Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Mississippi, 1927. The groanings are coming.
No town is perfect, but East Cobb comes close. It’s a wealthy all-Black Free Town—untouched by white oppression—where ambitious Thea Elliot and her husband plan to make good on their big dreams. Little do they know that the idyllic town teems with ghoulish, walking nightmares . . . that only the women can see.
Marah knows the groanings well. She is one of the carriers—women with the ability to pull traumatic memories from men. Populated by men entirely freed of their pain, East Cobb has flourished, even as the remnants of their memories haunt the town’s women. When an unexpected death drives Marah to discover more about her own power, Thea’s and Marah’s worlds collide. The sisters must confront the rotten core at the heart of East Cobb’s prosperity and choose what—and who—will survive the reckoning.
A gripping blend of historical fiction and Southern gothic psychological horror, Our Sister’s Keeper is a fierce exploration of Black sisterhood, rage, and resistance.
My Review
I don’t even know how to talk about this book because it was SO GOOD.
Our Sister’s Keeper is a book where every piece feels intentional and well-planned out. The writing is incredible, the themes are layered without ever feeling heavy-handed, and the story steadily builds toward an ending that completely consumed me. The final ten percent is absolutely impossible to put down (I read the ending while on my walking pad and ending up walking 4 miles just to finish it!). Every chapter raises the stakes, every revelation lands, and the book manages to deliver a twist I genuinely didn’t see coming.
What impressed me most, though, is how powerfully the novel explores the costs of survival. Beneath the psychological horror and Southern Gothic atmosphere is a story about Black women carrying impossible burdens while refusing to surrender themselves to them. It’s heartbreaking, furious, hopeful, and deeply human all at once. Some parts of the ending left me emotional enough to cry, others felt bittersweet, but every moment felt earned. This is one of the strongest debuts I’ve read in a very long time, and I’ll be reading whatever this author writes next.
This is a book that you just have to experience. Read it RIGHT NOW!
THE GOOD:
- Beautifully crafted prose that feels confident and intentional from beginning to end
- The Southern Gothic horror elements create a constant sense of dread and unease
- An incredibly powerful exploration of womanhood, community, sacrifice, and resistance
- The themes are complex and ambitious without ever overwhelming the story
- Several emotional moments hit incredibly hard
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- Nope, nothing to complain about here!
THE NEUTRAL:
- The book deals with racism, misogyny, generational trauma, violence, and systemic oppression
- This is a much heavier read than the premise might initially suggest
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Sister’s Keeper is a breathtaking blend of historical fiction, psychological horror, and Southern Gothic storytelling that builds to an unforgettable finale. It’s haunting, heartbreaking, and one of the best books I’ve read this year.
PERFECT FOR:
- Readers who love Southern Gothic fiction with horror elements
- Fans of historical fiction that tackles difficult subjects with nuance and depth
- Anyone looking for stories centered on women’s strength, resilience, and solidarity
