Book Review: The Good Sister by Jamie Kain

Title: The Good Sister
Author: Jamie Kain
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Source: Netgalley

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I’ve always been interested in stories between sisters. Maybe it’s because I only have one sister and we’re not even super close. But I’m really intrigued by other people’s relationships with their sisters and what makes them click or not click. That’s exactly why I wanted to review The Good Sister by Jamie Kain. The fact that their family is unconventional and that one of the sisters is already dead made it all the more intriguing to me.

I guess you could say that Sarah, Rachel and Asha are your typical siblings. Sarah’s the good, responsible one, who has been battling cancer on and off. She’s the one that everybody likes. Asha’s the spoiled baby of the family, Sarah’s favorite sister, who was so devastated about her sister’s death that she didn’t know how to deal. Then there’s Rachel, the middle child, the wild one and the resident family rebel.

Each sister has their individual stories to tell that all connects to the day that Sarah died and the truth behind her death. It’s interesting to imagine how different they all are from each other, which leads to all sorts of misunderstandings and fights typical of any sibling relationship. But at the same time, I love how, by digging deep into their relationship, you still find that bond and love for each other despite their differences.

How Jamie Kain was able to portray the dynamics of this sisterhood, even though it was already established early on in the story that Sarah’s already dead, is just great. This was nicely done with flashbacks and also by letting each sister tell her side of the story. I love how the story unfolds by letting each sister alternately tell the readers of their experience in their own perspectives. I think that how their stories come together in the end is exactly the kind of journey each sister was taking in coming to terms with Sarah’s death. This approach is brilliant!

I also love how Kain was able to portray with such authenticity the realities of life in a family of divorce. Being from a broken family myself, I could definitely relate to this part of the story. Actually, I often found myself reflecting on whether there are similarities between the sisters’ reaction to the divorce and my daughters’ reaction to the demise of my marriage to their dad. It’s nice to read about the children’s perspective in this and be reminded of the fact that divorce doesn’t just happen to the couple only but to the children too.

This is definitely that kind of book that will leave you reflecting about your life, about death and yes, about your own relationship with your family. I definitely recommend this one!