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Jan 07, 2010

Sara rated it:

I enjoyed this book and thought the author did a great job weaving the tale of three sisters who haven't spoken in three years, after one of them married another one's fiance. Now called back home by their grandma to help celebrate her 80th birthday, they're forced to interact with each other and begin to work through their issues together.

The sisters were all likable, although I definitely had a preference of which ones I liked best and least, and the grandmother was great. The More...

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Nov 12, 2010

Bronwyn rated it:

Bett has been living in the UK, Anna is married to Glen and lives in Sydney and Carrie stayed home to work with their parents in the Valley View Motel, Clare, South Australia. Carrie, the youngest of the Alphabet Sisters is married to Matthew - who was at the centre of the sister's 3 year rift when Carrie and Matt became an item, while Matt was engaged to Bett.

Their grandmother Lola has kept in touch with each of her grand daughters and has been working out a way to get them back toget More...

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Dec 12, 2010

Vanessa rated it:

This book spoke to me directly, if ever books had words to say. Monica’s creations are tangible; you can almost reach out and touch her characters through the pages, share their various emotions and feel the insecurities that burden them.

Bett is chubby yet lovable, and she’s never been as comfortable in her own skin as her sisters are. The centre of her sisters’ puns about weight, Bett grew up feeling like a failure in terms of her looks. Carrie, blonde and pretty, stole Bett’s fian More...

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Jun 16, 2010

Julie rated it:

I was looking for a quick, fun summer read when I picked up this book. Overall it was a fun, light read but I had a hard time getting into it. The story is about three sisters from Australia who have had a falling out. One of the sisters ends up marrying the other sister’s fiancé. Their grandmother brings them together for her 80th birthday in hopes to bring them back together. The story is pretty slow to begin and then tries to add too much in the last one hundred pages. It was a very simple re More...

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Aug 07, 2010

Susan rated it:

Three Australian sisters who once performed together as "The Alphabet Sisters" become estranged after one steals the other one's fiance. They don't speak for three years until their somewhat overbearing yet refreshingly bohemian grandmother orders them home for her 80th birthday party. This book started slow, became hard to put down in the middle, and then took an unexpected nasty turn for the worse towards the end. I was reading this for entertainment but ended up crying. So if you ne More...

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Feb 08, 2010

Marissa rated it:

This book is the kind of story that will have your emotions going on a rollercoaster. The Alphabet Sisters is one of the best realistic fiction books I have ever read. Anna, Bett, and Carrie are sisters but they are also best friends. When they were younger they used to sing together and be called the Alphabet Sisters. As anyone would guess they got older though, and soon the Alphabet Sisters started to disappear. Even though this happened, the Alphabet Sisters still stayed close. That is, u More...

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May 25, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

Monica McInerney's The Alphabet Sisters caught my attention immediately in the book store, promising to be a touching tale of sisterhood and the bonds they share. Being a sap for any books about sisters, I swiped it off the shelf and made it my "vacation" reading.

The story begins with the three sisters, who have not spoken for three years united for a party for their beloved grandmother. None of the girls are interested in reconciling, after a rather scandalous event rocked More...

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Mar 16, 2010

Rebecca T rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be very true to life and how things really are. Sisters fight, grandmother's meddle, marriages have troubles, accidents happen, etc. The sisters were likable, and I found myself identifying with each one throughout the book. I was shocked by the ending and felt that the last storyline was sort of rushed a little bit. However I still found myself with tears in my eyes.

All in all an 8 out of 10. I will definitely be picking up another Monica McIn More...

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Jun 11, 2010

Victoria rated it:

Oh, this was a lovely book - and one that I enjoyed much more than the other one of hers that I read (Family Baggage). I certainly didn't expect for the book to make me cry - which it did.
I did enjoy it enormously, though. I will certainly keep an eye out for this author in bookstores. Though it was mostly predictable, it was still a lot of fun to read. An escapist story, perfect for a plane ride or a beach!

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Jan 30, 2010

Mari rated it:

You know, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book. I hadn't heard about it either. It was my leap of faith, I guess. But wow....it went beyond the little I was expecting. I couldn't even put it down at times! A really good read of three sisters and the big blowup between them. It was heartfelt and genuine. I loved Lola!! She was a fast tongued character that I hope to one day become. Bad makeup, flashy clothing and sassiness! I'm glad I took that leap.

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Oct 09, 2009

Gwen rated it:

3.5 stars. I did like the Alphabet Sisters, however I think it might be my least favorite of the Monica McInerney books that I have read. It seemed to me like the main plot of the 3 Quinlan sisters working out their issues took about two thirds of the book to resolve, and once that main plot was resolved, there was a LOT crammed in to the last third of the book with minimal foreshadowing for the big issues that McInerney brought up. I guess I can see why it might have been done (since the iss More...

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Jun 16, 2009

Jillian rated it:

One of the best books I've read in a while! I LOVED it. The whole time I was reading it I was thinking that the author must have two sisters . . . come to find out, she has three! She did an amazing job of really using the stereotype of the order of siblings, but not making it too cheesy and obvious. The location (Australia) made it even more entertaining. Seriously made me want a pushy flashy grandma :)

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Apr 10, 2009

Louise rated it:

Wonderful book!

From back cover:

"Sisters are always there for each other...aren't they?

Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan were childhood singing stars-the Alphabet Sisters. As adults they haven't spoken in years. Not since Bett's fiance left her for another sister...

Now Lola, their larger-than-life grandmother, summons them home for a birthday extravaganza and a surprise announcement. But just as the rifts begin to close, the Alphabet Sisters face a More...

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May 08, 2011

Bethany rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 09, 2012

CLM rated it:

Anna, Bet, and Carrie return to the motel run by their parents after three years of estrangement for their grandmother's 80th birthday. The rift was caused by Carrie, who captured and married Bet's fiance, Matthew -- not the kind of sisterly act that can easily be forgiven. However, I found the sisters, their mother, and especially the interfering grandmother, somewhat annoying. The story ended with tragedy and redemption, but by then, had I not been a captive audience in my car, I would simp More...

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Nov 07, 2010

Anna rated it:

I didn't like this book nearly as much as _The Faraday Girls._ The problem was two-fold. First and foremost, it was just too much like _The Faraday Girls_ --- I probably would have liked it better if I hadn't read another book by her. But it also felt like throwing in such a weighty topic for the last tenth of the book was odd --- either make the whole book about that subject, or leave it out.

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Jul 15, 2010

Megan rated it:

This was about three estranged adult sisters who were "forced" to reunite after three years apart by their eccentric grandma.
The seperation began when the youngest sister, Carrie, stole and married the middle sister's fiance.
Anyway, they re-unite for their grandmother's 80th b-day at their parents' motel.
This was a fun-to-read story of family, friendship, forgiveness and so much more. I liked it.

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Jul 13, 2011

Tarran rated it:

This was the first book I read from Monica McInerney and it was great. The story is about three sisters who were close when the were young, but don't talk to each other now due to a falling out. Their grandmother summons them for her birthday party - determined the feud has gone on long enough.
This book made me cry - very emotional and very well written.

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Mar 14, 2010

Kellyh rated it:

This is another one I got in a cheap book bundle, and I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure about it to begin with, but as I got to know the sisters and their family, their back stories, weaknesses and what drives them, my interest grew. The story had enough depth and plot wiggles to keep me engaged and reading when I should have been doing something else.

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Jul 13, 2011

Lisa rated it:

This is a light read about adult sisters in Australia who've been disconnected since a blow-up 3 years earlier regarding boyfriends/fiancees. Their grandmother is a force of nature who forces them together. I took this book on a short trip to Tiburon and it was just right, easy to dip in and out of. I enjoyed all the characters, and the motel setting.

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Aug 29, 2011

Courtney rated it:

A very easy read. In fact, maybe too easy. The book lacked depth and the plot was very slow for about the first 2/3 of the story. I felt like the author crammed a lot of action in the last 100 pages. That being said, I was very moved by the way the story ended and was actually brought to tears. I will probably read another book by this author, I believe there is a lot of potential there.

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Aug 18, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

I really liked this book! It made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. The characters are very well-developed, especially the grandmother Lola, who is a total hoot! The plot line is raw, emotionally-laced, and believable. In addition, I was caught by surprise by some parts (although I'm the type of reader that never sees things coming).

1 comment like

Jul 27, 2009

Laura rated it:

I was really disappointed in this book. It came highly recommended and was waaay to chick-litty for me. I also didn't like the pacing, and didn't care for most of the charaters - they were pretty shallow and not very sympathetic. I know this is a popular author, but I don't think her work is for me.

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Mar 17, 2010

Victoria added it

Overall a surprisingly well-written "beach" read with a modern take on the classic Little Women. Three quarters of the way in, however, it seems as though the author has gotten tired of writing about these characters for a chapter until a rejuvenation with a plot twist.

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Jun 11, 2009

Michelle rated it:

This was chick lit-predictable and fluffy, but I enjoyed it for what it was. It is the story of three sisters who were no longer speaking after a big blowout over various things . They are brought back together by a series by their grandmother and find ways to reconnect. The plot and the characters are believable, but it didn't require a huge brain commitment to read.

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Aug 10, 2011

Narelle added it

I really loved this book. It made me laugh and it made me cry (not a good look on public transport!). I don't have sisters, but I have two daughters and I hope my daughters grow up to love each other as much as the characters in this book.

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Aug 08, 2009

Katie rated it:

I really enjoyed this novel. Often when you have a plot line involving a family - in this case, sisters - at least one is not likable. I did not find that to be the case in this book. In fact, I would love to read more about the Quinlan family.

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Mar 30, 2009

Megan rated it:

Good Hallmark movie....Oh wait, I mean book. Actually I think I give this book a 3.5 but since i can't give half ratings I gave it a 3. Very sad at the end. Lola, in a way, reminds me of my grandma. I can picture her saying some of the same things as Lola.

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Feb 04, 2009

Kristen rated it:

I loved most of this book, but she had to add too much sex. Not that I don't like sex, but I prefer that with my husband. I wanted to just enjoy and laugh and cry with this book and I kept having to skip pages to finish the story.

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Nov 09, 2010

april rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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