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Half Sisters
A single lie becomes a defining moment in a family’s life in an unforgettable novel of psychological suspense.
After being gone for two decades, Maddy’s half sister, Emily, is back in town to settle their late father’s estate. Emily’s not the troubled girl Maddy remembers from their volatile childhood. Apparently, all is well. It can’t possibly matter anymore that Maddy married Emily’s first love, but the pictures Maddy finds on her husband’s phone tell a different story. Suspicions of an affair are hard to ignore.
Then again, Maddy hasn’t been herself lately. She’s increasingly confused. She’s losing items that are precious to her. She forgets where she’s going. The line between what’s real and unreal has become a blur. Even the damning photos have disappeared. Though her state of mind starts to become everyone’s cause for concern, Maddy refuses to believe she’s losing her grip on reality. But the one thing she can’t deny is the secret from the past that rewrote all their lives—a secret that’s ready to come out.
After being gone for two decades, Maddy’s half sister, Emily, is back in town to settle their late father’s estate. Emily’s not the troubled girl Maddy remembers from their volatile childhood. Apparently, all is well. It can’t possibly matter anymore that Maddy married Emily’s first love, but the pictures Maddy finds on her husband’s phone tell a different story. Suspicions of an affair are hard to ignore.
Then again, Maddy hasn’t been herself lately. She’s increasingly confused. She’s losing items that are precious to her. She forgets where she’s going. The line between what’s real and unreal has become a blur. Even the damning photos have disappeared. Though her state of mind starts to become everyone’s cause for concern, Maddy refuses to believe she’s losing her grip on reality. But the one thing she can’t deny is the secret from the past that rewrote all their lives—a secret that’s ready to come out.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2022
962 people are currently reading
4556 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Franken
2 books95 followersVirginia Franken was born and raised in the United Kingdom. After traveling the world as a professional dancer, she now lives in Los Angeles with her family. She works as a copy editor by day and gets most of her writing done when she should be sleeping.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
July 8, 2022
Half Sisters by Virginia Franken gives a whole new meaning to family drama. As per the title, the main characters are Maddy and her half sister Emily, who moves into Maddy’s family home in her teens, when Maddy was a few years younger. Until then, the girls had not known of each other, which made the transition to a new family dynamic difficult, to say the least. But the family did its best until a terrible incident resulted in Emily being forced to leave, not to return until the death of their father, decades later. This is when everyone’s true colours are revealed. Virginia Franken has drawn complicated characters . It’s difficult to determine which of the sisters is the most detestable and dishonest. There are also great secondary characters who make this story even more challenging. The plot evolves in a most satisfying manner, giving the reader plenty of characters and incidents to love &/or hate. The story alternates between the sisters’ teen years and their reunion as adults many years later. Half Sisters is fast-moving and akin to watching a car wreck. It’s always difficult to determine which one is the bad seed. Highly recommended. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2022
A bit brutal
Virginia Franken has captured human nature at its worst. Two women with the same father face each other as their decisions brutalize each other as well as the people they love. The characters are finely crafted and often not likeable. But isn't that what deep down we may all be like? There were twists and turns that were sometimes anticipated but still were impactful.
Virginia Franken has captured human nature at its worst. Two women with the same father face each other as their decisions brutalize each other as well as the people they love. The characters are finely crafted and often not likeable. But isn't that what deep down we may all be like? There were twists and turns that were sometimes anticipated but still were impactful.
July 12, 2022
Favorite Quotes:
Maddy’s school reports often said, “Talks too much.” Her mom defended the trait as inquisitive. Her dad didn’t say much about it, but she could tell he wasn’t a fan of her endless questions. She’d never realized that talking could have landed her in this much trouble. Perhaps this was why everyone had been trying to get her to shut up her whole life.
Maddy looked around the waiting room, every last person with their head bent to their phone. There were no tattered magazines gracing the various chairs and tables of the room. No one wanted to read secondhand copies of People magazine anymore when they had their phone to gaze at, loaded with personalized content just for them. Maddy sometimes visualized people’s phones swapped out for mirrors, a whole world of people staring in silent awe at digitized versions of themselves.
He made it sound so easy. Find some sperm. As if by looking in enough of Joseph’s creases and crevices they’d dredge some up from somewhere.
“You could both be charged with statutory rape,” said Ivan, looking entirely serious about the whole thing, even though the notion that they were both simultaneously busy raping each other at the same time was clearly ridiculous.
My Review:
This book was heaving with unreliable, treacherous, untrustworthy, selfish, and horrifyingly fractured characters. I despised them all by the last page, yet I was undeniably hooked and invested in unraveling their heinous schemes. I devised multiple theories of gaslighting, mental illness, revenge, retribution, rage, hatred, betrayal, and abuse, but who was guilty? The community was apparently a viper’s nest of vile and self-serving individuals, which in reality, under the surface, every community is similarly populated.
The writing and storylines were original, sneakily witty, compelling, and perceptively detailed from multiple points of view. I was engrossed, annoyed, and biting my cuticles from the tension brewing from the petty, destructive, and deplorable manner the characters treated each other. They were all guilty of something, so what is wrong with me that I voyeuristically needed to know exactly what?
Maddy’s school reports often said, “Talks too much.” Her mom defended the trait as inquisitive. Her dad didn’t say much about it, but she could tell he wasn’t a fan of her endless questions. She’d never realized that talking could have landed her in this much trouble. Perhaps this was why everyone had been trying to get her to shut up her whole life.
Maddy looked around the waiting room, every last person with their head bent to their phone. There were no tattered magazines gracing the various chairs and tables of the room. No one wanted to read secondhand copies of People magazine anymore when they had their phone to gaze at, loaded with personalized content just for them. Maddy sometimes visualized people’s phones swapped out for mirrors, a whole world of people staring in silent awe at digitized versions of themselves.
He made it sound so easy. Find some sperm. As if by looking in enough of Joseph’s creases and crevices they’d dredge some up from somewhere.
“You could both be charged with statutory rape,” said Ivan, looking entirely serious about the whole thing, even though the notion that they were both simultaneously busy raping each other at the same time was clearly ridiculous.
My Review:
This book was heaving with unreliable, treacherous, untrustworthy, selfish, and horrifyingly fractured characters. I despised them all by the last page, yet I was undeniably hooked and invested in unraveling their heinous schemes. I devised multiple theories of gaslighting, mental illness, revenge, retribution, rage, hatred, betrayal, and abuse, but who was guilty? The community was apparently a viper’s nest of vile and self-serving individuals, which in reality, under the surface, every community is similarly populated.
The writing and storylines were original, sneakily witty, compelling, and perceptively detailed from multiple points of view. I was engrossed, annoyed, and biting my cuticles from the tension brewing from the petty, destructive, and deplorable manner the characters treated each other. They were all guilty of something, so what is wrong with me that I voyeuristically needed to know exactly what?
April 14, 2022
If you are looking for love to hate characters, Virginia Franken's upcoming book Half Sister has them on a silver platter. The book starts slowly, but the ending makes up for it. The last few chapters of this book are shocking and jaw-dropping.
Maddy and Emily are half sisters who lost touch due to a rough childhood. When their father passed away they reunited to settle his estate. All seems well considering Maddy has married Emily's high school sweetheart Joshua in Emily's absence. Suddenly, Maddy finds pictures of her sister Emily on Joshua's phone raising her suspicions of an extramarital affair. Is she is over reacting?
Half Sisters will be published on June 21.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for allowing me to review this exciting book.
Maddy and Emily are half sisters who lost touch due to a rough childhood. When their father passed away they reunited to settle his estate. All seems well considering Maddy has married Emily's high school sweetheart Joshua in Emily's absence. Suddenly, Maddy finds pictures of her sister Emily on Joshua's phone raising her suspicions of an extramarital affair. Is she is over reacting?
Half Sisters will be published on June 21.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for allowing me to review this exciting book.
January 30, 2022
This book was really, really….odd.
The synopsis says one lie becomes a defining moment. While one lie might have started the whole ball rolling, it takes several to unravel it. Very strange.
Let’s talk about the characters. I couldn’t find one character that I could really get behind. But then again, there’s so many lies and twists and turns that I’m not sure we’re really allowed to get to know them. And none of them are likable which was disturbing to me. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where I completely disliked every single character in it. Even Maddy’s parents aren’t all that great and we don’t really get too much of them.
If there is any character development, it’s that they all wound up as even uglier versions of themselves than when the story started.
The story is also predictable. I knew right away Maddy was being gaslighted. But even if she wasn’t, there was no one in her life who wanted to help her. Everyone immediately took sides and there really was no explanation as to why. That was confusing to me.
The ending was also confusing. The story ramps up, comes to a climax and then…that’s it! Maddy drives away and it’s all over. It’s almost like the writer just petered out, stopped writing and turned in an incomplete assignment.
Overall, I can’t recommend this book at all.
The synopsis says one lie becomes a defining moment. While one lie might have started the whole ball rolling, it takes several to unravel it. Very strange.
Let’s talk about the characters. I couldn’t find one character that I could really get behind. But then again, there’s so many lies and twists and turns that I’m not sure we’re really allowed to get to know them. And none of them are likable which was disturbing to me. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where I completely disliked every single character in it. Even Maddy’s parents aren’t all that great and we don’t really get too much of them.
If there is any character development, it’s that they all wound up as even uglier versions of themselves than when the story started.
The story is also predictable. I knew right away Maddy was being gaslighted. But even if she wasn’t, there was no one in her life who wanted to help her. Everyone immediately took sides and there really was no explanation as to why. That was confusing to me.
The ending was also confusing. The story ramps up, comes to a climax and then…that’s it! Maddy drives away and it’s all over. It’s almost like the writer just petered out, stopped writing and turned in an incomplete assignment.
Overall, I can’t recommend this book at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2022
Muffin Fluffin'!! 😳😯🤯😳😯
Wow! Holy cannoli! Oh my fluff! This book was so much more enjoyable then I had hoped or thought! Although I will say, at times in the middle it seemed to drag on a bit, the rest of it was so good! The back and forth between Maddy & Emily's perspectives gave so much insight into the past and present. I found myself loving, disliking and even frustrated with each character during the whole novel. I honestly had no idea where it was going or how provoked my emotions would be from these two main characters.
It's been twenty years since Maddy has seen or heard from her half-sister, Emily. But after running into Maddy's husband, Joseph, she comes back to town to settle the estate of their father. Life stresses are plaguing Maddy and making her suspicious of Joseph and Emily - as they were each other's first love as teens. As Maddy feels she's losing her mind, her sense of reality, & even her life, there's a far greater secret then she's ever known that's about to be revealed. The question is, can she handle it?
The ending was excellent! I'm still thinking about this novel even a few hours after finishing it. The experiences for each of them, the trials & tribulations, & how family & blood aren't always so strong. Such a genuine novel I couldn't get enough of.
Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.
Release Date: June 21, 2022
I give this 4 / 5 Lily's! 🪷
Wow! Holy cannoli! Oh my fluff! This book was so much more enjoyable then I had hoped or thought! Although I will say, at times in the middle it seemed to drag on a bit, the rest of it was so good! The back and forth between Maddy & Emily's perspectives gave so much insight into the past and present. I found myself loving, disliking and even frustrated with each character during the whole novel. I honestly had no idea where it was going or how provoked my emotions would be from these two main characters.
It's been twenty years since Maddy has seen or heard from her half-sister, Emily. But after running into Maddy's husband, Joseph, she comes back to town to settle the estate of their father. Life stresses are plaguing Maddy and making her suspicious of Joseph and Emily - as they were each other's first love as teens. As Maddy feels she's losing her mind, her sense of reality, & even her life, there's a far greater secret then she's ever known that's about to be revealed. The question is, can she handle it?
The ending was excellent! I'm still thinking about this novel even a few hours after finishing it. The experiences for each of them, the trials & tribulations, & how family & blood aren't always so strong. Such a genuine novel I couldn't get enough of.
Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.
Release Date: June 21, 2022
I give this 4 / 5 Lily's! 🪷
June 13, 2022
Thank you to @amazonpublishing and @virginiafranken for my advance copy!
If you are looking for characters you want to punch in the face-look no further. LOL Told from several POVs (mainly Maddy) and present/past. We are never truly sure who/what to believe. I personally love stories like this. It keeps me guessing and intrigued. It was hard not to root for Maddy. At first, we do not really know whom to believe so naturally I sided with her. Once the story unfolds however and we learn more, things get muddy. Both characters are sympathetic for different reasons, which I enjoyed.
Now to the punching in the face part-I despised Joseph and Bee. Both characters were beyond selfish and disgusting. I had no sympathy for Joseph’s “end game” and I honestly wished he would end up with nothing. Bee was a horrible friend and had no backbone. I understand that these characters were supposed to be this way and I think Virginia did a wonderful job writing loathsome characters. Bravo to that!
My one negative thing to say about this was the ending. It was abrupt and I wanted more! I guess that is a good thing and a testament to the writing itself right?
If you are looking for characters you want to punch in the face-look no further. LOL Told from several POVs (mainly Maddy) and present/past. We are never truly sure who/what to believe. I personally love stories like this. It keeps me guessing and intrigued. It was hard not to root for Maddy. At first, we do not really know whom to believe so naturally I sided with her. Once the story unfolds however and we learn more, things get muddy. Both characters are sympathetic for different reasons, which I enjoyed.
Now to the punching in the face part-I despised Joseph and Bee. Both characters were beyond selfish and disgusting. I had no sympathy for Joseph’s “end game” and I honestly wished he would end up with nothing. Bee was a horrible friend and had no backbone. I understand that these characters were supposed to be this way and I think Virginia did a wonderful job writing loathsome characters. Bravo to that!
My one negative thing to say about this was the ending. It was abrupt and I wanted more! I guess that is a good thing and a testament to the writing itself right?
June 30, 2022
Maddy has been estranged from her half sister, Emily for years. Maybe estranged is the wrong word as their relationship was always strained. As teens, the two were thrown into each other’s lives after Emily’s mother passed away and her biological dad was forced to step up. Growing up under very different circumstances, their connection was never strong. As a result, they settled into their new roles quickly- Maddy, the sheltered golden child, Emily, the sullen troublemaker.
We are introduced to present day Maddy first, a seemingly well adjusted dance teacher who still lives in the same small town and is married to Joseph. When music executive Joseph returns home from a business trip in New York he has news- he’s found Emily. Immediately all the memories of growing up together resurfaces, and the anxiety of what comes next creeps in.
As we learn more about their complicated past we learn Maddy’s husband’s first love was actually Maddy’s sister, not Maddy. What unfolds is the story of their forbidden and often misunderstood love, and Maddy’s jealousy after being an only child for so long. In the present, the now put together Emily returns, wanting to stake claim on the family home, and perhaps more. Maddy still doesn’t trust her, but with memory issues surfacing, she’s not even sure she can trust herself. Then a past secret is revealed that quickly changes everything. Is blood always thicker than water, or do these sisters simply have too much blood on their hands?
Half Sisters was a short, yet wild ride of a read. Just when you thought you knew which way the story was going, it would quickly change course. While the gripping pace was definitely engrossing, I found all the characters to be differing levels of deplorable. Then there was the ending, that, without giving too much away, seemed rather abrupt. I read a NetGalley copy of this one, so I am curious if that changed in the final edition. So if you read it, please let me know! A stronger finish might make me feel a little differently about it, as it factored big time into my rating.
We are introduced to present day Maddy first, a seemingly well adjusted dance teacher who still lives in the same small town and is married to Joseph. When music executive Joseph returns home from a business trip in New York he has news- he’s found Emily. Immediately all the memories of growing up together resurfaces, and the anxiety of what comes next creeps in.
As we learn more about their complicated past we learn Maddy’s husband’s first love was actually Maddy’s sister, not Maddy. What unfolds is the story of their forbidden and often misunderstood love, and Maddy’s jealousy after being an only child for so long. In the present, the now put together Emily returns, wanting to stake claim on the family home, and perhaps more. Maddy still doesn’t trust her, but with memory issues surfacing, she’s not even sure she can trust herself. Then a past secret is revealed that quickly changes everything. Is blood always thicker than water, or do these sisters simply have too much blood on their hands?
Half Sisters was a short, yet wild ride of a read. Just when you thought you knew which way the story was going, it would quickly change course. While the gripping pace was definitely engrossing, I found all the characters to be differing levels of deplorable. Then there was the ending, that, without giving too much away, seemed rather abrupt. I read a NetGalley copy of this one, so I am curious if that changed in the final edition. So if you read it, please let me know! A stronger finish might make me feel a little differently about it, as it factored big time into my rating.
June 15, 2022
This is a pretty typical psychological thriller. The writing is fine, but the secrets were obvious to me. This is the kind of book that makes me wish there were previews on NetGalley, because from the cover and summary I was expecting a more literary novel. If you’re a fan of psychological family drama with shocking twists, this one fits the bill.
October 8, 2022
love a good “who’s really the crazy one here” narrative
January 6, 2022
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Five out of seven stars - Maddy and Emily are half sisters who never meet until they are teenagers. Emily loses her mother at age 17 and is forced to move in with her biological father’s family in the smothering San Fernando Valley suburb of Myrtlebury. Maddy, age 14, is initially intrigued by her new sister before quickly becoming put off by the older girl’s tough demeanor, a response to her troubled past. Emily quickly falls enters into a romantic entanglement with Joseph, a neighborhood boy who shares her disillusionment.
Twenty years later, Maddy and Joseph are now married to one another. Still in Myrtlebury, they have moved into Maddy’s childhood home after the loss of both of her parents. Maddy’s life remains small and insular, counting Joseph’s sister Bee as her best friend and frequently interacting with other figures from her childhood. With both women inheriting an equal stake in the house, Maddy needs to track down Emily, who she has been estranged from for many years.
As her half sister reenters her life, Maddy finds herself declining as her life crumbles around her. Although only 33, she has become forgetful in a way that is ominously reminiscent of her late mother’s descent into Alzheimer’s Disease. She and Joseph struggle with infertility and financial woes, and her relationships with friends begin to suffer. As her life grows progressively more chaotic, Maddy is forced to consider whether her half sister’s presence is to blame.
While the book lags in the middle with some muddier plot points (for example, the ordeal with Maddy’s dance studio being sold took way too long), it was an overall enjoyable read.
The novel does a great job of creating two intriguing and opposite perspectives from sympathetic characters. In the present day, siding with Maddy feels natural. She has a seemingly normal, average life in the suburbs with commonplace goals- to start a family and to find financial stability. As she grows more suspicious of her half sister’s motives, Emily takes shape as more of a villain who is desperate to ruin Maddy’s marriage to her one-time boyfriend. Likewise, Maddy becomes a somewhat unreliable narrator as it becomes more evident that something is happening to her mentally to account for all of her mental slip-ups and forgetfulness.
At the same time, the book slowly unravels the story of the past and what took Emily far away from her sister for so many years. As more is revealed, Emily sheds her villain persona and becomes the sympathetic figure, one I found myself rooting for in spite of her less-than-orthodox methodologies.
Emily and Maddy’s character development is decent, but I was still left with a very weak perception of Joseph. For a man who is the central lynchpin to twenty years of drama between two sisters, a more fleshed out character is well-warranted. His characterization is particularly weak in the present day. I needed more convincing that he was the kind of man that both women would still badly want to be with.
The book switches between three points of view: Maddy and Bee in the present day and Emily in the past. The majority of the chapters, however, are from Maddy’s point of view. The limited number of Emily-focused chapters makes sense as the backstory takes shape, but Bee’s two or three chapters did not feel necessary. The novel would have been stronger if Bee’s perspective was completely eliminated and a different strategy was used for the same exposition.
More than anything else, Half Sisters offers the following wisdom: move far away from your hometown and the people you went to high school with, and never look back.
Five out of seven stars - Maddy and Emily are half sisters who never meet until they are teenagers. Emily loses her mother at age 17 and is forced to move in with her biological father’s family in the smothering San Fernando Valley suburb of Myrtlebury. Maddy, age 14, is initially intrigued by her new sister before quickly becoming put off by the older girl’s tough demeanor, a response to her troubled past. Emily quickly falls enters into a romantic entanglement with Joseph, a neighborhood boy who shares her disillusionment.
Twenty years later, Maddy and Joseph are now married to one another. Still in Myrtlebury, they have moved into Maddy’s childhood home after the loss of both of her parents. Maddy’s life remains small and insular, counting Joseph’s sister Bee as her best friend and frequently interacting with other figures from her childhood. With both women inheriting an equal stake in the house, Maddy needs to track down Emily, who she has been estranged from for many years.
As her half sister reenters her life, Maddy finds herself declining as her life crumbles around her. Although only 33, she has become forgetful in a way that is ominously reminiscent of her late mother’s descent into Alzheimer’s Disease. She and Joseph struggle with infertility and financial woes, and her relationships with friends begin to suffer. As her life grows progressively more chaotic, Maddy is forced to consider whether her half sister’s presence is to blame.
While the book lags in the middle with some muddier plot points (for example, the ordeal with Maddy’s dance studio being sold took way too long), it was an overall enjoyable read.
The novel does a great job of creating two intriguing and opposite perspectives from sympathetic characters. In the present day, siding with Maddy feels natural. She has a seemingly normal, average life in the suburbs with commonplace goals- to start a family and to find financial stability. As she grows more suspicious of her half sister’s motives, Emily takes shape as more of a villain who is desperate to ruin Maddy’s marriage to her one-time boyfriend. Likewise, Maddy becomes a somewhat unreliable narrator as it becomes more evident that something is happening to her mentally to account for all of her mental slip-ups and forgetfulness.
At the same time, the book slowly unravels the story of the past and what took Emily far away from her sister for so many years. As more is revealed, Emily sheds her villain persona and becomes the sympathetic figure, one I found myself rooting for in spite of her less-than-orthodox methodologies.
Emily and Maddy’s character development is decent, but I was still left with a very weak perception of Joseph. For a man who is the central lynchpin to twenty years of drama between two sisters, a more fleshed out character is well-warranted. His characterization is particularly weak in the present day. I needed more convincing that he was the kind of man that both women would still badly want to be with.
The book switches between three points of view: Maddy and Bee in the present day and Emily in the past. The majority of the chapters, however, are from Maddy’s point of view. The limited number of Emily-focused chapters makes sense as the backstory takes shape, but Bee’s two or three chapters did not feel necessary. The novel would have been stronger if Bee’s perspective was completely eliminated and a different strategy was used for the same exposition.
More than anything else, Half Sisters offers the following wisdom: move far away from your hometown and the people you went to high school with, and never look back.
July 12, 2022
Interesting premise, and the beginning of the book was promising. But the plot quickly became obvious, and character development took a nosedive—they were one-dimensional and wooden. Then the denouement happened in about 5 pages, over so abruptly that I thought part of the book had to be missing. No such luck—it really was that bad.
July 16, 2022
No Redeeming Qualities
The story was depressing. I can’t recommend this book. I don’t believe I have ever read through a book in which all the characters are “the bad guys”. The gaslighting was very obvious. I kept reading only to see if there would possibly be some sort of resolve. All I concluded was hatred and lies piled upon more of the same.
The story was depressing. I can’t recommend this book. I don’t believe I have ever read through a book in which all the characters are “the bad guys”. The gaslighting was very obvious. I kept reading only to see if there would possibly be some sort of resolve. All I concluded was hatred and lies piled upon more of the same.
May 25, 2022
Virginia Franken’s Half Sisters is a juicy, suspenseful domestic thriller that you’ll devour within days—or a day if you’re like me. With loathsome characters, unreliable narrators, twists and betrayals, this is one thriller you won’t want to miss if you’re a fan of the chaos and carnage of a catchy domestic thriller.
First and foremost be warned. As with most (good) psychological/domestic thrillers, there’s a lot of really, REALLY unlikable characters. Like, cringey, leaves you mouth agape in horror type of characters. It just so happens to be all of them in this one. Every. Last. One. There’s also a lot of can’t be trusted vibes going down (not just between the characters) but also from what the narrators are telling us. They’re unreliable, in denial and incredibly egocentric. Personally, I think these elements made the book all the more unputdownable. It does start with a slow build but the plot quickly accelerates and goes flying off the rails. The final few chapters especially will leave you in dumbfounded shock—did that really just happen!!? Yes, yes it did.
I was sightly frustrated with the abrupt ending. It’s not that I was invested in the characters or really cared what happened to them (remember, they’re awful people) it’s just that I wanted that finality. It works, I just wanted more. Other than that, it was immensely entertaining and I'm definitely looking forward to more from Franken. This will be your perfect poolside/beachside summer read and with so much to discuss, definitely a great one to buddy read or use for book club.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book
First and foremost be warned. As with most (good) psychological/domestic thrillers, there’s a lot of really, REALLY unlikable characters. Like, cringey, leaves you mouth agape in horror type of characters. It just so happens to be all of them in this one. Every. Last. One. There’s also a lot of can’t be trusted vibes going down (not just between the characters) but also from what the narrators are telling us. They’re unreliable, in denial and incredibly egocentric. Personally, I think these elements made the book all the more unputdownable. It does start with a slow build but the plot quickly accelerates and goes flying off the rails. The final few chapters especially will leave you in dumbfounded shock—did that really just happen!!? Yes, yes it did.
I was sightly frustrated with the abrupt ending. It’s not that I was invested in the characters or really cared what happened to them (remember, they’re awful people) it’s just that I wanted that finality. It works, I just wanted more. Other than that, it was immensely entertaining and I'm definitely looking forward to more from Franken. This will be your perfect poolside/beachside summer read and with so much to discuss, definitely a great one to buddy read or use for book club.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book
December 19, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.
Maddy's half sister Emily is back in town after having been missing for twenty years. Maddy married Emily's teen love Joseph and she is madly in love with him, despite the fact that they've been trying hard to become pregnant and things haven't been easy for the couple as they're not doing well financially and thankfully have been able to live in Maddy's deceased parents' home, which is now to be shared with her sister.
Things are tense and Maddy is suspicious about her sister's motives. Does she want Joseph back and why is her best friend seemingly turning against her?
This book is twisty and turny, I couldn't figure out who was bad or good and the ending was really well done. Nor could I like or dislike any of them, they all had their reasons for their behavior, even if it turned quite nasty. Good read, I loved it! Highly recommended!
Maddy's half sister Emily is back in town after having been missing for twenty years. Maddy married Emily's teen love Joseph and she is madly in love with him, despite the fact that they've been trying hard to become pregnant and things haven't been easy for the couple as they're not doing well financially and thankfully have been able to live in Maddy's deceased parents' home, which is now to be shared with her sister.
Things are tense and Maddy is suspicious about her sister's motives. Does she want Joseph back and why is her best friend seemingly turning against her?
This book is twisty and turny, I couldn't figure out who was bad or good and the ending was really well done. Nor could I like or dislike any of them, they all had their reasons for their behavior, even if it turned quite nasty. Good read, I loved it! Highly recommended!
July 24, 2022
I just finished reading this and started writing my review right away. I am so emotional right now and my heart is racing! What an ending! Though so much unraveled a bit earlier, the grand finale ending was still spectacular. Parts of the book were a little slow for me so as the ending drew closer, I was surprised at how the tone and content changed, making the reading faster. My intrigue, curiosity, and emotions heightened and I found it harder to put the book down.
People amaze me and I have always been fascinated by behavior, the mind, and the hows and whys. The psychological touchpoints cleverly littered throughout this book were what I loved most. Though the actions, words, and intent made by others was so sad, so mean, so wrong, it all made great reading.
Definitely a great book club read. There is so much to discuss, so much to digest, unravel, decipher. This is a new author for me and I’m a new fan.
People amaze me and I have always been fascinated by behavior, the mind, and the hows and whys. The psychological touchpoints cleverly littered throughout this book were what I loved most. Though the actions, words, and intent made by others was so sad, so mean, so wrong, it all made great reading.
Definitely a great book club read. There is so much to discuss, so much to digest, unravel, decipher. This is a new author for me and I’m a new fan.
June 23, 2022
Half Sisters by Virginia Franken is her next best seller. This is a well written domestic psychological thriller that just blew me away!!! A suspenseful story that has many twist and turns, lies, betrayal, revenge, romance and so many secrets. The characters are well developed and you will love to hate them!!! Ms. Franken has a wonderful devious mind, makes me wonder how she came up with such a story! I loved and hated each and every page!!! The more I read the more I couldn’t put it down!!! Then I got to that unbelievable ending and I still can’t stop thinking about it!!! I highly recommend this book if you love domestic psychological thrillers!!! This is a good one!
Many thanks to Virginia Franken and Lake Union Publishing for the honor to receive an advanced copy of this twisted story in exchange for my honest review.
#halfsisters #virginiafranken #lakeunionpublishing
#arc #domesticthriller
Many thanks to Virginia Franken and Lake Union Publishing for the honor to receive an advanced copy of this twisted story in exchange for my honest review.
#halfsisters #virginiafranken #lakeunionpublishing
#arc #domesticthriller
December 28, 2021
Rounding up to three stars
One of those books where you can't be sure who is lying now,or was lying in the past.
Friendships and relationships are tested to the point that you wonder if there was ever any real basis for them in the beginning.
Not a single likeable character in this book,and for me,that's why it scored low. We all want to be on someone's side.
Fast paced and twisty though,so I'm sure lots will love it.
One of those books where you can't be sure who is lying now,or was lying in the past.
Friendships and relationships are tested to the point that you wonder if there was ever any real basis for them in the beginning.
Not a single likeable character in this book,and for me,that's why it scored low. We all want to be on someone's side.
Fast paced and twisty though,so I'm sure lots will love it.
March 12, 2022
A lean, tight, suspenseful ride, "Half Sisters" by Virginia Franken starts quickly and just keeps moving throughout. Bold structural choices by the author create a tight line of escalation and surprises that continue to the last page. A fast, suspenseful page-turner that leaves the reader full of energy and ideas even after it has ended. Its daring ending will invite discussion and questions for hours to come, either for a book club or for a solo reader.
January 25, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for providing a free ARC for an honest review.
Maddy thinks she's happy. She married her childhood sweetheart, Joshua (who is immediately distrustful), teaches ballet, and lives in her childhood home close to her best friend/sister-in-law. But Maddy can't get pregnant, her husband's music gigs have dried up, and they can't sell her late parents' house without her estranged half sister's involvement. But then Maddy's husband finds Emily. Emily moves close by to flip a house and is the same unlikeable person she was when she entered Maddy's life in their teenage years. And Maddy's POV shows her to be overly reliant on a fairy tale husband who seems manipulative and secretive. In the end, none of the characters are very likeable and there isn't really anyone to root for. For fans of scandalous, psychological thrillers.
Maddy thinks she's happy. She married her childhood sweetheart, Joshua (who is immediately distrustful), teaches ballet, and lives in her childhood home close to her best friend/sister-in-law. But Maddy can't get pregnant, her husband's music gigs have dried up, and they can't sell her late parents' house without her estranged half sister's involvement. But then Maddy's husband finds Emily. Emily moves close by to flip a house and is the same unlikeable person she was when she entered Maddy's life in their teenage years. And Maddy's POV shows her to be overly reliant on a fairy tale husband who seems manipulative and secretive. In the end, none of the characters are very likeable and there isn't really anyone to root for. For fans of scandalous, psychological thrillers.
April 25, 2023
A really good read, with a twist!
June 17, 2022
This book wasn’t for me. I like stories of sisters and thought this one would be interesting. I never established an affinity for any of the characters, in fact, disliking most of of them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the early read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the early read.
February 27, 2022
Oh my goodness, first of all this is a completely amazing psychological trip. I did not know who to trust, who to be angry for, and who to be happy or upset with. The imagination that Virginia Franken has to come up with all of this is impressive. I could honestly feel the emotions of the different characters, visualize every landscape and building she describes, and how different scenarios played out precisely. My only complaint is to me the ending felt rushed and flat. On the other hand, it gives you the ability to imagine the rest of the story.
February 21, 2022
Half Sisters by Virginia Franken. Thanks to the author for the gifted signed copy, and @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the gifted e-Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Maddy’s estranged half sister, Emily, comes back into her life she is thankful they can settle their finances. After all the past is the past, and it shouldn’t matter Maddy married Emily’s childhood sweetheart. Soon Maddy begins to suspect her husband is back with Emily, but can she trust what she thinks? Lately she has been absent minded and forgetting things.
This book was slow going in the beginning but I am glad that I stuck with. The anticipation very slowly builds are you wonder what is going on; what is the secret of the past, who are we supposed to be rooting for, and is there manipulation involved? All those answers will be answered in the end. I was surprised by the end and really appreciated the pacing and hints once I understood the past and what occurred.
“Whatever lay ahead, it was somewhere else. And that was what she needed; to be anywhere that wasn’t here.”
Half Sisters comes out 6/21.
When Maddy’s estranged half sister, Emily, comes back into her life she is thankful they can settle their finances. After all the past is the past, and it shouldn’t matter Maddy married Emily’s childhood sweetheart. Soon Maddy begins to suspect her husband is back with Emily, but can she trust what she thinks? Lately she has been absent minded and forgetting things.
This book was slow going in the beginning but I am glad that I stuck with. The anticipation very slowly builds are you wonder what is going on; what is the secret of the past, who are we supposed to be rooting for, and is there manipulation involved? All those answers will be answered in the end. I was surprised by the end and really appreciated the pacing and hints once I understood the past and what occurred.
“Whatever lay ahead, it was somewhere else. And that was what she needed; to be anywhere that wasn’t here.”
Half Sisters comes out 6/21.
September 10, 2022
The story line was good and definitely kept me interested, however the ending was a disappointment. Unless this storyline is picked up and continued in another book, it was a waste of my time.
January 4, 2022
20 years ago, Maddy and her half sister Emily lived together. Emily was troubled and wild and caused upheaval in the fairly quiet family home. Before long, Emily is sent to juvenile detention and Maddy is able to grow up in peace.
At the start of the novel Emily, is back in town, rediscovered by Maddy's husband who incidentally was her first boyfriend. Maddy hopes this means that she can settle her father's affairs and move on with her life. She needs Emily to sign off on documents and the house sale.
Emily seems different...something is going on. And Maddy has problems at home. Her husband is acting suspicious and she keeps losing things. Silly items, important items...much like her mother did before she developed dementia. What is happening now that Emily is back?
I loved this book! It really drew me in. I am only giving it 4 starts because the ending is just too abrupt - the ending is just as important as the whole story when it's good! If you like revenge stories, battling siblings, secretive families then book is for you!
.#NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #HalfSisters
At the start of the novel Emily, is back in town, rediscovered by Maddy's husband who incidentally was her first boyfriend. Maddy hopes this means that she can settle her father's affairs and move on with her life. She needs Emily to sign off on documents and the house sale.
Emily seems different...something is going on. And Maddy has problems at home. Her husband is acting suspicious and she keeps losing things. Silly items, important items...much like her mother did before she developed dementia. What is happening now that Emily is back?
I loved this book! It really drew me in. I am only giving it 4 starts because the ending is just too abrupt - the ending is just as important as the whole story when it's good! If you like revenge stories, battling siblings, secretive families then book is for you!
.#NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #HalfSisters
December 24, 2021
Half Sisters is a suspenseful new novel by Virginia Franken. Maddy and Emily are half sisters who didn't meet until their tween years. Their contentious teen relationship ends abruptly and they have no more contact for almost twenty years. Maddy has moved on with her life. She married her best friends brother (and Emily's high school boyfriend) Joseph. When Emily comes back to her childhood home she and Maddy must try to move past their issues. That is hard to do when Maddy distrusts Emily's motives.
This book is told from three different perspectives: Emily, Maddy, and Bea (Maddy's best friend/sister in law.) This is one of those books where the more you read about each character's stories the more you dislike them all. It has plenty of twists and turns (although I managed to figure it out early on.) I didn't enjoy how the story wrapped up. I felt like it ended a little abruptly without a complete resolution.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
Thank you to NetGalley, Virginia Franken, and Lake Union Publishing for this eARc. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book is told from three different perspectives: Emily, Maddy, and Bea (Maddy's best friend/sister in law.) This is one of those books where the more you read about each character's stories the more you dislike them all. It has plenty of twists and turns (although I managed to figure it out early on.) I didn't enjoy how the story wrapped up. I felt like it ended a little abruptly without a complete resolution.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
Thank you to NetGalley, Virginia Franken, and Lake Union Publishing for this eARc. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
July 20, 2022
I received an early review via NetGalley. I quite enjoyed this book. It centres on two sisters and is told from both their points of view. Emily and Maddie have never been close and when Emily comes back into Maddie’s life, the story unfolds and we learn what happened when they were teenagers and the consequences that now has for their relationship in the present day.
Without giving anything away, it is obvious what direction the main storyline is heading in. However there are still some twists and turns that you don’t see coming.
You become suspicious of all characters but I was still invested in Maddie. It had a good pace and I wanted to keep reading. I’m not sure how I felt about the ending, was it abrupt? Initially I thought so but then actually, I wasn’t fussed to know what happened to all the characters. In the main, everything was revealed and I liked even in the last scene, we were reminded of the hatred between the sisters.
Without giving anything away, it is obvious what direction the main storyline is heading in. However there are still some twists and turns that you don’t see coming.
You become suspicious of all characters but I was still invested in Maddie. It had a good pace and I wanted to keep reading. I’m not sure how I felt about the ending, was it abrupt? Initially I thought so but then actually, I wasn’t fussed to know what happened to all the characters. In the main, everything was revealed and I liked even in the last scene, we were reminded of the hatred between the sisters.
December 28, 2021
This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Lake Union Publishing and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
I liked but didn’t love this one. The characters were human, not necessarily likable, but human.
I liked but didn’t love this one. The characters were human, not necessarily likable, but human.
December 4, 2023
I didn’t enjoy this book. While at first it was intriguing, and Maddy seemed like an unreliable narrator, the book dragged and then turned into a pretty insane revenge story, where none of the characters were painted in a good light.
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