Like Sisters of Misery, The Lost Sister was an equally riveting tale albeit one that left a bit of some holes behind.

The Lost Sister began with the retelling of some scenes through Cordelia’s eyes. The readers gets a first class ticket into her mind as she thinks back to the Sisters of Misery trial, her struggle afterwards, her life she’s been hiding for the past year or so. Fans of Sisters of Misery will have this opportunity to refresh their memories and give sympathy to Cordelia. This sequel was more action packed, more magical, and more drama filled as we get closure.

Maddie grows through the year she’s been away at boarding school from mousy and to someone who might have a spine. But she comes back to Hawthorne when her mother is diagnosed with cancer.

Again each character is exquisitely done. Again the plotline is diabolical with a hint of disgust to the villains. The plot moves like a snake, twisting this way and that, each time never giving the chance for the reader to suspect the true culprit. I should have seen it coming but alas I was too enraptured by the actual story to make assumption.

The emotions were palpable as the sisters share grief and guilt for the past. Reunions are teary eyed and the answer…deadly. It involves blood, yes it does.

However I would like to know what happened to certain characters in the end. For example Reed. He was a suspect for a murder and the town drunk. There are these little nags in the back of my mind when I put this book done. A lot of it seems to revolve around magic though.

Overall: A nice ending especially since it ended with a bit of a humorist touch. ( )

Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com

THE LOST SISTER is Megan Kelley Hall's equally enthralling follow-up to SISTERS OF MISERY. Hall loses no momentum, picking up the Gothic thriller a year after the terrible events that happened to Cordelia on Misery Island.

One year removed from her near-death experience courtesy of Hawthorne's Sisters of Misery, Cordelia is in Maine, hunting down Malcolm Crane, her estranged father whom she holds responsible for all of the tragedies that have befallen the women in her family.

Maddie is away at boarding school, trying to put Hawthorne and the guilt she harbors regarding Cordelia's disappearance in the past. When she receives news that her mother has cancer, she knows that she must return to Hawthorne and care for her sick mother. A warning in the form of a spooky tarot card does nothing to quell Maddie's fears about returning to her hometown and facing her demons.

Shortly after her return, Maddie's world is once again turned upside down and the events that she has tried so hard to forget come rushing back.

When one of the Sisters of Misery is killed at a party thrown by the Endicotts' to gain public support for their hotel, Hawthorne begins turning on its own. Finn and Reed, both suspects in Cordelia's disappearance, are once again arrested, this time for suspected murder. Only Cordelia's sudden return to Hawthorne and testimony that neither man had anything to do with her disappearance frees them.

The Endicotts' plans to erect a new hotel, The Endicott, where the Ravenswood asylum stands, is unexpectedly halted due to a freak fire burning down all of the new buildings. Some suspect the spirits of the witches that were condemned so long ago, while others point to arson.

The curse upon Hawthorne is very real. A fire. A murder. A kidnapping. If Maddie and Cordelia are to survive this deadly turn of events, they will have to use their mysterious abilities and they will have to trust each other as sisters. Someone, or something, is after them, and Maddie and Cordelia have only each other.

Hall will have your heart racing and you will not be able to put this book down. With historical allusions to the New England witch trials and a touch of the paranormal, THE LOST SISTER is a thriller in a league of its own. ( )

Awhile back I read and enjoyed Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (clink on the title to read my review). When I heard that the sequel had come out...well, I had to pick it up so I instantly requested it from the library. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations but here are some of my thoughts.

Warning: This review MAY have spoilers. There is just no way to get around it because the reader needs to read Sisters of Misery before they should give this one a try. The Lost Sister picks up where the previous book left off and shows the reader what Maddie has been up to since going away to school and leaving her hometown (and bad memories) behind. Maddie is still searching for Cordelia and trying to figure out what happened to her after that horrible night on the island. The book is written in multiple viewpoints which allows the reader to begin to see things from Cordelia's experiences to where she is and what she is planning on doing. But mysterious forces are still at work which will draw both of the girls deep into danger once again.

I'm going to split this review into two parts: what worked for me and what didn't. One of my favorite things about this book were reading about the different meanings of the tarot cards beginning at each chapter. It was really interesting and made me want to learn more. I'm glad that we finally find out what happened to Cordelia as the 1st book left me curious and wanting more. It was also nice to see a stronger Maddie, one that stood up for herself and made better decisions. I was able to relate to her even more in this book which was a positive thing.

Not everything worked for me in this book and one of the main problems that I had was the jumping around in narration. It wasn't always clear who was talking at times and it interrupted the flow of the story more often than not. And this bothered me as I think that the flow of the story is an important aspect to me enjoying it as a reader. I also had a hard time getting into the storyline and it wasn't until the end that I found myself really wanting to find out what was going to happen. The ending itself was pulled off nicely as it did keep me reading but all in all, I had a very easy time putting this book down.

I'll still be looking for more books by this author even if this wasn't my favorite book. ( )

This review starts by stating it was incredibly difficult to write a detailed summary of the over arching story because there are so many good plots, twists and turns that shouldn’t be revealed. There are just that many secrets that spoiling even the smallest part would take the fun out of experiencing it; and experience it you should.

Knowing that to be the case, it can be said that the author did an excellent job of formulating an interesting and thought provoking mystery. Her ability to construct a story that utilized elements of mysticism and witchcraft accompanied with local history made for an intriguing read. It was certainly difficult for this reader to put the book down for fear of not getting to know the answers soon enough.

Hall has also written dynamic characters that are somewhat larger than life. Showcasing a typical class based system of haves and have-nots the animosity between groups is palpable. As one would expect there is constant positioning, one-upsmanship, back stabbing and general down and dirty cat-fighting. Fighting, that at the heart of it all, spurns resolution to the larger mystery.

If you are looking for a good whodunit with a dash of the supernatural that includes compelling characters that you’ll want to revisit in the future then The Lost Sister is definitely for you. ( )

After everything that happened to Cordelia she is out for revenge from the one person she thinks caused everything; her Father, Malcolm Crane. She plans to kill him, she moves to Maine and gets herself a job at a cafe he frequents. But once she sees him with a new family, a new son, she can't kill him and break up that family too. Then she reads the newspaper about Hawthorne, she realizes what horrible things have happened in her absence. Her mother had gone crazy and her grandmother had died, Maddie moved to a boarding school in Maine, and Maddie's mom, Abigail, was diagnosed with cancer. Cordelia realizes she has to put her fears behind her and go back to Hawthorne.

This book has everything i wanted the sequel to be and more! There's mystery, drama, suspense, and Kate Endicott getting kicked down a notch. This book also fills in some of the pieces from the last story that we missed, and it all flows together seamlessly. The characters are still some of my favorites ever, and they just keep getting better. Megan Kelley Hall is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! This series is amazing! ( )