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.

This comes out June 23rd and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves books about sisters!

The Sullivan Sisters is definitely a character-driven novel with a slow-paced plot. I thought the plot was going to be a little more intense than it actually was and I kept waiting for the story to pick up as the mystery built, but it really didn't. It was still enjoyable, but it wasn't a gripping mystery like I was expecting.

Even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting, I still enjoyed getting to know the three Sullivan sisters. They were each distinct and had their own struggles that kept the book interesting.

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 Christmas, the girls are alone because their mother has won a cruise, and Eileen learns that they have an inheritance from an uncle they've never heard of. This leads to the sisters going on a Christmas road trip to visit the old Victorian house they've inherited, and they learn about a murder mystery that involves their family.

I'm a sucker for dysfunctional family stories, and this one is the sort of thing I love. The Sullivan family is a mess. Their father died before Murphy was born, and her mother was left with huge medical bills that she's still trying to pay off, 14 years later. She works constantly at a drug store, and the girls have been raising themselves for the last few years. The narration moves among the three sisters, and we see inside their heads.

Claire was the most interesting character to me. As a queer teen in a small town, she's just waiting to finish high school and start life over in a new place. She's a devotee of a social media influencer, and her path to success follows the influencer's teaching, which are both depressing and funny. She's built her dream of escape around getting into Yale on early decision admission, and when she's rejected, she's devastated because she didn't apply anywhere else and she feels like her whole future is on the line (I did wonder why she couldn't just apply somewhere else. It's only December, and most regular admissions deadlines are in January as far as I know.).

Eileen's narrative was a little hard to read at times. She's had a really rough time, and she's turned to alcohol to ease the pain. She's a mess and much of it has to do with a secret she discovered two years before, which is related to the mystery inheritance. Murphy is a sweetheart. She's 14, and she's taken the fractured relationship the hardest. She just wants her family to go back the way we were (and to become a famous magician).

The three voices are very distinctive and the triple narrative structure works really well for the story. The family mystery is an interesting one and it works well as a device to force the sisters to deal with each other. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes broken family stories.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

3.5/5

A really honest look at sisterhood wrapped in a mysterious package.

Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.

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 started on a journey to find a truth they all needed so badly. It's one that even if at times seemed to be a given, an end the reader saw coming, it still felt genuine and full of emotion. And each sister was a personality all their own, with the words switching between the three very effortlessly.

There are times, as mentioned, where some scenarios could be interpreted immediately after being read, situations that were resolved a lot quicker than one would have wished, but it really didn't take away from the Sullivan's and their search for answers. Plus, there is so much that makes up each sister, that one can step away from those moments and continue into the rest.

That includes the castle that makes an appearance every Christmas, the time on the road the sisters have, on their way to a home that isn't one to them just yet, the officer that I want to know more about, who is a true friend that's never forgotten, and the moments that bring mother and daughters together, even if under the not so happiest of circumstances. Glad I took a chance on this novel, because it really surprised me.

***I received this copy from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

There were so many interesting elements to this novel, and they all came together quite nicely. There was a lot of hurt within this family, and it was nice to see them finally find some peace and resolve. The mystery within the story was great, and I loved the characters and the memories the girls came across on their trip.

A nice story about sisters coming together after miscommunications. I found the writing to be choppy and hard to follow throughout the book - just not as well written as most books I read. But nice story line and plot.

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 far. Her sisters aren't as easy to fool.

Seventeen-year-old Claire is an Exceller and she is ready to use everything at her disposal to Excel, succeed, get the hell out of her small Oregon town, and find her first girlfriend. With advice from her favorite self-help Youtuber, Claire has done everything right. But she still didn't get into Yale--the only college she applied to.

Fourteen-year-old Murphy has always felt like a fifth wheel in her family. She never met her father so she can't miss him. Her mom is never around. Eileen and Claire never have time for her. Luckily, Murphy has her magic tricks to keep her company. She used to also have Siegfried the family turtle. But then she forgot to feed him one too many times.

Days before Christmas Eileen receives a letter that could change everything. The sisters have inherited a house from an uncle they've never heard of. A house that could have answers for Eileen, money for Claire to get out of town, and a chance for Murphy to feel like she's part of a family again in The Sullivan Sisters (2020) by Kathryn Ormsbee

Find it on Bookshop.

The Sullivan Sisters alternates between third person chapters from each sister. Unfortunately, the clinical tone of the narration also makes the sister's blend together. A heavy reliance on quirks to define their personalities doesn't help matters.

Your feelings about this book will depend heavily on your expectations going in. If you are looking for a heartfelt story of sisters reconnecting, this is the book for you. If, like me, you came expecting an atmospheric house mystery you will likely be disappointed.

Ormsbee tackles a lot in the book and the mystery aspect, such as it is, barely makes the list. What The Sullivan Sisters does well is present three flawed characters (four if you count their mother) who have gotten so used to drifting along that they need a major jolt (like a surprise inheritance) to get back on track.

Throughout the book Eileen is forced to confront her alcoholism (she is in AA by the end of the story). Claire has to admit that her self-help idol may not be as helpful as she thought but also it may not be as terrible as Claire thought to be queer in a small town--even without a plan. Murphy is a hard one. She is funny and often the most approachable of the sisters. But she also killed Siegfried the turtle through her own neglect--something that was hard to swallow even with an abundance of remorse on her part.

The Sullivan Sisters is a story about connection and secrets. Recommended for readers who enjoy reading about complicated sibling relationships, family secrets, and flawed characters.

Possible Pairings: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett, Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno, Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry, Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford, The Insomniacs by Marit Weisenberg

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*