The Night Sister

by Jennifer McMahon

A derelict motel, haunting childhood memories, hidden rooms, two sisters and family secrets--a supernatural tale that will thrill and chill in equal measure


     Once a thriving attraction on the well-traveled roads of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, an eerie, abandoned place. Amy, her best friend, Piper, and Piper's younger sister, Margot, played there as kids, exploring everywhere, even the forbidden tower itself--where they uncovered a secret one summer that ended their friendship.
     Twenty years later, Piper has left all of that behind, until she gets a call from Margot telling her that Amy's been accused of a horrific crime. Piper and Margot will have to confront what truly happened that long-ago summer and all that led up to it--a hidden room, a family drowning in secrets, another pair of sisters each believing the other to be something truly monstrous--in order to understand, and survive, what is happening now.

• ISBN10: 0385538510
• ISBN13: 9780385538510
• Publish Date: 4 August 2015
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: Doubleday Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[leahrosereads]

Some more body chills from an author that's fast becoming a must read/must buy for me. I wish I had taken a break between this and THE WINTER PEOPLE because that book is just so fantastic, and I felt like THE NIGHT SISTER fell a tad short.

It had several similar elements, and I'm guessing that's just how this author writes. The reader gets a past that's spooky and mysterious and a present tense that ties them both together. The supernatural and mystery elements feel so unique that I have not been able to see what's going to happen, until it finally does. Which is what makes a great mystery.

The characters in this book are more unlikable and flawed than in THE WINTER PEOPLE, and that makes sense. Family vs. teenager-ish, and teenagers vs. adults. The backstories provided for more flawed characters in THE NIGHT SISTER and should have made for a more interesting story.

I just felt every element of this book was lacking just a smidge compared to THE WINTER PEOPLE. The supernatural element was really interesting conceptually, but I don't feel like there was enough information to really cement it to the story fully. The characters weren't as sympathetic, and I didn't empathize as well as I should have.


I think I'm going to need to re-read this one in the future and not on the coattails of THE WINTER PEOPLE. I just don't think I'm giving this story the unbiased opinion that it deserves. I'm still going to recommend it and Jennifer McMahon in the future to everyone. If I can smash this book into the face of my friends and force the words into their eyeballs, I will.

...

If I don't also have THE WINTER PEOPLE on hand to do exactly that to everyone else with instead.

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

First Impressions:

The Night Sisters is first perceived as a murder/police procedural novel; a genre I eat up -- bring it on!

Novel Impressions:

I have mixed feelings about The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon. Like the The One I Left Behind this novel is told in flashbacks of Amy's mother Rose and the events that led up to her sister Sylvie's disappearance. The flashbacks and pacing about what happened to Sylvie were by far my favorite parts. There was tension and had me listening closely. however, this was dimmed by my lack of interest in the characters themselves. I didn't find them to be well developed, Other than growing up, Amy, Piper and Margot were still the high-strung girls they were the day they discovered Amy's Grandmother's dirty little secret so many years ago.

What was the true downfall for me was what was supposed to be the twist. The shapeshifting fantasy aspect just came off as absurd and overall I was disappointed. This is the best the author could come up with? Seriously?

Narration Impressions:

The highlight of the novel was Cassandra Campbell, therefore my downs for The Night Sister were improved by her narration. Her storytelling is soothing and always enhances my enjoyment of the novel.

Final Impressions:

Needless to say, I don't think I will be indulging in another novel by Jennifer McMahon. Unfortunately, like The One I Left Behind, The Night Sister held the potential but just fell flat and don't see myself saying "third time's the charm" any time soon.

This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

[ibeforem]

This is the second Jennifer McMahon book I’ve read, and my comments on the first still apply to the second: “Interesting concept, mostly okay execution.”

At the heart of this story is the Tower Motel and the family that runs it. Chronologically, the story begins with Sylvie and Rose, the daughters of the Tower’s builder and owner. Sylvie is the darling older daughter, sparkling and talented and prepared to take Hollywood by storm. Rose is the quieter, plainer, younger sister, always in Sylvie’s shadow and content to care for her cow.

Decades later, we meet Amy, Rose’s daughter, and her friends Piper and Margot. Amy is obsessed with the mystery of her aunt Sylvie’s disappearance, and pulls Piper and Margot into the mystery with her.

And then decades past that, we meet Amy, Piper, and Margot as adults. But something terrible has happened at the Tower Motel, and it’s connected to the events of the past.

The three time periods are woven together so pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed. This part, I enjoyed. I like to get bits and pieces of the story at a time, and try to figure out how everything fits together in the end.

But there’s also a supernatural element here, and that’s the part that I found disappointing. I kinda wish it wasn’t there. It’s not that I dislike supernatural stuff — I have read my fair share — but this particular piece of the supernatural world didn’t appeal to me. I would have rather it been a mental disorder, a delusion.

But overall, I enjoyed this story, and I like McMahon as an author. I’ll certainly read more of her books.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The Night Sister begins at the Tower Motel in a rural town in Vermont where we meet Amy. She is clearly disturbed about something and pulls the shotgun out of the hall closet. From page, one I am riveted, as Amy refers to old childhood friends. A phone call to the local police informs us that something horrific has occurred at the Tower Motel.

The story is told in multiple perspectives and shares events from the past and present.

Present day: Amy is dead and accused of a horrific crime. In her hands, a photo was found with a short message on the back. Margot and Piper are shocked by the news and it reawakens memories of the summer they found the suitcase. Margot and Piper begin to investigate on their own.
Childhood of Amy, Piper and Margot: We go to the summer Amy, Margot and Piper’s friendship ended. The three of them spent time together at the rundown motel. Skating in the now empty pool, and exploring the forbidden tower. Here they find a hidden suitcase that belonged to Amy’s aunt Sylvie. Amy was told Sylvia ran away to Hollywood and was never heard from again. What does this suitcase mean? McMahon weaves a fascinating story as the girls pepper Amy’s grandmother with questions and explore the motel and home for clues.
1950’s: We spend time with Rose, Amy’s mother and her sister Sylvia when the hotel was enjoying its glory days before the interstate cut the life flow to their town. The time spent with the sister’s was creepy. Never have two sisters been more different. We spend most of our time in Rose’s head but we also get to read letters addressed to Alfred Hitchcock from Sylvia.
McMahon beautiful intertwines all of these stories together creating suspense, as she introduced subtle paranormal elements in the form old lores. The story was riveting as I tried to solve the mysteries and did not truly see until the last moment. The multiple perspectives delivered insight while increasing the overall suspense as we the reader begin to weave things together. Chapters broke up the perspectives making the transitions easy for the reader.

The Night Sister was a suspenseful mystery that sinks its teeth into you and keeps the reader guessing. Perfect for fall and one to introduce your book club too.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer