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Sisters of Misery

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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.

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

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.

Hawthorne is right next door to Salem; and at the times of the witch hunts three women were killed on Misery Island. Now Hawthorne is a conservative town that on the surface seems to belong on a postcard. Maddie Crane belongs to the Sisters of Misery, which is led by vicious Kate Endicott. Maddie knows she will never leave the club because she fears what the members will do to her.

She is excited that her coaunt Rebecca, a free spirit and her daughter Cordelia have returned to live in Hawthorne. After a rough start, the Sisters of Misery and Cordelia go to Misery Island. Kate has plans for Cordelia and Maddie passes out when it is her turn to be part of Cordelia's initiation. When she wakes up the next morning at her home, she does not remember what happened including how she got home. When the Sisters return to Misery Island to free Cordelia, she cannot be found. Afraid of what she and the others might have done, Maddie searches for clues to learn what did occur; unaware that her inquiry will lead to more tragedy.

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. Maddie is a follower; afraid to lead or leave a group she loathes until the Cordelia incident serves as a catalyst to challenge the power of the Sisters of Misery. There are a crop of new girls to replace their mothers as Sisters who control Hawthorne. Fans will find it difficult at first to accept a young girl like Kate is evil because of her age, but will accept the truth as Megan Kelley Halls makes her malevolence seem genuine. She and Maddie are fascinating antagonists who turn the SISTERS OF MISERY into an enjoyable read.

Harriet Klausner

Maddie Crane doesn't always feel like she fits in with the wealthy girls she hangs out with, but they've always been her best friends. And until her cousin Cordelia shows up in town, she doesn't give it much thought. Cordelia is different - magical, ethereal and unimpressed with the other girls - and she creates instant enemies. But Maddie is drawn to her, and starts to wonder what she sees in her supposed friends.

The Sisters of Misery, as they call themselves, won't put up with Cordelia's attitude, and they decide to teach her a lesson on Halloween. When their plans go awry, Maddie is determined to find out what really happened on that fateful evening.

As she digs deeper into the mystery of Cordelia's fate, she's drawn into the web of small-town deceptions. But the biggest shock comes when she finds out even her own family is living a lie.

Spell-binding, suspenseful, and shocking, Sisters of Misery will hook you right from the opening scene, and pull you into the drama as Maddie tries to find the answers to her burning questions. And when it seems that Maddie has found out all she needs to know, the last answer will chill you to the bone. Now, finally free of Cordelia and her home-town, Maddie learns that Cordelia isn't through with her, leaving a whole new set of questions that must be answered in the sequel.

Though at times I found it disturbing in its sheer brutality, Sisters of Misery is an enjoyable and gripping read that will keep you glued to the page. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger, Bergers Book Reviews

Maddie Crane is a young resident of Hawthorne, a small town with a violent history. Though not as famous as the Salem Witch Trials, the persecution of any outcast female in Hawthorne at that time was just as bad, if not more brutal. Hawthorne's past carries into the present though, as this small town seems set on not welcoming newcomers, especially Maddie's aunt Rebecca and beautiful cousin Cordelia. Much of this grief comes from Maddie's circle of so-called-friends, the Sisters of Misery. But soon, petty rumors escalate into a midnight excursion to Misery Island, a night that Maddie cannot remember no matter how desperately she tries, the night that Cordelia goes missing. True to their heritage, residents of Hawthorne immediately dismiss Cordelia's disappearance as just another runaway teen and don't throw themselves into the investigation as Maddie does. Maddie knows that Cordelia would never just run away from her mother, but what is Maddie's search to uncover clues going to cost her?

Sisters of Misery was a truly chilling and suspenseful read. There were so many secrets and twists to the story that kept me perpetually surprised and eager for more. It was incredible how Megan Kelley Hall was able to weave in Hawthorne's haunting past and its present-day superstitions into Maddie's story. I also really liked the incorporation of fortune-telling or Maddie's family's ability to see clues about the future. Maddie's insecure yet determined character only added to the essence of the story. This novel keeps you guessing into what really happened to Cordelia, and I kind of liked how at the end, not all my questions were answered; it leaves room for a sequel. It was mildly annoying at times that some details seemed to be snuck in, but the fact that Sisters of Misery was an incredible story overcompensated for that.

Sisters of Misery is definitely one of the best stories I've ever read, and I eagerly await the sequel, The Lost Sister. Any reader will be able to get attached to this suspense-filled book with mythical aspects, a historical angle, and many, many twists and turns.

If you like things dark and spooky, this is the book for you. Don't be fooled by the pretty cover. What lies beneath is an amazing gothic mystery.

The small New England town of Hawthorne, Massachusetts has it's fair share of history as well as it's deep, dark secrets. After all, Hawthorne was once involved in the tragic hysteria of the witch-hunts. But time marches on and the past is gone, but it is not forgotten.

Today, Hawthorne is where 15-year-old Maddie Crane calls home. Her family has lived here for generations. Maddie goes to school, plays field hockey and is a member of a very exclusive and powerful clique called The Sisters of Misery. The leader of this clique is Kate Endicott, a very rich and dangerous girl that everyone fears and nobody crosses. Maddie does not agree with everything that Kate forces the Sisters to do, but she is terrified of being on her bad side and goes along, anyway. Kate and the Sisters have been her friends since she was a little girl so she doesn't see any other choice right now, until her beautiful cousin Cordelia LeClaire moves to town from California. This is when everything changes. Cordelia is gorgeous and brave and she has a magical spirit that everyone seems drawn to, especially the men of the town. And she is not afriad of Kate and the Sisters of Misery.

Kate sees Cordelia as an intruder. She becomes both angry and jealous because of the attention this newcomer is geting. Kate takes out her rage on both Cordelia and Maddie, leading the Sisters in cruel pranks against them. One of these pranks goes horribly wrong, leading to Cordelia's mysterious dissapearance.

Maddie's family is destroyed and thrown into chaos and madness because of what happened. This causes Maddie to become obsessed with finding out the truth about what happened to her cousin, while also feeling guilty because she may have been able to stop it.

As the months pass, Maddie begins to uncover a tangled web of secrets, lies and scandals that may involve every person in town. She also discovers unspeakable evils that go back to Hawthorne's haunting beginnings, which could ultimately put her own life in danger.

Sisters of Misery is a deep, dark, complex and sinister mystery with spectacular supernatural elements.There are twists, turns and surprises on each page. The story will leave you gasping in disbelief and second guessing your own theories. It is beautifully written and impossible to put down.

"Sisters of Misery" is a young adult Gothic novel told from the viewpoint of Maddie Crane, a teenage girl growing up in a small New England town outside of Salem, MA. The local history is overshadowed by the witchcraft trials, tragedy, and persecution of outsiders, mainly women who stand apart from the mainstream crowd. All of these elements are interwoven amongst the elite adolescent clique known as the Sisters of Misery. The story explores the mystery of the disappearance of the newest girl in town, Maddie's enchanting cousin Cordelia.

"What have they done to you? Maddie cries, making her way across the clearing to her cousin's side. The bonfire has died down to embers, occasionally throwing a spark or a hiss. They are trapped together in the eerie halflight between night and day. Everyone else has fled, returning to their houses as if nothing bad has happened.

But it has."

I read this book, which serves to launch the new young adult line of novels by Kensington Books, while staying up alone at night in a mountain cabin out in the woods. This eerie tale kept me up late, listening to the sounds outside, while turning the next page when I should have been asleep. Though it did slow down a bit in the middle, it was a decent first novel by Megan Kelley Hall. The concepts were intriguing and veered from the traditional path of magic and paranormal as interpreted by other popular novels of the genre. I would have liked to see more of the character development and background that was belatedly introduced towards the end of the book come into play earlier in the story, but overall, it was a decent read that crossed over from purely teenage lit into something appealing for adult readers as well.

Though the main character is not as whiny or annoying as many female teenage characters found in the popular YA novels of today, I still had a hard time believing that Maddie, even raised in the stifling society in which she was raised, would not stand up for herself or those she cared about more. She was consistently a product of her environment to the point of being a stereotype. However, the characters around her were a bit more layered. I found the familial relationships interesting, such as the antagonistic relationship between Maddie's mother and Maddie's aunt, as well as the unusual apprentice-like mentoring relationship between Maddie and her grandmother.

I would categorize the Gothic plot as a "lite" version reminiscent of Donna Tartt's "The Secret History." The runic mythology tied to the plot definitely added to the telling of the story, while the group interactions that led to events that wouldn't have otherwise been carried out by any single individual made for a darkly fascinating dynamic. The unraveling of the mystery itself produced some nail-biting scenes.

Hawthorne may be a sleepy seaside town, but historically it is known for the witch hunts that aspired there and the death of three women. Much like it's neighboring town Salem. The town today, however, seems to be full of modern day bit****, I mean witches!

Maddie Crane has lived in Hawthorne her whole life and thanks to her mother she runs around with the girls that have everything, Kate, Darcy, Hannah and Bridget. They even have an exclusive "club" they all belong to, and they call themselves Sisters of Misery. Even though the girls are supposed to be Maddie's best friends, she has never felt like she belonged. That is until her Aunt Rebecca and her cousin Cordelia come to live with her.

Rebecca and Cordelia are a breath of fresh air into Maddie's life. She can't help but be drawn to their free spirit and knowledge of runes and herbs. The Sisters of Misery, don't exactly share the welcoming feeling toward the beautiful Cordelia the way that Maddie does. When Cordelia makes it clear that she doesn't care what Sisters of Misery think of her, they are determined to make her pay.

After a ceremony conducted on the Island of Misery, Maddie finds herself at home in her bed, unable to remember the events the night before. Cordelia is nowhere to be found.

My initial reaction is.....Okay, WOW! Megan Kelley Hall where have you been my whole life. This was an incredible novel. I don't even know where to start. Let's start with characters. I've discovered the most evil person I've ever come across in literature and her name is Kate Endicott. I seriously hope that people aren't that mean, but I'm sure somehow, somewhere there is a Kate clone. I hope I never met her. Maddie on the other hand, while initially I was a little annoyed with her character, my main reason being, why would you want to be friends with girls you didn't even like! But I also understand that she was in a really tough situation and given her history with these girls, I wouldn't have expected her to act any different. Who am I to pass judgement like that when, if I really think about it, I probably wouldn't have had the guts to stand up to them either. By the end of the story my admiration for Maddie increased substantially. Now to the plot. Don't even try to figure the ending out in this one folks, you will fail miserably! Every one of my theories was shot down one by one! It was that good. And the climax, totally stunned me! I'm still stunned hours later. One word UNFORGETTABLE!

Maddie Crane is a sixteen year old girl who lives in Hawthorne, MA, just miles away from the site of the infamous Salem witch trials. She's friends with the most popular girls in school, a clique known as the Sisters of Misery. The Sisters are all from families of powerful women in Hawthorne, a legacy that goes back centuries. When Maddie's eccentric cousin, Cordelia, moves to Hawthorne, Maddie is torn between staying a part of Sisters and relinquishing to the mystical way of life that her cousin and aunt have embraced. Her decision is quickly made for her when Maddie becomes involved in one of the Sisters' schemes, a plan that destroys her life and the lives of all those that are close to her. While Sisters of Misery is categorized as a YA book, audiences of all ages will be pulled into the gothic style writing of Megan Kelly Hall. I'm impatiently looking forward to more from this amazing debut author.