Sisters . . . No Way!

by Siobhán Parkinson

Cindy, a with-it and cynical young teen, still traumatised by her mother's recent death, is appalled when her father falls in love with one of her teachers, a woman with two teenage daughters of her own. Surely he can't be serious? She cannot imagine a worse fate than having a teacher as her stepmother, and as for the two prissy girls - she is never going to call them sisters ... no way!

But, if Cindy dislikes her prospective stepsisters, they think she is an absolute horror - spoiled, arrogant and atrociously rude to them and their mother when they visit her house. Whatever about their mother marrying again, they can't imagine being landed with Cindy as a sister ... no way!

But the parents are going to marry, and the girls are going to be family, like it or not. So who gives in? Is there any room for compromise? Will the unlikely trio of stepsisters ever change their minds about each other?

TWO GREAT BOOKS IN ONE

In a unique feature the girls' stories are told in two separate back-to-back books, one for Cindy and the other for Ashling and Alva. The reader can choose which story to begin with, getting a very different viewpoint on the girls depending on whose side of the story they read first.

Cover of Ashling's

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, German Literature, Irish Literature

222 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

About the author

Siobhán Parkinson is an Irish writer for both children and adults. Siobhán grew up in Galway and Donegal. Her books have won numerous awards and have been translated into several languages. She is currently a co-editor of Bookbird, the magazine of international children's literature organsation IBBY. She resides in The Republic of Ireland with her husband Roger Bennett and son Matthew.

Reviews

[PagesAndInk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this one. It is a clever and engaging YA novel that is basically 2 novels in one. The same story from two different perspectives.


Cindy, still grieving after her mother’s recent death, is horrified when her father quickly marries her teacher; meanwhile Ashling (the teacher’s daughter) sees the same events from the other side.

You can actually read the book in whatever order you want either girl’s version first, which is a cool idea. The writing is good and really it’s an all round solid read

[Elena Belle · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

This was a cute story about three step sisters and their experiences as a blended family. Unfortunately it did fall a bit flat for me but that’s probably because I just don’t really read a lot of kids books. I do wish that some aspects were explored a bit more like Cindy grieving a parent which was kind of forgotten about and not really dealt with. Otherwise it was funny and enjoyable. Thank you to netgalley for the digital copy.

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters… No Way! by Siobhán Parkinson
Blog Tour

Genre: Retelling
Age Category: Young Adult
Publisher: Little Island
Number of Pages: 222 Pages
Publication Date: September 17, 2026

Sisters... No Way! is an award winning and highly acclaimed young adult novel by Irish author Siobhán Parkinson, first published in 1996. This special 30-year anniversary edition of the generation-defining book is published by Little Island Books, featuring stunning, updated cover artwork appealing to a new generation. It is famous for its unique "flip-book" format, featuring two separate, back-to-back diary entries that allow the reader to choose which perspective to start with: Cindy's story or Ashling's perspective. The book is a wry , modern take on the classic Cinderella story, exploring the lives of two teenage girls whose worlds collide when their parents decide to marry. • The back-to-back diary structure isn't just a gimmick; it forces you to flip over and experience the same events told via two entirely different, and equally biased perspectives. The novel starts as a comedy about clashing teen personalities, but soon becomes more emotive as it gently explores grief, and the bonds that create family. It is a brilliant, empathetic, and humorous young adult novel that realistically captures the messy truth of what it means to blend families. Cindy is defensive and hostile as she wrestles with her grief, while Ashling is understandably frustrated with her new tempestuous stepsister. Sister's... No Way is a modern, Irish classic, which reads as funny and as relevant today as it was in the '90s.

[ReadingMom · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Sisters no way is a sharp funny and surprisingly insightful YA tale about reluctant step sisterts. Its dual format, effectively two books in one is not somehting I have seen before and I think it worked. cindy and Aishling are very different, which is actually the core of the story, but both characters are great. Cindy can come across as not great at times in my opinion, but does feel real and though Aishling feels more mature, she is still very clearly a teenager.

The only reason it doesn't get a full 5 stars is some of the secondary characters felt a bit tacked on with not much about them. Thank you twr and little island for this one!

[ReadItRichard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great elements but I didn’t like the characters much, especially Cindy. The book is well written and I love the idea of the two different view points but I found the characters to be very self centred and juvenile. I do understand that they are teenagers, so some mitigating factors there, but even so…

Having said that, it kept me reading to the end and at times I found it very engaging, its just that the characters were so annoying! Lol

So 4 stars. Good story, well written, but characters that may well annoy you!

[Liveta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prisipažinsiu, knygą įsigyjau vien dėl įdomaus viršelio... Kuo jis toks įdomus? Knygoje pateikti du dienoraščiai - vienas Sindės, o kitas Ešlės. Tad turi rinktis, kurią knygos pusę skaityti pirmiau, pradėti nuo Sindės dienoraščio arba nuo kitos merginos. Gan įdomus žaidimas, nes merginos labai skirtingos. Sindė irzli, nuolat viskuo nepatenkinta, o Ešlė miela ir paslaugi mergina. Nuo kurios pusės pradėjau skaityti aš? Negalėjau išsirinkti, tad užsimerkiau, pavarčiau knygą iš visų pusių ir galiausiai paaiškėjo, kad teks pradėti nuo Sindės!
Perskaičiusi knygą nelikau itin sužavėta. Kažkaip nesudomino manęs pasakojama istorija. Buvo tokių nepatogių situacijų, kai skaičiau ir galvojau ar tikrai tokį dalyką galėjo sugalvoti autorė ir pateikti knygoje, nes knyga skirta jaunesnio amžiaus skaitytojams. Iš dalies pasijutau per sena šiai knygai. BET! Praėjus šiek tiek laiko po knygos perskaitymo, jaučiu, kad man knyga vis dėlto visai patiko. 😁 Tad plėšaus į dvi puses ir negaliu galutinai apsispręsti ji man patiko ar ne ir, ar ją jums rekomenduoti ar ne...

[GirlLovesto Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a four star read for me. I enjoyed it very much and it did have some very good elements and was very well written but I felt like it lacked in a few areas, one of the most glaring, I feel, was I didn't feel enough time or thought was given by any characters really to the death of Cindy's mother (including Cindy), but especially her father. I suppose him moving on is part of the plot though so that does make sense.

I feel like nether Cindy or Ashling were that likeable, but they both keep you reading. As an aside i did find the diary style cool, We get Cindy's and then Ashling's, but also a little jarring in that some entries were really short and some, much longer.

All in all though this is an entertaining read, written in a unique way

[StephReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure which version of the book to post my review here under so I decided to post under both.

The unique part of this book is that it’s actually two books in one. It’s the same story and events but told from two different point of views. One from Cindy’s point of view and one from ashling’s point of view.

Even though you have to feel for Cindy with her having lost her mother, I definitely preferred Ashling. Cindy is, and would be tough to live with!

I think the book was well written the pacing was good and it’s definitely a page turner. I’d recommend. Thank you wrotereads for my copy.

[Bookish kingdom · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This was a fun YA read. I enjoyed both stories, which were largely the same story from different sides. Cindy did wear on me a bit at times but all in all it was a good read I'd definitely recommend it especially to teens

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I loved getting to experience the same story from two different POVs, and I was able to empathize with both of the girls. However, I felt there should have been more to the story, as the birth and more development of all of them as a family.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

[Filipa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gostei quando o li na minha juventude.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was like 11!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was provided for review by The Write Reads. Thank you!

It is often said that there are two sides to every story. Two viewpoints on events that agree on some points and disagree on others. Such is the case with Sisters…No Way! by Siobhán Parkinson. The book is two sided, each side giving a retelling of events from the point of view of one of the sisters. On one side we see things from Cindy’s point of view and on the other we see Ashling’s. Two unique individuals who provide their unique thoughts and feelings on events that many have gone through.

The overall story of Sisters…No Way! is an interesting one. Both Cindy and Ashling are young women still in school, navigating their studies and planning their futures. Each has lost a parent, either through divorce as in Ashling’s case or through death as in Cindy’s case. Each is having to deal with their own feelings when their respective remaining parents decide to date and marry.

While the overall story is an interesting one, it’s the characters themselves that fall flat. Cindy is brash, mouthy, insufferable, and downright narcissistic. Many of her complaints center around herself. “Why did this happen to me?” “How could he (her father) do this to me?” And so on and so forth. Aishling sadly isn’t much better. While she is the complete opposite of Cindy in many aspects, her focus tends to be more outward. She focuses more on her mother and younger sister, on making sure home life runs smoothly. It almost feels like parentification with the way she dotes on her mother and sister.

When it comes to the parents themselves, there isn’t much to be said. They come across as very flat and one dimensional individuals. In my opinion, they could have been replaced with cardboard cutouts of people and little would have changed.

Sisters…No Way! is considered a beloved classic and I’m sure it is for some. Perhaps if I had read it when I was the same age as the main characters I wouldn’t have found it as irritating as I did. I know there are many readers who love this book, sadly I am not one of them.

[Ester Falcinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been a good book, but something is missing.
The two-way story is interesting, but the characters are all unlikeable. Not one of them acts according to their actual age.
Ashling is a holier-than-thou busybody who takes herself far too seriously for a 16-17 y.o. who hasn't the faintest idea about life.
Alva and Cindy are both spoiled brats throwing non-stop hissy fits. They're supposed to be 14-15, but act like 6-year-olds.
The parents come off as boring, sometimes selfish, illogical cardboard figures who just cannot keep it in their pants.
Also, unfortunately I only read a translation, so something probably went wrong there, but... I just can't with the language and the wording of this book.
No actual, flesh and blood person talks like the characters in this book. They all sound like they're reading out loud some lousy script. Constantly repeating each other's names, scrupolously minding the correct order and construction of sentences... It all comes off as ridiculously pedantic, stilted and stagy.
While the novel's topic is for teens and older, the phrasing seems somehow stuck at a kindergarten level.

[Farah G · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

This is a charming story written from 2 points of as 2 separate books that can be read in any order.

Readers can go through the diaries written by teenagers Ashling (who also has a young sister named Alva) and Cindy, and see their conflicting perspectives on the situation that they each find themselves in.

Cindy has recently lost her mother and is not excited about her father's decision to remarry so soon, particularly since he's going to marry a teacher from her school with young daughters of her own!

Ashling must contend with the emotional ups and downs of her younger sister Alva, as well as her mother's decision to marry Cindy's father. She is trying hard to deal with everything that's on her plate but cannot understand why Cindy, who is the same age as she is, behaves so obnoxiously towards her family.

My only complaint about the stor(ies) is that it feels as though it ended too abruptly. This is such an easy and engaging read, it is easy to see why it is considered a YA classic. I really enjoyed it!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Lara Vehar · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is basically two books in one... you get Ashleigh's diary and Cindy's diary and one is better than the other.

Cindy's diary was okay.. it was mediocre and I hated how nobody adressed the fact that her mother just died ... and her father married one of her teachers 2 months after that - she is angry and upset for two seconds then she just moves on and forgets about it - it was so weird.

Aishling's diary was mildly interesting. She talks about her father leaving her mother and then constantly popping in and out of her and her sister's Alva's lives, she talks about why her mother had to marry Richard and her breaking up with her boyfriend only for him to start dating Cindy so she decides to pretend that she doesn't know him when he comes for a visit was great.

There were some good moments in this book and it had a lot of potential - but it just fell so short... something was missing and I am not sure what it was.

It just felt incomplete.

[Albanian]

Hello. I have read this book in translation into my own language, but I think the book has not been translated as in the original book.
I know this book is two-sided and in the translation book I read are the other two twins Sun'va, Eva and Flavius as he writes in the book. Can anyone help me in the end how their relationship ended, left Sun'va or Flavius returned to Sun'va?.

[Elizabeth Ukeh · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I loved the idea of telling the same story from two different perspectives, as it allowed me to understand both sides of the girls’ experiences. However, the story felt incomplete, and I wish there had been more development of their relationships and their new family dynamic. Overall, it was an interesting concept with potential, but it fell a little short of my expectations.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a modern retelling of Cinderella that is aimed at a young adult readership told from the diary entries of Cindy and one of her stepsisters.

If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:

https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...

[Michael Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be flawless. Frequently funny, sad, and insightful, it's also artfully written, extremely clever and with brilliant characters, each facing a separate, difficult journey. The more I think about it the more impressed I am.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. some funny some sad things. would definitely recommend it.

[Kya- Le Cirque Du Livre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tu y Yo Nunca Seremos Hermanas es un libro que leí por primera vez cuando tenía 11 años.
Mi mamá me había comprado varios libros, tres para ser exactos, de la Editorial Montena y los tres me encantaron [este es el único que sobrevivió a varios cambios de casa desde ese entonces ya que es el único que apareció]
La historia es muy cómica. De un lado del libro esta el diario de Ashling y del otro esta el diario de Cindy. Ashling es la hermana mayor [tanto para su hermana de toda la vida Orla, como para la nueva que será Cindy] ella y su hermana tienen que soportar el hecho de que su madre haya decidido volver a hacer su vida a lado de una nueva persona; mientras que Cindy tiene que lidiar con la muerte de su madre mientras Ashling, Orla y su madre se instalan en su casa.
La mayoría de las entradas de los diarios las puedes encontrar en ambos lados, así ir descubriendo la postura de cada chica con respecto a diferentes cosas. Yo recomendaría comenzar con el diario de Cindy =) ya que el de Ashling llega a arruinar un poco algunas sorpresas.
En fin ^^ este libro me sigue gustando a pesar de los años, esta pensado en el publico infantil pero igual le saca una sonrisa a "los mas grandesitos" en especial si has pasado una situación similar

[Eve Lumerto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertained me as a teen.