Abi and Lucy were identical twins, and then a tragic accident took Lucy's life. In the aftermath, Abi struggles to comprehend and adjust to her sister's death, facing survivor's guilt and sister-lookalikes around every bend. When by chance she meets Beatrice, who bears a striking resemblance to Lucy, Abi is eager to enter her privileged circle of friends, and is even happier when she meets Beatrice's brother, Ben. But when she fails to notice the peculiarities that suddenly surround her--the loss of some of Lucy's letters and hostile messages--Abi is forced to question reality and her sanity.
In this gripping psychological debut, Claire Douglas has braided the concept of twins with that of friendship into a taut line that fills each page with tension. Almost every character plays twisted mind games, and readers gain insight into them through the viewpoints of Abi and Beatrice, both of whom vie for Ben's affection in a jealousy-laced, push-me-pull-you game of one-upmanship.
While descriptions of fashion, art and architecture root this manipulative cerebral game of chess in Bath, England, Douglas also uses interesting imagery to help portray events and emotions. She writes, "Returning to my cold, empty flat after the warmth, noise and babble of Beatrice's vibrant house makes me feel like a dog that's been banished from its family home to a kennel in the garden."
Humming with anxiety and friction, The Sisters keep readers guessing as to who is doing what to whom until the very end. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer