Tess and Lizzie are sisters, sisters as close as can be, who share a secret world filled with selkies, flying horses, and a girl who can tr... read full description
reviews
Jan 09, 2012
Stephanie
rated it: 
I am either quickly becoming a sob or I am finding better books. Whatever the case, I definitely cried during this one. This wasn’t a book, it was a story, and I really enjoyed it.
The story jumped from past to present as it went on and information was given when it was needed, rather than all up front. I liked that you kept guessing and trying to figure out what was going on, but it kept changing. It was really believable and each character was developed well.
Lizzie is a More...
The story jumped from past to present as it went on and information was given when it was needed, rather than all up front. I liked that you kept guessing and trying to figure out what was going on, but it kept changing. It was really believable and each character was developed well.
Lizzie is a More...
Dec 27, 2011
Christina (Reading Thru The Night)
rated it: 
I am SO glad that I stumbled upon this book via Netgalley because I absolutely know I would have skipped over it at the bookstore. The cover is just not oooh la la for me. And yes, although I know one should not judge a book by its cover, I'm superficial like that.
This book is A-May-Zing. I was immediately drawn into Lizzie's story as she sits in the office with her shrink going through her sister Tess's journal. Tess is dead and even though it's years later, Lizzie isn't dealing w More...
This book is A-May-Zing. I was immediately drawn into Lizzie's story as she sits in the office with her shrink going through her sister Tess's journal. Tess is dead and even though it's years later, Lizzie isn't dealing w More...
Dec 14, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
Tess and Lizzie Cohen were close, sisters who spend just about every waking minute together when they were younger. Tess was the leader, imaginative and creative, drawing and writing poems in her sketchbook. Because she believes so strongly in magic, Tess is sure she can fly through the air. She convinces Lizzie that she knows magic spells, and Lizzie follows her, somewhat blindly, until the two of them grow older. Slowly, Lizzie and her parents realize that while Tess is imaginative and unique,
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Dec 11, 2011
Richard (Bound & Determined...)
rated it:
I approached this book all wrong. I made fast assumptions about it, and misjudged it. I almost didn’t finish it because of my assumptions, but continued reading and finished it.
You must realize before starting this book how difficult it will be to read. I had no idea how sad and monstrous reading this would be. Mental illness is no joke. Just prepare yourself: Pixley is real. There’s a no-holds-barred approach to telling Lizzie’s story. You’ve been warned.
I felt so More...
You must realize before starting this book how difficult it will be to read. I had no idea how sad and monstrous reading this would be. Mental illness is no joke. Just prepare yourself: Pixley is real. There’s a no-holds-barred approach to telling Lizzie’s story. You’ve been warned.
I felt so More...
Nov 06, 2011
Anna
rated it:
Tess Cohen is so thin you can almost see her bones through her skin. She has wild red hair and a personality that is fantastical, genius, and disturbing. She is a Selkie, she is a flying horse, she is a wild ferrel cat, she is a werewolf. Tess Cohen is the Queen of Toads, living by the laws of Merlin and living by no predictability at all. And then there is Lizzie, the younger sister, the one who is more timid, who follows, who watches her older sister feed a statue of the virgin mary coconut c
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Nov 06, 2011
Anagha
rated it:
I started this book completely and utterly intrigued. The protagonist and narrator Lizzie retells her nine-year-old life with her now dead sister Tess. Lizzie is now fifteen and remains traumatized by her sister and her death six years ago. Lizzie begins the story in her guidance counselor’s office. She comes in five minutes early to just sit in the rocking chair and to "breathe away everything real. Bad grades and teachers who frown at [her]. Letters sent home in sealed envelopes. All the
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Oct 09, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
This is a very well written book regarding the forgotten child in a family dealing with another with mental illness. Lizzie deals with much more than survivor's guilt. She has been negatively impacted by dealing with Tess' mental illness as a child. The subject matter is really best approached by a mature teenager to adult. There are disturbing themes as Tess experiences full out psychosis and lacks a conscience and believes in her alternate reality. Lizzie plays along until her maturity level d
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Sep 26, 2011
Wandering
rated it: 
This was sad. Poor Lizzie. I felt so awful for her, especially when she was little. We spent a lot more time in the book with young Lizzie than 15 year-old Lizzie, and I think that's why I sympathized with her younger self more. Lizzie idolized her older sister. She wished she could be more like her - imaginative and free spirited. Tess seemed to have a magic about her that Lizzie couldn't get. As much as Lizzie worshiped Tess, Tess was often cruel to her. Tess was trapped in her fantasy
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Jul 17, 2011
Minli
rated it:
I must thank my Macmillan friend for sending me this book (unsolicited) and telling me to read it, because I never would have picked it up myself. And I am so glad I did. I can imagine Without Tess is a tough sell, because despite its gorgeous, lyrical writing, most people don't want to read about how toxic fantasy can be.
So yes, as a lover of fantasy and folklore, the subject of the book filled me with a lot of trepidation. Sisters Tess and Lizzie were each other's best friends. Ima More...
So yes, as a lover of fantasy and folklore, the subject of the book filled me with a lot of trepidation. Sisters Tess and Lizzie were each other's best friends. Ima More...
Oct 13, 2011
Melissa (i swim for oceans)
rated it:
Tess and Lizzie lived a charmed childhood full of magic, wonder and impossible things becoming possible. It's a world of escapism that they share and love together but, eventually, they must grow up. Lizzie recognizes this. Tess, however, cannot live in a world without magic. Her world of magic becomes darker and more terrifying as it begins to consume her from the inside out and she loses her grip on reality. Now a teenager, Liz is learning to live without Tess, and must delve into her sister's
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Oct 05, 2011
Book Twirps
rated it:
Without Tess is an achingly gorgeous read. The writing is so lyrical and the characters so vivid, I felt as if I were in the same room with them. The story focuses on Lizzie whose sister Tess died when she was younger. Six years later she is still coping with the grief.
Eleven-year-old Tess lives in a fantasy world. In the beginning I was able to connect with Tess. Like her, I had a very active imagination when I was young. As the story moves forward, the reader realizes there is som More...
Eleven-year-old Tess lives in a fantasy world. In the beginning I was able to connect with Tess. Like her, I had a very active imagination when I was young. As the story moves forward, the reader realizes there is som More...
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Oct 11, 2011
Cassie
rated it:
A solid 3.5, but Goodreads doesn't allow half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
I had conflicted feelings about Without Tess.
Author Marcella Pixley skillfully reveals how Tess and Liz's innocent childhood games and play-acting can turn sinister very quickly, and the horror is very real. Tess's cruelty is almost guileless at times, making it even more terrifying. The girls' invented game of Crab Carcass Bingo is gross and macabre, but not unrealistic. While More...
My thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
I had conflicted feelings about Without Tess.
Author Marcella Pixley skillfully reveals how Tess and Liz's innocent childhood games and play-acting can turn sinister very quickly, and the horror is very real. Tess's cruelty is almost guileless at times, making it even more terrifying. The girls' invented game of Crab Carcass Bingo is gross and macabre, but not unrealistic. While More...
Oct 12, 2011
Jessica at Book Sake
rated it:
When I started this one I wasn’t expecting the story that came. This is a tale that weaves in and out of the present and the past, it’s as much about Tess and her mental instability as it is about Lizzie and her need to hold onto the sister she loved. I find stories regarding mental illness fascinating and this one was really intriguing because of the fantasy world that Tess lived in. So many times I found myself holding my breath, wondering if that moment was the moment that would change Tes
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Dec 23, 2011
Gary
rated it:
There are 2 major themes in this book: 1) Mental illness 2) Letting go.
"Without Tess" illustrates the heartbreaking tale of coping with her older sister, Tess', mental illness from Lizzie's point of view at the young age of ten, as well as her struggles with coming to terms with Tess' death after 5 years.
This story was so beautiful -- the writing, the poetry, the settings...they were amazing.
Mental illness is such a scary thing. Especially when the p More...
"Without Tess" illustrates the heartbreaking tale of coping with her older sister, Tess', mental illness from Lizzie's point of view at the young age of ten, as well as her struggles with coming to terms with Tess' death after 5 years.
This story was so beautiful -- the writing, the poetry, the settings...they were amazing.
Mental illness is such a scary thing. Especially when the p More...
Jan 27, 2012
Amber
rated it:
We meet two Lizzie's during the course of this novel. Past Lizzie and Present-day Lizzie. The past Lizzie has a much more interesting story, I have to say, but towards the end, we see Lizzie in the present developing more feelings and actually showing them. Otherwise, she's just silent, walking around school. I like how strong and independent her character grows throughout the novel, from someone being meek and shy, always worshipping Tess, to someone who can stand on her own.
Which brings me to More...
Which brings me to More...
Oct 21, 2011
Alicia
rated it:
Fantastic. Heartbreaking. Magical. Those are just a few words to describe Without Tess. The story started out a little slow for me, but the writing began to draw me in. Tess was one of those enchanting people who others found themselves drawn to. I could feel this happening to me as I read.
Tess talked a lot about magic, and it seemed to fit her personality. She was a magical person. At first, she seemed like a child with a powerful, creative imagination. This can be refreshing, espec More...
Tess talked a lot about magic, and it seemed to fit her personality. She was a magical person. At first, she seemed like a child with a powerful, creative imagination. This can be refreshing, espec More...
Oct 17, 2011
Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews)
rated it:
Without Tess is a whirlwind of a novel - running the gamut from emotional to sweet to disturbing, all easily within a few pages. It's a forthright and honest look at youth, childhood, grief and mental illness without shying away from darker moments or themes. Told in the very real voice of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cohen, the first-person perspective makes the events of the novel with Tess much more personal, much more visceral for the reader than a more removed third-person omniscient would
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Oct 23, 2011
Marybeth
rated it:
This story had me covered in goosebumps throughout the whole thing; sometimes I didn't even want to read this at night just because of Tess and her behavior. It drove home some important themes of growing up and moving on, and what happens when a child can't do that.
Tess was by far the most interesting character of them all. The reader can see her mental decline throughout the entire book, losing her sense of reality, and how nobody seems to really notice. I feel like Tess wanted to be More...
Tess was by far the most interesting character of them all. The reader can see her mental decline throughout the entire book, losing her sense of reality, and how nobody seems to really notice. I feel like Tess wanted to be More...
Sep 21, 2011
Isamlq
rated it:
WITHOUT TESS isn’t an easy story and only got sadder as it progressed, yet I’d still recommend it to someone looking for something quietly emotional but definitely different. There are a lot of hard emotions in this one and I think those emotions were compounded by how young Tess was (Liz as well) and how helpless Liz must have felt.
Someone said that WITHOUT TESS touches a little on what the sisters of Imaginary Girls were like. I would agree only Tess and Liz’s is less magical and More...
Someone said that WITHOUT TESS touches a little on what the sisters of Imaginary Girls were like. I would agree only Tess and Liz’s is less magical and More...
Oct 01, 2011
Bonny
rated it:
This review is based on an e-galley from NetGalley.com
This was an amazing little book. It was a little dark and the subject matter is rather serious, but I am glad I read it. A lot of the book covers the experiences of young Lizzie as she plays with her older sister, Tess. Tess is not a well child and dies at the age of 11. Lizzie always wanted to be like Tess, but she never seemed to fit into Tess's magical world. Tess could see things and make things up that Lizzie desperately wished More...
This was an amazing little book. It was a little dark and the subject matter is rather serious, but I am glad I read it. A lot of the book covers the experiences of young Lizzie as she plays with her older sister, Tess. Tess is not a well child and dies at the age of 11. Lizzie always wanted to be like Tess, but she never seemed to fit into Tess's magical world. Tess could see things and make things up that Lizzie desperately wished More...
Oct 08, 2011
Clementine
rated it:
Tess and Lizzie are sisters whose bond runs deep. As children, the two of them live in two worlds: the real one and the imagined one in which they are selkie girls, mermaids, horses who can fly. Tess is the magical one, the one who believes in the fantastical world so strongly that it consumes her. Lizzie wants to believe, so she tries as hard as she can, but she’s never as convinced as Tess is. As the two grow older, Lizzie starts to lose her hold on the fantastical, but Tess still clings
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Oct 18, 2011
Sheree
rated it:
If you're anything like me I'd recommend having a box of tissues close while reading Without Tess. Then again maybe I'm just soppy, I was crying long before I reached the really sad part, I cried at the 'toad scene' and I dont even like toads!
10 year old Lizzie adores her 11 year old sister Tess; the bond between the two is palpable, swinging wildly between idolisation, love, protectiveness and resentment as Tess' disturbing behaviour and cruelty impacts Lizzie emotionally and physi More...
10 year old Lizzie adores her 11 year old sister Tess; the bond between the two is palpable, swinging wildly between idolisation, love, protectiveness and resentment as Tess' disturbing behaviour and cruelty impacts Lizzie emotionally and physi More...
Jul 06, 2011
Autumn
rated it:
I got a copy of this at ALA when I asked what books were they pushing that I didn't know about. At Macmillan they told me I had to read this book, that they were having a bit of trouble because the booksellers were saying it was too dark, but they all loved it. So, I read it over the weekend. I agree it is dark and it is heavy subject matter, but it is a very good book and wonderfully written. I was reading it at the pool surrounded by hundreds of people and I was crying all over the place a
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Feb 15, 2012
Chloe
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I really enjoyed this book because I loved reading about Tess, who is, without a doubt in my mind psychologically disturbed. She doesn't eat, she's convinced Merlin is real, and rather confusingly turns into a wolf. In my opinion psychologically imbalanced characters are often written really well, which makes them exciting to read, so that's why I tend to gravitate towards books which feature them. Also TV shows and movies-prime examples are Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Nina from Bl
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Jan 18, 2012
Courtney
rated it:
More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews
Raw Emotion.
This story hit me hard.
It is a book that will have you crying by the final chapters from the bittersweet conclusion to Lizzie's absolution. For all of you that have heard good things about this book. They are true. Do not delay in reading Without Tess, the story is unforgettable.
During the beginning I was confused with what was going on. But after a few chapters I figured out that you went from More...
Raw Emotion.
This story hit me hard.
It is a book that will have you crying by the final chapters from the bittersweet conclusion to Lizzie's absolution. For all of you that have heard good things about this book. They are true. Do not delay in reading Without Tess, the story is unforgettable.
During the beginning I was confused with what was going on. But after a few chapters I figured out that you went from More...
Jan 02, 2012
Khy
rated it:
I've read so many novels centering around dead family members that I'm never too excited to read another even if it does have a promising summary. It takes a lot for one of these stories to stand out, and, to my delight, Without Tess managed to have enough of a dark side to differentiate it from all the other "dead family" books I've come across.
What makes this book stand out is its emphasis on the relationship between Lizzie and Tess before Tess passed away. In fact, I More...
What makes this book stand out is its emphasis on the relationship between Lizzie and Tess before Tess passed away. In fact, I More...
Feb 04, 2012
Books to the Sky
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Check out more reviews at www.bookstothesky.com
While this was a beautifully written book, it was quite sad. By the time I was approximately 10 pages into the book, I was completely sucked in and had to finish reading it.
The book switches between Lizzie at age 10 (while Tess is still alive) and her current age, 15.
Lizzie is seeing a school psychologist to help her deal with the death of her sister. She carries around her sister's journal and uses Tess' poems as hers More...
While this was a beautifully written book, it was quite sad. By the time I was approximately 10 pages into the book, I was completely sucked in and had to finish reading it.
The book switches between Lizzie at age 10 (while Tess is still alive) and her current age, 15.
Lizzie is seeing a school psychologist to help her deal with the death of her sister. She carries around her sister's journal and uses Tess' poems as hers More...
Oct 17, 2011
Shelleyrae
rated it:
Without Tess is a haunting tale of mental illness, grief and survival. The blurring of imagination and reality in childhood is one of it's immense joys, I remember pretending I was a mermaid while swimming and hoping to find fairies in the garden. Eventually most of us lose that sense of possibility but in this novel, Tess retreats into her fantasies and is lost.
Alternating between the present and the past we learn of fifteen year old Lizzie's overwhelming guilt and grief over her lost ch More...
Alternating between the present and the past we learn of fifteen year old Lizzie's overwhelming guilt and grief over her lost ch More...
Feb 22, 2012
Melanie
rated it:
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
Growing up my sister Katie was my best friend. My family moved around a lot so she was oftentimes the only constant in my life. She was creative, exciting, adventurous. All the things I longed to be myself. And I truly believe that I would have followed her anywhere and done anything she'd asked. Perhaps this is why Without Tess has affected me so profoundly. It was a story that immediately resonated with me and I found myself tearing up just a few short pages More...
Growing up my sister Katie was my best friend. My family moved around a lot so she was oftentimes the only constant in my life. She was creative, exciting, adventurous. All the things I longed to be myself. And I truly believe that I would have followed her anywhere and done anything she'd asked. Perhaps this is why Without Tess has affected me so profoundly. It was a story that immediately resonated with me and I found myself tearing up just a few short pages More...
Oct 22, 2011
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
3.5 stars
This is a well written book that touches on something that's rarely seen in YA books, and that's mental illness. The story itself centers on the young Lizzie, the forgotten sister who's constantly caught between her mentally ill sister and her parents who for the majority of the story are in denial over Tess's problem. Tess and Lizzie seem to have that fantastic childhood that's full of make believe and magic. Their world is one that takes them to different places and allows More...
This is a well written book that touches on something that's rarely seen in YA books, and that's mental illness. The story itself centers on the young Lizzie, the forgotten sister who's constantly caught between her mentally ill sister and her parents who for the majority of the story are in denial over Tess's problem. Tess and Lizzie seem to have that fantastic childhood that's full of make believe and magic. Their world is one that takes them to different places and allows More...
