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Liked It “Ever since the disappearance of her half-sister Cordelia, Maddie Crane has been wracked with guilt and plagued by nightmares of that fateful night that forced Cordelia to flee. Even when she transfers to a boarding school in Maine, far from her hometown in Hawthorne, Massachusetts, Maddie can’t...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“ Awhile back I read and enjoyed Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (clink on the title to read my review). When I heard that the sequel had come out...well, I had to pick it up so I instantly requested it from the library. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations but here are some of my thoughts.
Samantha A wrote this review Sunday, October 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Warning: This review MAY have spoilers. There is just no way to get around it because the reader needs to read Sisters of Misery before they should give this one a try. The Lost Sister picks up where the previous book left off and shows the reader what Maddie has been up to since going away to school and leaving her hometown (and bad memories) behind. Maddie is still searching for Cordelia and trying to figure out what happened to her after that horrible night on the island. The book is written in multiple viewpoints which allows the reader to begin to see things from Cordelia's experiences to where she is and what she is planning on doing. But mysterious forces are still at work which will draw both of the girls deep into danger once again.
I'm going to split this review into two parts: what worked for me and what didn't. One of my favorite things about this book were reading about the different meanings of the tarot cards beginning at each chapter. It was really interesting and made me want to learn more. I'm glad that we finally find out what happened to Cordelia as the 1st book left me curious and wanting more. It was also nice to see a stronger Maddie, one that stood up for herself and made better decisions. I was able to relate to her even more in this book which was a positive thing.
Not everything worked for me in this book and one of the main problems that I had was the jumping around in narration. It wasn't always clear who was talking at times and it interrupted the flow of the story more often than not. And this bothered me as I think that the flow of the story is an important aspect to me enjoying it as a reader. I also had a hard time getting into the storyline and it wasn't until the end that I found myself really wanting to find out what was going to happen. The ending itself was pulled off nicely as it did keep me reading but all in all, I had a very easy time putting this book down.
I'll still be looking for more books by this author even if this wasn't my favorite book.”
“The Lost Sister continues after the horrific incident that took place on Halloween night leaving one girl to disappear and never be seen from again. The Sisters of Misery were involved.
Cheryl wrote this review Sunday, August 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Maddie Crane has finally escaped The Sisters of Misery and Hawthorne, Massachusetts to attend an exclusive boarding school in Maine. Unfortunately, someone has found Maddie, when she receives a tarot card that represents death. Maddie can’t forgive herself for what happened to her sister, Cordelia. Maybe that is why she won’t stop looking for her till she finds her.
Maddie returns home to care for her mother. Maddie better watch herself as The Sisters of Misery will do anything to bring down anyone who opposes them.
I liked seeing The Sisters of Misery, Maddie and the rest of the characters again. Though I have to admit that I loved Sisters of Misery just a little better. Only because it was darker. It was great that Maddie grew more and stood up for herself against Kate. She really put Kate in her place towards the end of the story. One thing that The Lost Sister story did that I enjoyed is that it filled in the pieces of the past to explain how all the characters got to where they are today. I hope to see Maddie, Cordelia and the rest of The Sisters of Misery again. Megan Kelley Hall has clemented her name as an author to watch out for!”“Ever since the disappearance of her half-sister Cordelia, Maddie Crane has been wracked with guilt and plagued by nightmares of that fateful night that forced Cordelia to flee. Even when she transfers to a boarding school in Maine, far from her hometown in Hawthorne, Massachusetts, Maddie can’t escapt from the blame she’s pinned on herself. Although Maddie will take the guild any day over facing the demons she’s left at home, she knows she can’t hide forever, especially after receiving news of her mother’s cancer—and the tarot card for Death from an unknown sender. And so she returns to Hawthorne, to a home torn apart by her sister’s disappearance, to a town scarred by dangerous memories and filled with sinister secrets. Maddie realizes that it’s time to start cleaning up the whole mess, but what she doesn’t know is that this mess may have moved beyond her control and into the hands of someone—or something—far more cruel.
The Book Muncher wrote this review Saturday, August 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The Lost Sister is the sequel to Sisters of Misery we’ve all been looking for, but while it does address many of the questions its prequel left unanswered, the novel was not quite as spectacular as I thought it’d be. Let me make this clear, The Lost Sister is without a doubt a thrilling story filled with danger, the scandal of recently uncovered secrets, and the mystical wonder of witchcraft and extrasensory perception. But as enthralling as the story is, I often felt the characters were mere puppets of the plot instead of people within a story. Maddie and a select few other characters do experience some growth, but none of these characters ever felt quite real to me. In all actuality, the spirit sightings and other unexplainable events were more believable than the characters. This is because although Hall does a fantastic job of making this novel’s plot exciting and unpredictable, she didn’t dedicate the same care to developing her characters. I didn’t know them and could hardly relate to them most of the time. This doesn’t make the story bad; in fact, I found this story quite enjoyable. But I did find it a little odd that there were so many loose ends left untied by this novel’s finish even though the story just felt like it was over. The Lost Sister could’ve been greater had it been refined better, but it is still a good read and a page turner.
Fans of Hall’s debut Sisters of Misery will not want to miss its sequel The Lost Sister. Hall’s writing is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Swoon by Nina Malkin, Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn, Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz, and Revealers by Amanda Marrone.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com ”
“It's months after the events of Sisters of Misery and Maddie has left Hawthorne to try and get over it all. But when she is summoned back to take care of her sick mother, she can no longer hide from the events of that terrible night and the repercussions.
BeckyL wrote this review Friday, July 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Not as blown away by this one as I was by Sisters of Misery. Still, a good mystery for teens.”
“ Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com
TeensReadToo.com wrote this review Monday, July 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
THE LOST SISTER is Megan Kelley Hall's equally enthralling follow-up to SISTERS OF MISERY. Hall loses no momentum, picking up the Gothic thriller a year after the terrible events that happened to Cordelia on Misery Island.
One year removed from her near-death experience courtesy of Hawthorne's Sisters of Misery, Cordelia is in Maine, hunting down Malcolm Crane, her estranged father whom she holds responsible for all of the tragedies that have befallen the women in her family.
Maddie is away at boarding school, trying to put Hawthorne and the guilt she harbors regarding Cordelia's disappearance in the past. When she receives news that her mother has cancer, she knows that she must return to Hawthorne and care for her sick mother. A warning in the form of a spooky tarot card does nothing to quell Maddie's fears about returning to her hometown and facing her demons.
Shortly after her return, Maddie's world is once again turned upside down and the events that she has tried so hard to forget come rushing back.
When one of the Sisters of Misery is killed at a party thrown by the Endicotts' to gain public support for their hotel, Hawthorne begins turning on its own. Finn and Reed, both suspects in Cordelia's disappearance, are once again arrested, this time for suspected murder. Only Cordelia's sudden return to Hawthorne and testimony that neither man had anything to do with her disappearance frees them.
The Endicotts' plans to erect a new hotel, The Endicott, where the Ravenswood asylum stands, is unexpectedly halted due to a freak fire burning down all of the new buildings. Some suspect the spirits of the witches that were condemned so long ago, while others point to arson.
The curse upon Hawthorne is very real. A fire. A murder. A kidnapping. If Maddie and Cordelia are to survive this deadly turn of events, they will have to use their mysterious abilities and they will have to trust each other as sisters. Someone, or something, is after them, and Maddie and Cordelia have only each other.
Hall will have your heart racing and you will not be able to put this book down. With historical allusions to the New England witch trials and a touch of the paranormal, THE LOST SISTER is a thriller in a league of its own.
”
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