Sunday lunch is a family tradition for Kate and her family - a tradition that feels more like a chore since her father died ten months ago. Spending time with her mother is uncomfortable, their relationship strained since Kate was young - and spending time with her sister Lauren and her three children is a strain, and a reminder of the child she so desperately wants. Going through yet another round of IVF is exhausting and stressful, so the sudden arrival at Sunday lunch of a young woman claiming to be their half sister is a shock that Kate doesn't need.
Lauren takes Jess at her word, that she is their half sister, but Kate refuses to believe that their father cheated on their mother all those years ago. As Lauren tries to form a relationship with Jess it drives a wedge deeper into her relationship with Kate. The sisters have never really seen eye-to-eye, with Lauren and their mother forming a tight relationship on one side, and Kate and her father forming a tight relationship on the other. As Kate digs into who Jess really is and what she is trying to achieve, she starts uncovering long buried family secrets that shake her certainty about her life. As Jess worms her way further and further into their lives she has no idea that their lives are about the change forever.
The half sister is a deftly written novel that weaves together strands of family drama and psychological suspense into a deeply addictive read that deserves to be read in one sitting. I recently read The other woman by Sandie Jones and was deeply impressed with the writing style and the way Jones developed the story and let in unravel. Jones brings that same skill and style to The half sister, creating characters and a situation that is instantly relateable, while also bringing a strong psychological thriller element that makes you question what you know or what you think you know. Kate and Lauren as both real people on the page, everyone would either relate to them directly or know someone just like them - and the roadblocks and challenges they have experienced. A fantastic find, and hopefully there are many more to come.
If you like this book then try:
- Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
- The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
- Hidden lies by Rachel Ryan
- When I was ten by Fiona Cummins
- Before she was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
- Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
- The better sister by Alafair Burke
- Either side of midnight by Benjamin Stevenson
- Two wrongs by Rebecca Reid
Reviewed by Brilla
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