The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

Lynnie    

Amy       

contemporary fiction

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson is the story of a family and how it's intertwined with the small Alabama town that bears their family name. As you would imagine, scandals, secrets, and fierce love abound.


Lynnie's Review

This is another great book by Joshilyn Jackson. This book is a love story to the old, small-town south while openly acknowledging its warts, and the often racist nature of these towns. Jackson calls it out while also recognizing that change does not come easily. Like all of Jackson's books, I adore the characters in The Almost Sisters and am already sad that my time with them is over. Jackson's books are an escape, pure and simple. It takes a deft hand to talk about race, privilege, family, and presumptions and make it fun to read but this book does it. When you go on vacation this summer, take this book with you- you won't be disappointed.

Amy's Review

I’ve been wanting to try a Joshilyn Jackson novel and my sister recommended this one.  I love Jackson’s sense of humor and relevancy! I don’t know if it’s just the dorkiness of Leia or if this is how Jackson always writes. But, it’s real, witty, and clever.  Leia’s story begins with a tricky situation—she’s single, 38 years old, and just discovered she’s pregnant.  And then her story just keeps escalating with more tricky situations. And, through it all, she’s in relatively good humor which made it fun.  The storyline grabbed me at the beginning because it was believable and I wanted to know how things would work out.  It continued to be a fun ride as things got crazier.  Sadly, the ending fell a bit flat. I mean, it was a nice (albeit unsurprising) ending but the mood changed and it ended up being sweet and lost its fun momentum.

This novel also tackled the serious issue of southern racism in a manner that was honest and real.  I appreciated the way the story was treated.

I definitely want to try another one of her novels and see if it’s as much fun.