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Little Sister

by Aimee Said (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 38 ratings · 8 reviews

Al Miller wishes she was an only child.

Al Miller is counting down the days until her over-achieving older sister Larrie finishes Year Twelve and leaves Whitlam High School for ever. Then, Al is certain, people will finally see her as more than just “Larrie’s little sister”. But when a rumour about Larrie spreads around school, Al finds herself in the spotlight for all the...more

Paperback, 301 pages

Published May 1st 2011 by Walker Books Australia

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40th out of 56 books — 176 voters

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Feb 17, 2013 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adults, queer-content

I'm not too keen on stories about straight people learning lessons because a queer they know is being bullied. However, this book is more complex than that, and I felt compelled to see it through.

Al's problem with Larrie has more to do with the resentment she feels toward her big sister after going through high school in her shadow. She's finally about to have the school to herself when someone uploads a photo of Larrie kissing another girl. Scandal erupts, and Al finds herself the target of hom...more I'm not too keen on stories about straight people learning lessons because a queer they know is being bullied. However, this book is more complex than that, and I felt compelled to see it through.

Al's problem with Larrie has more to do with the resentment she feels toward her big sister after going through high school in her shadow. She's finally about to have the school to herself when someone uploads a photo of Larrie kissing another girl. Scandal erupts, and Al finds herself the target of homophobic taunts just by association.

Things I liked: Al's second reaction to the picture of Larrie kissing Beth (after "Larrie's not a lesbian") is that if her sister were a lesbian, she would find a hotter girlfriend. Al comes across as a relatably liberal teen, with an ease around homosexuality a lot of readers can identify with. Books 30 years ago dealt with teens who were overtly uncomfortable with homosexuality, and this book has a more modern purpose. Al is still uneasy about homosexuality as it relates to her. Her homophobia is more subtle, manifesting as heterocentrism (she assumes her sister is straight) as well as straight privilege (she doesn't see why Larrie can't play straight a little longer so it won't ruin her own reputation). It's nice to have a character show homophobia that isn't the easy-to-identify and also super-offensive-to-gay-readers revulsion you see in basically all books about a main character coming to terms with the outing of gay secondary characters. I also really liked the part where (view spoiler)

Things I didn't like: The assumption that when a teen is found out to be queer, they are bullied. There were a lot of queer kids at my high school, and aside from having peers speculate about us and make idiotic assumptions about our dating intentions, nothing ever happened. The queer boys endured more name-calling than the queer girls, but no more than their straight counterparts if you're looking at the whole picture. So I resent stories about the consequences of being out, when really all that ever kept me from being out sooner was the fear of these consequences that are constantly being bandied about in fiction but that actually happen very rarely on such a catastrophic scale. I know kids do get bullied for being gay, but why is that the only story that gets told about gay teens? I value this book for the issues it works out, but I can't help but feel a little despondent that the assumption of mandatory gay victimization is still being perpetuated in cultural material for teens ten years after my bully-free adolescence.

The writing was good, though! I should probably mention that it was hard to put down, even though I did have to pause at some points to rant (many rants later recanted--I should have given the author more credit).

I'd recommend this for library collections in Australia (public and high school libraries). While queer readers may not find much comfort in its pages, I think some straight or questioning teens could get a lot out of it. Plus, it covers bullying, which is a hot topic in Australia right now.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 25, 2011 Jess - The Tales Compendium rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, contemporary

Little Sister is for anyone who has ever felt out-shined by a sibling, felt under appreciated by family members or felt like the black sheep of the family. Even though I am the older sister and my sister is the over-achieving one, I was still able to relate to many aspects of the book and the sibling rivalry is something that many sisters (and those with brothers) will recognise. There are plenty of teen issues addressed in this book, especially bullying, cyber bullying and homophobia in schools...more Little Sister is for anyone who has ever felt out-shined by a sibling, felt under appreciated by family members or felt like the black sheep of the family. Even though I am the older sister and my sister is the over-achieving one, I was still able to relate to many aspects of the book and the sibling rivalry is something that many sisters (and those with brothers) will recognise. There are plenty of teen issues addressed in this book, especially bullying, cyber bullying and homophobia in schools. Friendship, personal identity, self acceptance, understanding and the labels people give others are all highlighted in an effective way.

I felt I could relate to Al and feel sympathy for her because I too thought the way she was treated was horribly unfair. But, when Al learnt of Larrie's secret, Al was horrified and extremely angry. She acted like a selfish, spoilt brat and really over-dramatised her situation. While I understand why she acted in this way, I didn't feel much sympathy towards her again until she had the realisation as to why she was behaving this way. Her reaction and annoyance could be misunderstood by the reader (as was the case with me), but I think that having that reaction, mirrors how Al is confused and it takes a couple of supporting characters to really help Al get to the issue at hand.

Al's behaviour all comes down to the fact that she is sick of being associated with and compared to her over-achieving older sister, scandal or not. It's not the secret that upsets Al, it's that she is never seen as anyone other than "Larrie's little sister". Thankfully Al does learn a lesson from all the events that take place.

"There is little to be gained by trying to compare ourselves with others. We all have our own talents and abilities, and we shouldn't let other people's expectations of us stop expressing who we really are. Our genes may shape us, but it is up to us to define ourselves."

And what say I concerning Josh Turner, Al's love interest? Predictable, but fitting, in true teen fashion.

Fans of Aimee Said's debut, Finding Freia Lockhart, will enjoy Little Sister just as much, if not more.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 17, 2011 Tara Calaby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, family, glbtq-focus, friendships, romance, bullying, contemporary-ya, australian-ya

(My full Little Sister review can be found at Agrippina Legit)

Little Sister is a fast-moving novel that I found surprisingly difficult to put down. I had expected it to be a fairly generic tale of sister rivalry, but was pleased to discover that it had a deeper message and dealt with bigger issues. Said's characters are exposed to bullying, homophobia and sexual and peer pressure, but the novel avoids the moralistic tone that can often accompany young adult books that focus on such things.

Al is...more (My full Little Sister review can be found at Agrippina Legit)

Little Sister is a fast-moving novel that I found surprisingly difficult to put down. I had expected it to be a fairly generic tale of sister rivalry, but was pleased to discover that it had a deeper message and dealt with bigger issues. Said's characters are exposed to bullying, homophobia and sexual and peer pressure, but the novel avoids the moralistic tone that can often accompany young adult books that focus on such things.

Al is a sympathetic protagonist who many readers will be able to identify with. She's likeable, but realistically flawed. Extremely concerned with her image, Al is overly focussed on her sister's achievements and measures her own self worth in reference to Larrie. While she often treats the people around her poorly due to frustration, fear, lack of tact or her own feelings of inadequacy, she is ultimately loyal and kind-hearted. At times, I found her self-involvement irritating, but I never found her reactions unbelievable.

Said's portrayal of Larrie was particularly well done. As the reader views her through Al's biased eyes, her character becomes more rounded and likeable as the book unfolds. Initially, she is portrayed as self-absorbed and mean but, as we learn more about her and as Al begins to understand more about her sister – and about her own sister-related baggage – she becomes more appealing.

GLBTQ individuals are still greatly under-represented in fiction for young adults, so it is always good to discover a new author who writes such characters well. Telling a coming out story from the perspective of a family member could very easily feel forced or impersonal, but Little Sister seems to have been well-informed by Said's experiences with her own GLBTQ-identified sister.

Overall, the theme of Little Sister is acceptance – acceptance of the people around you and acceptance of yourself. It is an easy read, but one that carries a deeper message than may at first seem apparent. Said has penned a great addition to the growing catalogue of Australian YA fiction.

That said, all of those Facebook references are really going to date it in a few years' time!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Charity rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmmmm. I liked it!

1 like · like · see review

Dec 17, 2012 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, ya, glbt-girls, school, bullying, siblings, challenge-ya-a-to-z

I thought this book was absolutely awesome :D Almost couldn't put it down from start to finish - wouldn't have put it down had I not had a dinner to go to! The writing was so well-paced and addictive and the story just sucked me in from pretty much the first word. I loved how light and contemporary the tone was, without being too over the top or tryhard. It's just fun and simple and believable, very easy to read, and provides lots of chuckle moments ~~like the strikeout text~~.

Also, omg I laughed SO...more I thought this book was absolutely awesome :D Almost couldn't put it down from start to finish - wouldn't have put it down had I not had a dinner to go to! The writing was so well-paced and addictive and the story just sucked me in from pretty much the first word. I loved how light and contemporary the tone was, without being too over the top or tryhard. It's just fun and simple and believable, very easy to read, and provides lots of chuckle moments ~~like the strikeout text~~.

Also, omg I laughed SO inappropriately loudly at (the band) Vertigo Pony's name previously being Holiday Road Toll. You have NO idea, oh my god.

I love how the story all came together, how it was all about Al being in the shadow of older sister Larrie for half the book, then Al dealing with the fall-out from Larrie being outed in the second half. It wasn't straight into the "big sister is gay and little sister is copping all the flak at school" storyline, which is what I actually thought it would be based on the brief things I'd heard. It really eases you in, and the outing comes as a bit of a neat twist - Al is counting down until Larrie finally finishes year 12, so that she will be the only Miller sister there and magically all the teachers will forget Larrie and stop comparing them... then the rumours start flying, and soon enough the truth behind them, but Larrie's left school now and is just doing her final exams. So it's only Al at the school, and she is getting the brunt of alllll the teasing and bullying and everything, so she has to try and cope with that on top of everything else, like her parents still treating Larrie like the golden child, to whose every whim Al must bend. Poor Al, I did think her parents were rather unfair at times! And Larrie at home wasn't exactly little miss perfect either... she was mean and bratty, yet nobody but Al ever saw it.

I loved all the characters here so much - well, loved to hate some of them! But they were all so vibrant and real, from Al's friends to her teachers to Jay and Dylan, the gay cheese men :D (Also, this book made me so hungry - all the cheese! Plus it was set in Kingston, which kept making me think of biscuits. Also, was that meant to be vaguely Kingston as in Melbourne? Not much was said to give it a specific location so I am pretty sure it was a fictional place, but the combination of Kingston Village and an 'Ormond' street, which was mentioned once, made me mentally place it just around the corner. :D)

Josh was such a douche, omg. I'm so sad the power bar prank didn't come off! Also man, this book made me remember why I used to love genetics so much. /nerd(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 15, 2011 Nomes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya, 2011

LITTLE SISTER is an Aussie YA novel that will appeal to mature MG students and high school teenagers.

It's one of those books that just feels like teen life: high school, homework, after school job, teachers, crushes, friendship, parents, social media and at the heart of the story: sibling issues. (Oh! and did I mention cute boys playing soccer?)

It blends a fun and vibrant tone with plenty of teen angst and real issues -- for a taste of that, here's the opening lines:

Monday morning: Whitlam High

...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 13, 2011 Skye rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

Little Sister is a book anyone with a sibling they feel in competition with should read. I just so happen to have three siblings, so I could relate in some aspects.

The first thing that hit me about this book was the main character, Al. Her tone is bitter and sarcastic, for good reason. At first we only hear about she's so out-shined by her sister, but later we see first-hand how she's constantly compared to her. She's realistically develop...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Aishwaryaa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good book!

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About Aimee Said

I am a young adult fiction author, based in Melbourne, Australia.

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