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The Sullivan Sisters
by
Time changes things.
That painful fact of life couldn’t be truer for the Sullivan sisters. Once, they used to be close, sharing secrets inside homemade blanket castles. Now, life in the Sullivan house means closed doors and secrets left untold.
Fourteen-year-old Murphy, an aspiring magician, is shocked by the death of Siegfried, her pet turtle. Seventeen-year-old Claire is ...more
That painful fact of life couldn’t be truer for the Sullivan sisters. Once, they used to be close, sharing secrets inside homemade blanket castles. Now, life in the Sullivan house means closed doors and secrets left untold.
Fourteen-year-old Murphy, an aspiring magician, is shocked by the death of Siegfried, her pet turtle. Seventeen-year-old Claire is ...more
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Hardcover, 372 pages
Published
June 23rd 2020
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Start your review of The Sullivan Sisters
Ugh, I gotta be honest y'all. This book was really underwhelming. I've wanted to read something from this author for ages and I'm worried that I may have started with the wrong book :c It had so much potential to be amazing (spooky seaside town! sister bonding! queer characters!), but it just felt like.. nothing happened and I am SAD. I will still go back and read more from Ormsbee's backlist because I did enjoy the writing style, but I can't pretend that the plot as a whole didn't leave a lot t
...more
Edit: Happy book birthday to The Sullivan Sisters!
Thank you to Simon Teen for the Advanced Readers Copy! All opinions are my own.
I thought this was a very fun mystery! I loved how it showed the complex relationships sisters have with each other and I loved how each one had a very distinct voice and they all grow in some way, albeit a bit predictable, in the end. I liked that the mystery aspect was fun but didn’t overshadow the characters which is what I think are the important part of the story ...more
Thank you to Simon Teen for the Advanced Readers Copy! All opinions are my own.
I thought this was a very fun mystery! I loved how it showed the complex relationships sisters have with each other and I loved how each one had a very distinct voice and they all grow in some way, albeit a bit predictable, in the end. I liked that the mystery aspect was fun but didn’t overshadow the characters which is what I think are the important part of the story ...more
This book was received as an ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I heart basically stopped and raced back up again when reading this book. I could not stop. I love the backgrounds of each of the sisters Murphy, Claire and Eileen and how they used to be a close bunch but when each of them experience a "major" crisis, they drift apart and g ...more
I heart basically stopped and raced back up again when reading this book. I could not stop. I love the backgrounds of each of the sisters Murphy, Claire and Eileen and how they used to be a close bunch but when each of them experience a "major" crisis, they drift apart and g ...more
Feb 19, 2020
Joanna Bennett
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arcs-earcs,
2020-reads
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
If you are looking for a YA mystery/thriller well don’t pick this one up because the labeling of this book is very misleading.
There are family secrets laced within the pages and although there is death involve it isn’t shocking and it doesn’t even play a major role. From the premise I thought that this book would be completely different than what I actually read. I couldn’t find myself connecting to any of the siste ...more
If you are looking for a YA mystery/thriller well don’t pick this one up because the labeling of this book is very misleading.
There are family secrets laced within the pages and although there is death involve it isn’t shocking and it doesn’t even play a major role. From the premise I thought that this book would be completely different than what I actually read. I couldn’t find myself connecting to any of the siste ...more
The author of Tash Hearts Tolstoy wrote an inheritance mystery with THAT cover??? Take my money!
...more
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Having sisters must be wild. In fiction and in reality, there is always a story with sisters. And with The Sullivan Sisters, there certainly is one. And it's changed over the years as the girls have gotten older, developed their own lives, and drifted a bit away from one another. But a chance letter revealing a relative they never knew existed thrusts them back into each other's orbits.
I ...more
Having sisters must be wild. In fiction and in reality, there is always a story with sisters. And with The Sullivan Sisters, there certainly is one. And it's changed over the years as the girls have gotten older, developed their own lives, and drifted a bit away from one another. But a chance letter revealing a relative they never knew existed thrusts them back into each other's orbits.
I ...more
Jun 23, 2020
Vee
marked it as want-to-read-new
I am so excited for this?
Happy release day!
Happy release day!
3.5?? Idk. This was...not what I was expecting it to be. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I was just expecting something creepier than this, for some reason? And the creepiest thing in this book is a fucking doll, sooo.
This was pretty good, though? Not phenomenal, but also not terrible. I guess just kinda meh, really.
It was certainly interesting to see all three sisters grow and change over the course of the book, and come to terms with their problems, and I think that was handled pretty well ...more
This was pretty good, though? Not phenomenal, but also not terrible. I guess just kinda meh, really.
It was certainly interesting to see all three sisters grow and change over the course of the book, and come to terms with their problems, and I think that was handled pretty well ...more
Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)
Diversity: Gay MC, Vietnamese side-character, f/f relationship.
This was... not what I expected. I think I expected it to be more of a mystery than it was. It felt more like a slow-paced story focused on sisters and family and family secrets, as a whole. Still enjoyable, but I think I expected a bit more from it.
Full review coming soon!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC ...more
Diversity: Gay MC, Vietnamese side-character, f/f relationship.
This was... not what I expected. I think I expected it to be more of a mystery than it was. It felt more like a slow-paced story focused on sisters and family and family secrets, as a whole. Still enjoyable, but I think I expected a bit more from it.
Full review coming soon!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC ...more
I really enjoyed this book 😊 I think anyone reading this will identify with one of the sisters.
I didn't realize this would turn into a story with lots of heart. At first it seemed to be just a story about three sisters with a not so happy upbringing, but it quickly turned into so much more. There was a connection there I didn't see coming. Especially, when it seemed to involve a good amount of characters. But, I was shown a story of a family, whom a bit lost, could come together in the form of hidden secrets, and stories untold.
There was so much of that in here, as the Sullivan sisters s ...more
There was so much of that in here, as the Sullivan sisters s ...more
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED JUNE 23RD, 2020
4 STARS
A dead turtle right before Christmas doesn’t seem like it belongs in an inheritance story, but here we are.
It sounds a little outlandish for a contemporary mystery, but yes, a pet turtle does die only days before Christmas, and yes, his death is a catalyst. You see, the Sullivan sisters used to be close. These days, though, they’re lucky if they look at one another with ...more
EXPECTED JUNE 23RD, 2020
4 STARS
A dead turtle right before Christmas doesn’t seem like it belongs in an inheritance story, but here we are.
It sounds a little outlandish for a contemporary mystery, but yes, a pet turtle does die only days before Christmas, and yes, his death is a catalyst. You see, the Sullivan sisters used to be close. These days, though, they’re lucky if they look at one another with ...more
*We received this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The Sullivan sisters used to be the best of friends. Eighteen-year-old Eileen was the leader and a budding artist. Seventeen-year-old Claire was the dreamer, set on getting out of her small Oregonian town with the goal of attending Yale. And fourteen-year-old Murphy, an aspiring magician, was the engine of the family. But two years ago, that all changed– the sisters grew apart, their mom became absent, and Eileen stumbled upon a family sec ...more
Review originally posted at between-the-shelves.com!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this for early review! Even since reading Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, I've loved her work. This was a different story, but still a thoroughly engaging story. While it's a bit slow moving at first, the story itself is atmospheric and it draws you in quickly.
While this book is being pitched as a mystery, it's more of an unraveling of family secrets through th ...more
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this for early review! Even since reading Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, I've loved her work. This was a different story, but still a thoroughly engaging story. While it's a bit slow moving at first, the story itself is atmospheric and it draws you in quickly.
While this book is being pitched as a mystery, it's more of an unraveling of family secrets through th ...more
Won in a GoodReads Giveaway!
There were many good and bad things about this book. I want to rate it a 2.5. This is because truly there was no real plot of this book. It felt like it went on for a long time and nothing really ever happened. Being slow paced is something that truly ruins a book for me.
Also I don't get how this was a thriller. And to be honest it wasn't even really a Mystery. If your in to cozy mysteries that don't need a lot of thought and you can relax to on the beach then this w ...more
There were many good and bad things about this book. I want to rate it a 2.5. This is because truly there was no real plot of this book. It felt like it went on for a long time and nothing really ever happened. Being slow paced is something that truly ruins a book for me.
Also I don't get how this was a thriller. And to be honest it wasn't even really a Mystery. If your in to cozy mysteries that don't need a lot of thought and you can relax to on the beach then this w ...more
Disappointing, and could have benefitted from more research about how inheritance works. Also, lots of missed opportunities to delve into some really interesting stories. The chapter about the brothers was absolutely pointless.
So good! Such a magical, mysterious story that kept me guessing and gasping throughout. I loved the relationship between the 3 sisters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review
This book was right up my alley. I have a soft spot in my heart for stories about dysfunctional families coming together to work out their differences. Throw in creepy, old Victorian houses over looking the ocean inherited from estranged family members, the Pacific Northwest, and the uncovering of family secrets, you pretty much have a recipe for my next favorite book.
All three of the Sullivan Sisters were so differ ...more
This book was right up my alley. I have a soft spot in my heart for stories about dysfunctional families coming together to work out their differences. Throw in creepy, old Victorian houses over looking the ocean inherited from estranged family members, the Pacific Northwest, and the uncovering of family secrets, you pretty much have a recipe for my next favorite book.
All three of the Sullivan Sisters were so differ ...more
I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book has a content warning for alcoholism.
This book was a bit underwhelming to me. I just felt like not a whole lot happened in this book. The main mystery in this book was something I figured out in like the first quarter. For the rest I felt like the sister relationship and the character's developement of this book and honeslty normally I wouldn't be mad about that but there just wasn't a plot and I als ...more
This book has a content warning for alcoholism.
This book was a bit underwhelming to me. I just felt like not a whole lot happened in this book. The main mystery in this book was something I figured out in like the first quarter. For the rest I felt like the sister relationship and the character's developement of this book and honeslty normally I wouldn't be mad about that but there just wasn't a plot and I als ...more
this book was kind of all over the place. i don't think it knew what it wanted to be and i was too bored to see if it could figure it out
...more
Sisters Eileen, Claire, and Murphy used to be close. A visionary, a planner, and a performer respectively the sisters could accomplish amazing things--like making their house feel like a home even with their father dead and their mother increasingly absent.
But that was years ago. Now the girls can barely stand to be around each other.
At eighteen Eileen has been carrying a potentially dangerous secret for years. She is working a dead end job. She's managed to hide her drinking from her mother so ...more
But that was years ago. Now the girls can barely stand to be around each other.
At eighteen Eileen has been carrying a potentially dangerous secret for years. She is working a dead end job. She's managed to hide her drinking from her mother so ...more
Apr 05, 2020
Kavanand (Reading for Two)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-releases,
netgalley
Once upon a time, the Sullivan sisters were a close-knit trio, but as the years passed, they've fractured into three distinct units. Eileen once dreamed of being an artist, but now she's given up on art, works a dead end job, and nurses a growing drinking problem. Claire is determined to leave her small Oregon town behind. She's got straight As and a successful small business, but her dream school has just turned her down. Murphy is the youngest, and she's scared of being left behind. It's Chris
...more
This book was one of those perfect balances of beautiful and interest.
More than that, it was easily devoured. I started to read this book hoping that it would lull me to sleep, the way beginnings of books often do. Instead, I was instantly drawn in to the world of the Sullivan Sisters, and I couldn't put the book down. At no point did I feel bored with the characters or frustrated or like I had come to a good pausing point. This book is a whirlwind adventure which really makes the reader's feel ...more
More than that, it was easily devoured. I started to read this book hoping that it would lull me to sleep, the way beginnings of books often do. Instead, I was instantly drawn in to the world of the Sullivan Sisters, and I couldn't put the book down. At no point did I feel bored with the characters or frustrated or like I had come to a good pausing point. This book is a whirlwind adventure which really makes the reader's feel ...more
This book was one of those perfect balances of beautiful and interest.
More than that, it was easily devoured. I started to read this book hoping that it would lull me to sleep, the way beginnings of books often do. Instead, I was instantly drawn in to the world of the Sullivan Sisters, and I couldn't put the book down. At no point did I feel bored with the characters or frustrated or like I had come to a good pausing point. This book is a whirlwind adventure which really makes the reader's feel ...more
More than that, it was easily devoured. I started to read this book hoping that it would lull me to sleep, the way beginnings of books often do. Instead, I was instantly drawn in to the world of the Sullivan Sisters, and I couldn't put the book down. At no point did I feel bored with the characters or frustrated or like I had come to a good pausing point. This book is a whirlwind adventure which really makes the reader's feel ...more
This book sure knows how to hit you right in the feels. I'm usually a fan of fantasy stories but this book promised mystery and it sure delivered! At it's heart, it's a book about sisters and their complicated relationship. I mean who hasn't fought with their siblings before? Who hasn't said harsh words and later regretting them but not knowing how to apologize? Or even worse thinking they don't want to apologize because what they said was true? Out of all the sisters, I have to say I liked/iden
...more
I will never look at chocolate morsels the same...
First, this cover is absolutely stunning—so intricate and delicate, kind of like the Sullivan family. This family is hanging on by a thread and it all comes to a head on a road trip over Christmas. Eldest sister Eileen's life is in shambles after finding a disturbing family secret two years ago. Uptight middle sister Claire believes her entire life is over after a major college rejection. Baby sister Murphy feels like the "spare tire" in her fami ...more
First, this cover is absolutely stunning—so intricate and delicate, kind of like the Sullivan family. This family is hanging on by a thread and it all comes to a head on a road trip over Christmas. Eldest sister Eileen's life is in shambles after finding a disturbing family secret two years ago. Uptight middle sister Claire believes her entire life is over after a major college rejection. Baby sister Murphy feels like the "spare tire" in her fami ...more
3.5/5 stars
This edition was an ARC. I was not provided the ARC by the author or publishing company but rather by the bookstore where I attend a YA book club.
First off, I love the cover and its subtle and yet bold use of color. The cover is what first influenced me to choose this book.
I would describe The Sullivan Sisters as a coming-of-age story and mystery. It tells the story of 3 sisters, each coping with a loss, and their journey to find meaning and answers while solving a family mystery.
Ove ...more
This edition was an ARC. I was not provided the ARC by the author or publishing company but rather by the bookstore where I attend a YA book club.
First off, I love the cover and its subtle and yet bold use of color. The cover is what first influenced me to choose this book.
I would describe The Sullivan Sisters as a coming-of-age story and mystery. It tells the story of 3 sisters, each coping with a loss, and their journey to find meaning and answers while solving a family mystery.
Ove ...more
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
So this book is about three sisters, Eileen, Claire, and Murphy who find out that they had a mysterious uncle who died and left them his house. So they decide to go on roadtrip to this house and along the way they discover family secrets. But everything is not as it seems.
So I just have to say that I enjoyed this book so much! I loved it more than I thought I would since I don't read many contemporaries. I love the way the sisters are written with th ...more
So this book is about three sisters, Eileen, Claire, and Murphy who find out that they had a mysterious uncle who died and left them his house. So they decide to go on roadtrip to this house and along the way they discover family secrets. But everything is not as it seems.
So I just have to say that I enjoyed this book so much! I loved it more than I thought I would since I don't read many contemporaries. I love the way the sisters are written with th ...more
2.5 stars. What really shines in this book is the sister relationships. Murphy, Claire, and Eileen are all very different from one another, but their interactions, gripes, and love feel very authentic. I also really liked how at each different stage of their lives they really felt those ages; Eileen at 18 is different from Eileen at 11, but are both recognizably Eileen. This part is great.
The rest, however, fell flat for me. Both the cover and the description made me think this was going to be ...more
The rest, however, fell flat for me. Both the cover and the description made me think this was going to be ...more
A pretty fast read, but a nice take on both the relationship between sisters and the aching way that growing up can take away the things that made your childhood so magical. I also appreciated the portrayal of an exhausted sort of neglect on the part of a parent - a somewhat nuanced portrayal of poor parenting which might be relatable to readers. Each sister's narrative was well-defined and the characters sympathetic and well-rounded, but between the three of them I'm not sure that there was a t
...more
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Kathryn Ormsbee writes books, cooks food, & records podcasts in Oregon. She is the author of YA novels LUCKY FEW, TASH HEARTS TOLSTOY, and THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE END (Simon & Schuster).
Kathryn also writes Middle Grade fantasy novels as K.E. Ormsbee. She is the author of the WATER AND THE WILD series (Chronicle Books and Gumption Press), THE HOUSE IN POPLAR WOOD (Chronicle), and the upcoming sci-fi a ...more
Kathryn also writes Middle Grade fantasy novels as K.E. Ormsbee. She is the author of the WATER AND THE WILD series (Chronicle Books and Gumption Press), THE HOUSE IN POPLAR WOOD (Chronicle), and the upcoming sci-fi a ...more
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