After reading this book, I will be adding Sarah Zettle to my list of thriller favs. This was a fast paced story with a twisty plot that kept you guessing. I also enjoyed how Zettle gave the reader just enough detail to begin putting pieces together but not enough to truly figure it out!

This was a good read but in all fairness, it was a bit confusing in some parts. Overall, it keeps your interest. I have read this author previously, and I was a little disappointed in this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

The synopsis seemed like it would be really interesting and unique, but I just couldn't get into it. It fell pretty flat to me, which was a bit of a bummer.

I didn't finish this one. The characters just didn't hold my attention. The writing style did not work for me.

One thing is sure, nothing is at it seems in this book. As the story progresses do we learn more about Geraldine and Marie's childhood. About how their father poisoned their life, not to mention their mother's life. We also learn that not everything is what it seems that the characters in this book have deep dark secrets. THE OTHER SISTER is a book about a very dysfunctional family. Martin Monroe is not a man you feel a bit sympathy for, vice versa actually. He's rotten to the core. And, his daughters are planning his downfall. Will they succeed? Or are the secrets they keep from each other to great for them to work together?

THE OTHER SISTER was an interesting book, although I felt it was a bit uneven. Sometimes it captured my attention and other times I felt that it dragged on a bit and I wished I had connected much more with the sisters. I feel that it was good enough to read and I wanted the ending, wanted to know how it all would end. And, yet I felt a bit disconnected with it, the story never really took flight. I wanted to feel more for Geraldine and Marie. It's a good book. Just not really thrilling.

THE OTHER SISTER is a book that I felt worked on some levels for me. I liked the last part the most when the big confrontation between the sisters and their father occurs. The story had its ups and downs, and ultimately I felt that it's an OK book. I have to admit that there were moments at first when I doubt that I would finish the book, but it got better as the story progressed. So, I'm glad that I did not give up because I did end up enjoying the book, despite all the ups and downs.

This is a twisted tale of two sisters. It is hard to follow at times, switching between past and present and the point of view of each of them...one who left and one who stayed. I felt very invested in the story and really wanted to know what happened in the past and what was going to happen in the present day. A real page turner.

I had trouble identifying with any of the characters, but definitely felt apathy for many of them.

The Other Sister keeps the promise of it's synopsis. Sarah Zettel has created a set of dysfunctional, unlikeable characters in this novel. The story is dark and twisty and very little is telegraphed. The narrative spans from childhood to the present alternating from each sister's point of view. That technique can be hard for me to follow. The sisters are very unreliable narrators, so the story doubles back on itself quite often. Just when I thought I had a handle on the outcome, a twist would take me in another direction. The character portraits are layered and very very dark, no one character stood out other than for his/her projection of evil. If you like your thrillers, dont care about liking the characters, and can work with unreliable narration, The Other Sister fits that list.

One of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a while!! Sarah's writing is more than amazing!! I'd give it 10 stars out of 5!! She kept me guessing right up to the end -- and no spoilers here - but the ending is fantastic!!

The Other Sister by Sarah Zettel
Grand Central Publishing: 8/28/18
eBook review copy; 384 pages
ISBN-13: 9781538760901

The Other Sister by Sarah Zettel is a highly recommended psychological thriller featuring the dynamics of twisted dysfunctional family.

Geraldine and Marie Monroe are sisters with a plan. The two grew up in Michigan in an emotionally abusive household with a manipulative, cruel father, Martin, and an alcoholic mother, Stacy. The younger sister, Geraldine left town twenty-five years ago after her mother died under mysterious circumstances. She was labeled as the bad sister, Now she is a lecturer at a college, specializing in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, and very rarely returns home.

Marie stayed in their hometown and became her father's dutiful assistant. Martin is now wealthy, in control of his whole extended family, and a respected member of the community. Marie is the good daughter in the eyes of the community as she follows her father's every direction in his successful real estate business. Now Marie has asked Geraldine to come home for her son Robbie's graduation party - and to put their plan into motion.

The novel follows multiple timelines and points-of-view as the enigmas of the past and the present are both revealed. The relationship between the sisters is complicated. Neither of them may be completely reliable narrators. They need to trust and believe each other, but can they? The perception of who really is the good sister and the bad sister will fluctuate as the novel reveals an intricate web of embedded secrets of their earlier years and those from more recent events. The characters are well-developed, but none of them are reliable or likeable. Zettel does an excellent job with the dialogue and there is a distinctive voice for each character.

At the beginning of each chapter is an analysis of various fairy tales by Geraldine which serves to compliment the plot. Contained within the narrative are multiple mysteries and secrets, and the analysis of the fairy tales can be an interesting juxtaposition in comparison to the narrative. The plot does move a bit slowly at times, but Zettel has packed a lot of depth into the novel making this an interesting psychological thriller.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/08/the-other-sister.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2513067846
https://www.librarything.com/work/21694494/book/159933533
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1035217311853170689

Geraldine Monroe thought she killed her mother 25 years ago and then went away. It was believed that her mother killed herself. Now, Geraldine is back in Michigan to attend her sister, Marie’s son, Robbie’s high school graduation, Geraldine is a lecturer at a small college in New York. While Geraldine has been back to Michigan several times, now her sister wants her to stay.

Marie lives with her father, Martin, and her son, Robbie. Marie helps Martin run their business. Their’s is a small town where tourists like to vacation. Marie is always striving to keep life running perfectly for her father to keep him happy. Geraldine’s return to town upsets their lifestyle because her father doesn’t approve of her.

This story switches back and forth in time and between the point of view of Geraldine and Marie. It builds from the times the sisters are small as they observe their parents’ relationship. There are many secrets that must remain that way so no one could ever look down on the Monroe family. As the family tension builds, the secrets start to emerge to bring the story to its end.

I thought this would be a “real” thriller and kept reading, hoping that something exciting would happen. To me, this is an example of a sick and pathetic family. I was not impressed by the book and found it to be, quite frankly, a waste of time. Too dark and depressing for me.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book did not click all my boxes. As a fan of thrillers/mysteries, I usually am all for the sociopathic character who wreaks havoc throughout a town or family. And The Other Sister had that; however, there's all kinds of other “crazy” going on in this story.

There are no likable characters. Not one. The father is controlling and terrible in all ways. The men around him are subservient tattletales. And the women around him – including both of the MCs – are weak and emotionally and/or mentally unhinged. And everyone – EVERYONE – lies, even to themselves! Who is there to cheer for?

Also, I felt like I was never invited into the story. I was an outsider the whole time – not knowing any of the secrets, truths, or motives until the very end. And even then I wasn’t sure of the “truth” I had been told. Feeling separated from both the characters and the story is not a winning combination. I toyed with a two-star rating, but I don’t want to discourage others who don’t mind stories that develop this way.

So… a reluctant 3 stars for a book that I really wanted to like much more than that rating reflects.

This book was filled with dysfunction on many different levels. It took a long time to reveal the less than thrilling secrets. The characters were all highly unlikable and there was nothing that redeemed them by the end of the book. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow at times. While others may like it, it was not one that I enjoyed.

4 Slow Burming Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Once upon a time... in a house made of roses... there lived a good sister named Marie, and a bad sister named Geraldine....

This was a dark, eerie, domestic thriller, with a fairytale vibe... not only was Geraldine’s PhD in the study of folklore and fairytales, but we also got little snippets and analysis of different fairytales throughout the book... I thought this was a very appropriate addition to the story, because there were so many similarities to fairytales.... and I’m not talking about Disney fairytales, but the true dark Grimm fairytales.... The story was dark... there was a definite battle between good and evil... the sisters had lost their mother and had a very ogre like father... their Aunt looked like a witch... not to mention they lived in a house called the rose house....

The story is told from the sister’s alternating points of view... from the beginning we are led to believe that Marie is the good sister and Geraldine is the bad... but as in all good stories things aren’t always as they seem.... The characters in this book were very well-developed, however they were not tremendously likable or relatable... this made it difficult for me to connect with the characters therefore I never completely engrossed myself in the story.... I felt like an onlooker rather than a participant...

The story unravels its self slowly.... and as the layers were peeled away more and more secrets were revealed and more and more lies were told... and just like the characters in the book I had no idea who to trust or who to believe... The ending to this book was satisfying, but not shocking....

Recommend if you enjoy a dark domestic thriller where the characters don’t necessarily live happily ever after...

*** many thanks to Grand Central for my copy of this book ***

I had a difficult time getting into this book. I really like chapters with alternative POVs, but this one was all over the place. I could not keep up.
I did not connect with any of the characters and found the plot line to be rather boring.

I had high hopes for this, but in the end it did nothing for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my free copy in exchange for my review.

This is a story of two sisters, "The Good Sister" Marie and the "Bad Sister" Geraldine and the story of the dysfunctional family they grew up in.

.When I first started reading The other Sister by Sarah Zettel, I was having some trouble getting into the story, I found it to be a little confusing because the story is told by two different points of view, between the two sisters and I was not yet familiar with the characters so I was not able to tell which character was which but once I got into the story I really enjoyed the ride into their family's deep dark secrets. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGallery for providing me with an Advanced readers copy..

The Other Sister by Sarah Zettel is a thriller that is told by switching the point of view between the characters and also going back into the past. It’s one that has all of that family drama and secrets that need uncovering from years before to find what is going on in the present.

Geraldine is somewhat the black sheep of the family as she left years before after her mother’s death. You see, Geraldine thinks she killed her mother and almost took her own life back then so returning to her sister and father hasn’t been easy.

Geraldine’s sister Marie knows however about the past, the cruel way their father treated them and just what happened all those years before. Now that Geraldine is back it’s time for the sisters to both learn the secrets long ago buried.

Well, for me the Other Sister was one of those thriller books that I just did not find that thrilling to be honest. The story started off alright but I had trouble connecting to the characters and really getting engaged with their story as the pacing in this one was incredibly slow to me. While a slow build is one that easily loses my attention I’m sure some would still enjoy this one as the ending wasn’t too bad when the twists were revealed but just not my cup of tea overall.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was unable to finish this book. Neither the storyline nor any of the characters were able to keep my interest. The storyline felt too disjointed and the characters all seemed one dimensional.

This a serious summer beach read book. It isn't the best-written book but the story (two sisters, is one bad? are both? are neither?) alternating between the two women is compelling and makes you want to keep reading. I wish I had waited until vacation for this one! It cried out for a beach and a cocktail.

Geraldine and Marie are sisters, but it’s Geraldine who is known as the troubled sister, the “bad sister.” She left town years ago after the death of their mother. Marie is the opposite of Geraldine, and the “good sister.” She is loving and kind and a wonderful mother.

Their father, Martin, is a snaky patriarch who controls the entire extended family. The description of him screams villain!

Geraldine returns to town shrouded in mystery. Everyone questions just why she is there.

The sisters who have previously had very little in common suddenly are united in a murderous plot against their father… to obtain justice, but for what?

The Other Sister alternates between Marie and Geraldine as narrators. I questioned each of them in their reliability throughout. The Other Sister is very much a slow burn, a slow churning and unraveling of the cloud of secrets that has enveloped this family for years. To me, this is a domestic noir more than a thriller, and I enjoyed the author’s engaging writing style and the dark, creepy tone of the book. I look forward to Sarah Zettel’s next book!

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I liked this book. Both sisters, Geraldine and Marie were equally good. Although, the story tried to make Geraldine out to be the bad sister. Once, the secrets were revealed, it ends up that Geraldine was just misunderstood and she got the short end of the straw. Not to say that Marie was the "bad" sister. In fact, there really were no winners in this story; other than Geraldine and Marie. A sister's bond is really strong.

The family secrets revealed were just as strong a part of this story. In fact, I might have liked it a little more than the present. Yet, as much as I really liked this book, something held me back from fully embracing the characters. Plus, my tone with the book was medium. Still, this is a good read.