Sisters of Misery [Paperback]

Megan Kelley Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

There are some girls who have everything... She has the right clothes, the right friends, and the right last name, but fifteen-year-old Maddie Crane sometimes feels like an outsider in her clique in the wealthy, seaside town of Hawthorne, Massachusetts. And when her gorgeous, eccentric cousin Cordelia LeClaire moves to town, Maddie is drawn toward her ethereal, magical spirit and teeters even more toward the edge of her friends' tightly-knit circle... Then there are the jealous ones... Kate Endicott and the Sisters of Misery-a secret clique of the most popular, powerful girls in school-are less than thrilled by Cordelia's arrival. When Kate's on-again, off-again boyfriend Trevor takes an interest in Cordelia, the Sisters of Misery become determined to make her pay... Now Maddie must choose between the allure and power of the Sisters of Misery and her loyalty to her beloved cousin. But she'll have to give up on ever fitting in and accept the disturbing truth about the town, her friends, her mysterious cousin, and even herself as she faces the terrifying wrath of the Sisters of Misery... "An exciting, dangerous, and mysterious world! Megan Kelley Hall has crafted a story that'll keep you guessing until the last page." --Richelle Mead, author, Vampire Academy series "A dazzling and dishy portrait of magic, mystery, and coming of age. Readers will eat this up and come begging for more." --Laurie Stolarz, author of the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series "One of the very best things in life is discovering an author you want to read more of. Sisters of Misery makes me want to read a whole lot more of Megan Kelley Hall." --Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank and Impulse

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hall maintains suspense until the very end. This story's dark, sinister edge, coupled with the clever use of runes to frame each chapter, will satisfy those fascinated by witchcraft and premonitions...Hall will leave readers eager to know what happens next in her standout addition to a popular YA genre." --Publishers Weekly Review

"Sisters of Misery is a story that grabs you and won't let go."--Midwest Book Review

"There's no doubt Hall knows how to write one heck of a creepy gothic novel. She pushes the limits with disturbing plot points in this scary, fast-paced story."
--Romantic Times Book Reviews

"The story is good, the plot intriguing, and the suspense nail-biting."--Armchair Interviews

"This young adult fantasy will appeal to older readers as well. The character driven tale contains a gothic tone and atmosphere as the main characters are interesting people who have kept secrets for decades." -- Harriet Klausner

About the Author

Megan Kelley Hall is a partner in a literary publicity firm in Massachusetts. She has written for a number of local and national publications, including: Glamour, American Baby, Elle, Boston Magazine, Parenting, Working Mother, Boston Herald, The Boston Globe, and New England Bride. She lives north of Boston with her husband and daughter. This is her first work of fiction.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758226799
• ISBN-13: 978-0758226792
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,794,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Megan Kelley Hall, 37, author, independent publishing professional and literary publicist based North of Boston, is the author of SISTERS OF MISERY and THE LOST SISTER published by Kensington in August 2008 and 2009. Both books were recently re-released into mass market and optioned for film by Hollywood director, Allison Anders.

Hall has written for a variety of publications, including Elle, Glamour, Boston Magazine, Parenting, American Baby and Working Mother, She contributed an essay about her recent open heart surgery in former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan's anthology, WHAT'S POSSIBLE! (Meredith, 2008), as well as a a chapter in Ellen Hopkins' anthology, Flirtin' With The Monster. (Benbella, 2008).

Hall is co-editor (along with New York Times best-selling author, Carrie Jones) of the highly anticipated anthology about bullying for HarperCollins Publishers entitled DEAR BULLY: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen, September 2011).

Hall is partner and co-founder of Kelley & Hall Book Publicity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMBS........, July 29, 2008

By 

Red Rock Bookworm (St. George Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sisters of Misery (Paperback)

Something wicked this way comes......and they are the Sisters of Misery, a nasty little group of high school girls residing in the affluent seaside community of Hawthorne, Massachusetts (just a stones throw from Salem). This witchy and exclusive clique is presided over by Kate Endicott who is out to ridicule, demoralize, control or destroy anyone who doesn't "fit" into the posh, powerful and perfect world of her making.

Maddie Crane is a fifteen year old whose mother has been trying hard to move Maddie from outsider to insider. Enter Maddie's cousin Cordelia LeClair, a winsome and ethereal blue-eyed red-head whose mere presence in the school is enough to drive Kate into fits of rage and jealousy, especially when she assumes that her sometime boyfriend,Trevor, has been seduced by the charming Cordelia. Maddie's troubles are compounded when she is forced to choose between a cousin she is growing to love and the group she longs to become a part of. Will it be family or friends for Maddie?

Sisters of Misery is a delicious look into the machinations of the "sisters" and the mysteries, both old and new, surrounding the suspicious and unexplained disappearances of certain town residents.

More than a fantasy, as gripping as a thriller, Sisters of Misery is superb YA suspense, that delivers on its promise to keep the reader turning pages into the wee small hours of the morning.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 30, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sisters of Misery (Paperback)

Maddie Crane is a New England prep by default, not by choice. It seems that her entire life has been dictated by her mother and her controlling clique of friends, The Sisters of Misery. It has always been easier for Maddie to just go along with The Sisters, to avoid incurring their wrath. She might be nice, but Maddie doesn't have courage. She is always a follower, never a leader.

Cordelia LeClaire, Maddie's cousin, is a free spirit, a natural beauty with confidence and an easy smile. In a small town like Hawthorne, a beauty like Cordelia stands out.

When Cordelia comes to Hawthorne to live with Maddie's family, the two girls overcome their initial differences and establish an almost sisterly bond. Maddie admires and even envies Cordelia's effortless poise, stunning looks, and quick wit.

Unfortunately, The Sisters of Misery, led by Kate Endicott, are not so thrilled with Cordelia's arrival.

Hawthorne has never taken kindly to outsiders and Cordelia is no exception. When Cordelia begins to attract the attention of several of Hawthorne's dashing young men, including Kate's boyfriend, Maddie knows that trouble lays ahead. The Sisters do everything in their power to make Cordelia's life miserable. Maddie is stuck in the middle, and forced to choose between her cousin and her lifelong friends.

It isn't until Halloween that Maddie and Cordelia realize that powers more sinister than they had ever imagined are alive and at work in Hawthorne. After hours of unspeakable torture and terror, Cordelia vanishes without a trace.

Although she cannot remember the events of Halloween night, Maddie knows that she played a role in Cordelia's disappearance. She will never be able to forgive herself for not protecting Cordelia and she must uncover the truth to find peace. But if Maddie isn't careful, she may be the next one to disappear. Somebody doesn't want Cordelia to ever be found.

SISTERS OF MISERY is an absolutely stunning debut by Megan Kelley Hall, perhaps the best Gothic novel that I have ever read. Hall knows how to create suspense like nobody else and she isn't afraid to delve into the most horrifying depths of the human psyche, places we don't want to admit exist. Secrets are revealed and mysteries slowly unraveled, with enough plot twists to keep readers on their toes!

The sequel, THE LOST SISTER, comes out in August 2009, and I honestly do not think that I can wait that long.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice, Spooky Gothic Novel, August 13, 2008

By 

drebbles (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sisters of Misery (Paperback)

Ever since she can remember, fifteen year old Maddie Crane has been a member of the "Sisters of Misery" led by the beautiful but not so nice Kate Endicott. Even though she's a member of the popular crowd, Maddie often feels like an outsider and even more so when her Aunt Rebecca and her beautiful cousin Cordelia LeClaire move in with her family. Rebecca and Cordelia are different and Maddie gets a glimpse of what life outside of Hawthorne, Massachusetts can be like. Soon Cordelia's arrival sets off a chain of events that will force Maddie to look at herself more closely than she ever has before and in doing so she will discover disturbing truths not only about herself but her family.

"Sisters of Misery" is an excellently done gothic novel for young adults. There is a nice spooky tone to the book starting with the town of Hawthorne and its inhabitants. The book is in the first person, narrated by Maddie, and author Megan Kelley Hall does a wonderful job of capturing Maddie's voice as she becomes aware of just how evil people can be. While she's hardly a saint, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Maddie as she seems to be the adult in her family - her mother is too worried about her status in town, her aunt is a nervous wreck, and her beloved grandmother is not well. The mysterious Cordelia reminded me a lot of Stephen King's Carrie but with a backbone. Kate Endicott is a true villain with no redeeming qualities.

"Sisters of Misery" has some nice plot twists and while some are tied up by the end of the book, there is a sequel coming out next year called "The Lost Sister" and "Sisters of Misery" ends with a cliffhanger that will leave readers anxiously waiting for the sequel to see what happens next.

"Sisters of Misery" is a nice spooky gothic novel for young adults.