The environmental theme continues with Chanter’s second novel The Half Sister where an earthquake is the catalyst to bring a fractured family back together.

Aside from writing, Chanter has worked as a political lobbyist in both the UK and latterly in the US. She cites her disillusionment with this work for her return to the UK to work in education provision for vulnerable children.

This will explain the depth of empathy evident in her portrayal of Mikey the troubled child protagonist of this novel. Much of the second half of the novel is told from his perspective and Chanter clearly has a depth of understanding of how the world appears to him.

Mikey’s mother Diana is reunited with her half sister Valerie at their mother’s funeral after a long estrangement. The sibling rivalry and envy is a central theme, given the novel’s title. Yet neither character is particularly likeable and the lack of empathy leaves this theme less memorable than that of the troubled child and the dystopian setting of the novel

The language is rich and evocative of classic literature. Although an almost futuristic landscape is used, the house Wynthorpe becomes a character in its own right as du Maurier treated Manderley in Rebecca. ‘It is a long time since Wynthorpe dared to welcome a child’ is indicative of troubled times ahead for Mikey when he arrives at the home of this mother’s estranged half-sister.

Later as the house is rocked by the earthquake, he might have known the tower would not give up that easily and the house standing there with its hands on its hips’

This is a novel which defies categorization - while a mystery is at it’s centre, there is a love story and some vivid character portrayals which make this novel a very satisfying read which will stay with you long after the final page.

This is a dark family drama about resentment, sibling rivalry and the damage those feelings can cause. Although very well-written, the plot and tone felt a little bleak and I would have appreciated some occasional relief from the unrelenting bleakness.

I found this book quite disturbing. The story of Mikey whose mother Valerie is killed while they are both staying at her estranged half sister Diana's country estate after the funeral of the sisters' mother. Mikey has to remain living with Diana and her husband Edmund but he is very traumatised by the events of his mother's death. Diana is also driven mad by her guilt. It's all very claustrophobic and intense. I enjoyed the writing a bit but found it hard to relate the descriptive passages to the plot so ended up skipping over them. It was a very gripping read - I stayed up late last night to finish it - but I can't say that I liked any of the characters or the story.

The Half Sister by Catherine Chanter.
Diana and her half sister Valerie have not spoken for many years. They are reunited after their mother funeral. Later at Diana's home they try to make up but past resentments cause them to argue. Later that evening there is a terrible accident that leaves Diana feeling guilty and in charge of Valerie's nine year old son. This book has many secrets and lies. Unfortunately I found the characters unlikeable and the story very dark. I would like to thank NetGalley and Canongate Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great read, I've not read anything by this author before but will definitely look out for her books in future.

This started off fairly slowly but wow ,I'm glad I persevered . The damaged young boy character kept me guessing and the relays between adults . This is a story that will stay with me .

An interesting and intriguing story which shows the depth and passion surrounding family relationships. Had me gripped from the beginning with twists and turns throughout. There are slight dark undertones which turn into a moments of love and hope. A very good read.

Diana and Valerie are estranged half sisters who are drawn together for their Mother's funeral. Diana in an uncharacteristic fit of familial compassion invites Valerie & her son, Mikey, to stay for the night after the funeral. This sets in motion a string of events which has its roots in the half-sister's childhood.

This is a complex book about emotions and how people see things so differently. Diana and Valerie see their childhood very differently. Diana felt driven from her home by her abusive step-father whereas Valerie felt loved. Diana cannot see past her anger that Valerie's Father & later Valerie herself interrupted her perfect relationship with her Mother. These events in the women's childhood has repercussions down the years. Valerie's son, Mikey, has had several Father figures and they have recently escaped an abusive relationship. Although Mikey is an intelligent little boy this all takes its toll.

Diana is not a nice woman. She is very self centred. She is married to a rather weak man, living at his large family home. She has her life very ordered and organised. She has moments where she makes kind gestures but regrets them as soon as they affect her life.

I very much enjoyed the complexities of the relationships within this book. Each character has their own past to deal with as well as struggling with their relationships with each other. This was exceptionally well written and I enjoyed it very much. The plot of the book had its shaky moments. I won't go into too much detail but suffice to say I felt the author dwelt too long on certain events causing the book to stall as opposed to run smoothly. I am glad, however, that I continued reading beyond these stalling points as the rest of the book was worth reading. I was happy with the ending which seemed to fit the story and tie up the loose ends.

With themes of loss, grief, revenge and redemption, this novel has all the dramatic ingredients of a modern-day Jacobean tragedy. Estranged half sisters Diana and Valerie are reunited for their mother's funeral but quarrel in bitter recrimination over past rivalries, setting off a tragic chain of events. The subsequent emotional upheaval exposes the fault lines in the family relationships, echoing the earthquake disaster at the start of the novel, with its lasting repercussions:
“Valerie's death sits somewhere in the middle of a longer saga, like a boxed set, it has already outlived its original characters and future episodes are drafted, if not recorded.”
The flawed characters, damaged by their history of childhood trauma, are finely portrayed in a nuanced study of moral uncertainties, leaving us to contemplate what we would have done in their place. I found this an utterly compelling read which will provide hours of discussion for reading groups.