The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade review: An impressive debut

The Shadow Sister summary:

Sutton going missing is the worst thing to happen to Casey, to their family. She’s trying to help find her sister, but Casey is furious. And she can’t tell anyone about their argument before Sutton disappeared. Everyone paints a picture of Sutton’s perfection: the popular cheerleader with an entourage of friends, a doting boyfriend, and a limitless future.

But Sutton manipulated everyone around her, even stole an heirloom bracelet from Casey. People don’t look for missing Black girls--or half-Black girls--without believing there is an angel to be saved.

When Sutton reappears, Casey knows she should be relieved. Except Sutton isn’t the same. She remembers nothing about while she was gone—or anything from her old life, including how she made Casey miserable. There’s something unsettling about the way she wants to spend time with Casey, the way she hums and watches her goldfish swim for hours.

What happened to Sutton? The more Casey starts uncovering her sister’s secrets, the more questions she has. Did she really know her sister? Why is no one talking about the other girls who have gone missing in their area? And what will it take to uncover the truth?

The Shadow Sister characters

The main characters and narrators are Casey and Sutton Cureton, two sisters. Casey narrates in the present day, and we get sprinkles of non-linear flashbacks told in the past from Sutton’s point of view. 

Major supporting characters include: Isaiah and Madison Cureton, Casey and Sutton’s parents, Ruth, Casey’s best friend, Ma Remy, the Cureton sister's grandmother, and not to forget Romeo, the family dog.

My review

The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4/5

Wow, what an impressive debut! I was captivated by this YA family-drama mystery-thriller with a touch of magical realism that explores intergenerational trauma and healing.

The plot was engaging, and the characters were well-developed, with authentic love-hate sibling relationships between the Cureton sisters and their unique relationships with their parents. I especially appreciated the historical accuracy of the hoodoo magic during slavery and its ties to modern-day African American spiritualism, through Isaiah, the dad who is a historian in the book.

The candid and powerful commentary on the experiences of being biracial in America, including the issue of colorism, was well-integrated into the narrative without overpowering the plot. The way the police responded to Black girls going missing, only showing concern after Sutton's disappearance went viral, is a sad and dark reflection of our society.

However, I felt that the end chapters could have been fleshed out more to reach the book's full potential. It felt abrupt and rushed, and the "villain's" motivations could have been better developed to make them more believable as a three-dimensional character. Perhaps adding some extra backstory here could help.

Despite this, I highly recommend this book for its striking storyline that celebrates the power of family bonds, complete with poignant history, plus suspense. Congratulations Lily Meade on a superb debut. The cover art also needs a moment, because it's stunning. I am grateful to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this work, which will be published on the 27th of June 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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If you enjoyed reading The Shadow Sister, you may also enjoy reading:

• Slay, by Brittney Morris. (YA sci-fi fantasy vibes).

• Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark (Social horror, fantasy vibes).