This was my first read by Sally Hepworth and I really enjoyed it! It started off a bit slow and I wasn't fully convinced I'd enjoy it. I thought it was going to be predictable but it really picked up about 10% of the way in and I could not put it down. I absolutely ADORE Fern. Every page that passed made me love her a little bit more. I think I enjoyed the character development more than I did the plot. The plot was creepy and ended in a way that was really satisfying. I'd definitely read more of Hepworth's work. I'd give it a 3.5 stars.

I'll post this review on my Instagram (@readingwithmarlow) in the coming days. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review!

Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Insidious, the word meaning refers to something that proceeds in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects and it is this word that kept reverberating in my mind whilst reading this astonishing thriller The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. There’s nothing surreptitious about the story, in fact, everything is clear from chapter 1. There are 2 sisters, Rose is the responsible one while Fern has too many issues to count to lead a normal life. So where do you think is the thriller element coming from, and that’s exactly where the author succeeds in astounding the reader coz every single thing is slyly plotted and cunningly woven thru the story. As the chapters alternate between Fern and Rose, there’s nothing to do but sympathize with the plight of these young girls with a sociopathic mother.

I can go ga...ga over this thriller but trust me, words are not enough to capture the chilling effect of the truth once it gets revealed. Yes, things do make sense by around 70% and most seasoned readers can definitely guess the direction of the story so the SURPRISE factor does not affect much but it is then that INSIDIOUS began to play in the mind.

In addition to the devious story, Fern with her “straight talk” was absolutely delightful. Wally and Fern were just lovely and cute and evoked all kinds of cuddly feelings, of course, Fern is not someone who loves touching. The description of her routine in the library was amazing and extremely enjoyable that I sincerely wish all librarians are like FERN!

Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, even if you are not, read it for the pure joy of being inside a LIBRARY!

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, and Twitter.

The Good Sister is devilishly enjoyable, a novel about two sisters and what appears to be vs what is. It's clever, extremely well written *and* well paced, and I loved Fern, the neurodivergent librarian who seems to need all of her sister Rose's help, especially as Rose is so nuturing and has such a wonderful life. (Also, Wally aka Rocco is awesome and I loved him almost as much as Fern)

Side/minor characters are often glossed over in thrillers but here they're fleshed out really well in addition to their roles in the story.

You can guess what's going on within The Good Sister but honestly, it makes the book even more interesting because Sally Hepworth just embraces the full on gaslighting and seeing it play out in the book is a great way for readers to see how easily people do it in real life.

I throughly enjoyed this, definitely recommend it, and think that The Good Sister will widen Sally Hepworth's fanbase even more. And did I mention how much I love Fern? She's so amazing and I think this book will be perfect for YA readers who are neurodivergent or who have friends/family who are.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Fern is probably on the autism spectrum, and has difficulty in situations where her senses are overloaded - with too much noise, too much light, strong smells and too many people. Rose has a beautiful home and a husband.

Rose has spent her life watching out for her sister - protecting her from a volatile mother during their childhood, and from herself as an adult.

I will not get into the plot of this book --- but I will say, I was unable to put it down. A fan of the genre, I had never come across a Sally Hepworth book, but will definitely go back and read some of her earlier works.

I highly recommend this book.

I’ve really loved every Hepworth book I’ve ever read & this was no different. This is categorized as a thriller/mystery & while yes, it does have some thriller aspects, it’s more of a family drama… which I LOVE. If you’ve read the Mother In Law, this kinda has the same vibes, although this one I found to be less..thrillerish. Told from the POV of Rose’s journal entries & Fern’s present day thoughts, we get the story of the twins life growing up as well as their current struggles. According to Rose, Fern did something bad as a child and now needs constant protection. Fern feels as if she can do life on her own and doesn’t need her sister as much. Fern is a completely charming character and I really loved reading about her, the library she works at and her friend Wally. Early on, we learn Rose is having trouble conceiving so Fern sets out to help her sister get her wish of a child. I honestly think it’s best to go into this as blind as you can to see the twin’s story unfold!

This review will be posted on Instagram.com/_rachreads on April 13

Wow, this book was a ride! It follows Rose and Fern, fraternal twins. Rose is trying to get pregnant and can't; Fern is an Aspie (never officially diagnosed, but it's spelled out pretty clearly) who decides to get pregnant and have a baby for her sister. Once this chain of events gets set in motion we discover that things aren't as clear as they seem.

I really liked Fern. It took me a while to warm up to her, but in the end I really enjoyed her story. I didn't like how overprotective Rose was, although we do find out her twisted reasoning why later in the book. However this book was marketed as a thriller and it's really not all that thrilling. So I gave it 3.5 stars rounded down to 3...however I'm not giving up on this author and may read more by her.

So this is my first book by Sally Hepworth. I wasn’t sure if I liked this book at first, but i couldn’t put it down either. At first I thought it was a bit slow, but yet, it held my interest. I’m glad I gave it a chance because I found that at the end I really liked it . The subject matter of the main characters was interesting with the medical conditions, I’ve not read any like that before so I think I kept reading just to see where this was all going. I was pleasantly surprised ! The ending was wonderful and put everything together for me. Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Sally Hepworth for this ARC.

Definitely a good read. I went back and forth for first part of the book, trying to decided which sister was bad. I had a pretty good inkling and was pleased to find out I was right. The relationship between the sisters was complex and well written, but making you wonder who the true underdog was as well.
I’d absolutely recommend.

Great book by Sally Hepworth. The Good Sister is so well written. She has a way with characters, making you easily fall in love with each one of them. Loved this book and highly recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! Loved how it was written with a current timeline and through a journal. The story rolled out at a good pace and was an easy read. I enjoyed how the main character had sensory issues and thought the author did a good job showing the reader the challenges she faced. I don't want to give anything away, but I also liked the ending. An excellent read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
Sally Hepworth has become one of my favorite authors.
I have read 2 other books by her, "The Family Next Door" and "The Mother In Law" and I loved both of them.
When I saw that her latest book, "The Good Sister" was available, I had to request a copy.
"The Good Sister" didn't disappoint me.
It was a well written, unique and entertaining story that had me addicted from page one.
The twisty ending was a real shocker for me.
I can't wait to read the next book by Ms. Hepworth.

“Sisterly relationships are so strange. The way I can be mad at her but still want to please her. Be terrified of her and also want to run to her. Hate her and love her, both at the same time. Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best.”

Fern and Rose. Twins. With a close sisterly bond forged in a traumatic childhood. Plus a pretty cute relationship between one of the sisters and a stranger that resembles ‘Where's Wally?’ (aka Waldo-this is set in Australia) who lives in a big orange van. But there is a foreboding cloud hovering over all of them. I had my suspicions near the beginning but the situation is more sinister than I had first imagined.

The book has alternating chapters— present day from Fern’s POV and a mix of past and present told through the pages of Rose’s therapy journal.

We find out right away that Fern did something bad when they were 12. More and more is revealed as the book progresses. But we know from the outset it’s bad enough that they must keep it a secret.

While this book has several dimensions of story, the story is moved along by the plot that Fern finds out Rose is having a hard time conceiving a child and Fern decides to surprise her with a gift. A baby.

This drastically raises the stakes as we learn more about the sisters’ relationship and how Fern plans to accomplish her goal. There are hidden motives, a new romance, and the sinking feeling that things aren’t what they seem:

“I hate the feeling of not knowing my own mind, not trusting myself, even if the fact is that I’m not to be trusted.”

I think Fern is a pretty powerful character for Hepworth to depict. Though it’s not directly stated, her sensory sensitivities and struggles with understanding others’ feelings or certain social situations implies that she is probably somewhere on the Asberger’s spectrum. Since her chapters are told from her POV we get to be in her mind and see how she processes information and dialogue. I thought the author did a fantastic job helping readers understand her.

Fern’s inner processing also adds humor and charm to the story as we spend days in the library with her as she goes about her typical day interacting with coworkers and library patrons.

[For all the book lovers out there, I’m throwing in this snippet we get about Fern’s previous boss at the library: “Janet had read every book in the library and told staff that our job was to be a frontline soldier in the war against illiteracy and lack of imagination.” Thanks librarians for fighting the fight! People need books!]

The beginning is actually a little slow-moving— it lulled me into a false sense that maybe this was more of a rom/com/drama type of story. But by 40-50% through, the intensity grows and the subtle panic sets in. The trap has been triggered...

I highly recommend this book!

This is a psychological thriller you’ll probably finish in one day- two tops.

“My sister holds the key to my sanity (even though I never gave it to her).”

And. That. Last. Page.

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

I've followed @sallyhepworth on Instagram for a while and she regularly has me cackling with laughter. The woman is not only supremely relatable and charming, she's also hilarious. So it's weird that I hadn't yet read anything she had written, because I do truly enjoy her. When I realized she has recently been writing thrillers, I was extremely intrigued, and The Good Sister delivered in every way.
This book was fantastic. Hepworth somehow strikes a balance between creating endearing characters sharing jaunty dialogue and unsettling suspenseful undertones. I was curious about how much her sense of humour would come through in a thriller, and truly, it's the most wonderful counterpoint to otherwise disturbing plot points. 
This is not a spoiler, but as I mention in the trigger warnings, this book may be triggering for anyone that has lived with a family member that exhibits a personality disorder. For myself personally, I found many moments hitting disturbingly close to home, particularly the ways in which these individuals excel in gaslighting and manipulation as forms of emotional abuse. It is a testament to how well Hepworth crafted this book that she had me feeling this way, however I just want to put it out there for anyone who has triggers similar to mine to be aware going in that this is a topic.

Super enjoyable quick read! One of my top 3 of 2021 thus far!

Twin sisters, Fern & Rose, couldn't be more different, but they had a tough up-bringing and share an unbreakable bond. Fern works at the local library and deals with some sensory issues that are best controlled with a carefully structured life. Her twin, Rose, is trying to get pregnant. Fern sees this as her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her, by having a baby for Rose. Sounds simple, right? This journey leads to an unraveling of secrets that they thought were long-bured.

Definitely a must-read for fans of Sally Hepworth's 2019 book, The Mother-In-Law. This book kept my attention and I wanted to keep learning more. The characters continued to develop in surprising ways over the course of the book and my views of them changed as more was revealed.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Sally Hepworth, & NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review! #NetGalley #TheGoodSister

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sally Hepworth and Netgalley for the e-ARC of The Good Sister in exchange for an honest review!

Rose and Fern Castle are fraternal twins who have always looked out for each other. Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. They’ve always had each other’s back since their mom was a sociopath who manipulated the girls throughout their childhood. But as loveable as Fern is, she did something very, very bad when they were kids and Rose has covered for her ever since.

The Good Sister is told between alternating chapters told by Fern and Rose’s diary. As the book continued, I found myself questioning which sister’s version of reality was the truth and who was lying. While I guessed the twist halfway through the book, I still really enjoyed this domestic thriller. Fern’s voice was so unique and I found myself really really hoping that she wasn’t the “bad sister” by the end.

I also appreciated that while Fern is a character on the autism spectrum, she was still presented as a complete character. Her neurodiversity wasn’t the only aspect to her character. I absolutely hate when mental illness and/or neurodiverse characters are used as a plot twist/point in thrillers, and thought Sally Hepworth did an excellent job navigating this.

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Fern and Rose are fraternal twins and Rose is clearly the dominant twin. Rose "appears" to be the good sister and Fern is the troubled one. Fern is a librarian but has many quirks that lead me to believe she was on the Autism s
Spectrum. I started to suspect early on I was dealing with at least one unreliable narrator. I was giving Fern the side-eye in my head while reading based on what Rose was saying about her.

Rose wants to have a baby and Fern in her naive mind decides to have a baby for her sister. Rose is having difficulty conceiving and what an amazing act by your sister to become your surrogate. Fern's selfless act unwittingly set off the catalyst for everything that occurs afterward.

Sally Hempworth for the win. This book had me on the edge of my seat and I didn't want the book to end.

An emotional and gripping story about family, sisterhood and human behaviour. Rose has been Fern’s rock all her life. But what if all Fern has known is a lie, a manipulation of the truth? A really good book.

Book Blog - this review will go live April 13, 2021:
Sally Hepworth writes psychological thrillers starring casts of women in Australia. Sometimes they feature larger casts of women and other times it's a couple of women pitted against each other. This is mostly the latter category.

I had my suspicions about the mystery early but thought that must not be it because it was so simplistic. I am sorry to report - it was indeed it. Some psychological thrillers lean a bit too heavily on the trope of - one person in this world is "crazy!" and did unpredictable "crazy!" things and there is no helping them because they are just so "crazy!" so let's lock them up. I'm not a big fan of this trope for two reasons: 1) people are more complex than that 2) it's a bit of a cheat to the reader because then things can happen that are unpredictable and make no sense. However, I get it that it's a trope in psychological thrillers and am usually willing to give it a bit of a pass. In this case, however, the reader is told this character probably has Narcissistic Personality Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder. There's a character who has told their therapist all about them, and that therapist hypothesizes that this character might have one of these two illnesses. Everyone else in the book just accepts this and moves on. I am not saying people with these personality disorders never do bad things or hurt others, but the same can be said of all types of people. Plus, the character's actions aren't made out to be about them as a person but rather a symptom of their illness. It reminds me of how Schizophrenia used to be treated in literature. This character doesn't even get the decency of having the state investigate their mental health or a clear diagnosis. It both unnecessarily maligns two of the most maligned types of mental illnesses and creates an entirely two-dimensional character.

Then there's the representation of Autism. From the beginning, it's clear that Fern is Autistic (I am not using person-first language as many in the Autistic community prefer claiming the word as a part of who they are, rather than as an illness), but she is depicted in such a stereotypical way that it hurt to read. For example, constantly bringing up how she doesn't like to look people in the eyes and belaboring the point at random times when she might make eye contact. Her sensory episodes felt as if they were written by someone outside of her body rather than by her - problematic since it was written in the first person. The whole first half of the book has a lot of anti-Autistic sentiment, including wondering whether or not Fern could actually be capable of raising a baby. Are these reversed at the end of the book? Somewhat. But to me the damage is done by wondering about it in the first half.

So why am I still giving this book three stars? I have to admit that it was a page turner - I had to know what happened to Fern and the baby growing inside her. I couldn't stop reading until I knew. The energy of must-find-out that is needed in a thriller was there, even if I was disappointed by the characterization, representation, and ultimately found the solution to be a bit flat.

Who is The Good Sister? Fern is a librarian. She’s on the spectrum, and has sensory issues - she doesn’t like bright lights, loud noise or crowds. She’s quite unique, a character all her own. Her fraternal twin Rose is an interior designer, has a beautiful home but her marriage is crumbling due to their trying and failing to conceive a child (as Fern soon discovers.) Rose has always looked out for her twin, even as little girls. She protected Fern after being involved in a boy’s drowning during a camping trip gone wrong. So Fern, wanting to give back to Rose everything she’d done for her over the years, decides to help Rose by conceiving a child for her. She meets Wally (aka Rocco) at the library, befriends him and asks him out.. and it isn’t hard to guess why. As it turns out, Fern and Wally fall for each other in a big way. On Rose’s advice, he’s kept in the dark about the pregnancy.

Manipulation plays a key role in the book. I feared something awful was going to happen to my favorite character. With the direction the story was headed.. you know it’s going to.. just not when. Those fears were heightened as my heart sank in the hospital scene when one sister became unglued and irate after learning the baby was being breast fed.

I adored both Fern and Wally. Wally is such a sweetheart. He’s also on the spectrum, is very competent as a computer programmer (he created and sold an app worth millions), and is very understanding and protective of Fern. They’re so quirky and funny together. I was crossing my fingers their romance would be a happily ever after.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy. All opinions are my own.

3.25 stars

The Good Sister was enjoyable but it didn't blow me away. Fern and Rose are twin sisters. The story is told primarily from Fern's point of view with some diary entries by Rose. On the surface, Fern struggles with ordinary life -- she is awkward with people, uncomfortable with light and noise and generally idiosyncratic. Rose appears to be her protector. But are things as they seem? I really liked Fern's character and I liked the relationship she develops with her co-workers at the library and with a patron at the library. But the "things are not what they seem to be" plot line between the sisters was quite predictable. I have read several of Hepworth's novels. This was not my favourite. I much preferred Sally HepworthThe Mother-in-Law. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.