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Sister Dearest
Following her horrible accident, Vicki feels as if everyone is treating her like an invalid, and when someone begins playing vicious pranks on her--pranks that remind her of the accident--Vicki hopes that her siblings will help her
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1991
About the author
D.E. Athkins
9 books42 followersD.E. Athkins (a.k.a 'Deathkins') is one of the pseudonyms used by published author Nola Thacker. Nola has also written several other books under the pseudonym Tom B.Stone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 18, 2022
One of the worst books I've ever read!
Thoroughly enjoyed every ridiculous moment of it!!
Would recommend.
Thoroughly enjoyed every ridiculous moment of it!!
Would recommend.
June 6, 2019
Read this with my mom! It’s from her old collection of teen scary books. Was so good and scary! Can’t wait to read more with her!
January 8, 2022
For a book that is very short, it's a pretty good read.
It had the normal Point Horror plot with more focus on a who-dun-it mystery than actually being bloody or terrifying.
Basically, a girl named Vicki was in an accident and someone in her circle of friends is of course, the real villain of the story and not just Vicki having PTSD.
There are three suspects that seem obvious based on the title of the book and it wasn't the one I expected. I would recommend it if you are looking for that nostalgia of the Point Horror series.
It had the normal Point Horror plot with more focus on a who-dun-it mystery than actually being bloody or terrifying.
Basically, a girl named Vicki was in an accident and someone in her circle of friends is of course, the real villain of the story and not just Vicki having PTSD.
There are three suspects that seem obvious based on the title of the book and it wasn't the one I expected. I would recommend it if you are looking for that nostalgia of the Point Horror series.
February 28, 2022
I am giving this 4* purely because I thought it was utterly bonkers nonsense and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, it is not a good book. Read it anyway.
January 21, 2019
1.5
Extremely disappointing from someone who took the time to name themselves Deathkins.
The blurb was actually totally different to the story. Did she forget to update it when the book was published? Sad retro reads day.
Extremely disappointing from someone who took the time to name themselves Deathkins.
The blurb was actually totally different to the story. Did she forget to update it when the book was published? Sad retro reads day.
November 22, 2023
This was fairly enjoyable. I definitely did not see the twist coming at the end and I liked that about it. Would have been good if it was a little longer though.
April 5, 2018
Wow, definitely the slimmest little Point Horror I've come across at c. 100 pages (when you see it in profile you'll understand why everyone notes how short it is).
Athkins's spare narration provides minimal insight into Vicki's inner workings, which is clever but rather unnerving. On the one hand I found her hard to sympathise with, which impacted my ability to fully immerse myself in her world. On the other hand, it allows the sinister nature of the plot to unfold without too much give-away. In a word, Sister Dearest is intriguing. Vicki, our protagonist, remains an enigma. Combined with its generally dark and almost incestuous atmosphere, this one has a slightly different feel than many other PH titles.
Athkins's spare narration provides minimal insight into Vicki's inner workings, which is clever but rather unnerving. On the one hand I found her hard to sympathise with, which impacted my ability to fully immerse myself in her world. On the other hand, it allows the sinister nature of the plot to unfold without too much give-away. In a word, Sister Dearest is intriguing. Vicki, our protagonist, remains an enigma. Combined with its generally dark and almost incestuous atmosphere, this one has a slightly different feel than many other PH titles.
June 4, 2019
Vicki snagged a date with the hottest boy on campus. She just came off an accident the previous summer and there can't be a better start to the school year than this.
There's a strange air around everything though. Her father is being overprotective, and her brother wasn't as close to her as he used to. She's become more rebellious and wilder. And now someone's playing tricks on her. Putting roaches in her shoes, stalking her, stashing nasty notes in her backpack. Someone she knew very well got seriously injured. Would she be next?
This book is a lot more daring than I expected. It's also a quick read with a rather predictable perp. This is the first time I encountered Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy in a YA horror, and I like how it synced with the plot.
I'm rating this 6/10 or 3 stars out of 5.
There's a strange air around everything though. Her father is being overprotective, and her brother wasn't as close to her as he used to. She's become more rebellious and wilder. And now someone's playing tricks on her. Putting roaches in her shoes, stalking her, stashing nasty notes in her backpack. Someone she knew very well got seriously injured. Would she be next?
This book is a lot more daring than I expected. It's also a quick read with a rather predictable perp. This is the first time I encountered Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy in a YA horror, and I like how it synced with the plot.
I'm rating this 6/10 or 3 stars out of 5.
December 10, 2020
Not a bad book. More of a thriller, but had it's moments. Read it for the #halfoweenathon2020 challenge. Quick read. I had my suspicions about who was behind it, but wasn't sure. Great for teens.
February 17, 2021
I was excited to get to this one and ended up disappointed. The plot is boring, the ending was a let down. I felt like I had to force myself through it. Definitely not a fan of this one.
December 18, 2017
Disclaimer: This is going to be a rambly review as I wrote out notes so I will probably pick points to talk about according to those notes.
It was really interesting to re-read this, because I basically had forgotten the entire story. I'd forgotten that the main character's name is Vicki, that the book mentions Rod Stewart (made me crack up on both occasions, particularly the "insult" that was hurled on page 80: "...You Rod Stewart joke!"). Other things that dated the story were 1) a "twisted sister" reference, 2) the fact that everyone had to share landlines rather than have their own mobile phones, and 3) the fact that Marty is wearing black leather pants in one scene. Cute! :)
I was surprised while reading this one that it was quite racy compared to some others I've read. This was the shortest Point book I've read to date, possibly the shortest one ever written (at only 106 pages), but it seemed to pack quite a bit into a short read. Unlike some Point books it had some good insults, like "frustrated pond scum". I like that one. I also cracked up over the quote on page 33: "...a bunch of twisted sisters." Nawww, cute Twisted Sister reference (right?? I'm right, right??)!
It was surprising to read about teenagers practically having sex in the hallways, which usually with a Point book I'm not accustomed to reading about. This book was published in 1991 and when I think back to myself at that age I wonder what I would have thought of the read. On page 35 we hear about Vicki wanting to , which made my 37 year old eyes bug out a little. haha.
The character of Lolly Parsons (sounds like Dolly Parton a bit, right?) actually reminded me of Dolly in that she's big-boobed and has big blonde hair. In the scene with the shoes and the roaches, I couldn't quite picture where someone would get "hundreds" of roaches from. Did they bring them to school in boxes?
I found Vicki to be an interesting and sometimes confusing character. On page 20 she is which seemed a bit extreme. It actually made me wonder if perhaps the "bad guy" of the story was going to turn out to be . Of course, later on when we find out the truth about , perhaps her being like that earlier in the book makes more sense.
For such a short book I was kind of impressed by some of the aspects, like the fact that we get insight into Vicki's relationship with her dad and how she feels hurt when he's withholding of affection, etc. Also, what the hell was up with See page 25 and page 91, but especially page 25, for insight into that.
On another note, maybe it's because I'm Australian and not America, but I have no idea what Alan was going on about on page 90 - did it relate to United Airlines being the friendly skies? If so, I still don't get it! Another reference I didn't understand was the one about "The Bobbsey twins" (p.31). I'm sure I could Google it and find out what it means.
Comments on the "bad guy" reveal:
Some last comments: I thought Vicki was a bit of a bitch about Janet on p.52, but at least she didn't take it too far and get to a point of no return. Also, why the hell would My notes on my phone said simply, "Baka!"
All in all, I enjoyed this one more than I expected to, even if it made me laugh sometimes when that probably was not the author's intention in 1991.
It was really interesting to re-read this, because I basically had forgotten the entire story. I'd forgotten that the main character's name is Vicki, that the book mentions Rod Stewart (made me crack up on both occasions, particularly the "insult" that was hurled on page 80: "...You Rod Stewart joke!"). Other things that dated the story were 1) a "twisted sister" reference, 2) the fact that everyone had to share landlines rather than have their own mobile phones, and 3) the fact that Marty is wearing black leather pants in one scene. Cute! :)
I was surprised while reading this one that it was quite racy compared to some others I've read. This was the shortest Point book I've read to date, possibly the shortest one ever written (at only 106 pages), but it seemed to pack quite a bit into a short read. Unlike some Point books it had some good insults, like "frustrated pond scum". I like that one. I also cracked up over the quote on page 33: "...a bunch of twisted sisters." Nawww, cute Twisted Sister reference (right?? I'm right, right??)!
It was surprising to read about teenagers practically having sex in the hallways, which usually with a Point book I'm not accustomed to reading about. This book was published in 1991 and when I think back to myself at that age I wonder what I would have thought of the read. On page 35 we hear about Vicki wanting to , which made my 37 year old eyes bug out a little. haha.
The character of Lolly Parsons (sounds like Dolly Parton a bit, right?) actually reminded me of Dolly in that she's big-boobed and has big blonde hair. In the scene with the shoes and the roaches, I couldn't quite picture where someone would get "hundreds" of roaches from. Did they bring them to school in boxes?
I found Vicki to be an interesting and sometimes confusing character. On page 20 she is which seemed a bit extreme. It actually made me wonder if perhaps the "bad guy" of the story was going to turn out to be . Of course, later on when we find out the truth about , perhaps her being like that earlier in the book makes more sense.
For such a short book I was kind of impressed by some of the aspects, like the fact that we get insight into Vicki's relationship with her dad and how she feels hurt when he's withholding of affection, etc. Also, what the hell was up with See page 25 and page 91, but especially page 25, for insight into that.
On another note, maybe it's because I'm Australian and not America, but I have no idea what Alan was going on about on page 90 - did it relate to United Airlines being the friendly skies? If so, I still don't get it! Another reference I didn't understand was the one about "The Bobbsey twins" (p.31). I'm sure I could Google it and find out what it means.
Comments on the "bad guy" reveal:
Some last comments: I thought Vicki was a bit of a bitch about Janet on p.52, but at least she didn't take it too far and get to a point of no return. Also, why the hell would My notes on my phone said simply, "Baka!"
All in all, I enjoyed this one more than I expected to, even if it made me laugh sometimes when that probably was not the author's intention in 1991.
July 19, 2024
Most of the YA horror books have plots that border on utter nonsense. Sometimes it works to create an unnerving atmosphere. Everything feels just a bit off-kilter here, from the weird dialogue and the shifty characters to Vicki's flirtatious relationship with her brother Alan. The red shoes are a striking symbol for Vicki's brokenness, mentally and/or physically; she is attracted to and repelled by them in equal measure. You'd be forgiven for discounting the unsatisfying tidy ending and choosing to believe that Vicki is simply losing her grip on reality. I like the spare writing style; it imparts the feeling that Vicki's world is undefined, blurring at the edges. Action takes place against a backdrop of pure shadow, like an old expressionist film.
Interesting that D.E. Athkins is another pseudonym for the woman who wrote the Graveyard School books as Tom B. Stone. The running joke in that series ("Remember, the principal is your pal!") makes an appearance here as well. Except in reverse. I think there's a gossipy implication that the principal is a lesbian? Vicki's friend Janet gossips that Principal Sewell was formerly a nun who either left or was thrown out of her convent, and winkingly says something along the lines of, "You know what that means." Every character feels like a projection of Vicki's psyche, representing some aspect of herself she'd rather repress, and there's an undercurrent of sexuality to most of her relationships: the abusive ex-boyfriend; the incestuous brother (who makes a flippant reference to foot fetishes); the overbearing father; the art student best friend; the homecoming queen sister. Vicki's accident spurred a confrontation with her repressed sexuality? It is interesting that we are told Vicki is a "wild child" but she comes across as completely average and generally pretty well-behaved through the book. Maybe that means...something.
Interesting that D.E. Athkins is another pseudonym for the woman who wrote the Graveyard School books as Tom B. Stone. The running joke in that series ("Remember, the principal is your pal!") makes an appearance here as well. Except in reverse. I think there's a gossipy implication that the principal is a lesbian? Vicki's friend Janet gossips that Principal Sewell was formerly a nun who either left or was thrown out of her convent, and winkingly says something along the lines of, "You know what that means." Every character feels like a projection of Vicki's psyche, representing some aspect of herself she'd rather repress, and there's an undercurrent of sexuality to most of her relationships: the abusive ex-boyfriend; the incestuous brother (who makes a flippant reference to foot fetishes); the overbearing father; the art student best friend; the homecoming queen sister. Vicki's accident spurred a confrontation with her repressed sexuality? It is interesting that we are told Vicki is a "wild child" but she comes across as completely average and generally pretty well-behaved through the book. Maybe that means...something.
January 1, 2021
Full review at: https://www.jackreacts.com.au/post/si...
Snippet: I need to stop giving Deathkins the benefit of the doubt and just resign myself to the fact that I will never like her offerings to the genre. The whole thing was just written so horribly. There was way too much jumping to conclusions without an appropriate route there.
It's all well and good to have several red herrings, but there needs to be a sensible reason why they're potential suspects. "Janet hates Caddie and Alaina so she might be doing this to me" makes no sense at all. Similarly, it was mentioned a few times that Alan has completely changed and is creepy now ever since the accident, but it was never stated what he used to be like, or what makes him creepy, so what are we supposed to make of it?
Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)
Snippet: I need to stop giving Deathkins the benefit of the doubt and just resign myself to the fact that I will never like her offerings to the genre. The whole thing was just written so horribly. There was way too much jumping to conclusions without an appropriate route there.
It's all well and good to have several red herrings, but there needs to be a sensible reason why they're potential suspects. "Janet hates Caddie and Alaina so she might be doing this to me" makes no sense at all. Similarly, it was mentioned a few times that Alan has completely changed and is creepy now ever since the accident, but it was never stated what he used to be like, or what makes him creepy, so what are we supposed to make of it?
Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)
August 9, 2018
For a 90s book I was shocked that it had cursing and mini adult parts in it. A lot of Point Horror books are usually kid friendly. The most that they put in the books are kissing. This book used the word"dam" and "hell" a lot, also there was a part where Vicki was kissing her boyfriend and the author wrote that his hand went up her shirt. The ending was a little disappointing because you know who is trying to frighten Vicki, it's kind of like "The Step sister" by R.L. Stine with a twist ending.
August 14, 2021
No one is gonna talk about the weird chemistry between her and her twin brother? How come he's like "my my sister sister look at you in your TUBE dress its such a TUBE" lots of tube talk. Can anyone explain that dress she wore to the dance? Like it had coat it didn't have a coat which was it? How realistic were the paper mache feet???? I hope that's how you spell that. This book was a hilarious whirlwind like how was that less than 200 hundred pages? LIKE HOW COME SHE HAD SO MUCH SEXUAL TENSION WITH HER BROTHER INSTEAD OF HER LOVE INTEREST.
October 11, 2022
2.5 for nostalgia, junior high re-read for spooky season. It’s not my favorite of the Point Horror series, but it may mark one of the earliest usages of the unique-name-for-the-love-interest trend with “Dace”
June 14, 2023
The Farmer Twins read these YA horror novels in the 90s, and now I'm revisiting them in honor of Aaron.
Sister Dearest
Sister Dearest
Oh boy. Overreaction city, yet Vicki is a fun name for a 90s YA horror heroine!
January 21, 2019
Very quick read. A nice throwback to the slim mysteries/dramas I used to eat up in middle school!
February 20, 2019
More like 2.5
April 16, 2019
Don’t bother reading this. It is boring and dumb!
May 23, 2022
Not my favourite point horror novel to be honest. It really didn’t have much of the ‘creepy’ or ‘scary’ factor I love so much with these books.
May 30, 2022
I read this one back in the day, in high school and recently found my copy. So I re-read it. I enjoyed the story and the horror building. I liked most of the characters. Not a bad read.
March 18, 2024
Pretty pointless.
December 6, 2010
I read this when I was a young teen, and I recently reread it as an adult. It's a quick read, but reading it from the perspective of an adult brought the flaws to light that I didn't see as a young reader. The heavy-handed foreshadowing, the unlikeable main characters, and the just downright silly, unbelievable situations just made me shake my head now. I give it 3 stars mainly because I remember liking it when I was 13, but at 30, I find that it asks for far too much suspension of disbelief to be a great read.
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April 27, 2016Everything reminds Vicki of the accident. At breakfast, her family only eats blood-like foods, from tomato juice to clots of raspberry jam. At dinner they eat rare roast beef. You’d think they’d show a little more sensitivity! Vicki has night terrors; she hears laughter nearby without a source; someone left “hundreds of roaches” in her high-tops and “stumps of feet in [her] red shoes.” WHAT IF THE ACCIDENT WASN’T AN ACCIDENT?
April 2, 2009
I really enjoyed this when i was younger. Its a good quick read now!
January 3, 2013
Although I did like it. There didn't seem to be a lot going on. But it did startle me towards the end.
June 6, 2019
This was a fun read when I was really a young teen! Now re reading with my daughter! She is enjoying my old teen horror books and I’m enjoying the time spent with her through nostalgia. ❤️📚❤️
November 3, 2018
I read this years ago when I was middle school age. I remember liking it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews