The Good Sister by Jamie Kain

The Good Sister

by Jamie Kain 

The Kinsey sisters live in an unconventional world. Their parents are former flower-children who still don’t believe in rules. Their small, Northern California town is filled with free spirits and damaged souls seeking refuge from the real world. Without the anchor of authority, the three girls are adrift and have only each other to rely on.

Rachel is wild. Asha is lost. Sarah, the good sister, is the glue that holds them together. But the forces of a mysterious fate have taken Sarah’s life in a sudden and puzzling accident, sending her already fractured family into a tailspin of grief and confusion. Asha has questions. Rachel has secrets. And Sarah, waking up in the afterlife, must piece together how she got there. 

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published October 7th 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN

1250047730 (ISBN13: 9781250047731)    I received a review copy from readingteen.net

I am the first to admit that I shy away from contemporary books. Mostly the books I have read do not resonate with me. The Good Sister really had me hooked from the first page. It have heard that fans of The Lovely Bones would enjoy this one. While reading I found that this book had several levels to it. Family, friendship, lust vs love, grief, jealousy, sickness and religion.

After their parents moved them from the commune to the suburbs, the Kinsey family begins a downward spiral. Sickness and divorce cause fractures in the family dynamics and each member deals with them in their own ways. Acting out, depression, anger and looking for acceptance and love outside of the family.

The chapters are separated into each girls perspective. We get to see how each of them are individually handling the problems in their lives. It seems that each member of the family is delving into their own forms of escapism and avoiding all the real issues. My favorite character was the youngest daughter Asha. I could understand her position most and could see where she was coming fro time. Looking back upon the life of her family and trying to make sense of it all.
m. As the middle child Rachel is more physical and seems to be relishing in drama and boys to release her emotions. And the eldest Sarah, the most troubled has nothing but

The beginning of the book grips you with all of the mixed stories. Where the family is today and currently dealing with the pain. Asha takes a main roll perhaps because she is the most distraught. As the stories all develop, the relationships become more and more complicated  and depth. I found myself thinking of this book whenever I had to put it down. I felt it to be very thought provoking and even found a little insight into my own life that I never really thought about before.

It is a book that I definitely recommend, especially those that enjoy contemporary and family relationships. It even had me tear up for a minute, which is pretty hard to do. I've given it 4 stars and think it's one to add to your TBR.