The Sister by Louise Jensen
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Read: 7th March 2018
★★★★ 4.5 stars
I started this book and for some reason, it didn't grab me right away. Maybe because I'd just come off reading my 3rd dud book for the year and wasn't paying as much attention as I began late one night before sleep. So I put the book down and there it stayed for 4 or 5 days. Then one night I picked it back up...and read through till 5am the next morning and had completed it! It was brilliant! Though I must say it loses half a star because of the death of Grace's beloved cat. My motto is "I don't care who dies in a movie or a book as long as the dog (or cat, in this case) lives."
So "The Sister" is a taut psychological thriller that takes place over two time periods. I must say I love this style of writing - as if there are two stories interwoven into one and I want to discover the mysteries of both! I admit, I am drawn to these types more and more lately. The story follows primarily Grace, and her life as it began the day she moved to the little village in Oxfordshire (does it have a name? I can't remember). She is instantly befriended by Charlie who becomes her best friend, and whose death - and last words - haunt her in the present day.
The book begins with the two girls, aged 15, burying a memory box, and Grace fighting the memories as she unearths the box alone years later in the present day and taking it home, afraid to open it. When she does, she sees the pink envelope Charlie thrust in the box at the last minute refusing to let Grace read it until they came back "later" together. But Grace is now alone. All that's left of Charlie are memories and the pink envelope.
Then enters Anna, claiming to be the daughter of Charlie's long lost father whom she never met and therefore, Charlie's half sister. The grieving Grace grabs this morsel of information with both hands and welcomes Anna into the home she shares with her boyfriend, Dan. Soon Anna begins to wheedle her way in in such a way she tries to replace Charlie in Grace's memory. And blinded by her grief and longing for her best friend, Grace lets her.
There are so many secrets and mysteries interwoven into this story that you don't know which to unravel first. The mystery of why Grace suddenly turned up in the village, living with her grandparents, and meeting Charlie at just 9 years old. What happened and where were her parents? The secret about Charlie's father that her mother refused to discuss. The mystery of Charlie's memories of an imaginary friend called Belle and her memory of a fire when she was very young leading to her to have an inane fear of fire when she was older. The mystery of who was tormenting Grace with hateful notes. The mystery of Charlie's parting words before she abruptly left and then six years later, her final words? The mystery of Anna's appearance. The secret that Dan is keeping. And who has been following Grace? Is it real or is she imagining it? I found myself enthralled by it all that I didn't see the twist that when I look back was so obvious it all made sense.
I can't believe this was a debut novel. It is almost too good to be. I hope you enjoy it.
