Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Release Date: August 1, 2009 from Little, Brown Young Readers
Synopsis:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-


One good...


One evil...


Who will prevail?


Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.


Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.


They just know they can't trust each other.

Here's the thing, I was really looking forward to reading this and I was trying and trying to put it off until closer to the release date, but I couldn't stand it anymore. There it sat in my room pulling me in, screaming to be read. So, in I delved....and guess what?! I la-la-la-loved it!!

I'm a fan of gothic horror and/or romance tales. The novels of Shirley Jackson and Victoria Holt come to mind. But in recent years, it seems like that genre has fallen by the wayside. I am so happy to see a resurgence with titles like Prophecy of the Sisters and even Bad Girls Don't Die, which has a real gothic feel.

From page one of Prophecy of the Sisters, I was transported to another time and was immediately sucked into the story of Lia Milthorpe and the Prophecy. Zink's writing is lyrical and so visual that you can see events unfold in your mind while reading. Her writing is atmospheric and creates this incredible feeling that carries through the whole book. I felt like I was a part of the landscape, especially during Lia's "journeys."

The characters are fantastic and in some cases super-creepy. I mean, Alice is just.....bah....argh (that's all I'm going to say about Alice). James is wonderful, of course, but I think my favorite character is Lia's friend Sonia. She's just such a wonderful and sympathetic character.

The novel is perfectly paced and the tension builds throughout, keeping you reading long into the night. I got to a certain part and I just couldn't put it down even though my clock was telling me it was bedtime. Sleep?! Who needs it! You discover each piece of the Prophecy puzzle right along with Lia and I found myself racing to find that next piece.

I cannot, I repeat cannot, wait until the next book in this series. It's such a rich story and there is so much more to learn about these characters and about the Prophecy. Yay, another great series!! Keep 'em coming Michelle.

Can I just say that there are like a million awesome debut authors this year. I think we may be seeing YA's strongest year yet.