"Silent Sister" is a phenomenal debut effort by Megan Davidhizar. I do not doubt that it will be one of the most popular YA novels of the fall and I have already preordered a copy for my middle grade library. Teen readers will be sucked in from page one and will love the dual narrator format that Davidhizar employs with alternating chapters by Claire and Maddy before and after their disappearance. The senior sabbatical trip as the pivotal setting for the book will also be popular with teen readers, many of whom will be looking forward to their own senior trips, proms, and graduations.

Personally, "Silent Sister", while enjoyable will not be my top read of the year. I can recognize that this is probably due to my view of the plot and "twist" as an adult reader, but I can tell it will be a smash for its intended teen audience. I will be reading Davidhizar's follow-up novels as I do think she is tremendously talented. Fans of Holly Jackson, Karen McManus and Maureen Johnson will be falling in line to grab their own copies!

Special thanks to NetGalley and to Delacorte Press for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an unbiased review!

I am such a sucker for a well put together YA thriller, ESPECIALLY when it has a massive twist you don't immediately spot coming. And to top it off, this book was super GREAT!! I read it in one sitting--I'm absolutely going to be on the lookout for more of Medan Davidhizar's books!

Just finished this and wow! It definitely had me interested from the beginning, but to get to the ending and the twist of it all...😲

I highly recommend this thriller! Really engaging and kept me hooked from start to finish. Thank you so much for the read!

I read a fair number of mysteries, though not usually the YA variety, so I picked this up without specific expectations. It was a quick read, one that kept me not wanting to put it down because I really wanted the truth to be revealed.

The author does a good job of portraying teenagers - their relationships, struggles, and weaknesses. If Maddy sometimes came across as a bit whiny, well that made her real as the overlooked sibling of an outgoing, popular sister. All of the ingredients of senior year are mixed in - prom, scholarships, jealousy, pettiness . . . you get the idea. There's a good blend of characters, with a mix of maturity, goals, & attitudes that one would expect from a group of 17-18 year olds. As a YA novel, this is really well done.

As a mystery, I may have compared this too severely to adult fiction. I think younger readers will like the twists, but I had my suspicions of how this was going to end way too early on. Some good bits are included to throw the reader off track, and I occasionally wondered if my theory was wrong. I wished it was, because I think the ending could have had more impact. I won't give any more than that away.

I would definitely recommend this to teenage readers. I think they would learn a bit from the characters & their relatable issues while enjoying the drama of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for my copy of Silent Sister. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book was SO GREAT!! I read it in less than one day!! YOU WILL NOT SEE THE TWIST AND END COMING!! It was that GREAT! I’m definitely going to check out more of this author’s books! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review!!

I absolutely loved the story. The normalization of mental health issues, therapy as a given, parents who accept the need for time and space, all of it.

The one thing I would have liked is more fleshing out of the girls’ friends and their relationships before the field trip where everything takes place. Some of the wrap up information felt as though it came out of nowhere and flash backs to in-school in addition to the trip would have fleshed out the story more.

I received a digital copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Although I figured out the twist about halfway through, this book grabbed and kept my attention. Very well written, everything tied up in the end to a very satisfactory ending. Would recommend highly, and would love to read more works by this author!!!

Maddy and Grace are sisters, only ten moths apart and look so alike they could be twins. Grace is the outgoing one though, making friends wherever she goes, while Maddy exists in her shadow struggling to find her voice and her place. After a week long school retreat Grace is found by the side of the road and Maddy is missing. As Grace searches for her sister she learns things about Maddy she didn’t know, and things about herself, things that may hav e hurt her sister. Everyone in this story has secrets and there is a a big plot twist at the end that will have you flipping back to check what you read. This book gives meaning to the saying “You are only as sick as your secrets”. An engrossing read.

I was looking forward to reading this. It was kind of slow for me. As I read, I thought that there were some unnecessary details and it was repetitive at times. There was a great twist, and the end left me feeling satisfied.

Okay so plot was there. Plot was good. But the book itself was boring at times. There should have been more happening. The idea of the book was good but it needed more. I didn’t expect the twist so that was good

This book was a whirlwind. Every time I thought I figured out the mystery, I was completely wrong.

It is a gripping tale of sisters who seem to have the perfect relationship on the surface, but underneath there are tumultuous feelings of resentment. It is so well told from dual points of view. Each character is relatable and you feel their emotions and the ending will rip your heat out.

This book was absolutely incredible and is possibly one of my newest favorite YA thrillers! All the twists that happened were completely unpredictable to me personally and had me wanting more with each page that I turned. I asleep really enjoyed that the chapters told from Grace’s perspective were told in the present, but the chapters with Maddy’s perspective were told in the past! The dual character POV and dual timeline POV made the book so much more enjoyable! I hope the author plans on writing more books in the future, because I absolutely LOVE her writing!

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.

This was great! Really well-written with great characters and plot twists!

A well-written, fast-paced thriller that kept me reading. I finished this in two days. The twist was great and I liked reading about the senior trip. I think my students would really enjoy this one.

I thought I figured out the twist pretty early on, but then the author put enough doubts into my head to make me retract my theory—only to find out that I was right the first time! Megan Davidhizar is *good* is building suspense and giving just enough clues and information to make you think you’ve figured out the mystery. Her characters are believable, and you really feel like you’re on “Senior Sabbatical” with the rest of the 12th graders. The pranks, the rumors, the pettiness, & name-calling, along with the lifelong memories being made.

There’s always some kind of trip or event senior year that makes you reevaluate life and realize that high school is not everything. You won’t even see most of these people again once you graduate. It’s both a heady and a sobering thought. The author put me right there again, as an awkward 18-year-old. I identified with Maddy more than I care to truly admit. Small talk has never been my forté, and I was often the one ignored or talked over in social settings, growing up. So I certainly can understand her feelings. Grace seems to have it all, effortlessly. It’s hard to live up to that. But even though Grace seems to be perfect, what’s hiding underneath that flawless facade? Could it be that both sisters have secrets?

As we go back and forth in time, between each sister’s perspective, more and more tidbits are given, and more and more possible suspects emerge. It gets REALLY good in the last three quarters…I flipped those pages like a madwoman!

Get this on your To-Read list if you like thrillers! I can’t wait to see what Davidhizar comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

4.25 stars.

I love me a good unreliable narrator novel and this one certainly checks the boxes on that! I honestly didn't see the end coming whatsoever and audibly gasped when it was revealed. The fun thing about unreliable narrator books is that when they are done well, you yourself don't even realize it's happening and that's exactly how I felt with this novel. I was hooked on figuring out what happened and didn't figure it out until pretty far in. This was a great read that I will absolutely recommend. I also really appreciated that the author, who is also an English teacher, included guides for the book. It's really hard to find those these days and this story in particular lends itself so well for it. I also loved that she included recommended reads based on the themes of her book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC! I've really enjoyed this book and the characters. I'm in a mystery vibe these days, and this one really kept me on my toes. I personally enjoyed the pacing and the characters. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rating - 4 stars

Silent Sister is a YA suspense novel following the lives of two sisters who disappear from a senior getaway trip. I read this book in 2 days, I just had to know what happened and who did what. There were a few spots that felt cringey to me but this is definitely more targeted for a younger audience which I think fits very well but even for an older audience it was still very captivating! The big plot twist I did guess early on but I was second guessing myself the whole time. I would totally recommand this to anyone who enjoys YA and mysteries!!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

I binged this book in 1 day. And loved it.

The book felt with very complex issues like identity, grief, trust, and mental health. All things I personally struggle with so I found myself easily connecting to the characters in ways.