The Good Sister

Asha and Rachel Kinsey are in mourning after their older sister, Sarah, died in a fall from a cliff into the ocean—an unexpected twist of fate, since Sarah had fought cancer for years. Both Asha and Rachel are broken and reeling, acting reckless with boys, and hurting each other and their parents. Then Asha begins to wonder if Sarah’s death was really an accident, even as Rachel works to hide the truth of what really happened. Meanwhile, Sarah watches her sisters from the afterlife, full of intense regret. Through the distinct voices of all three girls, Kain (who has written for adults as Jamie Sobrato) gives life to the complicated relationship between sisters. While having Sarah speak from beyond the grave gives this novel a touch of the supernatural, Kain keeps her story and everyone in it grounded in reality. The author offers profound reflections on life, death, and the bonds of family, and as the suspense surrounding Sarah’s death intensifies, readers will find it hard to put this novel down. Ages 14–up. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)