This book was fantastic. I could not see what was coming. It was full of mystery and the friction between the sisters was very believable for sibling.
I felt the touch of religion and family dinner time was a bonus. I am hopeful the author will provide a couple spin off books. I want more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in return for t honest opinions.

Recommend.

Two sisters with a family history and heirloom braclet that binds them together. Sutton and Casey are sisters who fight all the time. They do not like each other and think the worst of the other one. Then Sutton disappeared. The story unfolds in the present time frame with flashbacks from years, weeks, months, etc, leading up to Suttons disappearance.

Two sisters, a strained relationship, and their family history. Sutton and Casey are sisters, over the years their relationship has become strained and hostile. So when Sutton goes missing, Casey is furious. She can’t tell anyone that she hated her sister, that their last argument was her telling her she was she was gone. Sutton was the cheerleader, the first daughter, the one with the entourage of friends, a loving boyfriend, and a limitless future while Casey was the one that was second best. Sutton and Casey’s relationship got worse over the years, from fights, manipulations, to sabotage.... and their biggest fight was over the heirloom bracelet that their grandmother had promised to Sutton but gave to Casey when Sutton missed the will reading... because Casey had told her the wrong time to sabotage her. Casey is sure that Sutton’s disappearance is another manipulation on her part, yet when she suddenly returns... it’s like she’s a whole new person. Something is off and Casey is determined to find out what is going on. Sutton went from being distant to being overly clingy, and Casey can’t tell if it’s an act or if her amnesia is real. Yet something much darker is going on, in a town where two other girls went missing, someone is doing something and Casey is determined to find out what truly happened to Sutton, even if it means facing someone she never even expected to be involved. This was part mystery thriller part sister relationship story with a dash of magic. It was really a fun read that I think would make a great one for fans of dark mysteries with a touch of magic.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Good gracious this cover is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! It is what drew me in to read the synopsis on this one and request it from NetGalley.

Casey and Sutton are sisters who rarely get along. Everyone thinks that Sutton is so perfect, but Casey knows the truth, that she is a manipulator. Sutton goes missing one day and a search group (ran by Casey’s best friend Ruth, who is the daughter of a local pastor), come across her running shoe. What could have happened to her? Did her boyfriend Andrew have something to do with her disappearance? Will she end up being like the other two local girls who went missing; Tamika Horn and Imani Brenton?

But then Sutton mysteriously reappears, having no recollection of where she has been or what has happened to her. She is acting weird and even the family dog who loves her most is cautious because something seems off. What on earth happened to Sutton while she was gone?

This is a very impressive YA debut novel by Lily Meade. I enjoyed the characters and could not wait to find out what happened to Sutton. I liked the fact that Casey and Sutton’s father’s occupation as a black historian was spotlighted and the inclusion of all the historical aspects of their genealogy. I loved the table in their home that displayed important parts of their heritage for everyone to see. The ending was satisfying but I feel like it was a tad rushed. I also wish there had been more discussion about the other missing girls. I think the author describes this book best in the author note saying, “This book is ultimately about trauma and healing.” Overall, this was a very good read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has amazing cover art! Beyond that it was a really enjoyable YA story, except the ending! Leaves you hanging, so I hope the author will have a follow up to this one. I think this will be great for teen readers, and believe it would be a big hit. With the spooky feel of this and keeping in mind the audience, I believe the author did a great job.

This was different, in a beautiful ancestral way. The ending, was … I want more.

If you like spooky season, thrillers, and you fight with your sibling like cats and dogs-

You’ll love this.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me have an early copy in exchange for my review: all thoughts and opinions are my own!

As someone who has a sister…this book was just PERFECT! It dove into the nuance of what it’s like to have a sister AND add in mystery, twists, and turns. I really enjoyed how the author was able to jump back and forth from past to present in a way that made sense and was easy for the reader to follow. I highly recommend this book.

"There's no room for creativity in missing persons cases; cliches are always welcome."

From the first pages, this book draws the reader in. And Meade's storytelling keeps us pulled in.

Casey is a bit of a wildcard as a narrator. Can we trust her pov? Can we trust her motives? Can we trust sister Sutton?

Honestly, reader, can you trust yourself with this story??

Throw out your expectations and enjoy the ride.

🦋 "Rain or shine," she says.
"Yeah," Andrew releases in a choked breath, "Rain or shine." 🦋

Thank you for the arc of The Shadow Sister. This was an interesting read though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the twist at the end. I thought the relationships in this were done very well and uncovering bits and pieces as the plot continued kept me intrigued but the ending wasn't my favorite. Would still recommend to others.

A modern and incisive writting, an interesting vision of sisters rivalry, and an intriguing plot. I wanted to know the truth, and if I guessed some details, I didn't have the whole picture. The intergenerational trauma and the hoodoo hint make this thriller quite unique.

I dnfed this book at 30%. It just wasn't for me and I couldn't get into this one. The characters aren't very likable, that could be the point, but it made me not care about what would happen next. The writing wasn't bad and I'm sure others will enjoy this one. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Sutton has gone missing and the whole town and their megachurch are out searching for her. Her parents are distraught, her cheer team is frightened, and her boyfriend, while appearing shady to some, is lost without her. Everyone is distressed at her disappearance...except her sister, Casey. While everyone is doting on how wonderful and amazing Sutton was- no- is, Casey is torn between wanting her sister back and wanting her to stay gone. Casey and Sutton haven't been close since their childhood, and all of this added attention is making Casey feel ignored, left out, and a lot of other feelings that the sisters of missing girls shouldn't be feeling. But all of that changes when Sutton comes back. She's no longer cruel to Casey; now, she clings to her younger sister's every word and clings to her every step. Something has changed within Sutton and Casey is determined to find out.

I enjoyed this book, even if there were times that I felt that the characters were acting a bit too childish before I remembered that these were teen girls acting as teenage girls often do. I felt that there could have been some softer moments fleshed out between the two, as well as the strength of their love that their grandmother tried to help cultivate. I was also a little disappointed with the ending, but again, this was written for middle-grade girls, BLACK MIDDLE-GRADE GIRLS, and honestly, with the case of some many missing and endangered Black girls in the world, they need happy endings instead of realistic ones. This book deals with some rather tough subject matter, but I feel it's one that people should be aware of. I highly recommend this book to Black Girls, especially when their rainbows are not enough.

Casey can't remember a time in recent history where she and her older sister Sutton have gotten along. Sutton has gone out of her way for years to make clear she hates Casey and views her as a less than perfect part of their family. But when Sutton goes missing and Casey gets a taste of what life without her could be like, things suddenly become less clear. As she talks to Sutton's boyfriend and friends, it becomes clear that Sutton's life was more complex than Casey ever knew and she struggles to reconcile the sister she knew with the one everyone else seems to miss. Then Sutton returns. She doesn't remember anything about life before she was found except for Casey. Now more than ever, Casey is determined to figure out what happened to Sutton and if her amnesia is real because the only thing scarier than the sister who use to hate her is this fake version of Sutton who only wants to be around her.

This is a really compelling first novel from Lily Meade. She has crafted a thriller that will suck readers in from page one. The story is told mostly from Casey's point of view with little interspersions from Sutton. While I couldn't put this novel down, I was left feeling a little disappointed in the ending. I think there were some very complex ideas surrounding family, race, religion, and intergenerational trauma that all got wrapped up just a little too quickly and neatly. I was really interested in the hatred/tension between the two sisters that went way beyond normal sibling rivalry, but it seemed undermined by the flashbacks from Sutton and easy resolution at the end. While not providing any spoilers, I think we also needed more information on the family history and Bloodcraft that was really only interspersed and utilized for storytelling convenience at the end. So many interesting components, I just wanted a little more! I am looking forward to recommending this book though and seeing what Meade comes out with next.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was such an atmospheric, engaging read, I loved every second of it. This was the first book I've read by Lily Meade, but it certainly will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing, engaging characters and overall plot. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

3.5 stars
An exhilarating debut with a modern twist! I read this in two sittings because I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Sutton! I loved the pacing of the book itself and I'm a lover of the flashbacks. The ending definitely seemed a bit rushed which is why I cant give it a full 4 stars but other than that I really enjoyed this book?
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

deeply conflicted about this book. so much so, here I am, more than a week after finishing, still not totally sold on this rating. (I have swung so often between a 3 and a 4 I feel like a human pendulum.)

so much of The Shadow Sister works so well. the cover? a stunner. (without a question one of the best YA covers of the year.) the description? immediately entranced. the writing? simple, beautiful, cohesive. the MC? easy to root for and connect with.

this is a story about the complexities of sisterhood, about the lasting power of ancestry, about missing girls and who looks for them, about a legacy of oppression and what it means to be diverse in a town where few other people are. it is real and it is raw, and very regularly builds tension that makes it terrifying, with a thrilling beginning that grips you so tightly in its embrace you wonder if you'll ever let go.

until things begin to unravel; crucial elements like the deep divide between the two sisters is never really explained (sibling rivalry is one thing — this is something else entirely) nor are the motivations of several of the side characters (please tell me I was not the only one who absolutely saw that villain coming from the start) as well as just a general lack of clarity fueling much of what goes down. making the entirety of the book feel, at times, like more of a task to get through than a gift.

my biggest gripe, however, is the ending (no spoilers here!). it feels very rushed and incomplete and left me wanting more. and not in a frustratingly good major cliffhanger kind of way, but in a way where a ton of wild shit happens and then so little is properly explained or laid to rest, before suddenly, it's the last page. (I know it's a book about magic but even fantasy deserves some degree of plausibility!!)

despite that, I really did adore much of this book. Lily Meade's writing style is immersive and the foundation of the story she's clearly painstakingly crafted here is not just unique, but easy for readers to get swept up into. I will be eagerly reading what she publishes next.

*thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*

Casey's sister, Sutton, has gone missing. This is the most difficult thing that Casey's family has experienced. However, Casey has a rather complicated relationship with her sister. One of the things making Casey feel even worse is that prior to her disappearance, Sutton took a family heirloom that Casey inherited from their grandmother. While her parents are selling the narrative that Sutton is a wonderful young woman, Casey's feelings are far more complicated since she knows her sister isn't the upstanding person her parents are desperately trying to portray to the press. But the ugly truth is a missing Black girl, or biracial girl, won't gain sympathy from the public without positive PR. When Sutton is found, Casey has mixed feelings. Casey is convinced that the doctors are wrong. Sutton doesn't have amnesia related to her trauma, she is sure that Sutton is faking amnesia. As the days of Sutton's return unfold, Casey starts to notice more things about Sutton's behaviors that are bothering her. Finally, Casey does believe that Sutton isn't faking, but now there is another missing Black girl, on top of two others who went missing shortly before Sutton did. Can Casey and Sutton mend their relationship enough to uncover who has been kidnapping Black girls in their community? This was an immediately engaging story that kept me hooked until the end.

Thank you to the publisher for this arc in return for a honest review!

Two sister who despise each other, generational curses, missing black girls, and a biracial couple. This book has a lot going on but I love it! Super short and releases in June 2023.

Overall I wasn’t sure what to rate this book because it was a slow burn (emphasis on slow). I understand why though! Essentially that’s how a mystery works, keeps your mind on edge and collecting clues. When you think you have the answer everything changes.

Ultimately it really through me for a loop In the end. I had no idea that it would turn out the way it did. Not so much as the answer to who done it but the overall outcome. Absolutely loved the ending! My ancestors loved that ending!

Overall rating: 3.9/5
Plot:3/5
Suspense:3/5
Ending:4.5/5

This was a fun, spooky read that dealt with themes of racism, sisterhood, and heritage. I follow Lily on Twitter, so I had heard about her book and was interested in reading it. I really liked the complicated dynamic between Casey and Sutton that is only heightened when Sutton mysteriously returns. Their relationship seemed very accurate to that of a real sister relationship.
There was a lot going on in this book and it did kind of jump around. There was the mystery of Sutton's disappearance, the ongoing conflict about their grandmother's bracelet, their mother's political image, Sutton's coach, and the stories their father told Casey about their ancestors. All of these plotlines made the book a little hard to follow and hard to be fully interested in any one plot point. The reveal of what was happening to Sutton was really creepy and unsettling; I think that was done really well.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Lily Meade did a a wonderful job with the storytelling! I loved the layers to the family dynamic, especially the relationship between Casey and Sutton. I was so curious about what happened to Sutton and the twists kept me going. This was a really good mystery and a fantastic debut. I can't wait for more from this author!