Shred Sisters

Betsy Lerner — 2024

No one will love you or hurt you more than a sister. "I love this book. It moves like a souped-up pickup truck." -- Patti Smith, author of Just Kids and A Book of Days From Betsy Lerner, celebrated author of The Bridge Ladies, comes a wry and riveting debut novel about family, mental illness, and a hard-won path between two sisters It is said that when one person in a family is unstable, the whole family is destabilized. Meet the Shreds. Olivia is the sister in the spotlight, but when her stunning confidence morphs into something erratic and unpredictable, she becomes a hurricane leaving people wrecked in her wake. Put simply, she has no brakes. Younger sister Amy, cautious and studious to the core, survives Ollie's bullying and outcast status throughout her school years. She dreams of winning a Nobel Prize and unlocking the mysteries of the mind. Amy believes in facts, proof, and the empirical world. Except none of that can explain what's happening to Ollie, whose physical beauty and charisma mask the bipolar disorder that will shatter Amy's carefully constructed world. As Amy comes of age and seeks to find her place--first in academics, then New York publishing, and through a series of troubled relationships--every step brings collisions with Ollie, who slips in and out of the Shred family without warning. For all that upends and unsettles these sisters, an inextricable bond always draws them back. Spanning two decades, Shred Sisters is an intimate and bittersweet story exploring the fierce complexities of sisterhood, mental health, loss and love. If anything is true it's what Amy learns on her road to self-acceptance: No one will love you or hurt you more than a sister.

Reviews

Marz @starzreads

Oct 3, 2024

Shred Sisters provides an intimate look into the lives of Amy and Olivia Shred, through the words of Amy as she watches her family grapple with Olivia's struggle with mental illness. It portrays mental illness and the impact it has on a family dynamic bluntly and honestly.

The writing was engaging. I found myself rooting for Amy throughout and felt a connection to her. The other characters were also well written, especially the main family, whose impacts on each other were evident through the writing. A point I especially enjoyed was watching Amy's image of Olivia grow and change as she matured and went through different stages of life. I think its a testament to true sisterhood, that there was always an element of care and love between them no matter what was happening.

Also, If this book has me convinced of anything, it is that there is no one way to take care of yourself mentally. Medication and Therapy are not the be-all and end-all. However, with the correct support and care for oneself, it is possible to heal and for things to get better.

A really compelling read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and grove atlantic for the ARC.

sani@luvterature

May 7, 2024

thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Shred Sisters was messily and painfully beautiful. complex and damaged characters, you'd always be loved by me. the story mainly revolves around messy sisterhood, parents’ favouritism towards one child and mental illness and how it impacts almost every member of the family. oh, i absolutely devoured this book. Amy Shred, i will always love you, even if no one does. every character in this book is messy, damaged and troubled and human. they make mistakes and they are nowhere near being perfect. the beautiful but troubled Ollie, the guarded and levelheaded Amy. i can never forget you two. written like a memoir, i am in awe at Lerner's writing style. so melancholic. i cannot wait for you guys to read it when it comes out on October 2024!