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A review by amanda_reads13
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
One night Chloe comes home to find her husband Adam dead. Now Chloe's stepson, Ethan, accused and on trial for his murder.
This was a fairly predictable suspense story. Our narrator is incredibly unreliable and our characters are all pretty unlikable.
Chloe's older sister, Nikki, was once married to Adam and is the birth mother of Ethan. Years after their divorce and getting sole custody of Ethan, Adam moves to New York and starts seeing Chloe (yes, his ex's sister). Twisted.
Chloe and Adam's life seems picture perfect. She runs an online magazine and he is a lawyer, they have a second home in the Hamptons, and send their son to a ritzy private school. But all is not what it seems.
During Ethan's trial secrets are revealed that threaten everyone.Adam has been getting more and more manipulative and abusive towards his wife and son. Chloe couldn't leave Adam since she had no legal right to Ethan, so she stayed to "protect" him. To get "revenge" she starts an affair with Adams coworker. We find out that Adam also abused and manipulated Nikki the same way which is how he got custody of Ethan.
I feel like the big twist at the end was anti-climatic.It seemed pretty obvious that Nikki was involved in the murder. The twist of planting the knife on Adam's boss was interesting tho.
This was a fairly predictable suspense story. Our narrator is incredibly unreliable and our characters are all pretty unlikable.
Chloe's older sister, Nikki, was once married to Adam and is the birth mother of Ethan. Years after their divorce and getting sole custody of Ethan, Adam moves to New York and starts seeing Chloe (yes, his ex's sister). Twisted.
Chloe and Adam's life seems picture perfect. She runs an online magazine and he is a lawyer, they have a second home in the Hamptons, and send their son to a ritzy private school. But all is not what it seems.
During Ethan's trial secrets are revealed that threaten everyone.
I feel like the big twist at the end was anti-climatic.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment