3.5/5
"I hate you."
"So what? I hate you, too."
This is the last conversation 12 year old Abby Reed has with her younger sister, Becky. The following morning Becky has disappeared, seemingly into thin air. September Sisters chronicles the aftermath of that disappearance. Abby's mother falls into a suicidal depression at the same time she is considered the prime suspect. Her father tries desperately to keep the family together by endlessly searching for Becky while at the same time restricting Abby's life. Abby reflects on her relationship with Becky while dealing with her new normal - lifelong friends completely ignore her, she is not allowed out of the house unaccompanied, and neighbors she has known forever suddenly seem suspicious.
What I liked most about this novel is the honesty of Abby's thoughts and emotions. She was always jealous of Becky and her dislike went unabated after the disappearance. Readers will pick up on the fact that her memories reveal far more happy times with her sister than sad ones, something Abby herself realizes by the end of the book. Her relationships with her mother, father, and the new boy next door are well-told and believable. While it could probably have been shortened a bit, overall this is an above-average book that looks at family dynamics, friendship and grief through the filter of tragedy. Abby's memories provide the perfect "before" while readers are immersed in an often sad, occasionally humorous and always honest "after."
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