My Sister Rosa
By Mary Cosola,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Riveting thriller about teen boy and psychopath kid sister.
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What's the Story?
In MY SISTER ROSA, 17-year-old Che and his 10-year-old little sister are uprooted frequently as their parents move from one start-up job opportunity to another. Rosa has never been "normal": She is late-developing in the area of social traits but off-the-charts brilliant academically. It's her fascination with hurting and controlling people and animals that freaks out Che. He tries to convince his parents that something is seriously wrong with Rosa, but they downplay his concerns. Because of this, Che ends up taking on the responsibility of looking after Rosa, keeping her from causing too much harm and teaching her how to be good. When the family ends up in New York City, she has a bigger landscape in which to mess with people, and her actions lead to some interesting and unnerving situations. How far will she go? Will it be Che's fault if she seriously hurts or kills someone? He starts to feel that anyone he cares about is not safe. He has his own life and future to think about. His worries about how much more dangerous Rosa gets as she grows up is amplified by the notion that he has to get on with his schooling, dating, and friendships. How can he grow up to live his own life while looking after Rosa?
Is It Any Good?
A teen boy tries to protect the world from his sociopathic little sister in this gripping, suspenseful thriller. My Sister Rosa opens with Che's family on their way to New York City so his parents can pursue yet another business start-up. While being moved to a nice apartment in Manhattan might be cause for celebration for most 17-year-olds, Che is filled with dread, and rightly so. His 10-year-old sister is a budding psychopath. Che has kept close watch over her for her entire life and worries how much harder that will be in a city as big, busy, and anonymous as New York. The suspense in the story comes from not knowing what Rosa's going to do next. Che's feeling of responsibility for her is heartrending, especially because his parents either don't see Rosa's problematic behavior or won't let themselves admit it.
The story is told from Che's point of view, and he's a smart, engaging narrator. He has to battle being a shy teen with a huge burden in a big city. As he makes friends and starts dating, and as Rosa gets craftier, looking after her becomes difficult and could lead to serious consequences, all of which ratchets up the story's tension. The book poses lots of interesting ideas and discussions, including big questions around what constitutes good versus evil behavior and whether empathy can be taught. The medical information on human behavior is fascinating and is well-woven into the story without being heavy-handed. Author Justine Larbalestier does a good job of keeping all the plot points moving without dropping any or giving any short shrift, although Che's ongoing talks with Rosa about her behavior get repetitive. There's a good twist that would have been even more effective had more groundwork been laid for it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of evil in My Sister Rosa. Is it realistic? A lot of the book deals with Che trying to teach his sister, Rosa, to be good. Do you think it's possible to teach someone to be good?
Why are some lies OK and others aren't? Do you think we can be 100 percent honest all the time? What are the benefits and consequences of living like that? What are the morals involved in deciding when to lie and when to be honest?
Boxing is a way for Che to channel his frustrations in a controlled way. Do you have sports or other activities that help you get your frustrations out and help you focus?
Book Details
- Author: Justine Larbalestier
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Soho Teen
- Publication date: November 15, 2016
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 5, 2016
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