Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

The Prophecy of the Sisters is one of those books that I had never heard even a whisper of before glimpsing it on the bookstore shelves. The title grabbed me, and the cover looked promising and I liked the flap. But it was a hardcover that I didn't know about so I dithered about it for awhile.

I am so glad I decided to take a chance on it.

The book opens with main character Lia at her father's funeral. It is the early 1900s and she, her twin sister, younger brother and Aunt live in an estate home just outside of New York City. Oh, and a mysterious mark has appeared on her wrist following her father's death.

What follows is a good mystery, mixed with coming of age and family dynamics.

My favourite part of this book was the writing style. It's told in first person, present tense, which isn't anything different or unique but the language felt right for the character and the time period. I don't recall to much said about the setting or the time it takes place in but I have a vivid picture of it in my head. Everything was very clear and detailed without being at all tedious.

The quest part of the story, the search for the mysterious keys I found a little predictable. It was still enjoyable but there were times I was yelling at Lia that the answer was obvious.

Another thing I loved about the book was the family dynamic. It would have been easy to have made Alice, the other sister, completely and utterly evil. She is dealing with evil beings and evil outcomes. But still, the family love is there. You believe her when she does something good. And you believe her when she does something terrible. I like that, although the sisters know they are on opposing sides, they are still sisters.

All in all, an fantastic read and I'm eager for more of the story.