Shred Sisters starts off strong, with a good premise and an engaging opening that sets the scene. The two sisters couldn’t be more different, and Ollie is an obviously compelling and interesting character.

The problem is that it doesn’t quite maintain that momentum. The pacing is slow, and the story ultimately focuses on Amy, the younger sister, and how her relationship with her sibling impacts her life. I found it hard to connect with Amy, and the tell-not-show writing style made it difficult to feel invested in her journey. Perhaps a multi-narrative approach that included more of Ollie’s perspective would have added depth.

Themes of identity, grief, and mental illness are there, but the surface-level execution disappointed me.

A maelstrom of emotions and life
—
At heart, there’s such a simple premise to this book: two sisters’ lives diverge when one lets mental illness direct her life, rather than allow her parents and the other sister to help. What first came to mind is that unwanted love is violence, and there is a quite graphic description of ECT that demonstrate what Ollie Shred, the older sister, is trying so desperately to avoid by leaving home: the loss of her self, mental illness and all. Lerner contrasts Ollie’s impulse-driven life with those of the rest of the family as the years go by, offering Ollie help if she wants, a place to crash, support to find a job, medical intervention if she’ll accept it.

Told from the point of view of the younger sister, Amy, we are caught in the maelstrom of her exasperation at Ollie and her perilous existence, and Amy’s unconditional love for her sister. Amy is not a sympathetic character but it wouldn’t be a novel if she were a saint, and so we get Amy, Ollie and their parents warts and all, none of them perfect and, by all the gods, not a perfect family. Nothing much really happens, apart from life, and the ending is not what anyone wants, which is exactly what life is like.

When I tell you I INHALED this book ….it’s perfect.

I tend to read reviews after finishing a book, I’m always interested to see if people feel the same way as I do and was surprised at the average 3.83 stars on StoryGraph. For me it was a full 6/5 🤣

The book is billed as a story about two sisters Amy and Ollie (Olivia) but really it’s Amy’s story - from childhood through to adulthood and how she navigates her life in the shadow of her problematic sister. How her parents treat them differently, how she handles their subsequent divorce, illness, her own marriage …. It’s so perfectly real.

I’m not a crier but there were some real poignant moments for me and maybe when it comes down to book reviews it’s all about how they make you feel isn’t it and this made me feel understood.

Thank you @verve_books for the privilege of the e-arc and to @betsylerner for such beautiful writing 🙏🏼

A raw, witty portrait of friendship and rivalry, this novel captures the sharp edges of loyalty and betrayal. I loved how Lerner balanced humor with heartbreak.

3.5 stars

I LOVED the first third/two thirds of this. I don't have a sister, but it was fascinating reading about a dynamic as wrought and difficult as the Shreds', and I found myself speeding through this. And then the last third happened. It felt like Lerner was trying to neatly surmise years of suffering, abandonment and pain by offering a quick solution: just have a baby! That'll fix everything. Maybe it does for some people. Maybe having a baby offers a stark mirror to yourself and your behaviour. But Ollie's mental illness just being neatly wrapped up in the last few pages felt like a blow. I'd have loved this if it had ended a good hundred pages sooner, even if things weren't resolved.

Overall I enjoyed most of this. I'd recommend hesitantly to those who are looking for an intriguing discussion of familial relationships.


Thank you to NetGalley and Verve for the arc.

Deep, raw and emotionally honest, Shred Sisters is an intimate story of family, mental illness and the fierce bond between siblings. Olivia, dazzling and unpredictable, commands attention but spirals through life without brakes, her bipolar disorder leaving wreckage in its path. Amy, her younger sister, is studious and cautious, clinging to the safety of science and facts. Yet nothing she knows can explain or shield her from the chaos Olivia brings into the Shred family.

Spanning two decades, the book follows Amy as she builds her life through academia, publishing and complicated relationships, always colliding with Olivia along the way. The relationship between the sisters is messy and painful yet impossible to sever, embodying the truth that no one can love or hurt you more than a sibling.

What makes this story so powerful is its rawness. The characters are flawed and damaged, and that imperfection makes them deeply real. While the first half may feel slow to some, the deliberate pacing builds a rich understanding of the characters and their struggles. By the time the story unfolds, the heartbreak and honesty land with full force.

A moving exploration of sisterhood, loss and self-acceptance that lingers long after finishing.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is the story of two sisters, Amy and Ollie. Ollie is emotional and fun while Amy comes across as hardworking, down to earth and serious. When Ollie shows signs of mental illness, the parents have to focus on Ollie while Amy is often left to take care of herself. Jealousy rears its head occasionally but Amy understands that things need to be this way. As this pattern continues into adulthood she slowly starts to acknowledge that her sister is more exciting, more fun, and always more loved. I enjoyed this book even though the redundancy of this pattern and the choices that Amy makes causes the book to seem bleak. Will Amy ever be happy? Three and 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Verve for the complementary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Shred Sisters follows two very different sisters across their lives, as they experience difficult relationships, mental health struggles and grief. It’s a raw and emotional read, detailing what it’s like to become distanced from a sibling, and the complex feelings that come from reconnecting again.

I loved the first part of this and definitely related to Amy at the start, as she tried to find herself amidst the expectations of others. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was painful to read about some of Olivia’s actions later in the novel, particularly with how these affected Amy. I would’ve liked to have seen their sibling relationship explored a bit more and wish they’d spent less of the novel apart, but I do think the distance made this all the more heartbreaking.

Flawed and realistic characters, complex family dynamics and a novel chronicling how painful fractured relationships can be. Thank you to Verve Books for the arc.

Shred Sisters
By Betsy Lerner

Two sisters, Olivia (Ollie) and Amy are polar opposites. Ollie is vivacious and confident, impulsive, unpredictable and chaotic. Amy is studious and thoughtful, but as Ollie's erratic personality strains the family, Amy becomes withdrawn and resentful.

This is a deeply emotional story of how mental illness and addiction of one person can have enduring effects on the entire family. The sisters characterisations are touchingly real and their journey through two decades of friction, betrayal, repeated second chances, disappointment, estrangement, renewed loyalty and fierce, fierce love says everything about the bonds of sisterhood.

This was a very fast read for me, and throughout the story I was reminded of many instances where my own sisterly relationships were tested, and how much sisters can shape our personalities and even our identities. A thought provoking and emotionally stirring book.

Publication Date: 14th August 2025

Thanks to #Netgalley and #Vervebooks for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions

This story was so addictive at the beginning, bringing us to a family with two very different sisters - the shy, reserved Amy and the intense, flighty Olivia. But as the story progressed, my patience with Amy grew thinner and thinner, and I didn't feel I really got the story the blurb was offering.

I was hoping we'd see Olivia's side of the story, because while she could leave devastation in her wake, I felt like I could almost understand why she left her uptight family so many times. But I felt for most of the second half she faded into the background until the end.

Amy is an extremely difficult character to like. She constantly seen as rude, dismissive and judgemental by everyone around her, and she's also emotionally unavailable in her relationships. At the end, she came across as selfish, and jealous of the life her sister had carved for herself.

Shred Sisters hit me on a personal level—my sister and I are very different people, and we've struggled over the years to stay close. Betsy Lerner captures the messiness, love, and complexity of sisterhood so beautifully, I found myself both moved and seen. Her writing is sharp, honest, and full of heart. I’ll definitely be reading more of her work—I feel like I’m late to the party, but so glad I made it.

‘No one will love you more or hurt you more than a sister’

Written through the eyes of the younger of two sisters from childhood to adulthood, this raw, honest, and heartfelt novel follows their journey. I was drawn into the storyline, which explores the challenges faced by a family affected by mental health. The character development was impressive, and I felt like I was reading a memoir, almost as if I were intruding on their pain.

I particularly loved Ollie and would have loved to have seen the story through her eyes. Towards the end, I found myself tearing up, and the last line was particularly poignant. I would recommend this book to fans of The Paper Palace and The Best We Could Hope For.

A great book that features complex relationships between the characters. I sped through it and really enjoyed the reading experience.

Messy and toxic family dynamics and sisterhood examined through a really emotive and compassionate lens. I loved reading this book! A super powerful and emotional read.

noone can hurt you like those you love. but if love hurts than that is truly,truly love. even the joys with the people you love most can hurt simply because you love them completely.
so when an illness or something brings a sadder or darker time it can truly feel like alot...even at time too much. but what also get people through something others cant fathom is live. what gets a family through things others on the outside couldn't begin to imagine is love. love is a strength like no other. families who know this KNOW this. but that does NOT make it any easier and it takes bravery on both sides. this is especially the case with mental illness. you have to hold on tight. you have to keep holding. and you have to keep coming back and back and back even when you just cant come back. when it feels too hard or too much that is the time you have to push one more time every time. the mental illness tries to push everyone else away. the support you can give is key, often the key to shredding its hold on the sufferer. but this is Never EVER easy.
this story is raw and real. its hard but wow can it reach you in a number ways. especially if you 'get' it. im not quite sure whether this book touches on it with too much 'movie' or even a little "that isnt what a mental illness is" but it was no where near as offensive as some that have attempted to cover it. some of those made me sick.
the impacts of mental illness are never easy and this book portrayed that well. its also never linear. its hard for both sides of the illness. you cant imagine how hard for those suffering and equally for those watching or loving someone in so much often pain and turmoil and darkness.

3.5 stars
I loved reading about Amy and Ollie’s lives, there were total opposites but perfectly balanced each other out. I saw a lot of myself in Amy, and for that I really enjoyed her narration and inner struggles with her sister. My criticism of this book comes from the lack of depth. It felt like there was something missing, I’m not sure if it was the character development or ending but I wanted something more from this story. I wish the ending wasn’t as rushed either, the last 100 pages or so felt unnaturally fast compared to the previous pace of the story. Still, an enjoyable and at times emotional read.

Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner captures astutely a messy relationship between sisters and the impact that mental illness has on both of them.

I enjoyed the start to this and the scene with the shards of glass was really memorable. I appreciated the overall themes about how experiences in your early life can influence and impact your later life and relationships in unexpected ways.

But the writing style wasn’t for me. It felt very flat and detached and lots of descriptions of things happening then later something else happened. It was almost more of a memoir than a novel, which I think was intentional but it didn’t work for me. It kept reminding me of other novels that I enjoyed and that took me out of the story.

I really loved this book. It was so well observed, touching with the beauty of our complex relationships taking centre stage. I would really recommend it. It’s easy to read whilst also being a more thinky book. Thanks to NetGalley and Verve books for the ARC.

"No one will love you more or hurt you more than a sister" is a wry aphorism that appears late in this debut novel. Over the course of about two decades, there is much heartache for the Shred family, but also moments of joy. Ultimately, a sisterly bond endures despite secrets, betrayals, and intermittent estrangement. Through her psychologically astute portrait of Olivia ("Ollie") and Amy, Betsy Lerner captures the lasting effects that mental illness can have on not just an individual, but an entire family. There is inherent repetition to descriptions of mental illness and addiction; Amy, too, sometimes seems trapped in bitterness and self-sabotage. Nonetheless, Lerner has achieved a vivid and emotionally involving family tale peopled by convincing characters.