Imagine what it would be like if you suddenly discovered that your father isn't an anonymous sperm donor, as you've always been led to believe, but he's actually trying to get in touch with you. That's just the first bombshell for bewildered teen Willow though. She discovers that she also has a critically ill half-sister who is desperately in need of a bone marrow transplant and Willow just might be the highly sought after match that her unknown family have been hoping and praying for. If only she didn't have a phobia of blood and needles ... And if only her sick little sister Bella didn't hate her and not want anything to do with her. Surely she could be a little bit grateful ?!
Poor Willow goes through the emotional wringer, experiencing every feeling possible, from anger and sorrow to guilt and hope. Bella comes across as a stroppy little madam, but her illness, and the fact that she is worried about her new half-sister taking her father's love away from her, help us to empathise with her. The only characters who behave badly in this book are the adults really - while they are trying to make the best of a bad job, it is their dubious choices all those years ago that have led to such drama and upheaval and I couldn't feel anything but contempt for Willow's father's selfish reasons for getting in touch with her.
Sister, Sister takes an honest and poignant look at what friendship and family mean, as well as the emotional release offered by both reading and writing/blogging. It is a heartwarming, realistic read that targets a tween/young teen female audience, similar to Jacqueline Wilson, but I still loved it, even as a forty-something woman !
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £6.99
- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: OUP Oxford (2 July 2015)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0192738135
- ISBN-13: 978-0192738134
- Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.8 x 19.8 cm
Disclosure : I received a copy of the book in order to write an honest review.
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