TLC Book Tours Review: What Happened To My Sister by Elizabeth Flock

What Happened To My Sister
Elizabeth Flock
Ballantine Books
August 7, 2012
304 pages
Amazon | BN
provided by publisher
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5/5 Books

From the author of Me & Emma comes a dazzling novel of two unforgettable families bound together by their deepest secrets and haunted pasts—perfect for fans of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Book of Bright Ideas.
N
ine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name.

When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families’ secrets—and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.

About The Author:
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Flock is a former journalist who reported for Time and People magazines and worked as an on-air correspondent for CBS. She is the author of several acclaimed novels, including But Inside I’m Screaming and Me & Emma. She lives in New York City.

Connect With The Author:
Website|Facebook

My Review:

I saw the cover of this book and thought ‘it’s filled with incredible suspense’. It has to be. Just looking at the cover, I could feel the emotions rolling off of the girl. When  a book calls to me like that just by looking at the cover, I know it’s going to be on that I won’t be able to put down. Oh yea. It was one that I absolutely could not put down! It’s a book that is filled with emotion and suspense, complexity and intense characters. Ms. Flock hooked me from the first word, kept me spinning in a tilt-a-whirl of events, and left me with a dropped jaw at the end. Incredible!

When I started reading Carrie’s story, I was overwhelmed with emotional thoughts. I thought every thing she did, I felt everything she did, saw everything she did. That in itself is enough to make the book a forever favorite for me. But, it was a good feeling the entire time. With the pain of neglect and abuse, it’s hardly a happy feeling. As I progressed further into the story, I was taken on a whirl wind of rides, wondering what happened to Emma, truly, and why was Carrie forced by her mother to forget her completely as if she was just figment of imaginations? The pain of the past slammed into me and took my breath away! I wanted to cry for Carrie because of what she was enduring.

When Carrie, left to fend for herself while her alcoholic mother is away, meets Cricket and her family, secrets come to life and unveil themselves. Cricket’s family learn of things about Carrie and her family that know one should know. Each page turn brings with it a new piece to the puzzle, a new turn of events that leave you reeling. While this was a fast paced read, it’s most definitely not a light read. The emotions will engulf you and leave your head spinning. The characters will pull you in and captivate you. The writing style will capture you completely.

I want to keep going on and on. But, if I do that, I will give away the spoilers. I don’t want to do that, so I will tell you that these little girls, and their families will take you on a journey like you’ve never experienced. From whys to whos and hows, you’ll experience a suspenseful plot like no other has been written.

I definitely recommend this book with the highest of 5 Books and more. It’s going on my keeper list, for sure. This is the sequel to Ms. Flock’s Me & Emma, and while I wish now that I would have read it, I truly am glad I read this one. It’s filled with enough references that reader doesn’t have to guess at what happened before. I am looking forward to more of this authors talented work and will be grabbing up a copy of Me & Emma to see where Carrie’s life fell apart before. Fantastic work, Ms. Flock!