3.5 stars

April's sister Jenn is leaving for college...tomorrow. Well, she would be leaving, except she's staying home to go to community college after getting declined from Stanford. Noticing that her sister has been sad, April plans a Sister Fun Day to give Jenn the best of LA before she starts school. And maybe to connect...except they've been apart for so long that rekindling their friendship might be harder than expected.

What can I say except—I loved how April and Jenn were written. They were both so distinct and had such clear motivations and outlooks that I got whiplash trying to figure out who to root for.

They were both kinda the worst?

But also completely human, with their own reasons for acting the way they did.

And with parents like that, it's not hard to imagine that both tried to deal with the situation in the best ways that they could. I completely emphasized with April, who was treated like the irresponsible spoiled brat that she wasn't, and who's achievements in soccer were completely ignored by her asshole parents (and also sister, who treated soccer like a hobby instead of April's life).

Also, there is an adorable childhood-friends-to-lovers trope that I was absolutely rooting for (there's a lot going on in the friends department that I wish had been explored a little more thoroughly as well).

However, while this book was tracking at a solid four stars throughout the entire book because it flew by and I connected with both April and Jenn (in completely separate ways), and because this beautifully showed how complicated family can be, I was underwhelmed by the ending.

It was too easily resolved.

Years of anger and complications and emotional abuse are not fixed by one confrontation. The hurt and anger run too deep, and damage like that lasts for a long time—and relationships aren't healed so simply, particularly when things have been bad for years.

And also the college thing, which was...um what now? No way in hell is that going to solve it.

However, up until 97% I was 100% on board with this story.

But if you're looking for a story about two sisters trying to reconnect, this is definitely a good book to try.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Anytime I come across a story about two sisters I am instantly intrigued, however the relationship in this book didn’t seem to develop or grow over time.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 
 
This book was such a fun read!!! It had me at Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets 10 Things I Hate About You. Who wouldn’t want to read a book with that in the description! Those were 2 of my favorite movies when I was younger. So there was no surprise that I really liked this book. It was a great contemporary that I couldn’t put down. I loved both characters, and even though some things were pretty obvious, it was written well. 
 
We follow sisters April and Jenn. Jenn is a few years older and the “responsible” and “mature” sister that you can always count on. April is the little sister who supposedly only cares about herself and is super immature. They were once very close sisters, but once Jenn got a boyfriend and into highschool, and April got into soccer, they drifted apart. A few days before Jenn’s boyfriend leaves for Stanford, April notices that Jenn seems sad because she decided to stay home and go to college. Even though they haven’t hung out in a long time, April wants to make her older sister feel better so she plans a special day for just her and Jenn. It does not go as April has planned. She finds out that Jenn has been keeping a serious secret from her and her family that could ruin her life as she knows it. 
 
One of my favorite things about this book was April and Jenn’s relationship. I really connected to both of them, to the point that they would make me mad when they didn’t understand each other or when they were both being selfish. But I really loved that they both learned so much about each other throughout this book. I also loved how wrong they were about each other in the first place. Not only did their relationship grow, but they both had great character development throughout the story. I also loved the side characters. April’s best friend Nate, and Jenn’s friends Shruthi and Katie. 
 
I definitely recommend this book. It was fun, real, and all-around a great read. If you love books that focus on family, this is the perfect read for you! I also think the title is so perfect! If you’ve read the book already comment and let’s talk about it!

This was a really great story about two sisters trying to reconnect after having drifted apart for four years.

I have to say, I really liked this. This was such a refreshing approach to sibling/familial angst in large part because they communicate!!! Idk if you can really consider that a spoiler but... Really the best thing is that these characters act like people. They have moments where they are mean and acknowledge it and apologize! and are held accountable! and people don't instantly forgive and forget! I mean, how many times have we read a story and someone says something horrible, barely apologizes, and then it is never mentioned again? Too many. So yeah, I totally believe these relationships. They're messy and filled with hope and regret and I just really appreciated a complex look at a family.

Jenn and April are such a relatable pair of sisters, they care about each other and sacrifice for each other without thinking and they also resent the other for things. Sister relationships are complicated and we can yell and be mean and hurt the other person on purpose and other times we're laughing so hard we're crying and we're defending them or lifting them up. She's The Worst allows Jenn and April to have that complex dynamic and it's just really wonderful to see two teenage girls being portrayed as teenagers and messy and volatile.

This book did not go as expected. I was expecting drama and cute stuff, but instead I got DRAMA and really interesting family dynamics and relationships! The synopsis (and title) did a really good job of getting me interested but not spoiling any of the story which was a great surprise!

I truly did not expect to finish this book as fast as I did. While the secret wasn’t as juicy as I thought it would be, the impact it had was very big and the way that all the different points of views were revealed throughout the story really made it more connectable and addicting.

Both MCs (Jenn and April) were equally as frustrating and so real and three dimensional. There were so many parts that I related to as an older sibling, but I also related to each of their point of views to the point where it was frustrating because they really REALLY needed to communicate! But that’s what made the book so addicting and dramatic and great to read! Dramatic irony isn't something I usually become frustrated with, but this made me feel like I was watching a soap opera. The emotions were HIGH.
As for the side characters, Nate is a sweet little boy I will protect forever! Shruthi and her other friend were also great, though not as highlighted.

I think it was so important to see the relationship—however “not great” it was. To see each of their stories and how they felt and GOD THEIR PARENTS MADE ME SO MAD. The fact that this invoked such raw anger and emotions from me speaks volumes because that shows how great the writing was and how well done the characters were developed. 

It was honestly refreshing to see such real and flawed characters in the story!

Without spoiling or going into detail about the rest of the story, I really liked how everything panned out. The ending was bittersweet which I really love because it’s more realistic. And it was just overall a highly recommendable book. 

If you like three dimensional relatable characters, interesting sister dynamics, incredibly frustrating parents that seriously made me super angry, little road trips down memory lane, pre college summer adventures, drama and rollercoasters of emotions—or shall I say ferris wheels?— and beautiful character arcs this is definitely the book for you!

I have to admit, I went into this book thinking it would be a somewhat fluffy contemporary, but oh was I wrong! She’s the Worst hit me pretty hard. There is so much raw emotion throughout the story and I was just not expecting it.

The author did a fantastic job showing just how complex sibling relationships can be. I have three siblings myself so at times I could definitely understand how April & Jenn felt about each other. The sister’s emotions and arguments felt very realistic to me.

I absolutely loved getting to see a little bit of LA! I don’t travel much, but Los Angeles is a place that I have always wanted to go to, so getting a tour of the city was fun. Since April and Jenn have a rocky relationship, I figured the Special Sister Day would have a few bumps in the road, but not quite as many as there actually was. I wish there would have been a few stops that didn't turn sour. It would have been nice to have at least one activity be a good childhood memory for both of the sisters.

Even though it wasn’t the main focus, my favorite part of She’s the Worst was the romance. It was so swoon worthy! This book has my favorite trope of all time & I was living for it. I saw it coming from the very beginning and when the two finally got together my heart was so happy!

Overall I enjoyed She’s the Worst. It was an emotional journey of two sisters working through their differences in hopes of rebuilding their broken relationship.

Coming from a complicated sister relationship myself, She's the Worst is a breath of fresh air. It's got to be one of the most genuine and complex sister relationship I've ever read. And in that there's a slice of truth. Told from dual perspective, we are able to see their days from both April and Jenn's perspective - their own secrets. We can get stuck in our own head, our own problems and perspective, but our unique perspective allows us to see each of their perceptions of each other. Each of their duties, obligations, and feelings of sacrifice.

After weeks of reading very dark books, I decided that I needed something a little more light-hearted (meaning no deaths, destruction, gore, or overall chaos). Being an only child, I’ve always daydreamed about having siblings, and so I was very excited to read a book that focused on the relationship of these two very different sisters, overachiever Jenn, and sporty April.

Another reason why I was drawn to this book is that it takes place in Los Angeles, and it promised a road trip through the city so these sisters could reignite their bond. Living in the Los Angeles area myself, I liked to see what memorable places these girls would go to and if I had been to them myself. First off, I wasn’t aware that there were actual canals at Venice Beach, despite having been there many times (mostly at the boardwalk and beach area), so next time I’m there I’ll have to check that out.

What I enjoyed a lot about this book is that it did provide me the levity I needed, but that’s not to say that this book is fluff, cause it isn’t. This book very realistically portrays a family dynamics and the guilt you feel to try to keep your parents from killing each other when fighting (I probably related to Jenn’s referee role between her two parents a bit too much).

It was interesting to see how two sisters that used to be very close began to drift apart as they got older to the point that they no longer feel like they can even be friends. But the book explores ways how sometimes all you need is to find reasons why you loved that sibling in the first place and how it takes that first step to want to bridge the gap to have a good relationship again.

Everything and anything you can imagine does occur during this 24-hr. Span (the whole book takes place in just one day), and although it’s not a book that deals with mysteries, there are still several surprises that spring up that you didn’t imagine would. That’s to say that, this is a page-turner despite it not being a thriller. There are secrets that are kept hidden and revealed major life-changing decisions that take place.

I recommend this book if you’re into some light reading or love romantic comedies/sister bonding books. Because this novel has it all, especially a ton of feels.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

As someone with two sisters myself, I love a good sister story. Sister relationships can be some of the most interesting and complicated, and the sisters at the heart of SHE'S THE WORST are no exception.

April and Jenn have a twisted and often-times sad family dynamic going on. Jenn is the oldest sister and is known as the "good one" -- she is a great student and spends her spare time helping her parents run their antique store. April is a soccer star and her family views her as self-centered because she doesn't help at the antique store due to other commitments. 
I think a better title for this book would be "They're the Worst", because while there's nothing wrong with either of the girls in this story, their parents are the ACTUAL WORST EVER. They are absolutely horrible to each other and to their daughters, and have zero redeeming qualities. It was tough to read them dismissing April's talents and goals while also taking advantage of Jenn and not allowing her to choose her own path in life. 

Ultimately, this is a story of two very different sisters coming together to support one another's choices. Although they each want very different things and start out as conflicting characters, they grow to appreciate one another's dreams in a really lovely way. 

I enjoyed seeing April's and Jenn's character development throughout the course of this story because it so reminded me of the tumultuous relationship my own sisters and I have had through the years. When we were younger, we were all so different that we frequently butted heads, but as we've gotten older we have become very close. I see the same thing in April and Jenn's relationship.

This book was lovely to read. The characters were real and their voices were excellently crafted. April is just about to begin her senior year and is worried about her older sister. She was ridiculously childish which masked a need for parental attention that she wasn’t receiving. April is on the soccer team and is an expert at shirking her duties much to the annoyance and disappointment of her older sister Jenn. Jenn is the perfect daughter, she’s dedicated, perhaps too much, and puts others over herself but she’s keeping a big secret that could affect her family.


What I loved about this book was how perfectly it captured sisterhood. It’s messy and heartfelt and real. There’s clear friction between the two sisters but they’re both trying so hard to make this day memorable, to make their relationship what it used to be. They both have their reasons, April to change Jenn’s mind and Jenn for a memorable goodbye.

The discord between the two sisters is on miscommunication but not the annoying miscommunication that can easily be solved usually seen in books but genuine miscommunication when things are difficult and you can’t talk, the gradual disintegration of relationships to the point where real conversations are replaced with assumptions and conclusions.

Their parents are constantly arguing and ignoring their children, not listening to their voices until there isn’t any real conversation happening. Strained marriages are difficult, they’re parents constant fighting was so annoying and borderline childish. Like, stop focusing on your hatred for your spouse you might see that your kids need you. I understand it was difficult to leave because of the store but damn people.

What I Loved – the sibling relationship, the depiction of a less than perfect home situation and the bucket list.

What I Didn’t Love – their parents’ borderline childish arguing, April’s reaction towards her sister’s secret, the bow tie ending that wasn’t very believable and their parents.

Recommended for anyone looking for a depiction of sibling relationships and sisterhood in YA contemporary fiction.

1.5/5

First of all, idk where all the positive review for this book came from. I literally did not like anything about this book. The 1.5 is solely because I like the idea of exploring messy sister relationships and exploring LA.

This entire book could have been solved if the family talked to each other. Like if they sat down and had a mediated conversation, there would be no plot. I wish they had talked in the first 10 pages and I did not have to suffer through this.

The parents are such bad parents that it does not even seem like they are real parents. It feels like they woke up one day and suddenly had teenage daughters. They don't pay their daughter who literally is at their beck and call and they legit ignore the other one and are extremely dismissive of her passion.

Both sisters are THE WORST and think they are suffering while the other "has it easy". Again, if they talked everything would become clear. Literally they just complain about the other the WHOLE book, until the last couple of chapters. This isn't even like a slow change, they legit are mad and saying the same things over and over for the entire book until then.

Overall, I might be too old to read this, but it still was a struggle getting through this. All of my notes for this book look something like this:

"The parents suck", "Why won't they talk to each other", "This is so YA", "Please talk to each other so I can go home" etc.

All a book needs for me to immediately pick it up is sisterhood. I love books that explore sister relationships, especially a YA book. I loved so many aspects of this book, but I hated the parents! My parents never really fought (and I very rarely argue with my husband) so maybe I don't have a clue if that's how struggling marriages look like but it seemed way over the top. I also have never been to California but it definitely gives you Cali vibes and I'm down for that.

I love it when I find a story I can relate to and She's The Worst falls into that category. Jenn and April couldn't be more different. They fight a lot and have no idea what's going on in the others world, completely lost in their own separate lives. To be fair though their parents non-stop fighting and treatment of each of the sisters has a lot to do with the issues between the two.

While the greatest hits plan started off as a good idea, there were a ton of misunderstandings that led to fighting along with some repressed memories. Just because you remember something one way doesn't mean that's how it actually went down. Some of your best memories may be someone else's worst, which was the case for poor Jenn and April. The girls start and end the novel in two completely different places which very natural and not at all abrupt or unrealistic. I don't want to say it was character growth. It was more like they saw things from the others point of view, or became more aware of themselves, and then made the decision to be better versions of themselves.

There was some romance in this book, but it wasn't insta-love and took a backseat to the main plot of the sisterly relationship rebuilding. So while trying to get along with each other and the bomb that Jenn drops, there was some relationship drama going down and I was so there for it. I don't want to give anything away, but I swooned over Nate.

Overall this is a book about relationships. The relationship between Jenn and April along with the ones they each have with their parents, romantic relationships and then there were some genuine friendships that needed a bit of rebuilding as well.

I went into this book thinking it would be pretty fluffy and light, but it was surprisingly impactful. I loved the growth between April and Jenn throughout the book. I can relate to some of the sibling strife represented in this book and love how their relationship was developed. I enjoyed the romance subplots and the real and raw friendship struggles. April and Jenn's parents are completely wackadoo and dysfunctional but I like how their story played into how April and Jenn perceived each other. It was a cute book overall!

Note: thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC - special thanks to Lili Feinberg for going out of her way to make sure that some issues I initially had with the format of the file were resolved. 

Holy crap, I did not expect this book to hit me as hard as it did.

Going in, I thought this would be a fun road trip-ish comedy about sisters. Great, funny, entertaining. I love stories about siblings and road trip comedies, so I thought I'd love it. I did - but not for any of the reasons that I thought I would. 

I'm not going to lie, there are points where I nearly teared up. I, like April, have an older sibling who's going off to college this fall, so "struggling to cope with a sibling leaving for college" subplot = cue the waterworks. I also related in that, as a sibling, I've been in both Jenn and April's positions. I'm the younger and more socially-inept sibling, so my parents sometimes treat me as such, like April; but, like Jenn, I'm very focused on academics and tend to take on more of the burdens of maintaining our family than my brother is, and that's come to be expected of me. Being treated like I have a few screws loose? I get that. But...being treated like an adult who isn't allowed to make mistakes anymore? I get that too. Watching Jenn and April navigate those challenges felt very real to me, even though my parents are nothing like theirs. I've seen very few young adult novels that handled sibling relationships as well as this one did, and my heart is in pieces. That was intense. (Makes me want to hang out with my brother, who - like Jenn - probably has 0 interest in doing so. Oops.) 

There were other things going on here - some romantic subplots, the sisters' college decisions, etc. - but everything else in the story took a backseat to Jenn and April's day out. My main issue with the book was in that. I understand that that part of the story had to be bleak at points, but I think it would have been well-served if the day-out portion of the story had at least a few light moments in the midst of all the family angst. The situation is supposed to dire, but it need not be so dreary. 

All in all, this was an unexpectedly heavy book that meant more to me than I ever could have imagined, and although it could have done with a few lighter beats in between fights, "She's the Worst" was a very strong exploration of sibling relationships, family dynamics, and what it means to move on with one's life. 

RATING

PLOT: 5/5 - a really sweet idea that was largely cashed in on. A word of warning, though: the premise that was used to advertise the book - a road trip-ish story - takes a backseat to family drama that can't really be revealed in the description without spoiling things. Understandable - and the plot was still very strong - but there was definitely a bit of a disparity there that some readers who aren't looking for a story like this won't expect. Not docking points for that because spoilers are spoilers, but it's something for readers to be aware of. 

CHARACTERS: 5/5 - April and Jenn, essentially the only two characters who matter, read as very real and authentic; I could find things I related to in both of them, and even though they both made awful choices (as was kind of the point), they were genuinely likable and fleshed-out characters. 

CONTENT: 3/5 - scattered cursing (some of it very strong), frequent allusions to adult situations that are never shown on-screen, and some majorly dysfunctional parents. 

WRITING QUALITY: 4/5 - it's fine, but a 5 requires *truly extraordinary* writing, and almost no book I've read achieves that, so  if tl;dr: good, but not what stands out about the book. 

OVERALL: 4.25/5

I really do hate it when I get approved for a book but not on my kindle... Like why even make that an option?

Based on the review I would love to read this book but I cannot get the file to open correctly. I will have to read it when it is available for purchase.