The cover of this book and the synopsis of a big sister doing what she can to help her younger siblings is what made me want to read this book. However, it was kinda of a struggle. The pacing of this book was really slow paced. This book focuses on three siblings, their shared and individual life traumas, and a haunted nightmare that consumes them all.

The book is separated in to four parts with the half of the book is utilized as the set-up staging for the book. The end two sections focused on the horror action and actualization of character development, which each chapter focusing on the one sibling's individual experiences.

The description and the cover makes one think that the book will be primarily horror and focus on a cabin. This is not the case, the book doesn’t get to its “horror” aspect until the end of the book.


Personally this book wasn’t really for me but I’m sure the right person would love it.

I can’t lie, it was the invoking of Jordan Peele’s name in the book’s description is what originally got my attention, and while not quite I expected I definitely ended up enjoying this one. Right at the start of Listen to Your Sister, Neena Viel does a fantastic job of introducing and endearing (not sure that’s the right word for it) this dysfunctional family to the reader. I instantly sympathized with the struggles with Calla’s burden of responsibility from having to deal with/look after her brothers. While I love the classic idea of running off to the cabin in the woods, the horror of it all didn’t play out in the way I’d have expected. Parts were quite wild, trippy really, but ultimately enjoyable. This is am impressive debut and I look forward to seeing how Viel’s work grows in the future. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Listen to Your Sister.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R21JNECP1NTKHS/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the digital review copy!

This is an interesting take on how various traumas can fracture you as a person and force you to leave pieces of yourself behind, frozen in time.

There’s some pretty solid writing in this book. In one chapter, Calla is reflecting on her role as a parent to her siblings and what it took to raise them, how hard it is for any parent to know when or if they’re doing the right things, but also how much harder it was for her when that never should have been her role in the first place. This chapter was impactful and emotional.

Along those same lines, Calla also points out frequently throughout the story that it’s so hard to protect children, but even harder to protect them when those children are Black boys. Race is of course a recurring conversation throughout this story and I found it to be informative and important.

I did have some difficulty with this book, however. These issues were mainly down to the clarity of the plot. At first, I had no idea what was going on, what was real or fake. This was to be expected. As I progressed through the story, it all started to come together and I was impressed with Viel’s unique imagining of what trauma could do to a person. Then, I got to the big reveal about Calla’s nightmare, and I couldn’t make sense of it.

Reading is also a very visual experience for me; I’m always “seeing” what’s happening on page. I could barely do that with this one. It was especially difficult during action scenes. I needed better and clearer descriptions overall.

I also had a hard time feeling pity for either brother, especially Jamie. It’s acknowledged many times that Jamie can be a real asshole, and that’s the truth. A lot of the supposed-to-be humor from him just didn’t land for me and didn’t endear him to me the way I think it was meant to. I could have empathy for his situation, but it still didn’t make me like him.

I’ll definitely read future works from Viel. I still think this was a really cool and unique premise and I look forward to seeing what ideas she comes up with next!

Another book in the horror genre releasing in February. We follow Calla who is the oldest sister amongst her 2 other siblings and she has to take care of them after her parents are no longer in the picture and it turns into a bit of a fever dream and clearly some trauma surfaces as they are trying to survive in a creepy cabin in the middle of the woods. I believe this is a debut author which is really cool, always love seeing new horrors writers out there and this one is being compared to a Jordan Peel movie which I can totally agree with that now that I've read it.

I love family-based horror that veers towards eerie more than outright supernatural, so I thought this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. I loved the social commentary and exploration of racism/classism/sexism through horror, but something about it was just too choppy -- I'm not sure if it was the pacing or the writing style, but I had a hard time keeping my brain focused and had to frequently re-read a page several times.

⭐️3.5⭐️

This story follows 25-year-old Calla as she struggles to balance her life alongside the guardianship of her 16-year-old brother, Jamie. Calla has done everything possible to prioritize the wellbeing of her brother despite his constant efforts to find trouble. Dre, the middle brother, has promised to support Calla in raising Jamie, but has never followed through on this promise. When Calla’s fears begin materializing outside of her nightmares, she must set her feelings aside and face what haunts her to save her brothers from the hellscape of her own creation.

Viel’s debut novel discusses plenty of popular horror topics and I commend the author for showcasing her range on these topics. I loved how this book is very much a social horror that isn’t afraid to point out the realistic effects of racism that people of color face daily. It delves into generational trauma and how hard sibling survival can be when these traumas go unresolved. I also loved the unique take on parental pressure the author took and how she crafted an effective horror story around the physical and mental impacts of this pressure. These elements were very relatable, and I really enjoyed the creative approach to how damaging self-sacrifice can be to the person and those around them.

I did struggle a bit with this read though, as I found the pacing to be inconsistent and things didn’t get interesting until around 50%. I also felt that none of the characters were enjoyable or likable. Their reactions to events were often contrived and this would break my reading immersion. Despite the ending having an amazing build up, it didn’t deliver what I was hoping it would.

Overall, this is a fantastic debut novel for Viel, and the themes were amazing, but the overall execution wasn’t there for me. I would be interested to see what Viel comes up with next!

Special thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for early access to the eArc of this debut in exchange for my honest review.

This debut novel is so well written. It fits multiple genres. I came for the horror, but stayed for the family drama, mystery, and dark humor. I am adding this author to my one to watch list!

Calla is trying to help her siblings but something has other plans. Now they must flee for their lives. Something straight out of a nightmare is after them. Suspense filled chiller. Amazing debut novel.

I was drawn to Listen To Your Sister by its unique premise and found it to be a poignant novel with several layers. The horror aspects involving the “Nightmare” that protagonist Calla Williams repeatedly experiences when her brothers are in danger are depicted excellently and are unsettling on multiple levels, especially when the true reason behind it comes to light.

It is also a family drama, as twenty-five-year old Calla struggles to keep her life afloat while acting as guardian to her sixteen-year-old brother Jamie, whose habit of behaving recklessly ultimately leads to detrimental consequences. While Calla tries her best-despite still being incredibly young herself-Jamie’s decisions coupled with Dre-their twenty-three-year-old brother’s self-absorbed lack of interest in helping her-despite promises otherwise-lead to an almost insurmountable level of stress for her.

All three siblings grapple with the trauma of their childhood; though Calla is particularly relatable to me as the eldest daughter who was forced into the role of the parent for her siblings, with the fear of failure, frustration and resentment that often accompanies it. Raising a Black child and the particular nuances that doing so entails is also given a strong focus.

Listen To Your Sister is told from Calla, Dre and Jamie’s perspectives and provides wonderful insight into each character. Their relationships as siblings, while somewhat tumultuous in the beginning, does reflect the love, irritation and humor that only family seems to bring.

The pacing of the novel is somewhat uneven however, as the beginning is a slow burn that leads to something massive, while the second half seems to move at a more frenetic-and sometimes confusing-pace.

Listen To Your Sister is a compelling, very humorous-because sometimes you can’t help but make the perfect comment amidst craziness-and heartfelt debut novel.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Finally! Vindication for all the older sisters that are constantly dealing with accusations of being too bossy and controlling. Younger siblings take heed it may actually be a matter of life and death.

Neena Viel's, Listen to Your Sister centers siblings Calla, Dre, and Jamie. Viel does an excellent job of showing the love/hate dynamic that exists between brothers and sisters and how it can be easily tainted when growing up with toxic parents. Calla ultimately ends up the caretaker and finds herself diminished to care for and protect her brothers. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Calla has done more than just help raise her brothers and as the story becomes more like a fever dream, that is when the horror is truly revealed.

This is a strong debut. I think Viel has a distinct voice that oozes dark humor. I enjoyed the meshing of both family drama, social commentary, and psychological horror. However, I do think that it was hard to find any of the characters particularly likable. I wanted to be able to root for them, but it became hard to see why they loved each other beyond Viel telling the reader that they did. I also felt as though the nightmare sequence felt very long. Both of these issues I am quick to forgive because the premise was so intriguing and fun.

Overall, I am excited to see more from Neena Viel and I definitely recommend this to anyone that appreciates Jordan Peele's brand of horror. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to an eARC in exchange for a review.

A mix between thriller and horror - Neena Veil does a great job of developing her characters but for some reason I just couldn't get into it. No particular reason other than personal taste - I would still recommend to others who enjoy this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. (Publication date: February 4, 2025)

I liked this a lot! It was definitely incredibly spooky, but I think the real value of this book was in the relationship between the siblings. I really liked all of the scenes where they bantered with each other and demonstrated their love for each other even when they were angry. I'm really excited to see what Viel does next.

Twenty-five year old Calla and her brother Dre have become the guardian of her 16 year old brother, Jamie. Dre is not helping at all so it leaves Calla the sole support of her brother. Jamie is a normal sixteen year old getting into trouble but nothing horrible until a run in with police at a protect. However, Dre is linked to two men who end up dead. The family goes on the run and ends up at an Airbnb that would be more at home in a slasher movie. Calla has been having dreams of her brothers dying and now those dreams seem to be coming real.

Calla is twenty-five years old and she’s been struggling since becoming the guardian of her younger brother, Jamie. Her job is in jeopardy because she keeps being called to his school. Their brother Dre is two years younger than Calla had promised to help with Jamie but he hasn’t really been much of a help. Calla is stressed and tired. On top it, she gets this Nightmare where her brothers die. Jamie gets involved in a protest and things go wrong. Now the siblings must go on the run. They hide in a cabin in the woods and now the Nightmare is coming to life.

Oh, where do I start. Supposedly, this is a horror book, but I wasn’t scared for one moment. I went out of my comfort zone here to try horror since it’s not really my genre. Well, I was bored and confused through a lot of the book. Was I questioning what was real and what was a nightmare? Yes, because I couldn’t tell the difference. When the nightmare character has the same name as the real character, how do you tell them apart? Once in a while, we’d get “prom Calla” or something similar, but it wasn’t all the time.

There was a lot of racial politics in this book that felt unnecessary. There was also some language in this book that I didn’t love. Usually language doesn’t bother me much, but when it’s over and over, I could do without it. It takes half the book for any of the nightmare action to begin, so it felt very slow.

This is a debut book for this author, and I really hate to be harsh. It just really was not for me. I don’t ever DNF books, and I really wanted to DNF this one. BUT.. remember, this is just my lowly opinion. There are others that loved it, so don’t just go solely by my review. This is just one girl’s honest opinion.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the book #ListenToYourSister by #NeenaViel. After both parents are gone, Calla takes over being guardian for her little brother. Jamie. Her other brother, Dre is supposed to help but is too busy with his life. Calla continuous has nightmares about her brothers dying and she is constantly telling them they need to behave. But after Jamie gets into some big trouble, they all have to go into hiding. This is when they should have listened about her nightmares.

If this doesn't get film rights, I'm going to scream.

I have never read anything that so perfectly articulates the feeling of "I love you so much, I could kill you with my bare hands." This encapsulates the corneredness of raising a sibling and that child's desperate need to break through the membrane of adolescence into adulthood. This is the story about the definition of independence, Black familyhood, and the bonds that forge, break, test, and strengthen from it.

And it's funny-scary to boot! After you get into the swing of the narrative, you begin to understand how this family is threaded together, and then just as soon as you get comfortable, it dissolves into weird horror. I loved it.

Listen to Your sister by Neena Viel is a compelling debut novel that explores topics such as childhood trauma, racism, and dysfunctional family. Calla Williams has had to take over guardianship for her younger brother Jamie and is finding it increasingly difficult to keep him safe from his many reckless decisions. Despite Dre, her older brother, saying he would help her to raise Jamie, Dre seems to have his own problems in life to figure out. When one of Jamie's reckless acts at a protest come back to haunt the Williams siblings they know it's time to lay low for a while. But the horrors of the racism, and abandonment the Williams kids face are the least of their worries.
This was an absolute fever dream at times! This book was not at all what I was expecting but I did like it! I feel like the horror aspect relates more to real life horror than the supernatural or thriller/gore horror. It was hard sometimes figuring out what was real reality and what was a hallucination or a nightmare. Overall the plot was well written and it flowed very well especially dealing with such heavy and controversial topics. Great debut and cannot wait for more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Neena Viel, and St Martin's for this ARC. Expected release day is February 4th 2025.

This one wasn't my cup of tea. Nothing was wrong with the writing. I just didn't vibe with it. I still recommend giving it a try.

Although this book did seem to have a lot to recommend it, good writing style, engaging characters, etc, try as I might I was never able to actually get into reading it. Sorry.

If this is her debut, it’s clear we can expect great things from Neena Viel. It is unlike anything else I can remember reading. It’s dark, creepy, horrific, and filled with raw emotion. The supernatural element is wild, but makes complete sense. The writing is compelling, vivid, and hard to put down. It’s violent and gross, at times, but underpinning the whole thing is the fragile but unbreakable bond between siblings.