Oh, this could have been so good! It's got hoodoo and ancestor power and family artifacts and bargains with the universe. But the supernatural elements are not well integrated into the story. Despite the main protagonist's dad doing research on the family and thinking about hoodoo, there's nothing supernatural until we get to the very end, where there is definitely supernatural power at play. This feels like a book that could have used a big revision to strengthen what are very good but unrealized ideas, and as such, fell flat for me.

First of all, THIS COVER! Gorgeous! And I am always willing to try out a new fantasy series and this one grabbed me right from the beginning. While I typically steer away from YA, I don't mind it in fantasy and I am so excited to see where this series will take us!

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC of the book. I really loved the storyline and the writing. I was fully engaged and couldn’t put the book down. However, I don’t know if I loved or disliked the ending. I’m still unsure of Sutton or what the reader is supposed to get from her at the end. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll just say that there was a twist in the last 2 chapters, and I’ll have to think on whether or not I liked it. I would still recommend this book. I loved the way the story flowed and loved the family history storyline.

Holy moly, I loved this book! It was so genius and well written, and I adored Casey and Sutton! I loved that they were an interracial family and how it pulled in the Black experience in the US into everything. It’s so nice to see representation in books and especially one as fantastic as this one! This was incredibly good and I can’t wait for more from this incredible author!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of The Shadow Sister. Though I thought it was a little slow to start and kind of dwelled in the middle, the payoff was well worth it. I didn't expect the twists and turns that the Cureton family went through, and I have no doubt that my students will enjoy this one. It does defy genre a little bit, so it might take some hand selling at first. Word of mouth will take over, though, and I doubt I'll be able to keep it on the shelf.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the eARC!

This book is a gorgeous mystery about a missing teenage girl and generational trauma and it is gorgeous!

Casey and Sutton are sisters that absolutely despise each other, but the really special thing Lily Meade does is give us both points of view and give reasons for the animosity that Casey doesn't dare speak of.

This book had me hooked from the first sentence and I'm not even gonna lie while I know the story has a pretty definite conclusion, I would not mind at all reading more about Casey and Sutton!

[Goodreads]

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from Net Gallery in exchange for my full, honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but I more enjoyed the characters. There were parts of the overall plot that I would not have picked up this book had I known that they included them. I got tired + bored of reading this book for that exact reason, but I feel like the characters’ stories and developments were the driving point to keep me going.

Casey and Sutton’s relationship and scenes were my favorite parts. I enjoyed the contrasting dynamic for how Casey perceived her sister vs. how Sutton perceived her sister when she came back home.

I don’t think this genre is for me. I’ve tired reading several other books like this one and haven’t enjoyed this as much as I enjoy contemporary fiction.

If you enjoy mysteries, thrillers, young adult, I think this is a great one to pick up! + the cover is beautiful!

I would like to thank Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC.

The Shadow Sister is a very promising debut. The story follows two sisters who have a poor relationship with each other while navigating the mystery behind Sutton's disappearance. I enjoyed seeing imperfect relationships between family. I loved seeing the dynamic of the two sisters hating each other being explored. I would have liked to see the conflict between Sutton and Casey wrapped up resolved in a tighter manner. It felt like it had been wrapped up in a rush and I would have loved to see that fleshed out more. I also think some of the other themes in the book could have been fleshed out a bit more. Despite some of my issues with the book, I was still sitting on the edge of my seat to see what was going to happen. Meade is definitely an author that I will check out any future books from.

This was an enjoyable read as I read it in one sitting. The trauma was awful reading it unfolding. I can’t imagine someone going through something soo traumatizing and trying to integrate back into a normal routine. I enjoyed the sisters dynamic bc it felt real. I kind of knew who was going to end up the bad guy which was kind of cliche. The ending was a bit rushed and I feel like something about the story was missing something. But again, I read it in one sitting and it was a really good story

"The Shadow Sister" is an engaging YA mystery/thriller that kept me turning the page the whole way through, but didn't quite stick the landing. I did have to keep reminding myself this is YA and the ages of the sisters, as their conflicts and dramatics did come off very juvenile given the darkness of the plot. But the story of Sutton's disappearance and reappearance was exciting to watch unfold, and the way the author weaved in social commentary and historical context was well executed. There are concepts in this story that will undoubtedly spark important reflection and discussion for young readers. The final act took a turn I wasn't crazy about and the ending was quite abrupt, but overall this was a fun read and solid debut. I would give it 3.5 stars.

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

I received an email from NetGalley offering the first 500 readers a chance to read this book before its published date. After seeing the beautiful cover and reading the summary, I couldn’t pass on the chance to read it. Overall, I like the story and I give it 3.5 stars. At first, I didn’t know if I was supposed to like either of the sisters. There’s sibling rivalry and hatred that I felt at times were a little too serious. They weren’t really likeable to me. However, as the story progressed and I start learning things from the different POVs, my dislike softened. Including the family history from the dad’s side was very cool to read. The execution of the plot could have been better. The ending of the book was what I liked the most, but it did feel rushed.

I am in awe of this book. I have no words. It’s a devastating story of sisterhood, of religious fervor, of generational trauma, healing, and power. It’s beautiful and raw. It’s an absolutely brilliant debut and I can’t wait to read more by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley. The book had compelling characters and a nicely paced plot. After reading, I thought the ending was rushed. Some plot lines in the book were brushed over and unresolved (I won't spoil them). Another thing that took me out of the world was the hatred between Sutton and Casey. It seemed so strong, stronger than typical sibling relationships. Hatred of that level would typically come from a trauma of sorts that is not outlined in the novel. By the end, I liked Sutton more than Casey based on the way each of them view each other from their POVs. The fantasy elements seemed rushed I wish it leaned more into that. I loved hearing about the historical context and family history and wish we had more of that. Also, I loved the dog!!!

It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Love the sisterly bond and how this book portrays that the bond isn't always rainbows and sunshine. Siblings fight, sometimes viciously, but family always come back together in one way or another. This book showed us just that, and I really enjoyed it. Love it with my whole heart! The only downside is I wish for an epilogue about what happened after, like a ribbon to tie it all up. But still, love it!

The cover of this is beautiful. The interfamiliar relationships are very well developed, and the characters are well written and thorough. The story itself was interesting. I liked the book but I can’t say I loved it. Is it worth reading for yourself to make your own decision- definitely. I’m glad I got the chance to read it, thanks to Net Galley.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

What am excellent read. Casey and Sutton, sisters who squabble yet love each other. A killer on the lose, rampaging the community and young women. A bit of horror, magic and protection. This would make an excellent movie. Reminds you a bit of Eve's Bayou.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I'm putting this on the DNF pile. I just have some personal issues with it that have nothing to do with the writing or the plot. I will say that this would be a great book to use as an example of an unreliable narrator. In this case, we have two: Cassandra and Sutton. They each give a very different perspective on themselves, the people around them, and each other. And what one says contradicts what the other says, so it's pretty fascinating to read.

I don't have any sisters so I can't be sure, but the relationship between the girls does feel pretty believable. From what I read, it does feel like a lot of details are being left out. Like, why exactly do the girls hate each other so much. I have a brother and we fight sometimes but this viciousness is on another level and I wish I knew the context of it. Why did Cassandra tell Sutton the wrong time/day for their grandmother's will reading? And then why didn't the parents say something about it when Sutton went to practice anyway? Why was Sutton given a car when she only had her permit? Little things like that piled up after a while. The time jumps were getting a little confusing, too. Sutton's perspective kept going backward in time, and I have a feeling I would've lost track of the order of events if I kept reading.

But like I said, the reason I've decided not to finish this is more of a personal thing. I would still recommend this to people, though I do think being sisters would help with understanding the relationship between the girls.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for for sharing an digital ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow Sister revolves around the sisters Sutton, who goes missing, and Casey, who tries to help to find her sister but is at the same time incredibly mad at her. When Sutton returns to her family, she isn't the same as before. She acts differently and a mystery is in need to be resolved.

The idea for this book is actually really interesting and got me hooked from the beginning. Missing girl, a search party, a bloody running shoe from Sutton and so on. It got everything a good mystery book needs. The middle part was sometimes quite repetitive, but in the end I think it was a build-up to the mindblowing ending. I just wish there would have been an epilogue or something like that woud have described the aftermath a bit more, but well.

The only thing that really bothered me was the relationship between Sutton and Casey. I get it, sisters can get mad each other. I got two of my own, but they literally hated each other because of nothing? Their characters were also described as very annoying and overly confident. It made it kind of hard to bond over those two characters.

But in the end it was a good story that got me hooked and I read it in almost one day. So, definitely a winner with some rough edges here and there.

Good but slow for the action to take place. The sibling rivalry in this book is intense, but helps the storyline move forward is a succinct manner. I will recommend to my students searching for a good thriller.

This book was so good I couldn't put it down for one second. The plot was chef's kiss. It left me wanting more