This was a rough read for me. Had a slow start and the plot just kind of fell flat for me. It actually took me forever to get into it: the premise is interesting and I love tarot cards but I don’t know that I would read this again:

Although a little slow to start (I found the first couple of chapters very boring, but I'm glad I stuck with it), the story of Aisha struggling with anxiety and OCD after a traumatic event in her childhood, was very well thought through and written. I enjoyed the character building throughout the story, and I enjoyed all the happenings coming together. I did work out who the antagonist was about halfway through the book, but it was still surprising for me.

Very relatable to someone like me with anxiety even though it's technically a thriller. Not only does our protagonist have to solve a mystery of sorts, but she has to go back into her past memories of childhood trauma and face her persistent anxiety and OCD while doing so. I felt so close to the protagonist whenever she mentioned anything to do with her anxiety like not being able to leave her house because I deal with the same thing, just not on that extreme of a level. The story really hit home with me, less of the thriller part and more of how the protagonist deals with every day life. Highly recommend for anyone who deals with anxiety and/or OCD because there are a few words of encouragement peppered throughout and a few eye opening statements too.

Aisha lives her life scheduled, planned, and organized. When mysterious (threatening) tarot cards begin to show up on her doorstep, she must reach out to her spiritual influencer sister, her total opposite, for help.

This book speaks a lot about OCD, agoraphobia, childhood trauma, and family dynamics. The overall story fell a little flat for me, but it was a quick read and I had fun!

Sisters Arcana by Saleema Ishq is a solid thriller that focuses on unresolved trauma and mental illness. It is a very quick and intriguing story about an agoraphobic who starts to receive strange messages in the form of tarot cards. These cards force her to come to terms with her past and with her declining mental health. I like the story and the characters but the mystery was really an after-thought. The story was mostly about Aisha learning to deal with her past trauma and less about a mystery to solve.

Thanks to NetGalley and Fearless Phrases Publishing for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Sisters Arcana by Saleema Ishq  is a horror novel about family, about mental health, and about revenge.

First, let me thank NetGalley, Fearless Phrases Publishing, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Aisha Wren is agoraphobic, and then there is the OCD.  But she is safe as long as she follows her rules.  

Aisha is a mathematician.  Math has rules, and Aisha loves rules.  She is organized.  Her life is highly regimented, and she is okay.

The day she receives a tarot card in the mail...the hanged man, is the day when she realizes she must get in touch with her estranged sister Lulu.  She is a popular spiritual advisor on Instagram, and has many podcasts regarding the tarot.   Unexpectedly, Lulu insists on visiting, a phone call will not suffice.  But along with Lulu,  surprises continue to surface, and Aisha will soon have to confront her past, and step far outside her comfort zone.


My Opinions:
First, I hate when publishers compare a new author to the likes of Ruth Ware and Tana French.  That is so unfair to the author, who really can't compete with the well-known bestsellers.       

Going back and forth in different time-lines, we discovered what was happening now, and what happened in Aisha's childhood that had such an impact on her life today.

This book delves deep into both OCD and agoraphobia.  Apparently the author speaks from experience, and these illnesses were portrayed honestly, and with depth.  Another topic this book handled very well was family, and all the ups and downs of being sisters.  Secrets, trust, grief, and revenge all made an appearance in this book, and all were handled well.

I loved and felt empathy for Aisha.  She discovered she was much stronger than she thought.  Great character!

Just as I thought the book might come to an end, there was a major twist.  I loved it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Is there a better way to open a thriller than with death? If there is, I don’t know if I know it. A story of tarot cards and dual timelines told in first person, a letter arrives at Aisha’s front step reminding her of who she truly is.

Telling the story of tarot cards and readings, I appreciated the author integrating it into the story, like with a YouTube video, rather than with just telling the reader. I always appreciate that more as it comes across less condescending to the reader. It does go on for a little too long, as our main character already knows.

The dual timelines didn’t work for me. The story jumped way too quickly between the two without feeling like it said anything. I would have preferred to get a little more from the present time before jumping so much. I did appreciate the care and attention the author expressed in Aisha’s OCD

Overall, the story feels lacking; And it could be the length of it but it just felt underdeveloped and I never felt fully invested in the characters. Also, Aisha should have figured out the who in the story. I wouldn’t recommend this one if you’re in a reading slump.

Sometimes a really great book just isn't for me. I think this was the case with Sisters Arcana, which has a great setup. I loved the idea of the sisters' relationship and tarot involved, but it was too much of a slow burn for what I expected. I'm sure other readers will really enjoy it — it just wasn't a fit for me.

🤩5 star read alert!!👀 The positive things I could say about this book are endless.

First, let me thank @saleemaishq for such a fabulous writing style. I loved it. The chapters were short, but articulated. I could have finished this in one sitting, but I had to watch football last night ok. 😮‍💨 Second, I am sooo happy the portrayal of OCD was more than just a “neat freak” mindset. OCD can be numerous things, anything “obsessive”. As someone who has a form of OCD, this is appreciated heavily!
And lastly, I did not expect the twist. Maybe I’m easily fooled but this really did a good job. I don’t think anything was over explained, or repeated. It keeps you on your toes and wanting to know what’s next!

So thank you to @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is expected to drop in a month and yall better add it to your TBR!

#ARC #netgalley #victoryediting #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks

First & Foremost - thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re in the mood for some reunited family, trauma, mystery, and tarot - this is the mood read for you. I loved the relationship between the “sissies” and the mental health representation for OCD. It was a fast paced read, finished in two small sessions. Could it have been a tiny bit more detailed? Absolutely. But it was still a perfect fall read.

This as a great overall concept for the thriller genre, I loved the use of the tarot cards and how it was used in the story. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed the overall story being told. Saleema Ishq was able to create a interesting story and was glad I read this. It was a suspenseful read and was glad I read this.

This book had me just at the tarot cards, but I ended up fully enjoying the ride. The MC with anxiety and OCD is written so perfectly, the reader is really able to understand the struggles and it lends to the overall anxious feeling of the mystery thriller plot line.

We have dual timeline here, and the MC's childhood perspective is actually written so childlike, I was impressed. And it was great to be able to see the progression of that child and the trauma she went through to turn her into the anxious adult. Between the two timelines we're thrown a few red herrings that kept me guessing, but I think regular readers of the genre might have picked up the ending before I finally did.

The MC's sisters are insanely frustrating characters though, it was tough to connect with them and understand why the MC would bother to attempt relationships with them. It works for the story but in real life I'd want to tell her to run from toxic family.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time and recommend the read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was the first one I've read with tarot cards as part of the plot line. Aisha's journey through the book was quite the suspenseful ride and the ending was very satisfying!