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A review by jaymoran
Sisters by Daisy Johnson
3.0
I think then, as I have so many times she is the person I have always wanted to be. I am a shape cut out of the universe, tinged with ever-dying stars - and she is the creature to fill the gap I leave in the world. I remember the promise we made years ago, how we'd written it down so we wouldn't forget, how we'd linked hands and held them over the paper and squeezed and squeezed.
3.5
I've wanted to read a book by Daisy Johnson for a while now - I have no excuse as to why I am only just doing that as I own both her debut short story collection, Fen, and her first novel, Everything Under. I was drawn into picking up her latest book first simply because the premise sounded disturbing and a little bit twisted, so perfect for this time of the year, and I think that's where I made my first misstep.
I went into this book expecting something very dark and eery, and, while Sisters definitely delivers on that front in the second half, I was a bit disappointed with the direction it was seemingly taking. The first half really reminded me of Peach by Emma Glass - not in style as such but most certainly in tone. It was like I could see Daisy Johnson hiding something behind her back, I could sense the secrets tucked between the lines, and while that intrigued me, it was frustrating to read. I actually put it down around 60 pages in because Johnson had somewhat convinced me that this wasn't actually the kind of book I'd thought it was. I'm a very patient reader and I don't mind stories that unfold slowly, but Sisters felt like it wasn't opening up at all.
However, after a few days, I decided to give it another try. I picked up where I left off and I enjoyed it so much more. The novel suddenly became everything I'd wanted it to be from the start, and the contrast between the first and second half of the book is very jarring, in my opinion. There are many effective instances in Sisters that left me deeply unsettled and there's some imagery in here that I don't think I'll ever truly be able to shake off, and I just wish that Johnson had included more of this at the start.
This was very much almost a 4 star read but I think the book feels very disjointed and not very coherent in its tone. Daisy Johnson's prose is extremely beautiful and, like I said, effective, but I just wish that it was more consistent. It's a very short book and for it to feel so disjointed is an issue.
3.5
I've wanted to read a book by Daisy Johnson for a while now - I have no excuse as to why I am only just doing that as I own both her debut short story collection, Fen, and her first novel, Everything Under. I was drawn into picking up her latest book first simply because the premise sounded disturbing and a little bit twisted, so perfect for this time of the year, and I think that's where I made my first misstep.
I went into this book expecting something very dark and eery, and, while Sisters definitely delivers on that front in the second half, I was a bit disappointed with the direction it was seemingly taking. The first half really reminded me of Peach by Emma Glass - not in style as such but most certainly in tone. It was like I could see Daisy Johnson hiding something behind her back, I could sense the secrets tucked between the lines, and while that intrigued me, it was frustrating to read. I actually put it down around 60 pages in because Johnson had somewhat convinced me that this wasn't actually the kind of book I'd thought it was. I'm a very patient reader and I don't mind stories that unfold slowly, but Sisters felt like it wasn't opening up at all.
However, after a few days, I decided to give it another try. I picked up where I left off and I enjoyed it so much more. The novel suddenly became everything I'd wanted it to be from the start, and the contrast between the first and second half of the book is very jarring, in my opinion. There are many effective instances in Sisters that left me deeply unsettled and there's some imagery in here that I don't think I'll ever truly be able to shake off, and I just wish that Johnson had included more of this at the start.
This was very much almost a 4 star read but I think the book feels very disjointed and not very coherent in its tone. Daisy Johnson's prose is extremely beautiful and, like I said, effective, but I just wish that it was more consistent. It's a very short book and for it to feel so disjointed is an issue.