Horror-feel than that cover may lead you to believe. Regardless, I had a fantastic time with this one. It's hard-hitting and memorable. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with in the future. I'm hoping for more along these lines.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I would recommend this to Horror Readers. This is very Feminine Rage with a Twist. We love that.

A horrifically great horror story. This is the story of Calla, Dre, and Jamie who are on a last minute family trip that quickly turns nightmarish. Funny, Scary, and amazing all at the same time. Told thru the point of view of the three main characters, with three very different perspectives of the nightmares. Calla just wants whsst is best for Jamie, who she recently was granted custody. Jamie seems to be the perfect older brother, Jamie is seemingly alwssys getting in trouble.  Extremely well written and and fast paced.

The audiobook was phenomenal. The various voice actors are simply incredible. The production is top notch. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER
Neena Viel

Viel is my new favorite author, talk me out of it!

What parts of us step out when we step into the role of someone else and where do all of those fractured versions of our selves go?

I can't be me and you at the same time. And I will win every time.

Calla is tired. And you would be too. She is now guardian to her younger brother after being persuaded to by her older brother. It was the best and only thing she could do at the time. But her brother is causing trouble and has made it harder on her than he should.

And she has her own life to handle, which unfortunately has taken a backseat with her brother at the wheel.

Now her brother is in trouble and they have to flee the city. Try as she must Calla just can't seem to meet every one of her needs with her one and only self.

And all those other selves end up being absolute nightmares.

I loved every part of this bumpy ride. It was not only entertaining from start to finish but there was a HUGE nugget of commentary right in the middle. You can read it at either level or take them both on as I did. Either way it is an ensured good time.

I gave it five stars. I recommend it to readers who like to talk about the reality of our nightmares. Who like to know more about why we do the things we do even though we know it's bad. And all of the things we do in the name of good that end up doing us harm.

What a great debut!

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copies!

LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You better listen to your sister...

I am my brothers keeper... and Calla took that to heart.

Firstly, I want to start by saying, wow, the way this was written was poetic, flowy, and engrossing. It wrapped you up and swallowed you whole.

The frustration felt by Calla towards her siblings, the ever-present social issues, the realism of the relationships, and the way it was all enveloped into this audiobook *mwah* chef'skiss And add one of the best casts I've heard for an audiobook at that. It was amazing. It was a nightmare we had to experience from a not so farfetched realities of many, without the added supernatural, of course.

It was truly poetic and heavily cinematic. The world building that Ms. Viel was an architect for had me walking along the siblings, wanting to reach in and smack Jamie in the back of the head more than a handful of times.

The way that Calla, has to put her self last and dice herself up to pieces to fill everyone's glass while hers remained empty and keep on stretching and stretching to make sure everyone is taken care of, and if that's not nightmarish enough, add the nightmare that keeps her stressed with horrific visions of what's to happen to her siblings. I could go on and on and spoil this, but you must read, but if I may recommend, listen to this book. Where I know it might not be for everyone, I found it extremely well written and narrated.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen and give an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel in exchange for an honest review. I love how Viel showed how much our reality is shaped by perspective. You have three siblings who all remember events differently and feel like the others don't appreciate them. I totally related to this and my siblings. This book was really good and I'm going to look up Neena Viel for more books.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I was Intrigued by the summary and cover initially. I didnt know what to expect but it kept me reading to see where it was going to end up. I thought the author told a story with interesting characters. There were definitely moments of what is happening, but I overall enjoyed the book. I hope to read future work by the author.

ALC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise for this book sounded really interesting but honestly I don't think it was for me. I had a difficult time following what was going on. It felt very disjointed and I'm not sure what I just read.
Like a fever dream so to speak.

Now this is probably just me


The story had some heavy subjects such as sibling guardianship, abandonment, Childhood trauma and nightmares. All mixed in with some horror and a touch of supernatural.

I rated a 3 star because I'm not sure if I didn't like the story or if it's just not my type of genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for my gufted copy. My review was voluntary.