#Book Tour #Book Review – My Half-Sister’s Half-Sister; S. Henthorn

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Book review stop! Today I’m delighted to be the host for My Half-Sister’s Half-Sister, a psychological thriller written by S. Henthorn.

First thing first, let me thank Anne and the author for providing me with an e-copy of this book. Much obliged *hat tip*

MEET THE BOOK

ELEANOR OLIPHANT MEETS THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK

Can you believe everything Pippa tells you?

Pippa has hidden a huge secret for the past seven years. Her half-sister’s half-sister visits and turns Pippa’s life upside-down. Yet, Pippa’s enchantress mother and sister warn her to be careful because they are reminded of her last crisis.

Then things go from bad to worse when Pippa returns to work because a tyrannical receptionist runs the office. Her best friend doesn’t want to speak to her and It seems as though her boyfriend might leave her, meaning Pippa would be alone in the flat they share above her mother’s pub. When Sadie visits, Pippa starts to believe her mother, Jacquetta and sister, Heather are witches. If this is true, then why didn’t they help her?

Sadie becomes the supporter Pippa needs, freeing her from past insecurities and enabling Pippa to face up to the past. Yet Sadie’s attention is not selfless; she wants something in return from Pippa.

287 pages
Psychological thriller
Publication date: 09/11/21
Purchase links

Amazon.com

READ MY REVIEW

Cover: Quite peculiar. I like the concept behind it.

Another unreliable narrator for My Half-Sister’s Half-Sister, a detail that warrants a star first and foremost. Why? Because unreliable narrators are hard to write, and Henthorn does a good job with it.

Pippa, the MC, is the quintessence of unreliableness. It’s not plain at first, but while the story develops, warning bells start ringing. This is an ideal approach, at least when it comes to characterization. The POV used is first limited, which works fine because of the context. She’s also supported by a good cast of characters—it’s peculiar, just like the cover, but captivating.

The plot itself is interesting, even if it starts out a bit slow. I would have preferred less exposition—not because it’s wrong in itself, but because exposition is tied to a reader’s attention span. Too much, and the chances of giving up on a book get high.

Henthorn’s writing skills are undeniable; what doesn’t really work for me is her excessive use of brackets. I see why she opts for such a stylistic choice, and they indeed convey doubt in some places; however, they also interrupt the flow. The constant stop and start over again feels jarring after a while.

4 stars on GR.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samantha Henthorn was born in 1970something in Bury, England. She used to be a nurse, now she is a disabled author.

When she was a child, she read Roald Dahl, when she was a teenager she read Stephen King. Now she reads lots of things.

Samantha is 96% Mancunian, she has one dog, one gorgeous grown-up daughter, and one husband. When not reading or writing, she listens to heavy metal. Samantha would be thrilled to bits if someone read one of her books. Samantha’s books are available as audiobooks (narrated by Lindsay McKinnon).

After a diagnosis of MS in 2005, Samantha eventually accepted early retirement in 2014. Looking for an occupation where she can work at her own pace, Samantha drew on her observation skills and imagination to start writing. Samantha often feels as though she is living in a sitcom and this is reflected in her style.

Samantha looks after her condition by attending physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, resting whenever possible, wearing sunglasses indoors, avoiding emotional vampires, and enjoying life as much as she physically can.

Samanthahenthornfindstherightwords.blog

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