My First ARC Book Review: Listen to Your Sister
Neena Viel, in Listen to Your Sister, demonstrates remarkable talent with her literary writing in this book, weaving poetic prose and vivid descriptions that captivate readers from the very beginning in how descriptive she is with the unfortunate lives of Calla and her brothers. Moreover, she also excelled at capturing electrifying moments of horror, which often left me breathless with anxiety-inducing moments. These pivotal scenes are gripping and immersive, making the reader feel the dread and suspense at the heart of the story.
However, the novel stumbles with its reliance on excessive retrospective moments. While some backstory is necessary, there were too many instances where the narrative veered off course to delve into the lives of every character, often in ways that felt irrelevant
to the central plot. This overabundance of detail disrupts the pacing, climax in the plot, making the book feel unnecessarily long and, at times, arduous to read. At times, I was wondering, “Why is this here?” “What am I reading?” “How is this relevant?”
The blending of horror and fantasy elements adds intrigue, but it also creates confusion about the story’s identity. Is it primarily horror? Is it a dark fantasy tale? This ambiguity becomes especially pronounced after Chapter 21, where the narrative seems to lose its direction. For example, Calla’s brothers became afraid of her as it appeared she was being possessed by some dark force. Then, they were being chased by the “women” that had been following them. Subsequently, the next morning, Jamie was sitting with his sister as she made French toast! Wait! What just happened here…. So, did the sister possess witch-like abilities? The lack of clarity left me needing immediate answers to ensure I could continue reading.
By the time I reached Chapter 23, I found myself struggling to understand the story’s trajectory. The plot became muddled, and the motivations of the characters grew increasingly opaque. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t push past the lack of cohesion in the latter part of the book.
Overall, Listen to Your Sister shines in its moments of literary brilliance and chilling horror, but the uneven pacing, extraneous details, and unclear genre focus detract from its potential. Readers who enjoy atmospheric prose and layered storytelling might still find value here, but patience is required to navigate its more perplexing sections.
Rating: ★★★☆☆