Book Review: Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
I don’t often find myself agreeing with the “for fans of…” parts of book marketing, but in this case, I absolutely agree with the fact this is perfect for fans of Jordan Peele’s horror movies. From the blurb, I was expecting hauntings, something spooky happening at the cabin the siblings escape to. And there is an element of this, but the book contains so much more.
The three siblings are Calla Williams (25), middle brother Dre, and Jamie, the youngest at 16. Calla has spent most of her life looking out for and after her brothers, including taking Jamie in when asked by social workers. And though they don’t realise it, Dre and Jamie both lean on Calla, expecting her to take care of things, tidy up after them, turning to her when they get in trouble and need to get away for a while.
What really struck me was the sibling dynamic, the way the brothers take advantage of their sister, the expectations placed on her not just through their actions, but because from a young age she’s been parentified, taking care of Jamie when their parents wouldn’t. She carries a lot on her shoulders. But it’s hard to totally fault Jamie – an angry, frustrated Black teenager who sees very clearly how his white classmates are treated differently, who wants to do something to make a difference in the world.
Is Jamie frustrating? Yes, of course he is! He’s a teenage boy dealing with all that comes with that, along with abandonment issues and the racial element, the awareness that the odds are stacked against him. In contrast, Dre is easy going, but almost too much so – he does little to support Calla, despite promising to help look after Jamie, and brushes off her concerns really easily.
The dynamics really make the book stand out. The whole thing feels like a twisty, fucked up path you can’t help but follow, with some incredible imagination and ideas behind Calla’s nightmare world. I can’t stress this enough – this book is well worth your time and energy.
I read Listen to Your Sister for the ‘featuring a Black main character’ prompt in our DHR Reading Challenge – check out our Challenge page to find out more and see how you can take part.
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Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I received this ebook from Titan Books via NetGalley for review consideration.
