Another book whose artwork spoke to me and made me want to read it. This short novel is highly unpredictable, which is always a plus.

Sisters by Daisy Johnson is a slim but powerful novel. July and September are extremely close sisters born less than a year apart. They've recently moved with their mother due to bullying issues at their former school. Plenty of twists and drama to keep you glued to your seat while you finish this book. Read and enjoy!

Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Daisy Johnson’s Sisters in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

Daisy Johnson’s Sisters is a gorgeous, mind-bending sliver of a novel. Though it’s only 220 pages long, it immersed me in a world as disorienting to me as it is to its protagonist, July. At the beginning, here’s what we know: July, her sister September, and their mother Sheela have escaped to a home called The Settle House near the sea in North York. They’ve been driven there by the outcome of a mysterious incident at the girls’ school.

July has been the victim of bullying, and September--ten months older--is her constant protector, a shield for whom vengeance is routine. It becomes clear, however, that September also wields power, that her strength can be diminishing for July, who always gives in to September’s dominance.

As Johnson unveils the history of this family, including the absent father whose behavior may have been the model for September’s actions, I was drawn into July’s understanding of the world. She often has trouble separating her own perceptions and experiences from September, and though she occasionally tries to assert her individuality, she is drawn again and again into September’s influence.

The course of the novel, told in gorgeous prose, is winding and surprising. Daisy Johnson’s development of her characters and their perspectives--she occasionally alternates points of view--is both surreal and real, portraying vividly the minds of these women. After loving Sisters so much, I will definitely be visiting her backlist!

"If there could be only one of us it would be you."

September and July are sisters with a symbiotic relationship. September, older by ten months, is the ringleader, simultaneously cruel and caring towards July. The girls are always together, wearing the same clothes, eating the same food, playing hide-and-seek and "September Says." Their mother, Sheela, struggles to connect with them, put off by September's erratic behavior and worried about July. Then something disastrous happens at school and the family moves into an aunt's run-down beach cottage to recover. There, the sisters' relationship takes on a new dimension. Johnson's latest book is both unsettling and enthralling.

----
Wow. Wowowowowow. Daisy Johnson has done it again. This book fills your stomach with dread and then knocks the wind out of you. Johnson is a master at writing a story infused with a creeping sense of terror, like when you see something out of the corner of your eye in an empty room or hear creaking upstairs when you think you are alone. With Sisters she looks at the connections between bodies, houses, hauntings, and an all-consuming relationship.

"If brains are houses with many rooms then I live in the basement."

This book reminded me of a talk I attended by Carmen Maria Machado on "The Haunted House." Machado compared stories to houses: both are enclosed spaces that a person can step into and explore. And all the people who have passed through those spaces leave a sort of ectoplasmic trail behind, luminescent and lasting.

Johnson wanted to write her own haunted novel, and in Sisters she compares women's bodies to houses: cavities for lovers, children, identities. The literal house in the book, Settle House, is full of luminescent trails, including those of September, Sheela, and the girls' father when they first lived in the house. Johnson plays with time and space in the narrative, slowly escalating the pressure as she returns again and again to the incident that prompted the family's move. She also probes the bonds between siblings, asking how far one can push the other before they break. The result is both satisfying and deeply disturbing.

"There has never been anyone but September. There has barely even been me."

Artistic and lovely writing. I understood what was happening very quickly in the plot, but knowing didn’t undermine the impact of the ending reveal. I enjoyed this tumbled, multi faceted duo, these unbearably intertwined sisters. I felt so much for the mother, Sheela. Her chapters, though few, impacted me greatly with her sorrowful voice.

I did not like this at all. Not even a little bit. I can usually find something redeemable in a book, but this one is not for me.

The story is primarily told from the perspective of July, the slightly younger sister of September. The reader learns early on that the sisters and their mother moved from Oxford to a creepy place called The Settle House after some sort of accident at school. The mother goes into a depression and remains out of focus for most of the story. Her perspective is used to narrate a couple chapters, which adds absolutely nothing to the plot. I don’t understand the choice to switch from July’s point of view when she narrates 95% of the book. The mom’s perspective feels out of place. The reader spends the rest of the book trying to figure out what the accident was, as July can’t remember what happened but is obviously traumatized by it.

Nothing really happens in this book and that’s my biggest issue. The lack of action made it hard for me to stay engaged. I read this on my iPad and I noted when the action started—with 40 minutes left in the book. The plot is mostly July internally wrestling with the vengeful wrath of September, and that is hard to read about for an hour and a half. Then the reader goes from knowing almost nothing to everything all at once. It’s anticlimactic with no build up. This is supposed to be a psychological thriller, but not enough goes on to mess with your mind.

Another issue for me is the writing. Johnson’s prose was extremely difficult for me to follow, partly because she is British and there are some words and slang terms I just didn’t know, but mostly because her descriptions are superfluous. I quite literally spent over half of this book completely confused about what the author was saying and what was even happening. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who like this book, but I’m not one of them.

Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin Random House, and Daisy Johnson for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sisters July and September are very close, but school problems cause them to move with their single mom to an isolated once-abandoned home to start new. What happens when September no longer needs July....

July and September are two improbably named sisters, Irish twins, who have moved to a secluded house by the sea following a school bullying incident. Their mother, a children's book author, is depressed and only comes out at night, leaving food for them but otherwise leaving them alone to make their way in the house and countryside.

Something is clearly off here, but only at the end does it become clear what happened and how things ended up the way they did. The house and the atmosphere inside are described perfectly, with the encroaching rot and decrepit building adding to the emotional suspense. No spoilers, but this is a great fast read with just enough "huh??" added to make it a real page turner.

eARC provided by publisher.

Having two sisters who are very close in age, I was intrigued by the idea of book looking at the bond between sisters. After finishing this book about a month ago, I’m finding it little hard to rate. I personally don’t like the writing style (though obviously many do, but the “radically inventive language” really isn’t my thing), but once I got past that I overall got along with the story. As many reviewers have already said, it’s difficult to write too much without ruining the story, but I don’t think I am giving anything away by saying that there is a twist in the story. The twist ended up being one of the ideas I had going through my head while reading the book, so for me it just ended with an “oh” and not a “wow!” I really appreciate being offered the opportunity to read this book, but it really wasn't for me. 2.5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/49240984

Oh my goodness!!! This book was excellent, I loved every bit of it!!! The cover of this book fits the story so well, two sisters are entwined, stuck to each other so tightly that you have no clue where one starts and the other ends.
This book is all about sisterhood, family, bravery, and relationships. The fight to carry on when everything else seems to be fading away.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK for my arc copy of this book for my honest review.

This was an excellent read. It was like something from Shirley Jackson's oeuvre, or akin to some of Helen Oyeyemi's more haunting works. This was a story that unfolded in a slow-burn way, providing a view of two sisters, one overpowering and one submissive, and a mother looking from the outside. The way the book is broken into parts was really perfect. I love when houses get their own narrative sections, and I also love when a book is so well-written that I only much later discover that the narrator may be somewhat unreliable and I'm led to wonder, "What's really happening?" This book had mystery, gorgeous descriptions, deep wells of emotion, pain, heartache, and that element of a haunted "something." I can't wait to read more by Daisy Johnson.

This book was very fractured and confusing. It starts off as the story of what seems to be a dysfunctional sister relationship between two sisters, September and July.It tells the story of how they have always been seemingly connected at the hip and what that has done for and to each of them. The twist at the end of this book is not as surprising as it should be. The clues were very clear all along.

First and foremost- This is the most beautiful cover I've seen this year. I admit that it was part of the reason I chose this book. I had not heard of Daisy Johnson, but now she is absolutely on my radar! So in this book we have sisters and we have themes that are weaved into them and their own family dynamics, but most importantly to me- we have this house. Much like in Shirley Jackson's Hill House or in Stephen King's Overlook Hotel, this house is very much a character of its own. The sisters are Irish twins- just 10 months apart in age and the story is told through them and how they interact with the house. It's very psychological and there are twists that must not be spoiled before this read. So, I will say this, this is not a fluffy or easy read where you can skim or drift off and still follow. This is not a read that is going to give you all the answers without you having to think for yourself. If you're looking for that, you won't get it here. This is smart, intense at times, and it all makes sense if you put in the time and work. I recommend that you do. Fantastic read. Thanks, Net Galley for the approval!

A fascinating glimpse into the relationship between two sisters, July and September, born close together. Daisy Johnson is critically lauded and it’s clear why. Her use of language is stunning. This book haunted me, truly beautiful.

I could not finish this book. It was not enjoyable to me I tried four different times to try to get back in it with no luck

This book just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time relating to the characters, and the style of prose was hard to follow for much of the book. The plot twist at the end seemed a little too predictable... I had guessed it about halfway through the book. While there were definitely parts that untrusted me, overall, I struggled with it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting, if not slightly, slow read.

I just couldn't get into this. I kept reading and reading. . . thinking it was going to get better, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark for me. What I can say about this book, positively that is, was the writing was spot on. It was almost poetic. It had an almost lyrical feel to it. I really did enjoy reading the writing but the storyline felt forced and didn't really ever 'takeoff'. I would read another book by this author because she has an impeccable writing style, however, this one just wasn't for me.

The novel really had a tone that was relatable and one that I could appreciate. I enjoyed the writing style, it was different from what I've been reaching for!

I’ve worked with at-risk and troubled children and families my whole life. I’ve seen a lot and have become somewhat hardened to the unfairness of life and the choices families make. For that reason, I’ve tried to avoid fictional accounts of feral children in distress. But when I was offered the opportunity to read an Advance Copy of “Sisters” by 2018 Booker nominated Daisy Johnson (“Everything Under”), I was unable to resist.

I was all ready for creepy. I was working on all sorts of permutations of maximum horror. “Sisters” does not disappoint. And it’s not just the sisters: Talk about creepy: Settle House.

But my greatest pleasure in reading “Sisters” was Daisy Johnson. I love her style – staccato, propulsive, unexpected prose and dialogue. I was truly not able to let “Sisters” go. There is a layer of depth to “Sisters” that references class, trauma, sexual assault, neglect, depression and abuse in subtle, compelling ways. Daisy Johnson crawls into your brain and doesn’t easily let go.

Thanks to Riverhead and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. Very gothic novel reminiscent of books from Shirley Johnson or Thomas Tryon. The story focuses on the intricate relationship between September and July, two sisters born nine months apart. After an incident at July's old school, the family moves to an old ramshackle house on the coast, but not everything is as it seems.