The Other Sister

Publisher
Age Range
12+
ISBN
0738709336
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A different perspective on family
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4.0
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Josey's world is turned upside down when her parents tell her that the child they had and gave up for adoption in high school is coming back into their lives. In the blink of an eye, this new, perfect sister is welcomed into their family, by everyone but Josey, who suddenly realizes that she doesn't know who she is or where she fits anymore.

Situations such as these are very rare, which makes this novel different, perhaps even more so because author S. T. Underdahl has experienced this kind of reunion firsthand. The story is engaging, but the dialogue seemed to me a bit too pat, the first-person narration seemed a little bit too detached, a little bit too clinical for a sixteen-year-old, even a budding psychologist--although when you get to the end you may understand better why Josey's voice wasn't 100% believable. The well-drawn characters of Josey's brothers and best friends and the discussion of the nature/nurture debate are the high points of this novel that gives a different, interesting perspective on the issue of adoption and the question of what constitutes a family.
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A Realistic Uncommon, Interesting Book
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Reader reviewed by TheBookworm

A Realistic Uncommon, Interesting Book

The Other Sister by S. T. Underdahl
Publication Date: 2007
5 out of 5 stars

Its a regular, ordinary school night when Joseys regular, ordinary life is changed forever. Her family Christmas card is missing a face. Joseys parents had a child when they were still in high school and were forced to give the baby up for adoption. Twenty-five years later the baby is now getting in contact with her birth mother. Josey is astonished. How could her parents not tell her and her brothers that they had an older sister somewhere? Her new sister is kind, smart, engaged, becoming a psychologist, talented, and& perfect. Josey struggles with her emotions about her sister and her new place in the family. Shouldnt Josey feel happy to finally have an older sister? If so, why isnt she?

The Other Sister was a realistic book with an uncommon, interesting plot dealing with a birth-family reunion.

This book was fairly short. It was only 248 pages with a spread out, easy to read layout. BUT, even though this book was short I believe it covered all the topics, events, emotions, thoughts, and points that were needed to effectively make The Other Sister realistic and believable.

In good books, characters become people. You start to think of them as human beings with thoughts and feelings. The worst part of a book to me is when it ends. Many books just leave you wondering what happened to them, even though you know that theyre just gone. I was extremely happy to find an epilogue at the end of this book. It gave you an idea of what they went on to do, not their full biographies or anything, but just a short wrapper-upper that lets you know they went on living.

The Other Sister is a good, clean book that I would feel fine suggesting not only to highschoolers, but also to middleschoolers.

Date Reviewed: October 23rd, 2008
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This book has a GREAT twist!
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Reader reviewed by Pageant Babe

The other sister is about a families reunion with a child they put up for adoption many years prior. Josey the protagonist was set with her life, she knew what she wanted out of life and she was happy being the only daughter in her family and the "smart" one. Little did Josey know that her parents held a secert from everyone else. Another child. When the "perfect sister" contacts Joseys family joseys life is turned upside down. This book was just "okay" to me, until the last line. Its a best read.

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