The Silent Sister

It took me a long time to jump on the Shalini Boland train but I totally understand the hype now! My dear friend Niki, from bookstagram recommended her to me and mentioned that her books are addicting and quick because they are short and very quick paced. I totally agree with that sentiment. Not only did I get through the book quicker than most other books lately, but I stayed up until four in the morning finishing it last night. I am grateful to my friend for recommending this new to me author and I can't wait to dive into her extensive backlist, considering I already have a few on my shelves waiting for me to get to them.

To begin with, The Silent Sister is about a woman named Lizzy, who starts getting creepy letters addressed to her and as the letters get progressively more threatening and she is put in danger multiple times, she has to figure out what is going on before she completely lets fear overtake her life. I thought the premise of this book wasn't the most unique one but it was done very well. The book moved at a very swift pace and considering this book was on the shorter side, it was done to perfection. There was not a moment in this book when I was bored and the short chapters made it completely impossible to put down. The only reason I rated it four stars, was because I felt the book shied away from completely going to that dark place that I enjoy in my thrillers so much. That's not to say that it wasn't dark, it just wasn't quite as dark as I wanted it to be.

Further on, the characterization in this book was great. We got to know the main characters well, however, what I enjoyed the most was the sister relationship and complex dynamic between Lizzy and Emma. There were just so many layers to their relationship, which is how family relationships are in real life as well. I loved figuring out little by little what really happened to their friendship and why things took a turn for the worst. I thought the individual characterization could have been a little better but since the book was so short I thought she did beautifully with the space that she had.

Finally, the writing style was superb. This is my favorite kind of writing, concise and to the point because it makes it impossible for me to stop reading. When the writing is too elongated and beautiful, I often find myself getting lost and not quite understanding what is going on at the moment in the book. This book is what I would call a popcorn read, quick and easy to get through with twists and turns that will make your jaw drop.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to any thriller lover who lives for the fast paced thrillers. I usually don't read thrillers that are this short but I will be picking up the rest of Boland's books, especially if I am in a reading slump because I have no doubt they would pull you right out of that. I wouldn't say that this is a masterpiece or the most creative thriller but it definitely managed to take my breath away and keep me on the edge of my seat.