The Final Battle... For Now

Sisters Eight #9

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

It's the final book! Each of the Eights has received her power and gift and they even know where Daddy is—inside a snowglobe-shaped Christmas tree ornament. Now all they have to do is get inside the ornament and rescue Daddy. Hopefully, Mommy's in there with him. For heaven's sake, how are they supposed to shrink all of them (plus the cats!) down to a size small enough to fit in the globe and then actually get inside it? Of course, through magic or just shear will power—who really knows which—the girls have done quite a few things that, to be honest, they really shouldn't have been able to do. But this seems like asking too much even for these intelligent and talented girls. But the Eights are also a very determined group. Now that they know where Daddy is, they will—and they do—find a way to him. But they never would have guessed what else awaits them inside the snowglobe.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Contemporary

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I endured through this series to find out what happened to Mommy and Daddy. We finally get answers here in book #9, but it was like reading the author's first draft. I realize this is a children's book, but that doesn't mean it can get away with being poorly written. At least it's over. :)

[Rajinder Mahajan]

It's my favvvvvvvvvvv book

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the ninth book in the Sisters Eight series by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Greg Logsted, and Jackie Logsted. Our oldest daughter discovered the first book of this series recently at our local library and fell in love immediately. We borrowed the next books in the series immediately and we've read the entire series quickly in succession. I enjoy reading the stories after she does and discussing the plots with her.

I found the story to be strange culmination of the series (at least so far,) but I also found it to be entertaining and I can see that this series would appeal to a young elementary school-age child just getting into reading longer chapter books. The story occasionally interacts with the reader, usually foreshadowing dramatic parts that will follow later in the book. I began to tire of the series toward the end, and I must admit that I'm happy to take a break from this group of characters.

The stories have a pattern that is both predictable (it's even mentioned in the story) and reassuring. In each book, one of the eight girls discovers her power and gets a gift within the span of a month - the series order goes from the oldest to the youngest octuplet. This last book helps to wrap up the entire series and is a bizarre, but interesting tale. I really liked the author's note at the end of the book that explains the evolution of the story and the inspiration behind the beginning of the collaboration.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Complete silliness-- which is something I think 10-year-old me would have absolutely loved.

I'm more than a decade past that age marker, though, so as much as it may have appealed to the emerging reader in me, I still couldn't help measuring this series finale against, well, adult logic.

[Marta Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't remember library books ever having had such heavy usage at our house! In three weeks, I've read the series once, but C is halfway through a third round already!

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really loved the part when Annie,Durinda,Georgia,Jackie,Marcia,Petal,Rebecca,and Zinnia finally find there mom and dad.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very cute story! Author has ALOT of imagination in this last battle...............for nowwwwwwwwwwww!

[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun but also somewhat disappointing. My son said he enjoyed it least of all nine books. The kids would have loved for the adventures to continue in another book.

[Cosette]

I'm grateful that is over. The best part of this installment was the letter to the reader. So many questions explained. Thank you.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final book, and I really want a sequel. The sisters Eight discover where their missing parents are. They aren’t dead, but they’re in a friggin snow globe. I can accept that the sisters’ mom has a sister they don’t know about, and even that this unknown aunt has shrinking powers, but not that a bunch of people can survive in a snow globe for eight months. Because the Huit’s parents aren’t the only ones living in there.

The sisters Eight have a set of cousins, the Ocho family, who are all boys and are the mysterious other Eights. They are all exactly matched up to the sisters Eight. Andrew to Annie, Mark to Marcia, etc. They all have the same powers and get into a power battle. Some match ups have enough chemistry that I was making incest jokes.

When the sisters Eight finally find their parents, it is simultaneously satisfying and underwhelming. The sisters’ mom has somehow never told them about their relatives, although since they’re the sort to kidnap people, it sort of makes sense. The mom gave birth to a baby named 9. 9 is adorable but really? A baby named 9? She’s the ninth kid, but she’s going to grow up with a ton of issues. 9 would be 15 the year I’m writing this. I kind of want a sequel about her.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the reviews of book 8 in this series there were a bunch grumbling saying what kind of an end to the series is this, which is an error easily made by young players as it was not actually the end to the series, one click could have informed them of this fact.
This was the final book of the series, although as the author says in her letter at the end, it was left open for the possibility of more (more I say more) or for you to create your own stories (a great concept) anyway boy 9 did wrap the series u nicely although totally absurd, but what did you expect this isn't high drama this is adventure with humour and a great sense of fun.
Overall a great series to be enjoyed by all.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally read it after all these years. It was actually really good, the very end just let it down. I mean who the fuck names their child 9. Like the symbol 9. Got me fucked up. Anyway, we finally got the answer to who was writing the notes and what happened to their parents. It all made sense and was interesting. I'm really glad I got to know what happened in the end and I'm very glad I reread the series even though it wasn't a particularly taxing read.

[Kyra Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could have been better. Why do the boys have to have all the same powers of them? There is an error in this book; in the first book, the note said that the gifts were from their parents. In this book, Zinn 'reveals' that the gifts were just old random stuff he found lying 'around the house'.

[Book Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters 8 book 9 is a GREAT book! I think it is cute that they have a little baby sister.




5 stars!!! :) :) :)

p.s. Zinnia is my favorite sister!

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as well as the others. We meet the Other Eight and get the parents back. I didn't enjoy the snow globe story.

[adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved these when i was a kid and i just finished rereading them. they are still as quirky and fun as i remember! (and the names are top notch too hehe)

3.5/5 stars!

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished this series. My daughter loved it, read it herself a few times and insisted I read it with her. They were fun and quirky, but ultimately I wanted more.

[Hambu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good mystery when they were trying to find Mommy and Daddy .

[Amber Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this series! I finally know what happened. I really loved this series and will miss reading it!

[Tazendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this series when I was on vacation.
It's another of my favorite series! Lots of adventure, mystery, and excitement!
I also just started this series with my grandma, and my brother, and they like it so far! :)
I recommended the series to them, and wanted to read it to them, and so I did read it part of it to them the whole vacation! (Even in the long car ride!) We just finished Jackie's Jokes together. :)

In the whole series, this book was my favorite. I think it was because of all the information I got in the book,
but also because of all the adventure and excitement, and the new characters.

I recommend this series to 2nd and 3rd graders, children who love fantasy, people who love mystery, excitement, adventure, and even people in about 4th and 5th grade who like that kind of story!

My granny and brother are looking forward to reading Marcia's Madness with me! :)

I love the authors, and I hope they make another series a lot like the Sisters Eight!! :)

[QOH · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first series of chapter books (I'm being generous--they're short chapters) I read aloud to my daughter. She loved the girls. She loved the cats. She loved the powers. She's seven. She's the target audience.

The prose just about killed me. Seriously, I think every review I've left has said, "PLEASE USE 'ASKED' AS A DIALOG TAG WHEN THERE IS A QUESTION INSTEAD OF 'SAID'" because JHC it killed me. If I'd read these in print instead of on a screen, I'd have redlined every. single. one.

As far as resolution goes, it ends with a whimper. The book is full of the use of "huh" as a way of signifying that maybe the reader and/or protagonists should have picked up on something beforehand. In this case, when you're on book nine of series, maybe increasing the tension would have been nice instead of just sliding downhill to the bottom and calling it good.

Huh.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even pretend to be impartial in my review. I've loved this series from the onset, my eldest, now thirteen has likewise, also my youngest, now ten. The series has been wacky, entertaining, funny, clever, and all around tremendous fun from the onset, and this culmination didn't let me down. I still have questions, just enough left over to make speculation amusing, and to get me on board should more books in the series be forthcoming, but if this proves to be the end, I will be content. Thank you, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Jackie Logsted, and Greg Logsted, for the pleasure of reading these together, as a family. These will be some of my best memories of parenthood, all slathered in pink frosting.

Natasha's copy.

[Lijiao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is really awesome! How she made a boy version of every single eight. Then, there's the 'stupid' sister rivalry, and Lucy and Queen are always trying to one-up each other. But I think it's awesome how Lucy has another Eight, (well, not exactly) 9! 9 Huit. I love how they each have their own little competition, and the girls always win. But what could be better is if it ends with a bit... nicer ending.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very good conclusion to the Sisters Eight series. I was happy to find out where the girls' parents were and who the "other eights" were. There were lots of twists and turns throughout the whole book which kept me interested right until the end. I hope the authours keep on writing books. I loved this series and I'm 13 years old!

[Lucee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great series! All throughout the series, the Eights have been put through all types of shenanigans, and have had many adventures. I think this was the best book in the series, and I found it to be a very satisfying ending. I do hope there will be more books, and that the Other Eights will be in them.

[Emma Lahtinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book, last book in a series of 9 books, great book. If you want to know what was so great about the book, it was the ending, fabulous writer, the beginning of the series was shrouded with mystery then at the end it was fantastic!:)
FIVE STAR SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice wrap up.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book - loved the series

[Julie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series for girls just discovering their love of reading! My girls devoured these over the last couple of years.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this one was very good. I thought it was very cool that they fopund a way in the snow globe. It was vrey mysterious and very good.