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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
Interesting and well-crafted, if slightly formulaic (and a bit less Gossip Girl than I'd been expecting). Don't be fooled by the cover: these girls may be rich, but their stories aren't about catfights. Instead: first loves, power struggles, and struggling with mortality. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters may not have the most engaging plot, but the characters have real heart.
For fans of THE PENDERWICKS or any other novel about sisters.
For fans of THE PENDERWICKS or any other novel about sisters.
I won this on a Good Reads First Reads giveaway. " Lou Almighty", the grandmother in this story gathers her family on Christmas day and announces that she is dying and that someone in the family has deeply offended her and that unless she gets a written confession by New Years Day, the whole family will be cut out of her will. Since she is evidently the sole source of income to this very wealthy Catholic family, not knowing how they could possibly survive if cut off, the family decides it is one of the 3 teenage girls that must be guilty since they are always getting into trouble. So Norrie, Jane and Sassy set to writing their confessions to their grandmother, After all that the ending comes as a bit of a surprise. Enjoyable reading Thanks for letting me read this.
Don't let the cover fool ya: this isn't a Gossip Girls ripoff. No siree. This is by Natalie Standiford, author of [b:How to Say Goodbye in Robot|2741766|How to Say Goodbye in Robot|Natalie Standiford|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1242663172s/2741766.jpg|2767429], which moved me profoundly. And like that book, this one has certain insights you just don't get from most authors.
The premise makes the book sound kinda predictable and silly, and I have to say, I did guess the ending. But it's the journey that makes up the bulk of the book. The mean old matron of an idly rich Baltimore family, who everyone calls "Almighty," declares on Christmas day that one member of the family has done something to disappoint her terribly, and unless she gets a written confession and apology by New Year's Day, she's cutting the whole family out of her will. Well, these people get all their money from this woman, so if she cuts them off, they're as screwed as the rest of us. And unfortunately, the three Sullivan daughters have all done some pretty questionable stuff lately.
So they each write up a confession: straight-laced Norrie ran away from her debutante ball to go to New York with her (25-year old black hipster artist NO NO NO THAT'S BAD NORRIE) boyfriend. Rebellious Jane started a blog where she dishes on old family secrets. And sensitive Sassy has convinced herself that she's responsible for Almighty's husband's death.
The confessions are all really interesting, and each girl has her own distinct voice. Their wealthy lifestyle isn't glamourized; the girls just sometimes seem naive because of their privilege, like when Sassy's friend warns her that tutoring at a school downtown could be dangerous. But they're all real people, not Monopoly-money Gossip Girl stereotypes. I thought Norrie's adventure was really sweet, too. Some people seem to have a problem with the age difference between Norrie and her boyfriend, but hey, I was doing that kind of crap when I was her age. I still am, but I'm of legal age so no one cares. It happens, and it's not creepy and wrong.
I'm definitely recommending this to chicks, either ones that want something girly or Rich Bitch book addicts that I think I can steer towards better literature.
The premise makes the book sound kinda predictable and silly, and I have to say, I did guess the ending. But it's the journey that makes up the bulk of the book. The mean old matron of an idly rich Baltimore family, who everyone calls "Almighty," declares on Christmas day that one member of the family has done something to disappoint her terribly, and unless she gets a written confession and apology by New Year's Day, she's cutting the whole family out of her will. Well, these people get all their money from this woman, so if she cuts them off, they're as screwed as the rest of us. And unfortunately, the three Sullivan daughters have all done some pretty questionable stuff lately.
So they each write up a confession: straight-laced Norrie ran away from her debutante ball to go to New York with her (25-year old black hipster artist NO NO NO THAT'S BAD NORRIE) boyfriend. Rebellious Jane started a blog where she dishes on old family secrets. And sensitive Sassy has convinced herself that she's responsible for Almighty's husband's death.
The confessions are all really interesting, and each girl has her own distinct voice. Their wealthy lifestyle isn't glamourized; the girls just sometimes seem naive because of their privilege, like when Sassy's friend warns her that tutoring at a school downtown could be dangerous. But they're all real people, not Monopoly-money Gossip Girl stereotypes. I thought Norrie's adventure was really sweet, too. Some people seem to have a problem with the age difference between Norrie and her boyfriend, but hey, I was doing that kind of crap when I was her age. I still am, but I'm of legal age so no one cares. It happens, and it's not creepy and wrong.
I'm definitely recommending this to chicks, either ones that want something girly or Rich Bitch book addicts that I think I can steer towards better literature.
First, how can I NOT love a book about Sullivan Sisters? I AM one! (though my Sullivan sisterhood bears some striking differences to this one). Second, Natalie Standiford is so cool. And third, this book is so quirky and funny and charming that it would be hard not to like it. It's not my favorite ever, I probably won't re-read it a million times, but I would most definitely recommend it, to all different kinds of readers.
This one didn't eat at me like How to Say Goodbye in Robot did, but still. . . a little bit too much for me.
Sisters Norrie, Jane, and Sassy tell all in this quirky tale of family secrets. Each of the sisters has a chance to spill the juicy details in a letter to their grandmother (who they refer to as "Almighty Lou" or just "Almighty"). Each of the sisters had a unique voice, and it was interesting to hear about the same events from three different perspectives. However, at the same time, it made the story drag a little bit for me because I had to keep reliving the same events with the characters. I thought the idea of Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters was really interesting, and I liked the kooky cast of characters, but I was disappointed in the ending - it felt rushed to me.
If you like character driven stories full of family drama, check out Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters!
If you like character driven stories full of family drama, check out Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters!
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
Scholastic Press, 2010
313 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Library
Summary: When Grandmother Sullivan announces that the rest of her family is cut out of her will, everyone knows it's due to the transgressions of one of the three sisters. Norrie, Jane, and Sassy have all pushed their grandmother hard in the past few weeks. If they want to inherit a tremendous amount of money, they have to submit a confession.
Thoughts: I have really been reading a lot of alternating perspective stories lately. This one has each sister telling her story one by one in quick moving chapters. Each has a distinct voice and wrestles with different concerns. Some incidents are recounted in each section but each girl interprets them differently and they play different roles in their narratives.
Norrie's transgression is falling for an older man (she's 17 to his 25 grad school self) and running off to New York with him for three days instead of being a debutante. Jane wrote a blog revealing family secrets to the world in the most negative light possible. Sassy thinks she's indestructible and that she's killed her grandmother's husband. My favorite was Jane's because she's so caustic. I also liked Sassy's relationship with a girl she's trying to tutor in math. My least favorite was Norrie because that is a huge age difference and I was left with the impression that she thought he was her true love, which made me uncomfortable.
This is a very easy read with some cute lingo and interesting characters but really nothing more than that.
Overall: Emphasis on family makes for a sweet read. I would recommend this book to people who like YA contemporary but don't always want a romance.
Cover: Three sisters in front of a mansion? Very appropriate.
Scholastic Press, 2010
313 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Library
Summary: When Grandmother Sullivan announces that the rest of her family is cut out of her will, everyone knows it's due to the transgressions of one of the three sisters. Norrie, Jane, and Sassy have all pushed their grandmother hard in the past few weeks. If they want to inherit a tremendous amount of money, they have to submit a confession.
Thoughts: I have really been reading a lot of alternating perspective stories lately. This one has each sister telling her story one by one in quick moving chapters. Each has a distinct voice and wrestles with different concerns. Some incidents are recounted in each section but each girl interprets them differently and they play different roles in their narratives.
Norrie's transgression is falling for an older man (she's 17 to his 25 grad school self) and running off to New York with him for three days instead of being a debutante. Jane wrote a blog revealing family secrets to the world in the most negative light possible. Sassy thinks she's indestructible and that she's killed her grandmother's husband. My favorite was Jane's because she's so caustic. I also liked Sassy's relationship with a girl she's trying to tutor in math. My least favorite was Norrie because that is a huge age difference and I was left with the impression that she thought he was her true love, which made me uncomfortable.
This is a very easy read with some cute lingo and interesting characters but really nothing more than that.
Overall: Emphasis on family makes for a sweet read. I would recommend this book to people who like YA contemporary but don't always want a romance.
Cover: Three sisters in front of a mansion? Very appropriate.
An interesting read. I liked seeing how the stories tied together and the ending was somewhat satisfying. But something was still off for me and I didn't like it as much as I wanted to.