The September Sisters

Though it strikes one initially as one of the dreaded "issue books" it turns out to be a nuanced portrait of a family's disintegration as seen through the eyes of Abby. I found it to be engaging and sad and real. I though the portrayal of Abby's growth throughout the crisis was sensitively done. The mom was a little over the top, but then again, she really reminded me of my mom after my brother died- so maybe not so over the top after all. Solid first novel, I'll be back to see what Cantor comes up with in the future.

The September Sisters is a novel about the disappearance of ten-year-old Becky Reed and how it devastates the rest of her family. It’s told from the point of view of Abby, Becky’s sister, who is exactly two years and one day older. Becky vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night, apparently abducted, and her family fell apart in the aftermath of the kidnapping. They had been a normal, middle-class suburban family. After Becky went missing, the mother sank into a suicidal depression. The father tried to be the strong one in the family, refusing to discuss his grief and anger or to accept the idea that his daughter might be dead. Abby became an outcast at school, as she was unable to relate to her classmates anymore and show more there were nasty stories circulating about her family. In absence of any other suspects or clues, the police believed the parents were involved in Becky’s disappearance, but Abby was convinced it couldn’t have been them. She and her only friend, the new boy who just moved in next door, made some attempts to solve the case on their own, but without much success.

The story has a lot of suspense with the whole who did it, why did they do it, is she still alive thing, and quite a few leads that went nowhere, just like in a real investigation. The reader knows they will eventually find out what happened, since the story opens with Abby’s father pulling her out of class at school several years after the abduction and saying, “They found her.” Becky’s fate, and the identity of the person responsible for her disappearance, aren’t revealed until the very end, though. But this novel is not a whodunit. The more important thing was the effect Becky’s disappearance had on her family. To me, finding the actual kidnapper became almost irrelevant. It’s like The Lovely Bones that way, except I didn’t really like that book.

I really thought The September Sisters was excellent for its detail and the relationships involved. The futile struggle of the Reed family to hold itself together was very realistic, as was Abby’s deepening friendship and growing love for Thomas. This is Jillian Cantor’s first book, and it’s an impressive effort. I will definitely read more of her work when it comes out. show less

Abigail Reed and her younger sister Becky have never gotten along. Their birthdays are very close together - just 24 hours apart - and their mother swears that one day they'll be best friends and love sharing a special day. Abby doesn't think this is possible - she can't stand Becky. But when Becky goes missing, taken from her bedroom in the middle of the night, the Reeds' world is turned upside down, Abby can't help but feel a sinking sense of guilt. While she struggles with this loss, the police begin to suspect her parents, and her mother becomes more and more depressed. It is only when Tommy, a new neighbor, befriends Abby that she can begin to rebuild her life, and reestablish her own identity. This is not just another show more missing-persons mystery, but a touching, beautiful story about one girl's struggle to find love in the rubble left by a whirlwind of unimaginable events. The September Sisters is both tragic and sweet, captured perfectly with Cantor's striking voice. show less

The September Sisters is Jillian Cantor’s debut novel, and it was beautifully written. It’s unforgettable, great character development, a masterful plot and painstakingly real. Abby was such a well-written character. I just feel raw and exposed reading her story. It was a very powerful thing. To portray that kind of emotion isn’t an easy task and Cantor does it with remarkable ease. She also impressively depicts Abby’s first love, despite the overall saddened tone of the novel.The September Sisters is a uniquely woven story of love and loss. You should definitely add this one to your wish list. I can’t wait to read more of Cantor in the future.

Abby is 14 when her younger sister disappears. As her family crumbles under the weight of loss and suspicion, her best friend abandons her to social isolation at school. A forced friendship with a neighbours grandson and the hope of finding her sister hold Abby together.
I wasn't overwhelmed by this one, it didn't grab me emotionally. It didn't have any thriller elements, and the mystery never really came to the surface, instead it was a story about surviving with unresolved mysteries. But Abby's coping with distant parents, and with Tommy's on/off friendship didn't pull me in.
I'd give this to people looking for a sad family story.

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Abigail Reed and Becky are exactly two years and a day apart, and are often referred as the September Sisters by their mother. However, despite their close proximity of age they constantly squabble with one another and compete for their parents’ attention. But after the sudden disappearance of Becky, Abby’s whole life changes. Her mom grows more and more distant and her dad become overbearing and obsessed with the investigation. Abby in officially, no longer an ignorant child anymore, as she desperately trying to keep her family together.

Abby, has no one to confide until, Tommy moves in next door and she finds her self expressing her all emotions, pain, guilt and resentment towards show more Becky and her disappearance to him. And along the way Abigail falls in love with him even when everything is in her world is less than perfect.

Jillian Cantor’s debut novel, was unforgettable with the perfect mixture of realism, great character development, and plot. She did a clever job at crafting the opening scene, because I was hooked from the very first page. The moment I started reading it, I seriously could not put it down until I learned more about the disappearance of Becky.

On top of the great overall plot (which initially drew me in), the main character, Abby was extremely well developed, and strong heroine, even given her tragic situation. One of the things that I thought was especially, memorable was how contrasting emotions Abby endured throughout the book. In one point of the book she was frustrated and even jealous of how much her sister got attention even after she disappeared.

Her relationship with Tommy was a perfect depiction of first love and it’s exploring nature. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed because when they first initially met they were hesitant to become friends but as they were forced to talk during lunch when it was Tommy's first day.

I absolutely loved it. Definitely recommended, worth adding to your wish list on Amazon. show less

There was too much angst in this novel about the family of a girl who goes missing. It is well-written, but I found myself skimming to the end to find out what happened rather than engaging in the problems of the main characters.