The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth published by Hodder And Stoughton

Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be- Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one, but they are devoted to each other and Rose has always been Fern's protector from the time they were small children.

The girls mum was a true sociopath who hid her real side from the world making out to everyone that she was the perfect mother, only Rose saw the neglect that she was causing. When they went on a family camping trip with Mum’s new boyfriend and his son Billy, Fern did something very, very bad, and Rose kept her secret and never told a soul. So when Fern discovers that her sister is struggling to conceive, she steps up, and decides to make her sister’s dream come true. Rose however wrestled with the fact that Fern grew more and more independent and became aware of secrets that Rose was keeping from her.

Well, well, well! I can’t tell you how amazing this book was!! Such a fantastic piece of writing that drew me in from the beginning – initially I loved both the girls, then my loyalty was with Rose, and then it shifted back to Fern – I was constantly changing who I loved and who I didn’t!!

We see one side of the story from Rose’s perspective through her journal and how their lives were shaped during traumatic childhood events but it is only one side of the story. Fern has sensory issues and is described as being “quirky” and as a result, Rose manages her meltdowns, or does she? When I was reading the story, I really wanted Eleanor Oliphant to walk into the library and befriend Fern – I think they would really get on!!

It was a compelling, brilliant story that had me flicking through the pages so fast, I’m sure I’ll have RSI but I just wanted to find out the truth!

This book is up there as one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far.

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