Hello dear Readers,
My book review of The Winter Sister by Megan Collins.
Title: The Winter Sister
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: The Winter Sister
Author: Megan Collins
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Language: English
Book Description
In this spellbinding and suspenseful debut, a young woman haunted by the past returns home to care for her ailing mother and begins to dig deeper into her sister’s unsolved murder.
Sixteen years ago, Sylvie’s sister Persephone never came home. Out too late with the boyfriend she was forbidden to see, Persephone was missing for three days before her body was found—and years later, her murder remains unsolved.
In the present day, Sylvie returns home to care for her estranged mother, Annie, as she undergoes treatment for cancer. Prone to unexplained “Dark Days” even before Persephone’s death, Annie’s once-close bond with Sylvie dissolved in the weeks after their loss, making for an uncomfortable reunion all these years later. Worse, Persephone’s former boyfriend, Ben, is now a nurse at the cancer center where Annie is being treated. Sylvie’s always believed Ben was responsible for the murder—but she carries her own guilt about that night, guilt that traps her in the past while the world goes on around her.
As she navigates the complicated relationship with her mother, Sylvie begins to uncover the secrets that fill their house—and what really happened the night Persephone died. As it turns out, the truth will set you free, once you can bear to look at it.
The Winter Sister is a mesmerizing portrayal of the complex bond between sisters, between mothers and daughters alike, and forces us to ask ourselves—how well do we know the people we love most?
My Thoughts
First, the cover. Caught my attention from the beginning so did the first few pages and was that way until the last page. What an amazing, suspenseful, intriguing, engaging debut novel. Kept me guessing until the end. I've come to love that about thrillers.
The Winter Sister has all what I always look for on this genre, believable characters and quite a few unexpected twists along the way. I enjoyed it a lot. It was very interesting to get to know these characters, and how their family dynamics changes after Persephone, Sylvie's sister was found dead. How Sylvie and her mom's daughter-mother relationship breaks apart not only because of Persephone's death but also because the mom takes on alcohol as a way of coping with the pain and suffer. How 16 years later Sylvie has to go back to her old town, her mom's house and to a mom on the way to die of cancer while having to face again, after all these years, the one person she strongly believes killed her sister, Persephone's old boyfriend, Ben.
I loved The Winter Sister. I devoured it in a week. A wonderful debut thriller. The writing is so unique for this genre, almost magical. Totally recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wendy