How to Survive Your Sisters

Sibling rivalry and family secrets come to a head in this listless chick lit tale from Campbell (the pen name of real-life sisters and writing partners Pam Burks and Lorraine Campbell). Reluctantly reuniting for an upcoming wedding, sisters Avril, Milly, Natalie, and Hazel converge at their childhood home, where their socially awkward mother and not-quite-on-the-wagon father threaten to throw a wrench into Nat’s viciously perfect nuptials. Add in a way-too-small bridesmaid dress, snooty almost in-laws, and the disconcerting presence of an old family friend, and “happily ever after” becomes a decidedly foreign concept. Largely presented as archetypes—career-driven single, harried stay-at-home mom, judgmental absolutist, rootless globetrotter—the sisters are unappealing protagonists who offer little reason to invest in their fates. And with far too few moments of genuine affection and compassion to temper the extreme vitriol they hurl at each other and at others in their orbit, Campbell’s story simply lacks heart. (BookLife)