great premise, decent characters. a different take that i did not love. It was just kind of middle of the road for me.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I loved how each chapter in the book was a "clue" and just when you think you have it figured out, you find out that you are wrong yet again. Lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing up until the end. Love this author and her writing style. Do yourself a big favor and read ASAP!

The narrator contradicts herself: she loves her sister; she hates her sister. She knows what happened to her sister; she’s trying to discover what happened to her sister. The clues are important, the clues mean nothing.
This is a fascinating, and disturbing read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates. This is the story of two sisters, one of whom goes missing. When Marguerite disappears, her sister Gigi is left behind trying to figure things out. Barely any clues, no note, she’s just gone. Even though there’s little to go on an investigation does begin to uncover some truths that Gigi was unaware of. Oates is a master at contemporary, darker dramas, and this doesn’t disappoint.

Its 7:07am.

I woke up around 3 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. In hopes of making my eyes tired, I decided to pick up a book and read a few chapters...

4 hours and 7 minutes later, I am more awake than ever.

What did I just read?

48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister, was fantastic. There was no way I would be able to put it down once I had picked it up and I was no longer tired, but in fact, wide eyed and bushy tailed! I could not get enough!!!

The bond between sisters can not be broken, sure, some of us have love/hate relationships with our sisters but that's the thing, there is a thin line between love and hate.

As Gigi sets out to find out what happened to her sister, Marguerite, many secrets are exposed and you will not be able to flip the pages fast enough.

Im ashamed to admit that this is my first book by Carol Oates, but I am already browsing Amazon to see what book of hers I will be reading next. Oates, made an instant fan out of me and I am so excited to binge her entire backlog.

Teaser:

When a woman mysteriously vanishes, her sister must tally up the clues to discover her fate.

Marguerite, a beautiful woman, has disappeared from her small town in Upstate New York. But is foul play involved? Or did she merely take an opportunity to get away for fun, or finally make the decision to leave behind her claustrophobic life of limited opportunities?

Her younger sister Gigi wonders if the flimsy silk Dior dress, so casually abandoned on the floor, is a clue to Marguerite's having seemingly vanished. The police examine the footprints made by her Ferragamo boots leaving the house, ending abruptly, and puzzle over how that can help lead to her. Gigi, not so pretty as her sister, slowly reveals her hatred for the perfect, much-loved, Marguerite.

Bit by bit, like ripping the petals off a flower blossom, revelations about both sisters are uncovered. Subtly, but with the unbearable suspense at which Joyce Carol Oates excels, clues mount up to bring to light the fate of the missing beauty.

Another Joyce Carol Oates masterpiece. The emotional nuances of each character are so well defined.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was just not for me. I had a hard time getting interested in this book and almost put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the autor for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I found this book very hard to get into. I don't know if it was the way that it was written or if it just didn't hold my attention. I will say, as I continued to read, this was a pretty good story but I had to force myself to keep reading to get to the end. Overall lots of twists and unrelaible characters all throughout the book, you couldn't believe a word you read. .

I found the writing to be unique and the protagonist’s stream-of-consciousness type narration to be intriguing. This was different from other books and I really liked that. A few times I had to back up and reread sections, and i didn’t love the ambiguous ending, but overall this was really well done.

This book was unlike other books I have read. I loved that there were clues and the reader was made to come to their own conclusions. This could be frustrating to some and fascinating to others. I was so intrigued. It was a fun read for that reason. I loved feeling like I was responsible for the answers to the mystery! A great read and a book that would be perfect for book clubs!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates.

When Gigi's sister went missing, she has been looking for reasons, clues, and answers as to her whereabouts. But Gigi also has secrets of her, particularly how she felt about her sister M. before she ever went missing.

The best way I can describe this book is messy. It seems like Carol Oates has an occasional diamond amongst her numerous books, and this wasn't one of them. The story was scattered, and so hard to latch on to. I never cared for the story, or the characters, half of the time I barely knew what was going on.

I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting but I wasn’t connecting with the story and when I put it down, I didn’t ever want to get back to it. Decided to DNF at 10%. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy.

I really wanted to like this book. I had high hopes, but it just left me feeling very blah about it. I will try this author again at some point.

This story is told from the point of view of Gigi, the younger sister of Marguerite, who has mysteriously disappeared. As clues are revealed, we find that Gigi might be an unreliable narrator, and has some issues of her own. There is a psychic, a PI, several police departments all involved in the investigation, but this mystery remains unsolved. There are also several very odd and suspicious characters who are at times considered to be suspects, it’s a creepy tale.

In April of 1991, 30-year-old Marguerite (M.) Fulmer disappears from her upper middle-class home in Aurora-on-Cayuga in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Twenty-two years later, her younger sister Georgene (G.), the narrator, reveals snippets of her sister’s life and the various theories developed by police, relatives, colleagues, and even a psychic: was she abducted and murdered or did she run away for some reason? Also revealed are G’s complicated feelings for her perfect, much-loved sister.

The two sisters are foils. M. was beautiful, talented, accomplished, and popular. A sculptor, she received prestigious awards. With her sense of style and designer clothes, hers seemed to be a glamorous life G. could never achieve. G. is the exact opposite. She lacks her sister’s beauty and accomplishments. She works in a dead-end job as a postal clerk. Because she tends to be brusque, rude, and dismissive of others, she has no friends or romantic relationships.

G.’s anger, jealousy, and resentment become increasingly obvious. She wants what her sister had: beauty, popularity, and success. She feels unloved by her family and hopes for a romantic relationship. Beneath her peevish and abrasive exterior lies a deeply unhappy, lonely, and insecure woman.

What also becomes clear is that G. is an unreliable narrator. For instance, at one point she says that she refused “to be envious of anyone, ever” but then later admits “All that was secret in my sister, I deeply envied, and resented.” From the beginning she makes clear that she is not totally forthcoming: “Note that much is hypothetical here. Though G. may know exactly what has happened to M., G. is taking care to present ‘clues’ as they appear in sequence.” The line between reality and imagination is often blurred. For instance, there is one episode where G. describes taking a certain action only for the reader to learn later that she was fantasizing. As a consequence, the reader must wonder about other scenes: are they reality or hallucinations?

Readers should be warned that the ending is ambiguous. Of course, this should not come as a surprise since G. states at the beginning, “So many maybes! Yet (this is the tantalizing promise of clues!) one of these maybes however improbable and implausible is the Truth.” G.’s last glimpse of M. is her face “in the bureau mirror reflected in the mirror on the closet door – that is, an image double mirrored.” This suggests a distorted image and that’s really what the narration feels like: not everything is clear.

This is a mystery for those who like to read closely in order to figure out what happened. I have my suspicions, but I think a second reading would be beneficial.

Gigi tells the story of her missing sister Marguerite. Gigi wonders if something bad happened or if she just took off for a better life. Being less attractive and popular Gigi feels jealous of Marguerite, yet hopes that her sister is okay, at least that’s what she wants everyone to think . As the story progresses you find out more about each sister’s life and how they’ve ended up where they are. Well written story of sisters and relationships.

48 CLUES INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY SISTER
Joyce Carol Oates

This did not work for me.

I think you’d have to be a longtime reader of JCO’s works to appreciate this installment. This is a wild stab at a thriller but it feels like it’s written inside out and not in an appealing way.

The book stars “G” who’s sister has just gone missing. We as voyeurs are being told all of the 48 clues into the disappearance of G’s sister “M” as G continues to investigate over time and as new clues are revealed.

It is written to feel like a stream of consciousness but feels more deconstructed than is necessary to prove the point. And you feel strung along instead feeling inspired to learn what the clues are.

In one light it feels like diary passages or journal entries and it’s appealing to feel like you’re privy to private information and getting an insiders look.

The mystery though overall feels like hand-holding and the author has completely dumbed down the experience of collecting clues and solving the mystery.

This is my first JCO and my next attempt at her work will be from earlier in her career.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for the advanced copy!

48 CLUES INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY SISTER…⭐️⭐️

Great Title and a Different Type of Mystery

Joyce Carol Oates is a prolific writer; I believe she has written 80 books.  They are all different but there is an underlying sadness to them and each one has a central emotion.
 
“48 Clues…….” is a different type of thriller.  The reader is left to study a woman’s character.  It is told in first person point of view; the younger sister, Georgene, is speaking to the reader, not a new technique for Oates but it is usually dramatic. 
 
Georgene is the narrator and younger sister; the missing sister is Marguerite, a beautiful blond, sculptor, and a teacher who has disappeared. They live with their father, housekeeper and, of course, Gigi. She changes as the novel provides the reader with some clues and we become the literary observer to someone seeking answers. Eventually, Marguerite has been missing for 22 years! During that time her younger sister becomes the primary person seeking to solve the disappearance.


It is a type of thriller, Oates always seems to be on the edge of a category. It is worth the read. The novel is under 300 pages which is short for this author.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. Parts of it I really loved, and parts of it almost made me want to put the book down. As with much of Oates' writing, her writing is stellar, and I loved the darkness of it. Even if there are parts of the story I don't like, Oates' writing itself is phenomenal and always pulls me in.

I was initially hesitant to request this book because I'm not a big fan of unreliable narrators, but Oates' past work convinced me to give it a shot. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the stream of consciousness told by the unreliable narrator, I will say that Oates did an excellent job using this style.

The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of mystery and thrill in the story, despite the darkness that is woven throughout. It's much more about the relationship between G and M and M's life, which is fine, but I felt like I was mislead a bit.

The ending was also a bit lackluster and dragged a bit, which was disappointing, and I was glad when I was finally finished.