'The Good Sister' by Sally Hepworth is a compelling family drama that follows the lives of fraternal twin sisters, Fern and Rose. Fern, with sensory issues, and Rose, dealing with fertility problems, have a complex relationship filled with dark secrets from their past. The story alternates between the present day and the twins' childhood, revealing suspenseful information that leads to a shocking conclusion. The narrative style includes alternating voices, journal entries, and a slow unveiling of backstories, keeping the reader engaged and intrigued throughout.

Characters:

The characters, particularly the twins Fern and Rose, are well-developed, showcasing intricate personalities and growth, making them relatable and engaging.

Writing/Prose:

The prose style is engaging and character-focused, skillfully intertwining humor and emotional depth through alternating perspectives.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot intricately explores the relationship dynamics between the twins, revealing dark family secrets and unexpected twists as they navigate complex emotional terrain.

Setting:

The contemporary Australian setting, particularly in domestic spaces and a library, frames the characters' complex histories.

Pacing:

The pacing maintains a fast rhythm, engaging readers with suspenseful, alternating chapters that reveal character backstories.

It’s been three months since Owen left. Left, or left me—like so many things in the adult world, it’s all a bit gray. He took a job in London; a work opportunity, ostensibly. It’s not that I wasn’t in...

Notes:

The novel features fraternal twins, Rose and Fern Castle, who have a complex relationship due to a tumultuous upbringing.

Fern has sensory processing issues, making her sensitive to sounds, lights, and crowds.

Rose acts as Fern's protector, having taken care of her since childhood when they were raised by a sociopathic mother.

The story alternates between Rose's journal entries and Fern's present-day narrative, providing different perspectives on their lives.

Fern decides to help Rose with her infertility issues by considering having a baby for her, leading to dramatic developments in the narrative.

Both sisters deal with deep-seated psychological issues stemming from their past, including manipulation and secrets.

The book explores themes of family dynamics, mental health, and the complexity of sisterhood.

Characters in the story are depicted with depth, and their motivations are often ambiguous, leading readers to question who the 'good sister' really is.

Wally, a homeless man Fern meets, becomes a significant character and influences her development throughout the narrative.

The writing style is described as engaging, with a mix of suspense and character-driven storytelling, making it difficult to predict the ending.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for The Good Sister include themes of childhood trauma, mental illness, family dysfunction, and references to a controlling or abusive parent.

Has Romance?

While primarily focused on the sisters' dynamics, there is a medium presence of romance, particularly involving Fern and her relationship with Wally.

From The Publisher:

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"A stunningly clever thriller made doubly suspenseful by not one, but two unreliable narrators." - People

Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters in The Good Sister.

There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous.

When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.

Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.

Ratings (27)

Incredible (6)
Loved It (10)
Liked It (5)
It Was OK (1)
Did Not Like (5)

Reader Stats (55):

Read It (28)
Want To Read (19)
Not Interested (8)

2 comment(s)

loutup337

Loved It

2 months

Loved this, was really fast paced and just love the twists and turns and the writing style.

fimbud315

Did Not Like

9 months

This is my first book by Sally Hepworth, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But I saw that it has high rates so I was expecting something good. I was terribly disappointed, it was definitely not a book for me.

It's a short book, but I had a serious problem to finish reading it. I even tried listening to an audiobook, but even that didn't help. I wasn't interested in this story at all. I think it's mainly because there is no problem in this book that we are waiting to solve. We don't wait for anything at all, most of the time we let the story unfold by itself.

I was expecting a mystery or thriller, and this is not that type of book. While there was a crime in Fern and Rose's childhood, we don't get indication that we should wait to hear this story in full. Besides, it's pretty easy to figure out what happened anyway. Rose and Fern's relationship is quite complicated, but for the first half of this book, it's not that we wait until it becomes clear what is actually going on between them. And then it's also quite obvious. There is a story of Rose's husband, but here I was mainly wondering if these were gaps in the plot or maybe there would be something into it. There was actually something in between, that is, it ended up as expected, and Owen's role in the story was irrelevant. And then there's Wally. Theoretically, it can be assumed that there is something weird about him, but for most of the stories there is nothing to suspect about him.

I knew it was a thriller, so I was compulsorily looking for a mystery. But I found nothing. Instead, I read the story of Fern who has social disorders and difficulties in coping with her life. And about her sister Rose with marital problems and infertility. This is basically the story of the sisters' abnormal relationship and Fern's love life. Plus some inserts from the girls' childhood. Nothing that would interest me. This story is a plain literary fiction with a tiny little crime storyline that is neither original nor surprising. The synopsis of the story was more mysterious than this book.

I read up to one quarter in a normal way, and the rest I just flipped through. And I do not regret it at all. Somewhere around the middle of this short story, I thought I wouldn't finish it at all. It was definitely not a story for me.

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About the Author:

Sally Hepworth has lived around the world, spending extended periods in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. She is the author of The Secrets of Midwives, The Things We Keep, The Mother's Promise, The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law. Sally now lives in Melbourne with her husband, three children, and one adorable dog.

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The Good Sister

Sally Hepworth