I enjoyed the writing in this one, although it didn’t necessarily keep me as engaged as I would usually like. Some of it got a little too convoluted for me, personally. I enjoyed the over all story but I wasn’t drawn in by the “monster” or the plot twists. Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication.

LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER is a haunting and complicated family drama that has tons of supernatural horror.

The novel is excellent at portraying the family dynamics of the characters. It feels as real as it can while also introducing traditional supernatural horror elements into the story. It's fantastic to see how the sibling's dynamics fluctuate throughout the book.

The entire story is built on tension. From the first chapter, I was captivated by an overwhelming sense of dread that lasted the entire book. Often times, though, it does feel a bit dizzying, which can contribute to the plot for some readers.

Thank you to Netgalley, and St. Martins Press for an eARC of this novel. Here are my thoughts!

Calla has a ton of stress on her plate. She is trying to keep her younger brother Jamie out of trouble since she became his legal guardian. Her other brother Dre seems to be doing his own thing despite Calla needing his help. After an eventful night, Calla decides to take her brothers to a cabin where her nightmares literally become the siblings’ realities.

I have a lot of thoughts about this novel. I’ll start with the things that worked for me. I loved these characters. The racism that these three must face on the daily and the expectations that are associated with that is gut wrenching and made me angry while reading. It made me want them to succeed and work together as a family even more. All three were individual and faced their own challenges which made each stand out.

The horror pieces were exquisite, from before the siblings get to the cabin and after. They were very intelligent but also made me physically flinch at times. The trouble that Jamie gets into at the beginning is one of te most gripping scenes I’ve read in a novel in a while. There are also levels to the horror which lead to a very complex and intricate read.

Now, this might be a me problem. There were a few times in the novel where I was lost. Jumping between the story lines and the multiple horror characters left me a little confused. I found when I had time to read in large chunks it was a little clearer to me, but that can be rare in my busy life. I think I picked up everything in the end, but I’m seriously considering a reread of this one as it’s quite the book!

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it felt like thoughts were thrown together with no connection. This lead to confusion and lots of disbelief, even in the horror aspect.

The narrators did a good job of portraying what was on the page, but there wasn't much they could do to change the disjointedness and disbelief.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and Macmillan Audio for an advanced reading and listening copies of this book.

This was well-written and had some really great nuanced themes, but the two brothers were infuriating. I didn’t feel like their arcs grew satisfyingly or adequately and that Calla continued to sacrifice herself for their flippant bs.

Unfortunately, this book was a struggle for me. I really wanted to enjoy it based on the blurb, but I just couldn’t get into it. The creepy factor was definitely on point, but I felt like the storyline kept getting interrupted by side plots and the characters' internal dialogue. The idea of the creepy entity targeting the siblings was really intriguing, and I would have loved to see it explored more. However, whenever the internal thoughts or flashbacks kicked in, I felt like I was abruptly pulled out of the intense moments and thrown into a completely different situation. That said, I did enjoy the humor and satire among the characters, as well as their dynamic, which ultimately played into the big reveal.

*Thank you to Neena Viel, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

I really liked the idea of this one, but it got to be a little too gory for my liking. I ended up DNFing it about 20-25% in.

Read if you’re looking for…
- multiple POVs
- siblings
- horror
- eerie visions
- diverse characters

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for my eARC!

I'm the oldest and only female of four siblings so I thought the premise was interesting and one I could relate to. It started off promising and there was a good scene where it talks about babies growing up ti adulthood which hit hard! However, it kinda lost me along the way.

I thought the writing in this book was very disorganized and very hard to follow. It just wasn't for me, but I'm sure there is an audience that would like it!

What did I just read‽ Lol. If this was a meal, this would be cheesy broccoli except it's a pile of broccoli onto of a puddle of cheese. That's not to say there's anything wrong with it, just that the pacing is intense in all directions. It has an extremely slow and prosaic build followed by a muddled mess of deaths, terror and action.
It's interesting because some of the most thought-provoking and insightful sections come in the later part of the book. Like, when she's commenting about the lack of support when you start taking care of a sibling and yet, you have so much more experience than your piers that have started their families the "normal" way.
The love and various expressions of love throughout the book are spot-on regardless of your childhood / parenthood experience. Everyone has those days when you want to kill because of the intensity of your love and care.

"Listen to Your Sister" by Neena Viel is a compelling debut that blends speculative horror with a deeply felt family drama. The story revolves around three siblings - Calla, Jamie, and Dre - who find themselves confronting not only external threats but also the weight of their shared past and individual traumas.

Viel excels at creating a palpable sense of unease and dread, drawing readers into a world where nightmares bleed into reality. The novel's strength lies in its exploration of the complex dynamics between the siblings. Calla, burdened with responsibility, Jamie, grappling with youthful recklessness, and Dre, seemingly detached, are all vividly drawn characters with their own flaws and vulnerabilities.

Here are some of the key highlights of the book:

Blend of Genres: The seamless integration of horror elements with themes of family, race, and societal issues creates a unique and thought-provoking narrative.

Character-Driven Story: The heart of the novel lies in the intricate relationships between the siblings and their individual struggles.

Atmospheric Tension: Viel skillfully builds suspense, keeping readers on edge as the line between reality and the supernatural blurs.

Social Commentary: The novel touches on relevant themes such as systemic racism and the burdens placed on Black women, adding depth and resonance to the story.

Overall, "Listen to Your Sister" is a powerful and impressive debut that showcases Neena Viel's talent for crafting both chilling and emotionally resonant narratives. It's a must-read for fans of speculative horror who appreciate stories with substance and depth.

WOW what a book! This blew away all my expectations. I’d say 4.5 and I’m rounding up to 5 on here!

A crazy, wild ride that explores all the depths and complexities of what it means to have a sibling. As someone with a sibling myself, I really resonated with the portrayal of this sometimes complicated relationships. I don’t know even know how to fully articulate just how gloriously Neena Viel captured the human experience and how trauma and our interpersonal relationships affect it. Truly extraordinary.

This was SCARY! It is absolutely a full blown horror book and everything that is a part of that genre you can expect on this book. But the author did an incredible job of also interlaying moments of humor. This book had me reading with wide eyes and a furrowed brow at one moment, then giggling the very next. It was an incredible experience.

This book does not read easy - it is like a fever dream for most of the book and things don’t always move or make sense in the way you want them to. Personally, I loved that. But that style may not be for everyone! Go into this with an open mind to the writing style and soon you’ll understand why it is the way it is, it is intentional and it is amazing.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this book, but what I got was a whole lot of crazy creepy fun!! This book is intense, emotional, and so deep with a great horror representation. I absolutely loved the representation of how certain life events change or influence your being. The social and racial discrimination representation was very well written and just made me even more mad at how screwy the current real world is.

Highly recommend going into this one as blind as possible, and if you have the chance or enjoy audiobooks then do it on audio because the narration is excellent.

really enjoyed this book. This book had many twists and turns and I enjoyed the different point of views . I didn't expect that ending

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. Horror isn't a genre that I read much of but the summary of this one sounded really interesting so I gave it a go. It was more creepy thriller than scary psycho book. Calla always has the same nightmare of one of her brother's deaths whenever either of them is in serious trouble. After a protest gone wrong and they flee the state on a "family vacation" they all get into a heated argument. Calla has always given everything of herself without her brothers seeing or caring about it. She's had enough and somehow has unleashed her nightmare into the real world. The siblings learn what really happened the night their father died and learned to heal through all of the family trauma. I liked the premise, and I liked how they all dealt with the trauma and made them better siblings. It was a creepy vibe through it all but not too spooky. Definitely would recommend.

Wow, this book is so entirely singular. Truly, I don't think I've read anything like it. Viel's characters are deeply flawed, but you still care for them so deeply, because they're so, so human. It was occasionally a little hard to follow, but other than that, it was a compelling, dark ride through a family's trauma. Thanks so much to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC,

Super fun and original story! I absolutely LOVED the characters and the sibling dynamics. The story itself had its ups and downs but overall great concept. Excited for more from this author!!

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book. This review is my own and unbiased.

I can confidently say I've never read a horror novel like this and I'm not 100% sure what I read, was that all a fever dream I hallucinated? Cause that was wild, huge kudos to the author for coming up with something so unique. It was gory, gritty, and down right disturbing at times. I loved how the horror was so focused on the family aspect and finding all of the hidden meanings in everything. This is one of those books where if you're not fully paying attention you'll miss a lot of key information.

This was an insane ride. It wasn’t at all what I expected, I give props to the author as a debut but it felt like it was all over the place,

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.