The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari is a contemporary young adult story which opens with a very dramatic chapter describing the moments immediately preceding a plane crash. The plane was carrying a group of students on a school trip, and we are soon introduced to the sisters of two of the students lost in the crash, D who has lost her twin sister Kat, and Spider who lost her brother. Some time has passed and the two girls are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy, so along with another friend Min, they decide to take a road trip to the site of the crash. When they are almost at the site, they experience car trouble and so must camp on the mountainside. However the mountain is not as empty as they thought, in fact a survivalist cult is living nearby, and when one of their members meets the girls the book takes a dramatic turn.
I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, I thought the premise sounded interesting and the cover was beautiful. I found the book to be entertaining and well written, and I liked the characters, particularly Ariel, the survivalist character who is one of the narrators of the story, and I found the sections of the book set in the cult compound or with those characters fascinating. While there may not be much to surprise the reader it is still an enjoyable YA thriller. On a technical note, while I enjoy books written from multiple perspectives as this one was, it can be a little confusing when the perspectives also shift from first to third person , making it just a little harder to keep track.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own,

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At first, when I read the synopsis of The Grey Sisters I was intrigued. Since this one had a plane crash, where the main characters are siblings of someone who was in it, I was highly interested. It kind of reminded me the movie that was about the plane landing in the Hudson. I think it was called Sully?

That being said, I had high hopes for this book before even diving into it. Unfortunately for me, it was just okay. It sucks because I was so excited to dive into this and get to know the characters. Just to see how everyone has changed from this horrible accident that took a loved one. Then for them to go the crash site - I wanted to be moved by all of this. Yet, I wasn't.

It's sad for me to say this, but I honestly wasn't invested. The characters were a bit boring for me and I kind of had the attention span of a goldfish while reading this. Even though a lot happened in this book, I just ended up not caring.

In the end, it was predictable and boring. I wish I liked it more than I did but I can honestly say that I tried.

This book seems to have a lot of mixed reviews. 👀 And I can understand that. 🙈 The plot was a little thin. 🚨 Certain aspects of the book were very obvious right from the start, and there were some big plot holes. ✈ However, I still found the story highly entertaining. 👍 So much so I read it all in one go. 🙌 So based on that factor alone I am giving this book 4 Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

Another nominee for most beautiful cover of 2019, The Grey Sisters is a multi narrated story. D lost her twin sister Kat in a plane crash and many months later she, her friend, Min, and Kat's friend Spider decide it's time to visit the crash site and honor their sister and friend. But unknown to the trio is that there lives on the mountain; people who have left behind the modern world to prepare for "the war to come" and do not take too well to trespassers.

I often find these stories to be short term fillers. Meaning the situations are intriguing, the action is non stop and the chapters are brief. But the outcome is predictable and the characters tend to lack any depth. In reading that back to myself, I realize that sounds b*!$&? Yet this story failed to leave its mark on me and I am under the impression that other than the stunning cover, I may forget this one by December.

Goodreads review published 01/09/19
Publication Date 24/09/19

DNF. I've picked this up multiple times by now and, as sad as I am to not get very far into this novel, I just can't get into it. I think this book holds promise and has an interesting enough synopsis but it's unfortunately not for me.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for approving my request and sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


I wouldn't exactly define "The Grey Sisters" as a horror, but it sure delivers a creepiness of sorts because you get the feeling the something scary might happen maybe right now or the next page - still you don't know where, you don't know when and you don't know how. And that's the good part.

I have to tell you this, though: this book contains animal cruelty.
It's not extremely lengthy and I like to think I can stomach (almost) everything, but this is something I really struggle with - so I had to pause and take a break to breathe.

Getting back on point, maybe Ariel is the girl that got to me the most - maybe because she's the only one who tells her side of the story in first person point of view. She tells us about Avalon, about her life in her community, about her family - blood related and not. And it's often awful reading how women are disrespected by men and treated as objects to serve a purpose. Their living style reminded me somehow of a couple episodes I had seen on "Justified", "Longmire" and "Cult" - their way of thinking and trying to defend themselves from outsiders something dangerous and frightening.

I came to care about the well-being of every girl here and I admit I was so captured by the atmosphere that I never put my attention on some tiny details left here and there as hints, so the plot-twists totally caught me by surprise - one in particular gave me goosebumps.

I confess I expected a little bit more by the ending - I don't know, maybe a chapter more told by Ariel.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book very much and I recommend it if you're searching for something that can give you chills and a creepy setting to lose yourself in.

This was such a gripping book! I loved the different points of view and how you could really just feel the characters emotions. I also really liked the cult aspects of this book.

I ended up DNFing this book. It became very confusing and too much was going on. It kept jumping characters perspectives and then throwing in one with no intro or anything that was completely different and a different path from the other main characters. I get it’s suppose to be a mystery/thriller. I am also pretty sure from very early on I guessed what would happen. It was so vague and just did not pull me in or make me care.

This was a haunting, emotional read that really struck deep and meant a lot. I liked it, and even though this isn't my normal chosen genre, it was worth a read. Sadly, Netgalley and Goodreads don't have .5 star options, or I would give this a 3.5 star rating.

Normally I choose to only read ya contemporary novels, they’re an easy read they’re easy to read because there’s no twists and turns to watch out for but recently I’ve been branching out into other genres including thrillers, and this wasn’t a warm welcome into the genre.

It was ok. It wasn't what I was expecting. i was hoping for some survival strategies, some sneaking around the enemies, and digging into more of their memories of the plane crash. I didn't get much of that, but just some teen angst and weird dialogue and descriptions.

It was a weird read, but definitely one that doesn’t deserve a sequel.

D and Spider have always been close friends, but when their siblings Kat and Jonathan are killed in a terible plane crash over the mountains, the pair are united in their grief. Two years after the crash, D decides she wants to visit the site of the crash for closure, and Spider and their friend Min accompany her.

Meanwhile, high in the mountains, a group of survivalists are stockpiling weapons for the war they believe is to come. Ariel, a teenage girl, has lived in the community all her life, but when a terrible accident occurs and one of her friends is badly wounded, she must leave the mountain behind to find help.

When D and her friends collide with Ariel and her sisters, everything will change, and no-one will leave the encounter unscathed. Can D put the loss of her sister behind her and find closure? And does Ariel really know the true meaning of family?

I thought this blurb sounded really interesting, but the book was such a pleasant surprise. While much darker than I expected, it was also much more layered, with relatable characters, a skilfully managed plot, and more than one deft twist. It's well written, well paced, and a fascinating read. I would love a prequel to this so that I could read more about Ariel's community as I found that fascinating (and fans of books featuring cults, survivalists, and wilderness communities will probably really enjoy this too).

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

NOTE: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When D’s twin sister Kat dies in a plane crash, she finds it hard to piece her life back together. Spider’s brother was also in the plane crash. Spider was Kat’s best friend. D happens to see a photo of a survivor from the crash with her twin’s stuffed animal, and it sends her on an expedition to the crash site for closure. Spider and Min tag along. What happens next will change all their lives forever. Meeting up with a young women who lives on a paramilitary compound in the backwoods of the Grey Sisters mountains leads D, Spider and Min into a terrifying battle for their own lives.

Told from multiple characters’ points of view, The Grey Sisters is a YA novel rich with history (whether real or fictional.) There is a blurb at the beginning of the book that references a historical novel about the area, and the settlers who made their homes there. How the area and the settlers were somewhat wild and hardened by the conditions of living in the shadow of the mountains. This really sets the scene for what’s to come. The next section takes us straight to the plane ride that led to Kat’s and Jonathan’s demise. It’s a frenzied start to a novel, and keeps you wanting to turn the pages to know what happens next.

This was the first book I’ve read by Jo Treggiari. I wasn’t disappointed. Unique characters with strong personalities, I liked the fact that this book was female based. These are all tough women with difficult situations. The way that the setting is described gives you a virtual picture of how difficult the terrain is. The concept of the militaristic compound was both fascinating and frightening. Personally, I found the book to be well written and enjoyable. I would absolutely read another book by Treggiari again.

3.75 stars on Goodreads

This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

**Disclaimer: I received an electronic advanced readers copy of The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari from Penguin Random House Canada through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publishers for this opportunity.

The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari is a multiple point of view YA fiction novel that’s a bit of thriller/mystery. It releases on September 24th, 2019. I gave it 3 stars on GoodReads.



Here’s the summary from NetGalley:

Two years after a deadly plane crash, best friends D and Spider head into the mountains to face their grief. A gripping psychological thriller for fans of The Cheerleaders and Sadie.

D and Spider have always been close friends, and they are further united in their shared heartbreak: they both lost siblings in a horrific plane crash two years earlier. A chance sighting of a beloved cuddly toy in a photograph of the only survivor spurs D to finally seek closure. She and Spider and their friend, Min, set off on a road trip to the mountainside site of that terrible crash.

Ariel has lived on the mountain all her life. She and her extended family are looked down upon by neighboring townsfolk and she has learned to live by her wits, trusting few people outside of her isolated, survivalist community. A terrifying attack sends her down the mountain for help; on her way, she comes upon the three girls -- a chance encounter that will have far-reaching consequences for them all.

The Grey Sisters was a really interesting story. However, it wasn’t my favourite thing I’ve read recently and the star rating I gave it reflects that. I will start off by saying that I really liked the basic premise. Again, I was drawn in by the cover and further by the summary, which is why I requested it. I was also really intrigued by the comparison to Sadie and The Cheerleaders because I absolutely loved both of those books. However, in comparison, I felt that The Grey Sisters fell flat.

As I mentioned, I really liked the basic idea of the story, but the execution of it wasn’t as good as it could have been. The multiple points of view were intriguing and I liked getting into all of the characters’ heads but some parts of the story were really jumpy and I felt like I lost details that were technically important. That being said, in some places the jumps worked really well. There were some very well executed cliffhangers when we jumped from one point of view to the next.

There were parts of this novel that were really beautifully written and I really liked the way that Treggiari described certain things. She has a interesting style and I definitely think that I will read more things by her in the future.

One thing I didn’t like about this book was how slow it was to get into the story. I wanted it to be a bit more action packed. I remember being 25% into the book and messaging Kari to say I had no idea what was happening yet. I had a basic idea, of course, but it wasn’t coming together enough for my personal liking. It did eventually all come together but it felt like it took a really long time.

The cult aspect of this book was really interesting and disturbing at the same time. It’s one of the very unique things about this story. I will mention that there’s a bit of a trigger warning here for sexual assault/rape. Nothing graphic but some things are heavily implied so tread lightly if that’s something that bothers you.

Ultimately, for me, the thing that set this book up to not be the best read for me is the comparison to The Cheerleaders and Sadie. Both of those books blew me out of the water, and honestly this story didn’t. I wanted more from it and while there was mystery and thrilling aspects to it, it just wasn’t the same kind of thing as those other two books. I think that I would probably have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t had those comparisons in advance.  However, that's me setting my hopes too high.

One little neat part of this book was that it featured a character who shares my last name. I’ve never encountered that in a book before, so I thought that was cool.

However, if the summary at all intrigued you, I definitely think it’s worth checking out. Not all books are for everyone and while this one wasn’t for me, there’s a good chance it might be for you. So when September 24th rolls around, consider getting a copy of The Grey Sisters.

Thanks for reading.

I wish people would stop false advertising books. Calling this the new Sadie is totally false! It's nothing like that and it wasn't compelling like that AT ALL. Just kinda dragged for me.

This was a very intriguing story. Once I got into it, I really wanted to get to the end. It revolves round a plane crash two years ago in which main character D's sister and Spider's brother were killed. D wants to go back to the crash site for closure and she does taking Spider and her new friend Min with her. Little do they know that there is a cult-like survivor group living on the mountain protecting it and stocking arms for future war. Ariel is in the cult and she believes but is slowly having doubts about what they are doing and why. Each chapter is narrated by a one of the main characters so several points of view tell the entire story. Min is kidnapped by the cult. Eventually D's group and Ariel meet and then the whole story takes an interesting turn. Definitely kept me reading--interesting story and the characters were real and likeable. Thanks so much to NG for the ARC!!!

Comparing this to the Cheerleaders and Sadie made it an instant-read for me, and I loved it! The mystery and suspense were well thought-out, and drawn out long enough to keep me interested the entire time.

THE GREY SISTERS was not what I was expecting it to be. I went into it ready for a fast-paced thriller that had me frantically flipping pages, but unfortunately, I found myself struggling to stay invested in D, Spider, Min, and Ariel's stories.

The story starts off following three girls—D, Spider, and Min—two of which have lost their siblings in a plane crash in the mountains. The crash happened two years ago, and D and Spider are finally ready to go to the site of the crash and sort of officially move on. We flip from the third person POV of all three girls to the first person POV of a girl who's living in the mountains. This strange shift in perspective was the first thing that kind of threw me, as it never quite made sense why three were told in third and one was told in first.

I really loved the worldbuilding of the mountains and found Ariel's culture extremely interesting in a certain type of way that I won't say any more about to keep from giving anything away. I also loved the relationship dynamic between D, Spider, and Min. There were also a couple of twists I didn't see coming and enjoyed. But I never really felt anything other than off and on kind of grossed/creeped out in a way that made me feel like I needed to take a shower. The pacing was super slow, which also contributed to my blah feeling toward the story, as I love a more plot-heavy, fast-paced story, and the ending kind of came out of nowhere to me and left me dissatisfied.

The writing and plot was by no means bad. This is the type of story that I feel definitely appeals to a certain type of reader, and unfortunately that type of reader wasn't me.

*Arc provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

It was an intriguing book premise, however I found the output was slightly lacking. The writing was rather enjoyable, but I would've enjoyed the further exploration of memories or even a little more world-building. I had trouble getting into it at first, as there was rapidly changing PoVs, but got used to it after some time.

This book certainly has potential, it just didn't draw me in as much as I hoped.

Rating: 3/5

(This review will feature on my blog on September 10!)

I felt like this book had SO MUCH potential. I could follow along just fine with the switching of narrative styles, but in the end the story line just fell. It wasn’t keeping my attention and I skimmed a lot.

I couldn't get into this book. Although the first chapter was intriguing, I didn't find the plotline compelling, there were parts that were a little too gruesome for me, the parts of the plotline that are about the survivalist community seemed unrealistic and based on stereotypes, and there wasn't fantastic continuity. I wouldn't recommend this book to other readers.