Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel is an ambitious speculative horror novel that promises chills and emotional depth but falls short of delivering a cohesive story, earning a 3-star rating. The blend of speculative horror and sibling dynamics is intriguing, with Calla’s struggle as a reluctant guardian creating a strong emotional anchor. However, the narrative feels uneven, as the initial focus on family drama and protest-driven conflict gives way to a surreal and disjointed cabin-in-the-woods horror. While there are moments of humor, tension, and heartfelt connection, the abrupt tonal and thematic shifts make the story feel like two separate ideas awkwardly combined. Fans of speculative horror might still find its ambition and vivid imagery engaging, but the lack of narrative cohesion undermines its potential.

I thought the premise for this book sounded really interesting and I was excited to listen to it. Unfortunately this wasn't for me. The characters are very unlikeable and the brothers are so rude to their sister who is just trying to help them because they are basically two losers. Many "horror" scenes were not scary, they didn't make any sense. Sadly, I don't have much to say about this one other than it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I am not even sure how to describe this one. I can’t remember a time where I was truly horrified, cringing while listening to descriptions, then laughing out loud at super clever quips, to being genuinely touched on the love of three siblings.

This book was a lot more the expected. It is not for everyone. It’s beyond violent and has lots of language. But the message behind … what we do to ourselves when we care so much about someone we love. How we doubt. How we love. I thought it was pretty incredible.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book.

These new horror books are really making me question my adherence to the idea that I'm a horror fan. I was not a fan of this book. I really like the idea, the characters, the setting, and I really wanted to like the plot throughout, but my god, it just kept going and going, even after I sped it up a couple times. There is a lot of violence, a lot of substance use, and a lot of psychological tension. And it's hard to say that something so disturbing and brutal could cause me to get bored, but I did. The unappreciated guardian/parent element was so overpowering and down your throat, I was tired of hearing about it. Calla was a great character with many dimensions and layers, but all the Callas were too much. I zoned out totally. I finished it, and felt relieved it was finally over.

Listen to Your Sister is exactly the type of book I would usually like. It had all the aspects. I especially liked an older sister taking care of her younger siblings. But this book felt so… disjointed. I couldn’t fall into it. I tried it as an audiobook, too, to see if it would help and it didn’t. It just wasn’t for me.

An interesting take on the horror genre. Loved the twist and how they explored sibling dynamics. Didn’t expect it to go the way it did, but enjoyed the ride.

THIS. WAS. PHENOMINAL. I could not put this down and could not stop until the very end! This had me on the edge of my seat and biting my nails until the very end! The narration was awesome and was very well done!

Another ARC I was ecstatic to receive and ultimately felt disappointed by. I saw some people mention for them they didn't like that it was a social horror, but for me it was that I didn't like that it was a surreal horror. I think I'm coming to realize that surrealism horror and I do not vibe well together. I never knew what in the world was going on and I had a tough time following the story in general. The pacing was also pretty slow. Another thing that didn't work for me personally is I'm an only child so I don't really understand sibling dynamics. Like, I know about the burdened eldest daughter, the middle child, and youngest tropes, but I don't connect to any of it on a personal level, I literally cannot relate. So all in all I would say it's not that this story didn't work and is not successful in what it's trying to do, it just didn't work for me because I'm not the right audience.

I did give two stars because I really liked the humor and I'm looking forward to seeing more from Neena Viel in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t a fan of this audiobook. I kept falling asleep. I had a hard time keeping up with the story and all of the different characters

This is really hard for me to review, but it just wasn't for me. It didn't resonate with me, and I truly need to stay away from the horror genre because it just isn't for me, I don't know how I did not see that when I requested, so this is my fault. But I had to DNF this one.

This is a really hard book for me to review as I am not own voices so please seek out those reviews first. Now that being said I did rather enjoy this book. I can relate to raising siblings and feeling all of the pressure of who they are or who they will be on you. I understand bottling up parts of you and hiding them and how eventually you will break. All of that was something I deeply understand and I like that part of the book. I also felt Viel did a fantastic job exploring these emotions in a really unique way.
I will also say this book has an almost Alice and Wonderland feel to it. The book is nothing like Wonderland but the vibes I got felt very similar. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

This book was a wild ride through a horrific nightmare that kept me on the edge of my seat. I listened to the audiobook and I felt like the narrators were spot on and did an excellent job since this book was told in the perspectives of three siblings and each of them had a voice that was perfect. This book was twisty in ways I didn’t see coming and was beyond creepy. I think it would make an excellent movie (and one that may leave viewers with nightmares). Calla is trying to raise her teenage younger brother and frustrated by her adult brother’s lack of help. She sees Jamie sliding down a path she doesn’t want for him, but teenagers are difficult and with all he has been through he’s not interested in her parenting. Whenever she feels that her brothers are in trouble she slides into a nightmare that brings her to a memory of a pivotal night in their childhood, one she hates to relive and at the end of the nightmare her brothers are always dead. Nightmares reflect life and Calla, Jamie, and Dre need to figure out where this nightmare interests with their history to escape it. I gave this one 4.5 stars rounded up because this was a unique story.

The story was difficult to follow and never resonated with me. I could sense what the author was trying to achieve, but it wasn’t executed well. With better editing, this could have been a stronger narrative, but as it stands, it just didn’t work.

What in the world did I just read? This book was everywhere! It felt like the entire cast of characters was on one communal acid trip! I appreciate the opportunity to tandem read this crazy story. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Neena Viel for the advanced listening copy of this book.

The story follows a sister who is forced to care for her younger brothers. Due to family trauma, she has created multiple versions of herself to help save and protect her troubled siblings.

I believe that if I were to listen to or read it again, I would be able to give it a higher star rating. The first time I experienced it, it was quite a mind trip. It was entertaining and even emotional, but definitely TRIPPY!

I am voluntarily leaving this review of my own accord.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This was so weird and I just really really enjoyed it. I liked that I could relate to some of the sibling feelings and hardships, but it also gave me new perspectives as there was a lot that as a white person I would never have to think about, even if my life was on the line and everything had gone to hell. I thought it was pretty twisty, I thought I knew where it was going, but was honestly shocked with the big reveal. But at the same time, it made sense, especially knowing the characters as well as you get to. You get each sibling's POV and they're all unique and very well developed. I was on the edge of my seat for large portions of it, and it was one of those books I didn't want to put down. I listened to the audio and the narrators were so great! It made it feel even more that I was in these characters heads and understood their motivations. There is quite a bit of gore, so heads up for that, but definitely recommend! I honestly cannot believe this is Neena Viel's first novel, I look forward to more.

It’s hard for me to rate Listen to Your Sister as a white person because, while it may be a fictional book, its elements are deeply rooted in very real issues. Setting aside my privilege, here’s what I thought:

First, I absolutely loved Calla’s character. She was fun, quirky, and an incredibly caring individual. The author did an exceptional job portraying her as a stand-in guardian while still allowing her to maintain her own identity and individuality.

That said, I couldn’t stand the portrayal of Calla’s brothers, Jamie and Dre. Jamie, as a young high school student, consistently went out of his way to upset Calla and make her life more difficult. I already struggle with liking men, so seeing the blatant disrespect he showed Calla—who was stepping up to take care of him—was infuriating.

And then there’s Dre. He was the embodiment of the stereotypical “let the woman handle everything” attitude. Not only did he expect Calla to bear the burden of all the work, but he also chastised her and dismissed her valid feelings about Jamie’s behavior. This dynamic painted a vivid and frustrating picture of the unappreciated and sexist emotional labor that women are so often forced to shoulder, even in situations where their efforts should be acknowledged and valued.

While the story was unique and the body horror elements added a nice touch, the first half of the book made me so mad that it kind of ruined the vibe for me. The narrators did a phenomenal job bringing the story to life, but I just couldn’t get past the minimizing and disrespect of Calla during the first half of the book.

Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for the early audio!

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.

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.

I went into this book completely blind. I will admit I requested it just from the title. Now, this is not a dig at the author or even the book.. it was just not for me at all.. I did not know what to expect ,just that it wasn't for me. I am sure there will be plenty of readers who will love this book. And that is great! It just was not my style.