The Sullivan Sisters

by Kathryn Ormsbee

Time changes things.

That painful fact of life couldn’t be truer for the Sullivan sisters. Once, they used to be close, sharing secrets inside homemade blanket castles. Now, life in the Sullivan house means closed doors and secrets left untold.

Fourteen-year-old Murphy, an aspiring magician, is shocked by the death of Siegfried, her pet turtle. Seventeen-year-old Claire is bound for better things than her Oregonian hometown—until she receives a crushing rejection from her dream college. And eighteen-year-old Eileen is nursing a growing addiction in the wake of life-altering news.

Then, days before Christmas, a letter arrives, informing the sisters of a dead uncle and an inheritance they knew nothing about. The news forces them to band together in the face of a sinister family mystery…and, possibly, murder.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Ebooks

372 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2020

About the author

Kathryn Ormsbee is the author of contemporary novels for children and young adults, including Growing Pangs, Candidly Cline, and Tash Hearts Tolstoy.

Her books have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives with her wife in Texas.

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, I gotta be honest y'all. This book was really underwhelming. I've wanted to read something from this author for ages and I'm worried that I may have started with the wrong book :c It had so much potential to be amazing (spooky seaside town! sister bonding! queer characters!), but it just felt like.. nothing happened and I am SAD. I will still go back and read more from Ormsbee's backlist because I did enjoy the writing style, but I can't pretend that the plot as a whole didn't leave a lot to be desired for me. Womp.

TW: animal neglect, death of an animal, alcoholism, underage drinking, terminal illness (cancer), death of a parent

[TheGeekishBrunette · Rating 2 out of 5]

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

If you are looking for a YA mystery/thriller well don’t pick this one up because the labeling of this book is very misleading.

There are family secrets laced within the pages and although there is death involve it isn’t shocking and it doesn’t even play a major role. From the premise I thought that this book would be completely different than what I actually read. I couldn’t find myself connecting to any of the sisters and sometimes their voices mumbled together. They were at least diverse in their weaknesses, sexuality, and what they planned to do as they got older.

The one thing I did like about this book was the theme of sisterhood and family. Although family wasn’t as big as sisterhood. Sister relationships are very important to me since I have three sisters. I did like that the girls got everything off their chest and worked to better their bond through the experiences they faced with the family mystery. It brought them and even their mom together which was nice to see.

The plot, as stated above, was not what I was expecting. There are elements that could make it a mystery but definitely not a thriller. I liked the stories that were told by the townsfolk surrounding the family but other than that there wasn’t much going on. The book seemed to drag on at times and the plot twists that were presented just didn’t surprise me.

Overall, it was just okay. I was expecting a lot more.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I heart basically stopped and raced back up again when reading this book. I could not stop. I love the backgrounds of each of the sisters Murphy, Claire and Eileen and how they used to be a close bunch but when each of them experience a "major" crisis, they drift apart and go their separate ways until a letter addressed to the family on the death of their uncle and how he left a major fortune to them, they have to grow closer and be stronger than ever especially when the death is a suspected murder. Every page was a surprise and their was a new twist each chapter. I know our teen book club will absolutely love this book and I can't wait to hear the discussions that arise from it.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit: Happy book birthday to The Sullivan Sisters!


Thank you to Simon Teen for the Advanced Readers Copy! All opinions are my own.

I thought this was a very fun mystery! I loved how it showed the complex relationships sisters have with each other and I loved how each one had a very distinct voice and they all grow in some way, albeit a bit predictable, in the end. I liked that the mystery aspect was fun but didn’t overshadow the characters which is what I think are the important part of the story.

This comes out June 23rd and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves books about sisters!

[Stella ☆Paper Wings☆]

The author of Tash Hearts Tolstoy wrote an inheritance mystery with THAT cover??? Take my money!

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Having sisters must be wild. In fiction and in reality, there is always a story with sisters. And with The Sullivan Sisters, there certainly is one. And it's changed over the years as the girls have gotten older, developed their own lives, and drifted a bit away from one another. But a chance letter revealing a relative they never knew existed thrusts them back into each other's orbits.

I absolutely loved that they had this chance to reconnect. There is a lot of love among these young women, of that I had no doubt. But there is also a lot of pain. Their mother works so much to provide that she's basically absent and each sister is on her own. Eileen, the oldest, is a mess, she's become an alcoholic, and sees pretty much no future for herself. Claire tries to overcompensate by being the best at all the things and assumes that she needs to be some perfect version of herself. Murphy, the youngest (and my favorite) is lonely and lost, but such a genuinely delightful character. So off they go to a quaint town on the water to an old, inherited house.

The atmosphere of this place is perfect for both a mystery and a rediscovery of sisterhood. As it's a small town, the sisters have little choice but to sort out their problems, and the clues of their ancestors. And while I won't say too much about either journey, it's wonderful to see the parallels between the mystery and their own reconnection.

It's obviously a very family-focused story, but also a story about self-discovery too. For the sisters will never be able to properly patch their relationships if they first cannot heal within themselves.

Bottom Line: Atmospheric and full of love and heart, this mystery-slash-sisterly love story is one not to be missed!

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5)

Rep: lesbian mc, Vietnamese American lesbian side character

CWs: animal death, past child abuse

[A C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5?? Idk. This was...not what I was expecting it to be. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I was just expecting something creepier than this, for some reason? And the creepiest thing in this book is a fucking doll, sooo.

This was pretty good, though? Not phenomenal, but also not terrible. I guess just kinda meh, really.

It was certainly interesting to see all three sisters grow and change over the course of the book, and come to terms with their problems, and I think that was handled pretty well.

I also enjoyed the way the story of their past kinda unraveled and came about; that was cool.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: drinking, alcoholism, murder, throwing up, mention of leukemia.
Diversity: Gay MC, Vietnamese side-character, f/f relationship.

This was... not what I expected. I think I expected it to be more of a mystery than it was. It felt more like a slow-paced story focused on sisters and family and family secrets, as a whole. Still enjoyable, but I think I expected a bit more from it.
Full review coming soon!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'

[Linesbookworld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Titel: Die Sullivan-Schwestern
Autor: Kathryn Ormsbee
Erscheinungsdatum: 27.09.2021
Verlag: cbj
Format: Gebundene Ausgabe
Seitenzahl: 448
Preis: 17,00€ (Ebook: 11,99€)

~Inhalt~
Die Sullivan-Schwestern haben keine Geheimnisse voreinander! Niemals.
Aber genau das hat sich in den letzten Jahren geändert. Nun sind da nur noch verschlossene Türen und Dinge, die man einander nicht anvertrauen kann: Die 14-jährige Murphy, ihres Zeichens angehende Magierin, trauert um ihre Schildkröte. Die 17-jährige Claire hat gerade eine gnadenlose Absage von ihrem Traumcollege bekommen. Und die 18-jährige Eileen kämpft mit Dämonen, die immer weiter Besitz von ihr ergreifen. Doch dann setzte ein Brief, der die Schwestern über eine unerwartete Erbschaft informiert, eine Kette von Ereignissen in Gang, die ihrer aller Leben auf immer verändern wird.
(Quelle: https://blogger.penguinrandomhouse.de...)

~Meine Meinung~

Gestaltung: Das Cover finde ich in Ordnung. Mir gefällt, die Darstellung der drei Schwestern, allerdings sieht man ihre Gesichter, wodurch die eigene Vorstellung der Protagonistinnen beeinflusst wird.
Der Klappentext macht neugierig auf die Geschichte und lädt dazu eine, die Leseprobe zur Hand zu nehmen.

Personen: Die drei Schwestern wirkten von Anfang an völlig verschieden, jede hatte ihre eigene Persönlichkeit und hat auch eine enorme Entwicklung über die Geschichte hinweg mitgemacht. Ihr Verhalten war für mich leider nicht immer nachvollziehbar. Die Interaktionen der drei waren ab der Hälfte des Buches interessant und auch spannend zu lesen, davor jedoch leider nicht.

Schreibstil: Die Geschichte wird von allen drei Schwestern erzählt, jede hat ihre eigene Perspektive bekommen, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. An den Schreibstil musste ich mich erst einmal gewöhnen. Leider war er nicht "lockerflockig", mit der Zeit habe ich mich eingefunden und konnte die Geschichte letztendlich auch relativ schnell verfolgen. Außerdem war die Welt nicht besonders detailreich beschrieben, wodurch ich mir diese leider nicht besonders gut vorstellen konnte...

Handlung: Mir viel es schwer den Einstieg in die Geschichte zu finden, zu Anfang war das Buch zudem recht langweilig. Die Geschichte wurde langsam Stück für Stück aufgebaut. Mit der Zeit fiel es mir ein wenig leichter mehrere Kapitel am Stück zu lesen. Ab dem letzten Drittel, ging es schneller voran, die Lust das Buch weiter zu lesen hat mich gepackt, allerdings erst sehr spät... Auch erst ab dem letzten Drittel wurde wirklich Spannung aufgebaut und ich konnte ahnen, in welche Richtung sich die Geschichte entwickelt.
Die Entwicklung der Schwestern war interessant mit anzusehen, wie sie langsam wieder zueinander fanden, war schön zu lesen!

~Fazit~
Für mich stand die gesamte Zeit über die Geschwister-Hass-Liebe im Vordergrund, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Leider konnte mich das Buch erst im letzten Drittel von sich überzeugen, deshalb kann ich leider nur 2/5🌸 vergeben.

~Hinweis~
Das Buch ist ein Rezensionsexemplar und wurde mir kostenfrei und ohne jegliche Bezahlung vom Verlag zur Verfügung gestellt. Ich werbe dafür hier, auf meinem Blog und Lovelybooks in Form von Rezensionen und auch auf Instagram in Form von Bildern.

[RonniesBookNook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an emotional story. Three sisters, all discovering themselves, trying to heal from family secrets, bonding and growing closer.

[Samantha Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book 😊 I think anyone reading this will identify with one of the sisters.

[Meaghan - H&WR · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

EXPECTED JUNE 23RD, 2020

4 STARS

A dead turtle right before Christmas doesn’t seem like it belongs in an inheritance story, but here we are.

It sounds a little outlandish for a contemporary mystery, but yes, a pet turtle does die only days before Christmas, and yes, his death is a catalyst. You see, the Sullivan sisters used to be close. These days, though, they’re lucky if they look at one another without fighting.

But when Siegfried kicks the bucket, an inheritance lands in the sisters’ laps, and a midnight road trip goes off the rails, everything is bound to change. Everything.

The charm of The Sullivan Sisters lies in absurdity meeting the mundane.

At first, the idea of all these major events colliding around Christmas, capped with the sisters’ mom winning a sweepstakes cruise and leaving for the holiday, struck me as far too much. But then again, I don’t often dive into contemporaries. Why not stick around and see how it shakes out? Maybe this is normal as far as contemporaries go.

And to tell the truth? I still don’t know if all this qualifies as normal. That said, it absolutely counts as engaging! From the start, I found myself hooked on the sisters’ POVs. Each one has a unique, forceful voice that leaves no doubt as to who’s behind the wheel for each scene, and despite their flaws, I came to love them all.

Murphy, I think, is the most endearing. The youngest sister, she can be a little annoying, but that’s what youngest siblings do. What’s more important is that she’s the catalyst behind the change the Sullivan sisters have to face. Sure, outside factors kickstarted their journey, but it’s Murphy that lies at the heart of it, keeping the wheels spinning.

Claire, the second sister, was actually my least favorite, but I suspect that’s an intentional choice on Kathryn Ormsbee’s part. After a rejection from her dream college, she spirals a little, desperate to regain control over the direction of her life. Regaining control, though, involves her pushing her sisters to the side, and looking down her nose at them. It makes for a great starting point in terms of her overall character arc, but also makes her the hardest sister to love.

And Eileen takes the cake for the most dramatic turnaround, in my eyes. Initially, she seems uncaring, even cold, and she’s an alcoholic in denial. Something she discovered two years ago turned her world upside down, and she withdrew as a result, cutting everyone off. But her growth over the course of the book struck me as truly heartfelt, and even if Murphy was the most endearing, Eileen was the most complicated.

The list of where The Sullivan Sisters falls short is, well, short.

Really, there were two major areas where I felt something was lacking. The first was the way Claire’s queerness was handled. She’s gay, self-professed, and while I love seeing more queer characters in books, that fact felt like a surface fact. On the one hand, queer characters don’t require romances to be queer. I feel so, so strongly about that. It’s part of the reason I’m looking forward to Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power this year. But on the other, it feels like a shallow declaration sometimes. I can’t tell if I need another reread, more time to think on it, or if this gut feeling is right.

The other issue I had, which was truly the larger one, was the reliance on miscommunication. On years of miscommunication. I can see on one hand how that’s the core of the story. Whose family doesn’t miscommunicate? In the case of the Sullivan sisters, it’s pretty extreme, but hey, that’s fiction, the nature of the beast. On the other hand, though, if the sisters and their mother just communicated, so very much of the plot wouldn’t have happened. Hell, the sisters would have never gone on their road trip investigation if they’d simply waited to talk to their mother.

Then again, this is in a lot of ways a book about learning to reconnect when you have failed to communicate in the past. That’s not a lesson learned when you communicate well in the first place. As a thematic element, it works quite well. It’s just that I’m personally never fond of miscommunication in such a critical role in a book.

Maybe you won’t inherit a rich uncle’s estate, but you might as well join the Sullivan sisters when they inherit theirs!

Originally scheduled for a May release, The Sullivan Sisters is now due June 23rd. That leaves plenty of time to place a pre-order, if you’re so inclined, or request it from your local library. I place it solidly in the enjoyable category, worth a read at least once, and I hope you come to feel the same way. It may not be a book to rave about until the end of time, but it’s still one to watch, one to take time to think about.


CW: loss of a loved one, alcoholism, animal death, gun violence mention, implied domestic abuse, suicide

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at between-the-shelves.com!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this for early review! Even since reading Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, I've loved her work. This was a different story, but still a thoroughly engaging story. While it's a bit slow moving at first, the story itself is atmospheric and it draws you in quickly.

While this book is being pitched as a mystery, it's more of an unraveling of family secrets through the voices of the three Sullivan sisters: Murphy, Eileen, and Claire. For the most part, the voices of each of the sisters were unique enough to tell them apart, but at times, they tended to blur together. Out of the three, Murphy might have been my favorite to read just because she had the most engaging voice. There were times, though, where she seemed younger than she was supposed to be.

If you're looking for a suspenseful mystery/thriller, this definitely isn't it. There is death mentioned in the book, but it isn't a huge part of the plot line. It's more focused on relationships and the ways that family relationships change. This book will suit those looking for relationship based stories, exploring family histories and family secrets. It is definitely more of a character driven story than a plot driven story.

Adding a bit more suspense might have made this book a little more engaging plot wise. Overall, an interesting read featuring strong characters.

[Olivia Fink (NatureGraceReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won in a GoodReads Giveaway!

There were many good and bad things about this book. I want to rate it a 2.5. This is because truly there was no real plot of this book. It felt like it went on for a long time and nothing really ever happened. Being slow paced is something that truly ruins a book for me.
Also I don't get how this was a thriller. And to be honest it wasn't even really a Mystery. If your in to cozy mysteries that don't need a lot of thought and you can relax to on the beach then this would be a good book but I was hoping to get at least a little more from it. I would consider this a contemporary adventure not a mystery thriller.
I did decide at the end of the book to up it to a 3 star because the character development was the only thing that truly allowed me to finish this book. The author nicely started the characters on their own journey each having separate problem. But by the end you could see how much they had grown and how their relationship changed. And it wasn't just I want them to suddenly be better and be friends again, it was a natural building back of friendship they once had. So nicely done with the character development, but I did wish the story was more interesting.

Overall not my type of book but for someone wanting a fast simple read where you feel good at the end then give it a go.

[Nomi Domi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the plot of this book. I loved the characters in this book (mostly). I really WANTED to love the writing, but for me, it was too... wordy?

Characters

The 3 main characters were the Sullivan sisters: Murphy (14), Claire (17), and Eileen (18). While I loved them all, part of me really wanted Murphy to act... older. She's older than me, and I kept thinking she was way younger. Her whole thing is getting her sisters to think she's not a little kid, and I just think that sometimes maybe she acts like one? I LOVED Murphy and I think that she was amazing, I just would've felt like she'd be more realistic as a 12-year-old character. Anywho, Claire and Eileen were both amazing and well-thought-out characters... no complaints about them.
Aside from the main characters, we had so many other 3-D side characters. The mom with a tragic backstory who is trying to be a good single mother. The police officer living as a lesbian in a small town. The Enright brothers, a trio just as complex as the Sullivan sisters.

Plot

I loved the plot: a dead uncle that the sisters didn't know existed, sisters torn apart by time who go on this trip to a haunted mansion on a whim, and so many other elements that would be spoilers... it kept me hooked until the last page.

Writing

See, the writing is something that I feel like I SHOULD love. I love books with authors that use lots of fancy words and descriptive language. But you see, this writer just didn't do it for me. Plus, the perspective in some of the chapters weirded me out - some were told in, like, multiple perspectives at once, so we would be jumping around between the minds of the different characters, which just wasn't amazingly enjoyable for me.

In the end, I did like this book a whole lot. The ending was hopeful and realistic, the characters were well thought-out. Just some elements made it so it wasn't one of my FAVORITE books in the entire world, ya know?

[Lynette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, and could have benefitted from more research about how inheritance works. Also, lots of missed opportunities to delve into some really interesting stories. The chapter about the brothers was absolutely pointless.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! Such a magical, mysterious story that kept me guessing and gasping throughout. I loved the relationship between the 3 sisters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[emily- mossyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review

This book was right up my alley. I have a soft spot in my heart for stories about dysfunctional families coming together to work out their differences. Throw in creepy, old Victorian houses over looking the ocean inherited from estranged family members, the Pacific Northwest, and the uncovering of family secrets, you pretty much have a recipe for my next favorite book.

All three of the Sullivan Sisters were so different. They all had completely different hopes, dreams, and personalities from each other which made them really pop into reality fro me. Each one of them had their own kind of secrets that they were carrying and each of them had their own secrets that they were carrying. Those secrets were the driving force behind each of the girls' character arcs through out the book.

This book takes place in small town Oregon. The author really captured the feeling of small town hopelessness, especially where Claire is concerned. I wasn't a huge fan of Claire through the first half of the book, but her desperate need to get away from her home town really resonated with me. Small towns are like boxes and when you already feeling the other people in that box with you aren't going to accept you for who you really are that box gets smaller and smaller every day until you can't breathe. I think watching Claire become self aware towards her behavior was one of the most incredible parts of this book. Coming to terms with the fact that you, yourself, might actually be the problem is such a rough thing for a teenager, but that struggle was shown very well on the page in this book.

All three of the Sullivan Sisters were incredibly well written. It's rare for me to find a book where all of the characters have such clearly different voices to the point that it would be impossible to ever get them confused. This book is primarily character driven an it's done so well. Each of the girls had their own stories to tell and demons to face within the overall happenings of the book, but never once did I get bored with any of the point of views.

I really loved being included on the road trip that changed the Sullivan Sisters' lives. This is a story about three girls who had drifted apart and managed to find their way back to each other. If you like hidden family secrets, sister bonding, small Pacific Northwest towns, and even a little magic this is the book for you.

[Jelke Lenaerts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book has a content warning for alcoholism.

This book was a bit underwhelming to me. I just felt like not a whole lot happened in this book. The main mystery in this book was something I figured out in like the first quarter. For the rest I felt like the sister relationship and the character's developement of this book and honeslty normally I wouldn't be mad about that but there just wasn't a plot and I also didn't care about 2/3 sisters. Eileen was just dumb and not really that interesting. Claire was super annoying, a know-it-all and just had a whole holier-than-thou attitude. I kept eyerolling at every other line she said. Murphy absolutely broke my heart though. I really felt for her. However, I felt like the story threw her very much into the background in favor of the other two, which just proved the whole way Murphy felt about herself. Either way, I do think this had some great sister dynamics and loved seeing them figure things out between them. I also liked that their relationship with their mother was also a part of this. I don't know. I guess I was just expecting a little bit more from this book.

[Lys · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. What really shines in this book is the sister relationships. Murphy, Claire, and Eileen are all very different from one another, but their interactions, gripes, and love feel very authentic. I also really liked how at each different stage of their lives they really felt those ages; Eileen at 18 is different from Eileen at 11, but are both recognizably Eileen. This part is great.

The rest, however, fell flat for me. Both the cover and the description made me think this was going to be darker and more suspenseful than it was; I think those who love thrillers will be disappointed. I'm not a huge fan of thrillers so I was left wanting all of the characters and interpersonal relationships without the murder mystery. I think this could have been a really cool realistic fiction story about three sisters reconnecting in the face of a family inheritance, but the murder mystery really detracts from that. Ultimately the tone and the story didn't really jive together.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Die Sullivan Schwestern" von Kathryn Ormsbee ist definitiv anders als erwartet. Ich weiß nicht warum, aber als ich das Buch zum ersten mal gesehen habe, dachte ich es würde in die Fantasy Richtung gehen. Wahrscheinlich liegt es einfach an dem Namen der Geschichte oder an dem doch etwas mysteriös gestaltetem Cover; welches ich übrigens wunderschön finde. Auch die Gestaltung im inneren des Buches ist unglaublich hübsch geworden. Aber auch die guten Bewertungen haben dazu beigetragen, dass ich das Buch unbedingt lesen musste. Auch wenn es schlussendlich nicht um die erwarteten Hexen ging hat mich die Geschichte rund um die 3 Schwestern doch ziemlich doll begeistern können.

Aber jetzt erstmal zum Inhalt: In "Die Sullivan Schwestern" geht es, wie der Name schon erraten lässt, um die 3 Schwestern Eileen (18 Jahre), Claire (17 Jahre) und Murphy (14 Jahre). Jeder der 3 hat ganz individuelle Probleme. Während Claire versucht darüber hinwegzukommen, dass sie nicht an ihrem Traumcollage Yale angenommen wurde, trauert Murphy um ihre verstorbene Schildkröte. Eileen jedoch bekommt einen Brief von einem Anwalt, der ihr berichtet, dass ihr Onkel Patrick gestorben ist und die 3 Schwestern sein Vermögen geerbt haben. Das mysteriöse an der Sache: Niemand hat je von besagtem Onkel gehört. Somit begeben sich die Sullivan Schwestern auf einen nächtlichen Roadtrip, doch ahnen nicht, dass sie dabei sind ein ein lang gehütetes Familiengeheimnis aufzudecken.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist sehr leicht, auch wenn ich mir gewünscht hätte, dass die Geschichte in der Ich-Form geschrieben worden wäre. Dennoch hat die Autorin ein Talent dafür die Spannung immer mehr zu steigern. Ich habe praktisch an diesem Buch geklebt. Auch die Stimmung und die ganze Atmosphäre, der Schauplatz, einfach alles war perfekt. "Die Sullivan Schwestern" spielt zwar zur Weihnachtszeit, ist aber für Halloween und die düstern Jahreszeiten wie gemacht. Auch wenn man hier nicht auf jeder Seite einen neuen Plottwist zu erwarten braucht, sorgt die Autorin mit einem gruseligem Setting doch für Gänsehaut Momente.

Da man hier aus der Sicht von Eileen, Claire und Murphy liest ist mir schon zu Beginn aufgefallen, dass es sehr viele Wiederholungen, vor allem am Anfang gibt. Jeder der 3 Schwestern beschreibt, wie sie das Leben innerhalb der Familie wahrnehmen. Auch wenn es bei jeder unterschiedlich ist, sind sie sich im Bezug auf die Mutter einig; und genau das liest man auch ziemlich oft. Auch wenn es hier und da ein bisschen zu viel war, kann man das damit entschuldigen, dass es zwar nicht wirklich für die Geschichte relevant ist, aber dafür um die Gefühle und die Gedanken der Protagonisten besser zu verstehen. Im Allgemeinen fand ich die familiären Aspekte in der Geschichte unglaublich interessant. Hier geht es nicht nur um das lang jährige Familiengeheimnis, sondern auch um das Verhältnis was man zu seinen Geschwistern hat. In einem Moment ist man noch unzertrennlich und dann von heute auf morgen hat man sich auseinander gelebt. Einfach weil die Zeit das mit einem macht.

Die jüngste Schwester, Murphy, bemerkt die Veränderung in der Familie ganz besonders. Da ich selbst das jüngste Geschwisterkind von 3 bin, konnte ich sie nur zu gut in ihren Gedanken und Gefühlen verstehen. Für sie bedeutet der Roadtrip endlich wieder Zeit mit ihren Schwestern verbringen zu können und neue Erinnerungen zu schaffen. Ein kleines bisschen Vergangenheit in die Gegenwart zu holen. Die Art und Weise wie sie das anstellt ist einfach nur Zucker. Ihre Sicht war definitiv die gefühlvollste.
Mit wem ich allerdings ein Problem hatte war Claire. An manchen Stellen ging mir ihre zickiges gehabe leicht auf die Nerven. Außerdem hat sie eine leicht manipulierende Art an sich mit der ich gar nicht klar kam. Wenn ich sie beschreiben müsse, würde ich sagen sie ist die typische High School Zicke aus Teene-Filmen. Sie ist eine Person die immer Recht haben und alles bestimmen will. Ich habe mich zwar nach einer Weile an dieses Verhalten gewöhnt, sympathischer hat es sie aber dennoch nicht gemacht.
Eileen hingegen ist im Gegensatz zu ihren Geschwistern eher die Ruhige. Was mich an ihren Kapiteln so gefesselt hat, war die Tatsache, dass sie so viel mehr weiß als ihre Schwestern. Als Leser fiebert man natürlich mit und möchte unbedingt erfahren was sie vor einigen Jahren rausgefunden hat und was dazu beigetragen hat, dass sie sich so strak verändert hat. Zudem hat sie noch mit einem Problem zu kämpfen, welches so viel tiefer sitzt. Hier sieht man auch wie viel Stärke es braucht um sich so etwas eingestehen zu können. Was sie außerdem sympathisch gemacht hat, war die Tatsache das sie Kunst liebt. Ich für meinen Teil kann nicht mal ein Strichmännchen zeichnen, daher bewundere ich jeden der zeichnen kann, egal ob fiktiver Charakter oder reale Person.

Was mich dann aber doch noch einen Stern hat abziehen lassen, waren die ständigen Streiterein zwischen den beiden Ältesten. Man sollte meinen die beiden seien erwachsen genug um nicht jedes mal einen Streit anzufangen, aber anscheinend können die beiden einfach nicht anders. Manchmal hatte ich das Gefühl Murphy sei erwachsener, als die beiden zusammen. Auch wenn sie dann doch mal ihre kindlichen, pubertären, Trotzphasen hatte.

Mein Fazit:
Meiner Meinung nach das perfekte Buch für ein schauriges Halloween Wochenende, dass einem nicht nur durch düstere Szenen eine Gänsehaut bereitet, sondern auch durch Momente die einem zeigen, dass man an guten Erinnerungen festhalten sollte und einem zeigt wie wichtig der Zusammenhalt gerade in der Familie ist. 4/5 Sterne

[Brittany Colley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept, but wished there had been more depth. I felt the writing was slow at times. It seemed the slow build up led to a disappointing climax. The winding down was 4-6 chapters too long. The characters seemed unbelievable at times. They seemed to behave either too juvenile for their ages or they acted too old for their ages. I liked the writing from the perspective of each sister. This was probably the best part. As a whole this book was dangerously close to a DNF for me.

[Morganne ೀ]

DNF I got this book for my birthday and I was interested by the book blurb but it was hard for me to get into. In the future I might pick this back up but I don't see myself trying to finish it anytime soon. Which is really sad because I was very excited for this one 😔😔

[Grace]

this book was kind of all over the place. i don't think it knew what it wanted to be and i was too bored to see if it could figure it out

[Natalie Hosang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rezension „Die Sullivan-Schwestern“ von Kathryn Ormsbee



Meinung

Selten gebe ich eine ausführlichere Meinung zum Cover ab, aber in diesem Fall muss ich eine Ausnahme machen und hinterher wird man hoffentlich auch verstehen warum. In der Geschichte herrscht oftmals eine bedrückende und düstere Stimmung, was meiner Meinung nach durch das Design perfekt eingefangen wurde. Auch die Zeichnung der Geschwister spiegelt ein perfektes Bild dessen wieder, wie ich sie beim lesen empfand. Von meiner Seite kann ich hier nur „WOW“ sagen.

Düstere Familiengeschichten kennen wir durch die Literatur der letzten Jahre und Jahrzehnte schon zuhauf. Und doch bringen sie nach wie vor eine gewisse Faszination mit, derer man sich nicht verwehren kann, da in ihnen stets eine Mischung aus Tragik, Spannung und Liebe zu finden ist. Genau dies durfte ich bei den „Sullivan Schwestern“ erleben und es hat mich schier umgehauen….
Von der ersten Seite an war ich gefesselt und konnte dem Sog nicht widerstehen. Die Autorin erzählt die Geschichte der Schwestern aus wechselnden Perspektiven, zusätzlich bekommen wir Eindrücke aus deren Kindheit präsentiert.

Schon der Aufbau gestaltet sich abwechslungsreich und zeigt höchst emotionale Einblicke in die gesamte Sullivan Geschichte, womit ich von einer Tiefe übermannt wurde, die ich in dem Ausmaß nicht erwartet hatte. Kathryn Ormsbee widmet sich zudem zahlreichen Themen, mit denen die drei zu kämpfen haben, welche wahrlich kein Zuckerschlecken waren. Ein jede der Schwestern hat ihr Päckchen zu tragen und zugleich haben sie keinen Bezug zu einer Person, die für sie da ist, Ihnen halt gibt. Die Autorin präsentiert uns intensive Einblicke, wann alles zerbrach und wann es sich Stück für Stück wieder zusammensetzte.

Wie sie wieder zueinander fanden löste eine Reihe an Emotionen und Gefühlen in mir aus und hat mich sehr mitgenommen, sowie zutiefst bewegt. Auch die beklemmende Stimmung, welche durch den Schauplatz geschaffen wurde, sorgte für Spannung und ein atmosphärisches Feeling. Natürlich erfindet man das Rad mit Familiengeschichten nicht neu, aber Kathryn Ormsbee gelingt eine unfassbar authentische und emotionale Story. Kein einziges Mal riss der Bann ab und ich habe unaufhörlich mit den Geschwistern mitgefiebert.

Neben tiefgreifenden Emotionen gibt es noch weitere Punkte, die diese Geschichte zu einem Meisterwerk machen. Mordfälle, Familiengeheimnisse und tiefe Einsichten in die Gedankenwelt - es gibt also unfassbar viele Facetten und man steht hier einem wahren Juwel gegenüber. Natürlich sind die Sullivan Schwestern das absolute Herzstück des Buches und ich liebte ein jede von ihnen zutiefst. Kathryn Ormsbee schafft Charaktere, die wahrlich nicht einfach sind, da alle ihre Ecken und Kanten mitbringen. Die Gedanken und Gefühle der Schwestern gingen mir unter die Haut, doch auch die Nebenfiguren erhalten einen Platz und waren hinreißend, liebenswert und echt gestaltet.

Eine beeindruckende und vor allem vielschichtige Zeichnung, die mich sprachlos machte! Die Handlung besticht bis zum Ende durch überraschende Wendungen, von denen ich bewegt, aber auch aufgewühlt zurückgelassen wurde. Kathryn Ormsbee präsentiert uns höchste Authentizität und keine rosarote Schnulze, in der plötzlichen alles wieder gut ist. Wir erleben Zusammenhalt, Wiedergutmachung und Versöhnung, aber eben nur in Ansätzen.


Fazit

Kathryn Ormsbee gelingt mit „Die Sullivan Schwestern“ eine emotionale, wunderschöne, sanfte Familiengeschichte, die mir zutiefst unter die Haut ging. Langeweile ist fehl am Platz, denn sowohl dunkle Familiengeheimnisse, als auch Mordfälle Sorgen für Abwechslungsreichtum Par excellence und schaffen ein atmosphärisches Krimi Feeling. Eine bewegende Geschichte über drei außergewöhnliche Schwestern, die mit einer beeindruckenden Mischung Herz und Seele in Beschlag nimmt.

Ein seltener Juwel, der für mich zu einem meisterhaften Highlight wurde.



🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 Sterne

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters Eileen, Claire, and Murphy used to be close. A visionary, a planner, and a performer respectively the sisters could accomplish amazing things--like making their house feel like a home even with their father dead and their mother increasingly absent.

But that was years ago. Now the girls can barely stand to be around each other.

At eighteen Eileen has been carrying a potentially dangerous secret for years. She is working a dead end job. She's managed to hide her drinking from her mother so far. Her sisters aren't as easy to fool.

Seventeen-year-old Claire is an Exceller and she is ready to use everything at her disposal to Excel, succeed, get the hell out of her small Oregon town, and find her first girlfriend. With advice from her favorite self-help Youtuber, Claire has done everything right. But she still didn't get into Yale--the only college she applied to.

Fourteen-year-old Murphy has always felt like a fifth wheel in her family. She never met her father so she can't miss him. Her mom is never around. Eileen and Claire never have time for her. Luckily, Murphy has her magic tricks to keep her company. She used to also have Siegfried the family turtle. But then she forgot to feed him one too many times.

Days before Christmas Eileen receives a letter that could change everything. The sisters have inherited a house from an uncle they've never heard of. A house that could have answers for Eileen, money for Claire to get out of town, and a chance for Murphy to feel like she's part of a family again in The Sullivan Sisters (2020) by Kathryn Ormsbee

Find it on Bookshop.

The Sullivan Sisters alternates between third person chapters from each sister. Unfortunately, the clinical tone of the narration also makes the sister's blend together. A heavy reliance on quirks to define their personalities doesn't help matters.

Your feelings about this book will depend heavily on your expectations going in. If you are looking for a heartfelt story of sisters reconnecting, this is the book for you. If, like me, you came expecting an atmospheric house mystery you will likely be disappointed.

Ormsbee tackles a lot in the book and the mystery aspect, such as it is, barely makes the list. What The Sullivan Sisters does well is present three flawed characters (four if you count their mother) who have gotten so used to drifting along that they need a major jolt (like a surprise inheritance) to get back on track.

Throughout the book Eileen is forced to confront her alcoholism (she is in AA by the end of the story). Claire has to admit that her self-help idol may not be as helpful as she thought but also it may not be as terrible as Claire thought to be queer in a small town--even without a plan. Murphy is a hard one. She is funny and often the most approachable of the sisters. But she also killed Siegfried the turtle through her own neglect--something that was hard to swallow even with an abundance of remorse on her part.

The Sullivan Sisters is a story about connection and secrets. Recommended for readers who enjoy reading about complicated sibling relationships, family secrets, and flawed characters.

Possible Pairings: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett, Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno, Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry, Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford, The Insomniacs by Marit Weisenberg

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

[Chillysbuchwelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cover:
Das Cover mag ich total gern.
Man sieht hier die drei Schwestern, welche auch Mittelpunkt dieser Geschichte sind.
Die Pflanzen, welche auf dem Cover zu sehen sind, sind auch immer wieder im Buch Präsent, was ich sehr gern mochte.😍

Meinung:
Der Schreibstil der Autorin hat mir auf Anhieb sehr gut gefallen, dieser ist super einfach gehalten, sodass man der Geschichte lockig flockig folgen kann und die Seiten nur so dahinfliegen.

Wir lesen hier aus den drei Perspektiven der Schwestern Eileen, Claire und Murphy.
Die Perspektivwechsel finden kapitelweise statt und sind anhand der Überschrift auch klar ersichtlich, was ich persönlich so am liebsten mag.
Zudem gibt es immer ein, ich nenn es mal "Oberkapitel", welches uns den Tag nennt, bei welchen wir unsere Protagonistinnen gerade begleiten.
Zwischendurch bekommen wir immer mal wieder Rückblicke in die Kindheit der Schwestern, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat.

Die Schwestern sind sehr unterschiedlich und haben dementsprechend alle drei mit vollkommen anderen Problemen zu kämpfen.
Die Autorin schafft es, die Emotionen hervorragend und absolut verständlich rüber zu bringen, wodurch ich immer wieder emotional echt berührt war.
Während wir die Mädels auf ihrem spannenden Abenteuer begleiten, kommen auch immer wieder sehr ernste Themen zum Vorschein, die aufzeigen, wie unterschiedlich die Menschen mit Problemen umgehen.
Eine Mutter, welche Ihre Kinder kaum zu Gesicht bekommen, weil sie nur am Arbeiten ist, um irgendwie die Rechnungen zu bezahlen.
Eine junge Frau, welche mit Alkoholismus zu kämpfen hat.
Ein Mädchen, welches ihre Zukunft genau geplant hat und von Misserfolg geplagt wird.
Und ein die kleinste im Bunde, die sich fast unsichtbar in der Familie vorkommt.
Die Schwestern waren immer füreinander da, haben sich umeinander gekümmert und sich gegenseitig halt gegeben, doch irgendwann ist diese enge Bande kaputt gegangen.
Wie es dazu gekommen ist und wie sich die Schwestern nach und nach wieder näher kommen, erfahren wir in dieser Geschichte voller Emotionen.

Fazit:
Eine ganz wundervolle Geschichte über drei Schwestern, die ein Familiengeheimnis auf die Schliche kommen, welche mich emotional sehr berührt hat.
Das Herzstück dieser Geschichte sind die Figuren.
Aller drei haben mit ihren ganz eigenen Problemen zu kämpfen, welche wirklich nicht ohne sind und mich stellenweise echt traurig gemacht haben, weil es einfach so echt rüber kam.
Die Autorin hat die Drei wirklich sehr gut ausarbeitet und uns deren Gefühlswelt unglaublich gut rübergebracht.
Von Anfang bis zum Ende fand ich es spannend und vor allem fesselnd, ich wollte das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen.
Ich habe durchgehend mit den Mädels mitgefiebert und mitgerätselt, was einfach toll war.
Von mir gibt es für diese wundervolle Geschichte eine ganz große Leseempfehlung.💖
Ich danke dem cbj Verlag von Herzen für das Rezensionsexemplar.

[Kavanand (Reading for Two) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, the Sullivan sisters were a close-knit trio, but as the years passed, they've fractured into three distinct units. Eileen once dreamed of being an artist, but now she's given up on art, works a dead end job, and nurses a growing drinking problem. Claire is determined to leave her small Oregon town behind. She's got straight As and a successful small business, but her dream school has just turned her down. Murphy is the youngest, and she's scared of being left behind. It's Christmas, the girls are alone because their mother has won a cruise, and Eileen learns that they have an inheritance from an uncle they've never heard of. This leads to the sisters going on a Christmas road trip to visit the old Victorian house they've inherited, and they learn about a murder mystery that involves their family.

I'm a sucker for dysfunctional family stories, and this one is the sort of thing I love. The Sullivan family is a mess. Their father died before Murphy was born, and her mother was left with huge medical bills that she's still trying to pay off, 14 years later. She works constantly at a drug store, and the girls have been raising themselves for the last few years. The narration moves among the three sisters, and we see inside their heads.

Claire was the most interesting character to me. As a queer teen in a small town, she's just waiting to finish high school and start life over in a new place. She's a devotee of a social media influencer, and her path to success follows the influencer's teaching, which are both depressing and funny. She's built her dream of escape around getting into Yale on early decision admission, and when she's rejected, she's devastated because she didn't apply anywhere else and she feels like her whole future is on the line (I did wonder why she couldn't just apply somewhere else. It's only December, and most regular admissions deadlines are in January as far as I know.).

Eileen's narrative was a little hard to read at times. She's had a really rough time, and she's turned to alcohol to ease the pain. She's a mess and much of it has to do with a secret she discovered two years before, which is related to the mystery inheritance. Murphy is a sweetheart. She's 14, and she's taken the fractured relationship the hardest. She just wants her family to go back the way we were (and to become a famous magician).

The three voices are very distinctive and the triple narrative structure works really well for the story. The family mystery is an interesting one and it works well as a device to force the sisters to deal with each other. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes broken family stories.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Amy Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one of those perfect balances of beautiful and interest.

More than that, it was easily devoured. I started to read this book hoping that it would lull me to sleep, the way beginnings of books often do. Instead, I was instantly drawn in to the world of the Sullivan Sisters, and I couldn't put the book down. At no point did I feel bored with the characters or frustrated or like I had come to a good pausing point. This book is a whirlwind adventure which really makes the reader's feel like a fourth passenger along for the ride.

CHARACTERS
The characters are the very heart of this story. More than the plot, these three girls: Eileen, Claire, and Murphy, are what keep the reader reading. The thing that I loved was that their sister dynamic was so organic and realistic both when it was functional and dysfunctional. Each sister was entirely unique and had a distinct relationship with each other & their mother as well as to the sisterhood & family as a whole.

At times the characters' decisions and revelations and actions felt repetitive, and I found myself saying things like, "We get it Claire's a perfectionist." or "Yes, Eileen is falling apart." but I think rather than a flaw this is very much a product of their humanity.

I also really appreciated the dialogue. The characters talked like real people and conversations jumped around the way family conversations often do. It was really well done. Although, some of the lines we're told are "cutting" or "funny" were not particularly so.

PLOT
If you read books for plot, you might be disappointed. There's not much of a strong plot here, and the mystery is a bit unsatisfactory. The book is really more about the characters and their dynamics. That said, I am more of a plot reader myself, and there is enough of a plot there for you to wonder what comes next and piece together other parts of the story. There's a good amount of dramatic irony as well.

WRITING
The writing was poignant, sharp, and efficient. The author does a masterful job of turning emotions into words and describing the entirety of a character or their feelings in one sentence.

Also the multiple perspectives was a super wise choice and really well done. It was woven together even better in this book than others.

All in all, I loved this book and despite the fact that I was given an ARC copy by NetGalley for an honest review, I am fully intending to purchase my own copy when it's released.