The Shadow Sister is a hauntingly dark young adult thriller where the story focuses on two sisters--Casey & Sutton who had a bad relationship before Sutton went missing.
Casey noticed the slight change of behaviour in Sutton after she was found, soon she started to investigate the truth.

There's a lot of you didn't see it coming moment that left me in disbelief. The blood chilling ending, just wow.
It's my first time reading Lily Meade's work and I'm intrigue to read more of her works in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sending me an ecopy in exchange for an honest review!

OMG WHAT ?!?!

This book was an absolute whirlwind of twist and turns and emotions. This book brings in important representation which give the plot even more meaning.

This book brings in Intergenerational trauma and healing from it, from two sisters. The two sisters are African American descent and they both are fighting to get through life while trying to reclaim their history, but also their love for each other.

This is a thriller with some paranormal ideas and it is spectacularly written. Highly recommend. It starts a little slow, and for some characters you don’t get a rounded story but that’s how life is as well.

Wow! This book by debut author Lily Meade reminds me of classic horror/thrillers that grab my attention and turns everything upside down. This is geared for a young adult audience which is a reader category I aged out of decades ago. The writing is good, the story magnetic, the thriller setting is well thought out and I read it in less than 24 hours because, I just had to. The cover is gorgeous too.
I received an advanced reader's copy from Source books Fire via NetGalley and this is my unsolicited personal opinion about it.
I like that issues that are very present today for Black and multiracial families are perfectly blended into the story. The sister and parent -daughter relationships are believable. There are hints throughout the story that take the reader to the shocking conclusion, and it all makes sense. (I did guess one thing but I'm not going to do anything to ruin the thrill in this thriller for anyone. I did not guess the main thing.)
A bit of Lily's background in the acknowledgement section is just as interesting as her work of fiction.

There is minimal foul language and a mention of hoo doo in the book.

First let’s get into this cover which is absolutely beautiful. It is really a selling point for me. Next let’s talk about this plot because the sister you really can’t stand goes missing and then she comes back with no memory of her past life or what happened to her during the time she was gone…*chefs kiss*. I wanted to read this immediately.

From the first chapter we get into the nitty gritty and we learn first sentence Casey’s sentiments about her sister. I honestly had no idea where this story was going until the final chapters. Like I was very surprised because what?! Like any mystery you are trying to figure out what happened and who did what. But I was not prepared for what was to come. I was wrong on all accounts and that usually never happens.

Overall I enjoyed this story. I do wish however considering the time it took to buildup to the conclusion that a little more was put into the big reveal because it kind of just served as “here it is” the end. It felt a little rushed.

As for a debut this was a good read and I definitely look forward to more in the future.

Also I want to thank NetGalley, Lily Meade and Sourcebooks Fire team for providing an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I tell you I gasped...

When Casey's older sister, Sutton, goes missing, Casey internally struggles with acceptance - both on the fact that her sister might never return, and that she is quite unsure how she feels about that. While their friendship prior to the disappearance wasn't strong, the situations they face after Sutton's reappearance will test their fraying bond.

Overall, I found the book to be quite enjoyable. Try as I might to not attempt to figure out the mystery, I always start developing my own ideas of what might happen, and none of which I predicted came true. There were a few subplots to the story that felt slow in the beginning, but I do appreciate how it all seemed to weave together in the end.

Definitely a good, solid read for those that do not want fast-paced and enjoy for things to unfold in their own due time. That said, I do wish there was more to the big reveal of the mystery and that the ending had more depth to it. It felt a bit rushed, considering the length and time of the build up.

this is a ya psychological thriller coming out june 27, and i’m here to tell you it absolutely deserves a spot on your tbr. casey’s sister mysteriously disappears, then mysteriously *re*appears, but something’s up. i was immediately hooked on this story, and i love the way that there are some subtle fantasy elements woven in. i guessed the main plot twist (which i always consider a good thing, btw! i look for clues intensely in these types of books so if i guess it, it means the author set it up well) and while i would’ve loved a little more explanation in certain places, i was overall pretty satisfied with the conclusion.

A mystery and a family drama that doesn't just focus on the present, but also the past interweaves a brilliant sibling story when memory is lost. Two sisters- one that had gone missing but is now back without her memory and the sister that remembers the past but questions what the future will bring/hold with a sister who doesn't.

While I could have held off on some of the overdramatization between the siblings especially in the interim mystery of finding her, I wanted to dive a little deeper into the parents that were curious from the start. There were a lot of threads in the story and readers will gravitate toward a specific focal point because there is so much to digest. Especially reading Meade's notes and acknowledgments it's clear that this is deeply personal and shines on a story that she wanted to tell digging up the past and about what colorism and being (or not) Black enough.

Thought-provoking.

Thank you to Lily Meade, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let's take a moment to appreciate the cover! It is hands-down one of the prettiest covers I have ever seen. Okay, moving on, this was a good book. I liked the characters and the writing. The pace wasn't slow but wasn't too fast either, it was perfect. You would never know that this was a debut novel.

I just wish there was more to the climax, it felt too rushed. But overall it is a solid read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lily Meade, and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I struggled to connect with the characters. I didn’t feel like the magical realism was developed or handled well. The villain was lackluster and honestly came out of nowhere for me. The pacing was good and I feel like the potential to be great was there, but it just didn’t work for me! However, I know a ton of people have really enjoyed it so it is possibly just a personal thing!

An incredible story! A story about a girl that goes missing, but returns a week later with amnesia, only remembering her sister. Told from the pov of the missing girl and her sister, you get to see the story unfold.

Loved the characters, you get glimpses into the life of each sister and how different their worlds are. Their dad is researching their ancestry, how close the family was and their fight to always stay together.

The end literally gave me chills. So glad I had an opportunity to read the arc

What a compelling story! I was fascinated by the mystery of the missing sister who returns and can’t remember a thing. The suspense of working through what happened to Sutton through her sister Casey’s eyes kept me engaged in the story and wanting to learn more and find out exactly what happened.

And though I shouldn’t have been surprised by that final reveal, I was! I loved the twist and the ending to the story. The author did really well writing the entangled, bitter relationship between the sisters and their family, and about the Black experience. I think this book sheds an interesting light on what it means to be Black or biracial in this country, and I love how she wove the history of their family into the fabric of the story. It made for a really satisfying ending.

This book is a wonderfully written YA mystery that had me hooked from the first page.

Casey and Sutton are young Black girls and sisters who are constantly at each others’ throats. When Sutton goes missing, Casey has to juggle a dozen different emotions as everyone joins in to search for Sutton. When Sutton is found, she seems a bit… odd. Not only that but there are a few other missing Black girls from the other side of town that no one seems to be talking about.

I really had a great time with this book. The characters were darling and complicated and I always love books about the ups and downs of sisterhood. Lily Meade did a great job of weaving together family issues and intergenerational Black trauma into a readable, engaging mystery.

I do wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt. I had grown so attached to everyone that I wanted to spend more time with them, see the resolution explored a bit more and I wanted watch everything play out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to enjoy this book early in exchange for my honest review.

I love the character of Casey. Her older sister, Sutton, was always manipulative and nasty to her, but portrayed a prefect persona for everyone else. Her sister disappears for a week, when they find her she has no memory of her past or what happened. Sutton only remembers Casey and clings to her. Casey struggles internally with her feeling towards Sutton, how her sister treated her in the past and how she clings to her now and only remembers Casey.

It wasn’t my favorite and took me awhile to get through but I don’t love fantasy books or books with a paranormal element. It took a little while for me to see where is was going and part of me felt disappointed when it was over because it left a lot of questions unanswered. I think there are definitely readers out there that will love it including students at my high school.

The Shadow Sister is truly an unputdownable book. I started it and was completely entranced. The hours slipped by unnoticed while this dark and twisty story unfurled. The story begins with the disappearance of Casey’s sister Sutton, who she loves and hates in equal measure. Casey is desperate for Sutton to return and when she finally does, Casey knows something has changed. Sutton has no memory of what happened when she went missing, but she does remember Casey. What happened to Sutton? Is the danger gone or does it still lurk in their community? Casey embarks in a race against time to find out before another girl goes missing.

The Shadow Sister is a sibling story that gets what it truly means to be a sibling- someone you love, fight with, and would do anything for. I did not see the twist coming and was shocked. Lily Meade’s writing is excellent, I found myself laughing out loud at the dialogue and highlighting descriptive passages. Casey and Sutton are not the perfect sisters that everyone thinks they are and I absolutely loved that! It’s realistic and created so much good tension as Casey dealt with her complicated feelings about her sister. The Shadow Sister covers important topics such as missing women (particularly POC), police negligence/racism, and family trauma.

The Shadow Sister is a spellbinding and intricate tale. Readers will be captivated by the race to find Sutton and then the ominous sense that something still isn’t right once she returns. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy twisted secrets, sisters with a complex relationship, and suspenseful writing. I’m excited to see what Lily Meade writes next!

Thank you to Lily Meade, Sourcebooks Fire, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Shadow Sister tells the story of two sisters who have been at odds most of their life. When older sister Sutton goes missing, Casey is furious. To her, Sutton is anything but the sweet, kind, and perfect person that everyone is painting her to be. When Sutton finally returns with no memory of what happened, Casey doesn’t believe it for a minute. Surely Sutton is manipulating everyone and just pretending to not remember, right?

The composition of this book is really interesting. We’re getting a look at present day Casey, and pre-disappearance Sutton. I really enjoyed how different their perspectives on events were, and how my opinions of each character changed literally every chapter. I feel there was a lot of character development, even with how short this book was.

Lily Meade did a great job at keeping an air of mystery and suspense until the very end. I really wish the ending was more drawn out though. Very suddenly everything seemed to pick up, and then it was just as quickly over. I want more backstory, more history of their ancestors, and I want more on what happened after everything!

I really enjoyed this read, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I hope to read more from Lily Meade in the future!

Thank you to Lily Meade, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book! I had a great time reading this. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

*May contain a spoiler*

Sutton and Casey are sisters who squabble and disagree like many sisters do. Everyone thinks Sutton is perfect but Casey knows differently.
One day Sutton goes missing after the two of them have had an argument.

When Sutton reappears not remembering anything that happened, Casey is bound and determined to figure out what did happen. Why IS Sutton acting so strangely?

This story had me intrigued as I really wanted to find out what did happen to Sutton. I thought the story was very plausible up until the very end and then the mystery of what happened to Sutton was told and it kinda of left me feeling like it was too magical for a mystery/suspense book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC for my opinion.

When Sutton goes missing her sister Casey is furious. Casey and Sutton rarely got along and now their parents are painting Sutton as the perfect daughter, but Casey knows better.

The character development in this book is amazing. It was so refreshing to have a sibling relationship where they both loved and hated each other and with both girls point-of-view being highlighted you feel like you are living with them, or maybe you WERE them.

The black history genealogy project of the father’s was very interesting. However, like a few of the subplots, it did not feel finished at the end of the book.

A strong start for a new writer.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down

I definitely have some mixed feelings about The Shadow Sister. On one hand, it was a quick read that kept my interest enough that I finished it in a single sitting. However, there was a LOT there that just fell flat and/or didn't add up.

Despite its compelling ideas, the book didn't quite live up to its full potential for me. For starters, the animosity between the sisters felt way too intense without sufficient explanation. Sibling rivalry is one thing, but this seemed to run much deeper, warranting some backstory that unfortunately never quite materialized. The details that we DO get just wouldn't ever have led us to the point where we find the girls at the beginning of the story.

The book promised an exciting blend of elements—hoodoo, ancestor power, and magical realism. However, the bits and pieces of the stories that we get are repetitive and only minimally fleshed out, and the integration of the supernatural elements felt tacked on towards the end, rather than being woven seamlessly into the narrative from the start. All of these things could have been SO good, but it really felt like these aspects needed another revision to truly shine and bring the story to life.

Another aspect I struggled with was the pacing of the plot. After slowly building tension for over 260 pages, everything was wrapped up rather too neatly in the last chapter, which didn't at all reflect the complexity of real-life missing-person cases. The recurring theme of multiple Black girls going missing needed MUCH more depth and resolution, and their identities and stories seemed completely glossed over and practically ignored in the grand reveal.

The villain was rather underdeveloped and all too easily identifiable early on due to the limited amount of secondary characters. Additionally, the motive behind Sutton's disappearance was completely lackluster and left me feeling like there were missing pieces to the puzzle.

Overall, The Shadow Sister had its fair share of captivating moments and held a lot of promise, but it stumbled a bit in the execution. There was a depth of potential that could have been better explored to create a much more cohesive and developed narrative.

Compelling from the start, the book centers around the relationship between two sisters, both of whom do awful things to each other in the backstory and flashbacks scattered throughout. Their relationship is depicted with uncompromising detail, it's not a 'teehee she's so mean sometimes but I love her anyway' relationship.

Meade seems to revel in that sort of complicated relationship, both sisters have issues with their parents in different ways and even their friendships and romantic relationships are painted in shades of gray. Which is what makes it extra disappointing that the villain of the piece is essentially a mustache twirling, monologuing cartoon character when the reveal comes.

As I was getting closer and closer to the end of the book, I couldn't see how Meade was going to wrap everything up in the space left and started to worry that it was all setting up for a sequel, but instead there's a sudden reveal and rapid wrap up. Other than the villain, I liked the ending as it was, I just wish there had been more time to let it breathe.

I'd definitely read whatever else Meade writes in the future.