Wednesday 25 May 2011

Sister by Rosamund Lupton


Pages - 358
Copy - My own.
Published by Piatkus in 2010

Opening lines
Dearest Tess,
I'd do anything to be with you , right now, right this moment, so I could hold your hand, look at your face, listen to your voice. How can touching and seeing and hearing - all those sensory receptors and optic nerves and vibrating eardrums - be substituted by a letter? But we have managed to us words as go-betweens before, haven't we? 


Beatrice gets the first flight back to England after a frantic call from her mother to inform her that her younger sister Tess has gone missing. From the moment she begins to learn about what happened to Tess, she realises that the story she is being told isn't the truth. Can she uncover the truth, before she puts her own life at risk.

Whoa, what a book! If this is Rosamund Lupton's debut novel, I can't wait for the next one.

I have been really careful not to reveal anything of the plot in this post, because I honestly don't want to spoil it for you. The book is best served cold, with no prior knowledge, so do not read reviews that may contain spoilers!

I have had this book on my shelf for ages and kept meaning to read it. I only decided to pick it up after realising the author was about to bring out her second novel and now I am so glad I did. This book was AMAZING! This book BLEW MY MIND! Psychological thrillers have never really been my genre, but I have definitely changed my mind since reading this book.

The plot is slowly unravelled, like a long game of Pass the Parcel, where a treat falls out with every layer of wrapping. Every few pages you get a hint of something sinister; each plot twist leaving you gasping for more. I could not this book down.  I was desperate to find out what had happened by the end. And what an ending! Not in a million years would I have guessed that the story would come to a close in such a way. The story moves along at a steady pace, finding you desperate to ride the train all the way until the end of the line.

The characters felt very real and quite quickly you find yourself lost in their lives, desperate to find the answers to not only Tess's disappearance, but also to Beatrice's own issues. By writing in first person in a letter format to her sister, Beatrice pours her heart out onto the pages as she intertwines each thread of her sister's life to find out what happened to her. Her love for her sister will leave you emotionally spent. You realise the lengths that love will take you in order to find the truth.

Whilst reading this book, I felt like I had been absorbed into a second skin, as most of thoughts seemed to dwell on which direction Beatrice would take to find out the truth. Even now, a week after reading it, I am finding it hard to let the story go. I want more! I may have to petition Piatkus to beg Rosamund Lupton to write two books a year at least, to keep me satisfied.

This is a an evocative,poignant mind blowing pyschological thriller that deserves a whole weekend reading  reservation just to lose yourself in it!

21 comments:

  1. Wow, you had such a different reaction to me! I thought this was ok - I thought the aspects of grief and loss and the relationship between sisters was extremely well done - but I thought the crime/thriller aspect was poorly executed, implausible and a tad bizarre. It's surprising to me the way one text can be so different to different people :-) I think if she wrote another story that was more literary and less genre I'd read it in future.

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  2. Brilliant review! Have too had this sitting on my shelf for ages, you have made me really want to read it now!

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  3. Excellent review! Sounds like a great book.

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  4. Great review. I've had this book on my TBR for ages, but somehow I haven't read it yet! I love psychological thrillers and this sounds like a good one!

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  5. Oooo, sounds very edge of your seat :D Wonderful review

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  6. Seems to be a book people either love or think is ok - I've yet to find anyone who really doesn't like it. it. I'm glad you enjoyed this so much - you must have found it really special as you have mentioned before that you aren't usually a fan of this genre. I wonder if our library will have a copy?

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  7. Psychological thriller is something that I really like and hearing you rave about this book makes me really curious about it. Thanks for introducing to author!

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  8. Okay, you've definitely gotten my attention - going to check out goodreads and amazon now!

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  9. Hmm, I've been wondering over whether or not this one would be for me. Great review!

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  10. I bought this for myself for Xmas and haven't picked it up yet. Thanks for inspiring me to do so! =D

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  11. So glad you liked this as much as I did, I thought it was a really different and original read. Think we're going to have to plan our strategy for the new book heist!!

    Louise
    www.book-bliss.com

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  12. Not so sure if I could deal with the thriller part but that is why I am glad you read it. I can just read the review instead ;)

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  13. This sounds absolutely fantastic!! I must hunt down a copy!!

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  14. MummaZappa - I am sorry you didn't love it as much as I did. I couldn't put it down.

    Dot- I think we have quite similar tastes, so I think you will love it.

    Yvonne - thank you

    Leanna - it was good. I can't wait for the next one!

    Animewookie - good description for it.

    Petty Witter - the library should have as it came out last year.

    Alice Teh - this was her debut book, so she is definitely a new author. Her new book comes out on the 9th.

    Jen E _ I hope you find it.

    Jules - I hope you like it if you get it.

    Scattered Laura - I am too good at convincing people to pick up books!

    Louise - I think I may have organised my book heist. Eeek!

    Blodeuedd - your funny!

    Staci - I hope you find it.

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  15. sounds amazing! Your review makes me want to pick it up.

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  16. Love psychological thrillers so your "mind blowing" comment is enough for me to put it on my wishlist. Thanks Viv :)

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  17. This book is veryyy popular! I have seen mostly very positive reviews on it.
    May need to borrow it from my sister one day!

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  18. Great review - it sounds like an absolutely fabulous read :D

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  19. This is a great family story with a very surprising ending. Kept me turning the pages. Work greatly interferred with my reading!

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