Sister Sabotage

The Second Favorite Daughters Club #1

by Colleen Oakes

For fans of Sisters and Netflix’s The Baby-sitter’s Club, a contemporary series for the siblings who always come in last.

Santana Barnes is tired of playing second fiddle to her ballet protégé, honor student older sister Victoria. Casey Hammond is sick of her cute-as-a-button, adventurous little sister Sage, who steals all of their dad’s attention.

When the girls meet in their middle school library, they learn they have a lot in common: they both love reading, hate after-school activities, and most important, are clearly their parents’ second-favorite children.

Together, they create the Second Favorite Daughters Club. The members? Just the two of them. The mission? To become their parents' favorite children by undermining their love-hoarding siblings. But is it possible to cheat your way to becoming your parents’ favorite kid?

Bestselling author Colleen Oakes’s middle-grade debut, SISTER SABOTAGE is a celebration of friendship and family in all its challenging forms, and a reminder that there’s no one way to stand out.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Colleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts Series, the Wendy Darling Saga, The Black Coats, Sister of the Chosen One and Eleven Houses.

She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.

You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
A thoroughly enjoyable book, one that anyone with siblings can totally relate to!
Santana is younger by five years than her older sister Victoria. And Santana thinks it made all the difference; Victoria got the brains, looks, dancing talent, even the cooler name! Worst of all, as her sisters’ ballet career blossoms, it seems that Victoria has even managed to steal all of their parents’ time and attention away from Santana as well. And she is sick of playing second fiddle!
Casey has recently moved from Austin, Texas to Connecticut with her father and younger sister Sage. The scenery has changed, but one thing surely hasn’t; the tight bond between 7-year-old Sage and their Dad. They are both very free-spirits, fearless and adventuresome. Casey is a polar opposite; she’d rather read than ski, is very organized and hates messiness, and often is the only one to be concerned about practical matters (like buying groceries and getting places on time). She wishes that her mother would return to them, because maybe then Casey would have someone that “gets” her.
When Santana and Casey meet at school, they bond instantly over being the non-favorite daughters in their families. They form a “Second Favorite Daughters’ Club” together, with the motto, “Second Favorite Daughters until we are First!” And they intend to accomplish this goal by any means possible…
I took a half-star off because of Victoria’s absolute viciousness toward Santana, and her spoiled, princess complex. Her deep animosity towards Santana is puzzling; sibling rivalry is one thing, but Victoria is just plain cruel to her sister, and even to Casey. The “Cupcake Tantrum” proved just what a pampered diva she was!
I related to Casey and her anxieties better. In many ways, she has had to be the mature one in her family. And her feelings of uncertainty about her mothers’ love for her just made me tear up. (Spoiler alert: Phoebe Comet is a selfish jerk, and very unlikable!)
Loved seeing New York City through Santana’s eyes! I visited there for the first time as an adult with my husband and two boys, and it was an exciting and overwhelming experience. I cannot imagine being there as a twelve-year-old girl alone, fending for myself!
I’d recommend this highly for middle-grade readers ( and anyone who has ever felt invisible while having siblings!)

[Emilymenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite middle grade novels are always books for everybody that adults happen to read really quickly. There was so much to relate to in this book… the need for friends and connections, the beauty of the right friend at the right time, and the complexity of families. My own sister passed this along to me to read. She’s the best, but I’m the favorite.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Favorite Daughters Club is everything I remember my childhood being like: secret clubs, annoying siblings, and struggling to make and maintain relationships. Santana and Casey come together over their love of a book series and form a club to dethrone their siblings and become the favourite daughters in their families. I was rooting for and cringing at the mistakes of both girls. This book is full of everything that makes up girlhood, and I think it shows that kids learn from mistakes and from watching their friends. I through this book was fantastic and did a really good job of touching on all of the themes it brought up, and it would make for a great read for any middle-grade girl.

[Oakley Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and I love the characters! 😊
The only thing was it felt very long.

[⚡️antana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could go back in time and give this book to middle school me!

While it may seem dramatic or childish to some, those who get it, GET IT. My hope is that every ‘second favorite’ child, no matter their age, discovers this book, forms their own club, and rediscovers what always lies at the heart of everything—family.

I adore this book, I admire this author, and I’m beyond proud to share a name with this spunky, unforgettable middle school girl.

[Pita-eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

New friends Casey and Santana form the Second Favorite Daughters Club to get out from the shadow of their sisters. This is a cute middle grade novel with well-developed characters and a clever plot. I didn't care for how slowly the action moves for the majority of the book, and how it speeds up at the end. At 292 pages, it's also a little long for middle grade. But I think the space was needed in order to work out all of the plot points.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes we all need a reminder of how it feels to be in middle school. BIG feelings are easily brushed off by adults. I loved how I was put back into the mind of a 12 year old. The elation of trying to make a new friend, the rage from trying to cohabitate with siblings, and arguments that feel like the end of the world. I felt it all, and it was so fun!

[Sarah Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I can’t wait to recommend it to kids who like realistic fiction, The Babysitter’s Club or the Vanderbeekers series. Funny, sweet and true to the many feelings about siblings and families.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great sibling novel when two girls create a bond of friendship by sharing the same aggravation: they feel second when it comes to their sisters and decide to declare war. The lack of communication and pressure ends up leading them in the worst direction, but growing up is recognizing mistakes and taking the right measures to rectify them. They thought that war was a way to feel justice and rewarded but turns out that it wasn't. Sometimes all comes down to communication and honesty. I am glad for this book because there are plenty who relate to their situation, feeling secobd, or that no matter how hard they try it's never enough, but sometimes the other people aren't even tracking any of it, and are unaware of how one may feel.
A great and in fun contemporary middlegrade.
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this e-arc.

[Victoria Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think everyone can relate to this book on some level. Not everyone understands sibling rivalries, but we all know the feelings of being overlooked. We all have experienced feelings of being leftovers or leftovers. Santana and Casey bond over the the issues that they experience with feeling like the second favorite daughter in their families, The question is does seeking revenge solve the problem. I really enjoyed this view from these girls. I enjoyed the wisdom of Casey as time went by. I love the resolution at the end, opening to a series. I will definitely plan to buy the book for my library.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for this review.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to the publisher for the advance copy won through a Goodreads giveaway.

Here is the review from my 13 yo daughter:

“The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club” is a very interesting read. When I started I felt very bad for the girl who is overshadowed by her older sister and I felt that the girl who had a younger sister was quite annoying. As the book went on, however, I found myself to enjoy the antics of the girl with the younger sister more and more. I feel like screaming at the parents of these girls, which, is to say, the book is amazingly well-written with an interesting plot and memorable characters! I recommend for middle schoolers feeling forgotten compared to their siblings, but even only children such as myself may enjoy this book.

[Air · Rating 4 out of 5]

This!! Played to every emotion yet it was an absolute delight to read! I think this is the perfect little book to make us feel seen yet explore it in ways we might not have thought. Honestly I’d read this again as well. It was just too cute in some places while being devastatingly emotional in others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author!

[Jamie Steinberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Santana Barnes and Casey Hammond have had enough of their siblings. Their sisters get all of their parents’ attention and it’s just not fair. When Santana and Casey happen to meet one another in the middle school library they are quick to become fast best friends – bonding over their lack of parental care. Thus begins the tale that is The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club: Sister Sabotage – a story of sabotage and a mutual desire to become the number one daughter in the family. Author Colleen Oakes does a wonderful job at intriguing the reader into Casey and Santana’s schemes; however, sadly, the flat ending makes this read a bit of a letdown.

Santana’s sister Victoria is a ballet protégé and her parents spend all their free time either working to pay for Victoria’s expenses or attending her recitals. Casey Hammond’s sister Sage snags all of her dad’s attention as a cute little seven-year-old who has more in common with him than Casey. When Casey and Santana collide in the library over their love of reading and hate for after-school activities, they realize they have even more in common – their need to be the number one daughter. It is from this desire that the idea for the The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club is born. Meeting up in Casey’s treehouse, Santana and Casey craft the beginnings of a plan.

Unfortunately, this is where the story begins to fade. The two youngsters only make it through two phases before their plans go awry. I would have liked to have seen more efforts to take their siblings down before guilt worked its way into their scheme. I won’t ruin the ending, but there is also an overused storyline of running away to avoid facing punishment for taking down their attention-hoarding siblings. I did enjoy the friendship and deep bond quickly established between Santana and Casey, but desperately wanted more exploration of the fight to be number one daughters. However, I did enjoy that the book comes with a message to be more open with your parents. It will remind young readers not to be afraid to speak their minds when something is troubling them.

The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club: Sister Sabotage is a fun tale of besties on a mission. While it does fall short on a fulfilling storyline, it’s still a sweet read for middle schoolers who feel like their older siblings may shine a bit brighter in the eyes of their parents. Do take a few days to explore this book if you are feeling a bit unseen.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Santana has a problem with her sister Victoria; all of the family's attention is directed to the older girls' ballet career. Casey also has a problem with hers; young Sage and her father are two peas in a pod, and Casey feels excluded ever since her mother abandoned the family. The girls meet at school and bond over their sibling woes. The decide to create a Second Favorite Daughters club and even have meetings in a treehouse, since neither have a cell phone. When Cai, a cute boy in Santana's class, asks her to set him up with Victoria, Santana declares an all out war. Both girls put plans into place to make their sisters look bad, and make them look like model children. This includes wreaking havoc with Victoria's schedule by reprogramming phones and blaming Sage when Casey purposefully kills all of her father's plants. When Santana tells Cai about this plan, which she promised she would keep secret, Casey is angry. Of course, Victoria eventually finds out. After Casey's mother visits for a while but then leaves because she just can't handle being with them, Casey is angry and done with her mother, but this leads her to be more understanding of her father. Santana, on the other hand, runs away to New York City. Will the girls ever be able to figure out their place in their families?


This is a good choice for readers who like to investigate family dynamics with books like Willis' Smaller Sister, Howland's Forget-Me-Not Summer, or Palmer's Love You Like a Sister or who really like the mean spiritedness of Andelfinger's graphic novel adaptations of Pascal's Sweet Valley Twins books or Harrison's The Clique.

[Colleen Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the Second Favorite Daughters Club!

From as early as I can remember, I have been the Second Favorite Daughter in my family. It’s hard to explain to those who aren’t second favorite children, but if you are one, you definitely know it. It’s a reality in most families, and yet something never openly discussed.

I got my idea for the Second Favorite Daughter’s Club from a conversation at the library where I worked, with my friend Santana. (I am also a librarian in my free time!) We talked about what it’s like being the second favorite daughter, and I said, “We should have a club. The second favorite daughter’s club.” Then it hit me like a burst of lighting: this is a killer middle-grade book idea.

I was already an author with many young adult books, but while working as a librarian, the excellence of middle-grade books caught my attention. That day, I wrote the first chapter, about a girl named Santana who is unhappily attending her older sister’s ballet recitals, and Casey, a bookworm stuck in a family of much too-chill hippies. Together, they form a club to take down their siblings and become their parent's first-favorite child.

The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club is a deep-hearted, hilarious tale of friendship, sibling rivalry, the sheer agony of being a middle-school girl, and the complicated dynamics of two-kid families. It’s been beyond wonderful to see this book come to life with Pixel + Ink.

[Country Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that beginning of the book with Santana and her sister Victoria. Santana is not as important to her parents as her younger sister who is perfect at everything. And she hates that, that resonates with anyone with siblings. The author hit that nail right on the head!
The second chapter introduces us to Casey, the other MC of our book. Casey's dad and her sister do fun things together and do try to include Casey but do not realize that she is not as outgoing as they are.
Casey and Santana both love to read a specific book called the Coffin book series. They actually meet in the library surrounded by books! I love books myself and would much rather be reading then forced to attend things when I was younger for my siblings. I love these characters and how well they resonate with me! And this book definitely reminds me of the babysitter's club but in a you are the forgotten child way for the club.
I loved the author's way of writing in this book:) She did an amazing job with the writing for girls. I loved the story, and I am really hoping that this is the start of a new book series and there will be more members to the Second Favorite Daughter's Club!
I highly recommend to middle school aged kids who love stories with clubs in the books!

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute! While some of the situations were very 2020s specific -- the preteens were not allowed to have cell phones and had a k-pop obsession -- there was so much heart to this story that even me, a late 30s woman who had her formative years in the 1990s, felt that I could relate to our two main characters, Casey and Santana. The situations are different, but that feeling of wanting to find ONE genuine, close friend and to feel that your parents think of you first for once, even when there's someone else they love standing near them, is a universal one. I feel like this book will be to 2020s preteen girls what The Baby-Sitter's Club was to me when I was a kid. (In fact, some of the situations feel somewhat lifted from the Ann Martin book series, but with enough differences that they feel like inspirations, not outright steals.)

While I don't think people over the age of 12 or 13 will relate to EVERYTHING these girls go through, I do think a female identifying human of any age will resonate with the turbulent emotions these girls are feeling throughout the work.

My only gripe is that it's a short book that FEELS long. And it's because so much of it is episodic with like two or three chapters for each part of their adventure. And it just made everything feel really stretched out for some reason. I mean, those scenes needed to be there so I wouldn't have suggested editing them out, but...yeah, it felt like it was longer regardless.

[pawsreadrepeat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you
@colleenoakes, @pixelandinkbks, @holidayhousebks, and @jaimerockstarbooktours for my #giftedbook!

Growing up in the 80s, I read The Babysitter's Club and even formed my own with two of my friends. It was an early introduction to the importance of teamwork to reach a goal. I also identify with sibling rivalry and wanted to see what these two besties would conjure up to oust the favorite daughters. This book did not disappoint!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Santana and Casey's friendship blossom. At first, it seemed like they were total opposites. However, as they get to know one another, they learn they have more in common then not. Determined to become the favorite daughters, these two embark on a journey full of ups, downs, and plenty of hilarious shenanigans aimed at taking down their siblings.

This middle school read is interesting and well written while exploring difficult dynamics. The topics covered are relatable. I highly recommend this book and will be anxiously awaiting book 2. I can't wait to see how these two continue to grow!

[niks bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watching these two opposites initially discover that they actually have a lot in common was so much fun and comical! 🤭 Once they start working together, you can see the friendship dynamics change and grow which I think is very special!

apart from many shared interests, the huge deal is that these two are both clearly their parents’ second-favorite children. so they decide to do something about it. which, let me say, i loooved the fun plotting behind the scenes!! i found it to be so fun that Santana and Casey started their very own club…of two members…🙈 a club where they plan to become their parents’ favorite children. this is definitely something that i would do as a kid growing up - start a club of two members for something relatable with someone else!! 💗🫶🏻

“It was done. Casey Hammond was part of a club. A club that came with a broken branch and a bruised heart, and she loved it. She was a part of something special.”

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Santana and Casey become friends, they find out they both feel that their sisters get all the attention and Casey and Santana are made to feel unimportant. The girls decide to form a secret club so they can sabotage their sisters. Both try to prove to parents their sisters aren’t as great as the parents think, but when Santana’s plan is found out, and her older sister gets mad and tackles her Santana runs away. What happens next?

[Justina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I sat with a chapter book and even longer since I read one and enjoyed it this much. I had fun getting to know Casey and Santana. Young readers will relate to these characters (siblings or not) with all the big middle school feelings and shenanigans and I believe they'll be wiser for having read it - because this book is full of wisdom we can all benefit from.

[Erin Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight. Funny, true, and utterly, painfully relatable (even for this only child!), Sister Sabotage is equal parts heartwarming and hilarious…I can’t wait to dig in to the next story in The Second Favorite Daughters Club series!

[Shannon Balloon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun story about tweens who set out to sabotage their siblings so they can become the favorite daughter.

[S.A.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, but with a good meaning.

[Lucy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good book. I loved that everyone can connect. Whether you’re connecting to Casey, Santana, Victoria, or sage, this book is amazing.

[iman ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loveeee this book

꒰ 4.8 ⭐️ ꒱

[Fernanda Granzotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

I liked this book I think is a good read and a nice story with a good moral lesson to teenage girls to learn.
I have a younger sister so even though I am a adult I could relate to the girls fellings and situation, so if you are a teenage girl that have sister this boo will be even more relatable.
I highly recommend to all the girls!

[Lena Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be a kids book, based off of the illustration- they always say “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” because this book actually is insanely mature and well written. Having any sort of sibling definitely makes this book a “must read”. I found it from my local library recommended and was genuinely shocked by my interest. I read it in one day, which usually I get side tracked but this book is just - ah compelling - could be a quick read but also I recommend to anyone!

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super cute middle grade read. I loved main characters Santana and Casey and enjoyed following their friendship. This book covers some great themes and I think many people will find the characters and emotions in this story to be very relatable. Overall this was an excellent read that I highly recommend picking up.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this copy.