Silent Sister is a debut novel that undeniably showcases the author’s ambition and thoughtfulness in crafting a complex narrative. The premise itself is gripping: two sisters, Grace and Maddy, vanish during a class trip, but only Grace returns, her memory lost and her clothes stained with her sister's blood. This sets a chilling stage that immediately captures the reader's attention.

The author excels in maintaining suspense throughout the book, skillfully keeping readers on edge as they ponder the twist that will unravel the mystery. While I found myself hoping for a different twist, the one provided still offers a satisfying conclusion to the tangled web of secrets.

Despite some pacing issues where the story occasionally lagged, the novel successfully holds the reader's intrigue. The use of Maddy’s journal and poetry as a narrative device is particularly effective, providing insight into her character and adding depth to the plot. I found myself in awe of some of the poetry and techniques the author came up with. The exploration of each sister's perspective, along with the dynamics of their relationships, enriches the story and adds layers to the mystery.

Silent Sister is an admirable debut that bravely tackles a complex plot with numerous characters and moving parts. The author's effort to weave this intricate tale is commendable, making it a promising start to their writing career. While not without its flaws, the novel is a testament to the author's potential, and I look forward to seeing how their storytelling evolves in future works.

Thank you for the eARC!

I think this will be a hard review to put into words without spoilers.

I think the cover was more suspenseful that the book ended up being. However, I'll admit there were some parts, that I thought were leading up to something.

This is simply a heartbreaking book about grief, trauma, and two sisters who believe totally different things about themselves than the world around them sees.

While I may have guessed at the big reveal pretty much from the start, it did not detract from the story and message. And the author did a great job having me second guess myself throughout.

Very engaging and creative. I loved the dual pov that spanned across two different times and gave pieces of info a little at a time and in a natural way. I didn't see the twist/answer coming which I appreciate but I also wish some of the pieces we'd seen earlier fit into place a little better once we had a resolution

***Spoilers from here on***
I was super excited and surprised to see the identity swap but I thought some parts were glossed over too quickly. I wish a little bit more time had been spent connecting all the dots and really showing all the signs we the reader missed along the way and all the times she was showing her delusion. Felt a little weird that her parents and therapist kinda knew what was going on but they didn't do anything lol. Didn't feel super believable.

Overall it was smart and cute. I liked the poems interspersed and as a youngest sibling I could feel and relate to the main character's angst and feelings of living in the shadows.

To say I'm flabbergasted by the reveal would be a complete understatement. I had a budding theory throughout the novel and yet was thoroughly satisfied by what happened. The author did a fantastic job of laying down the groundwork for two incredibly layered individuals who at the end of the day needed each other.

All that is to say, the ending did feel rather abrupt and I would have liked more emotional closure for Maddy by the end.

This book got me out of a book slump!! I have a sister and I really enjoy reading books about sisters. There were so many layers to the characters. The characters and plot were so detailed and very well developed. The threads that the author wove to get to the end….incredible!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This book is told in alternate chapters between Grace and Maddy. As we read Maddy's point of view we start to feel sorry for her and how she has not stood up for herself. Then we start to wonder as we seen tension rise between Maddy and Grace especially as Maddy is writing down her thoughts during the senior trip if she really did harm her sister. It's a sad book but it's a good reminder to live your best life. Don't be afraid to just grab on to life and actually live.

Grace and Maddy are sisters who have a complicated relationship. When they go on a class trip with other seniors from their high school, they both go missing and only one of them is found though her memories are gone. What happened that night? And will they find the missing sister?

This work is told in dual timelines from dual POVs. The author did a great job balancing both timelines and having them keep pace with each other, revealing pertinent information and background at a good speed while keeping the mystery moving. There were poems interspersed throughout the chapters, but they were short and actually added some positive character development overall. The characters were also decent though I never really connected to any of them.

The ending was lacking a bit of oomph. With all the build-up we had to it and the different suspicions offered, the conclusion was underwhelming. It wrapped up neatly, but I was hoping for more from it and was a little disappointed.

This was a good YA mystery that was an easy read although not really that memorable. However, I could see it being a big hit for actual YA readers. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me to read this work, which will be published August 6, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I want to preface this by saying I really did enjoy this. It was a very fast paced book. On that note, I figured out the “twist” in chapter 2. It was just very predictable. I will definitely still read this authors books in the future.

"The must-read suspense novel of the summer about a mysterious sister's disappearance, her biggest betrayal and a deadly truth screaming to come out."

"But the ones we love the hardest sometimes hurt us the most."

Maddy and Grace go missing on a class trip but only one of them ends up being found injured with no memory of what happened. Grace is a popular volleyball player who is the one that has no memory and many people don't believe her, but her sister Maddy is still missing with no one knowing where she dissapeared too. Grace is on the trail to find out every possibility along with secrets that will help prove she is innocent and find her sister. This was such a thrilling great mystery that was written beautifully by the author Megan Davidhizar. she handled writing teenager feelings of jealousy, happiness, guilt along with sadness very well and explaining their emotions outstandingly. This book was a four star read and in a sense reminded me of reading the Pretty Little Liars when I was a teenager, which I loved every minute of both books.

3.5/5
I have very mixed feelings. I partially predicted the ending/twist. I did feel like the book was DRAGGING at some points. But I was fighting to read to the end to find out the ending.

Silent Sister is a truly amazing book emphasizing the phenomenal approach about sibling feelings and how they relate to the future happiness of all concerned. It so vibrantly shows how secrets and mishaps can continue to lead to an intense mystery that threatens lives. Loved the book.

I absolutely loved & inhaled this debut YA thriller. The writing is excellent and it's such a beautiful exploration of grief. The poems interspersed throughout were stunning. I did not see the twist coming and oh. my. GOSH. It sucker punched me. Read this one!

Megan Davidhizar's YA novel Silent Sister is a compelling read about Grace and Maddy, two very different sisters who attend a senior retreat and only one comes home. With one sister missing and the other suffering from traumatic memory loss, the town is quick to point fingers and jump to conclusions. As secrets and truths come to light, the biggest reveal will leave you totally stunned.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC that has secured Davidhizar a spot on my must-read list.

I’m 62 and yes I read YA fiction . I enjoy it and have read some really good YA. That being said I really liked Silent Sister. The two sisters couldn’t be more different. Grace is outgoing, athletic and is friends with everyone while her sister, Maddy is an introvert, she prefers to write in her journal then socialize and sadly she lives in Grace’s shadow.
Maddy disappears during a class field trip and people believe Grace is responsible. I won’t give away to much, but let’s just say there are some secrets that are going to come out .
Megan Davidhizar wrote a great book and I think YA and yes adults to will enjoy it too. I’m looking forward to the next book by Megan Davidhizar.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review Silent Sister.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for the copy of Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar. It was a little confusing that Grace and Maddy were both written in the first person and the timeline was only defined by the month and day, not past and present or before and after, because I couldn't tell the sisters’ POVs apart. The story was good though, and I think it will resonate with YA readers. I appreciated the Educator’s Guide at the end, and I can see how this book would be better with some discussion during and after reading it because there are many themes to explore. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

4 stars

This is definitely Y/A or new adult, that being said…Woweee! This was an edge of your seat thriller. I loved the sibling dynamic. And the twist! If you’re cool reading the y/a genre you’ll love this, if not, give it a try anyway, it’s that good.

Two high school seniors and sisters, Grace and Maddy, went missing while on their class trip. The girls are very different, Grace is an athlete and very outgoing, always surrounded by friends, while Maddy lives in her sisters shadow, writes poetry and journals her thoughts.

Grace is found, injured, with no memory of what happened and with Maddy’s blood on her clothes. What happened? Will Grace’s memory return? Will Maddy’s journal help?

This was a decent young adult book except for the fact that the twist didn’t make much sense to me, but I don’t want to spoil it. Maddy was a believable character, at least. Actual young YAs may like this.

It’s YA so I might not be the best one to review this one.
It took a while for me to get through this one simply because it wasn’t really holding my attention. At times the pace picked up but then slow down again. I would have loved for each chapter to leave me wanting more but most of the time it didn’t. The twist I could see coming. I may hand this over to my teenager and edit this review with her thoughts.

This is one of the few times I can say, with utter sincerity There is much more good than bad here. Type type type. Type more words.