Then I Met My Sister by Chrstine Hurley Deriso

Young Adult: 264 Pages
Published: April 8th, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Series: None
Source: Finished copy from publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon | Book Depository
Find the author: Website

Shannon has been the backdrop of my life since the moment I was born.
Summer Stetson lives inside a shrine to her dead sister. Eclipsed by Shannon's greatness, Summer feels like she's a constant disappointment to her controlling, Type A momzilla and her all-too-quiet dad. Her best friend Gibson believes Summer's C average has more to do with rebelliousness than smarts, but she knows she can never measure up—academically or otherwise.


On her birthday, Summer receives a secret gift from her aunt: Shannon's diary. Suddenly, the one-dimensional vision of her sister becomes all too solid. Is this love-struck, mom-bashing badass the same Shannon everyone raves about? Determined to understand her troubled sister, Summer dives headfirst down a dark rabbit hole and unearths painful family secrets. Each revelation brings Summer closer to the mysterious and liberating truth about her family—and herself.

It was the cover of Then I met my Sister that caught my attention, then it was the synopsis that drew me in, and then it was the incredible storyline that hooked me.

I immediately felt a connection with Summer because I could relate to her. I understood what she was going through when it came to having a sibling that passed away before you were born. It was great to have that personal connection with her. Summer was always being compared to her dead sister, Shannon. An over-achiever, pretty, popular, near perfect teenager. But all those thoughts Summer had of her sister being the perfect, golden child changes when Summer receives her sister's journal as a birthday gift from her aunt. Summer soon realizes that her sister isn't exactly who she thought she was. It was an incredible reading experience reading the journal along with her. Not only is Shannon meeting her sister for the first time, we are as well.

The flow of the writing was perfect. It was simple and not overdone. There are so many great qualities of this book that make it a great read. It takes you on an emotional journey of self discovery, not only with Shannon but with Summer and her family. I love reading books about self growth and transformation and this book is just that.

The cover of this book alone is enough to peek your interest but there is so much more behind the pretty cover, there is a lovely story.

What I liked: Cover, characters and storyline
What I disliked: The beginning and ending felt a little rushed to me.