The characters have multiple side-plots, which adds to their multi-dimensional feel and really enriches main themes. I particularly enjoyed Zelda's reunion and holiday with the guy she had dated in her late teens - AMAZING and PROFOUND. JEN, Isobel and Zelda are three very different women, yet they are bound together by their community, a religious sect called The Disciples Of The Last Days. I won’t lie, it’s a hard book to read. There are some seriously intense themes, and some emotional scenes, talk of sexual abuse, death, complicated love affairs etc. They are hard to read sometimes, but I think she’s found a nice balance. They’re there for a point, to show that this religion is not always the happy place it’s often depicted as, but they’re not just there for entertainment purposes. They really mean something to the author, the characters, and the reader. Minor complaint: Where is the story set? There is only mention of the religious places such as ’Worship Hall’ or the places of work or residence such as dentist’s office or apartment. But which town/city/country? This might not be a relevant point to many readers, but I like knowing the location to understand the story and characters better. Of course, skipping this info might have been a deliberate choice so as to make the plot feel universally relevant. But it became confusing for me as I know both Jehovah’s Witnesses and LDS churches originated in the USA. So I assumed the book was set there, until one character mentioned midway the book that they dreamt of going to the USA, which caught me off guard.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman · OverDrive: ebooks, audiobooks Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman · OverDrive: ebooks, audiobooks

In a Nutshell: A powerful story about three women whose lives have been influenced by their religious group. The theme was great; the writing approach could have been better. But it’s still an interesting book. This week Natalie Lewis joins me to discuss her career as a PR fashion expert, how and why she wrote her debut novel Don’t Believe The Hype, and the books everyone should read. Sophie Flynn is a Cotswolds based psychological thriller author and head of marketing at Jericho Writers.It was an absolutely fantastic read. The hypocrisy of religion, Christianity in this case, when it comes to women had me furious with the women who accept it and the men who are more than happy to dole out "punishments". In which fashion PR expert Natalie Lewis discusses her hilarious debut novel, Don’t Believe The Hype You change every single day, but you don't see it. Little by little. Until one day, you're completely transformed." The world in this tale is rife with sexism, religious zealotry, hatred - it feels like a dystopian fairy-tale but is a reality for too many - and could be for anyone all too easily. And knowing this makes the utter realism of this story so compelling and vivid. I don’t know what I was expecting with Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman. I tried not to read too much about it. I don’t think I was quite prepared for what I got.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman in this week’s Win a copy of Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman in this week’s

Overall, I become riveted by this book which is so beautifully written it keeps you transfixed. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I love it. The theme is the strongest part of the book. Based on the real-life Jehovah’s Witnesses, the fictional ‘Last Days’ group of the story is a typical male-dominated religious cult that twists Biblical scriptures according to their own convenience and indoctrinates their followers into blind belief. Their misogynistic decisions are infuriating. I loved how some of the “worldly people” of the book were able to question some of their claims logically. As acting members of a doomsday religion that expects them to stay silent, Zelda, Isabel and Jen instead find the courage to roar. This week Natalie Chandler and I chat about traditional publishing, advice for aspiring writers, books everyone should be reading, and why we shouldn’t be scared of literary agents. I have a love/hate relationship with so-called "books of the year". But this one, right here? Yeah, that's a pretty little slice of perfection. It is absolutely sublime, I read it in one sitting whilst in hospital, and no-one could grab my attention for an entire afternoon. It just grabbed me and hooked me in and wouldn't let me leave until I'd finished it. This is the only Jodie Chapman book I've read but I will definitely be looking out for others as this was just spellbinding.The three protagonists were varied and all at different stages in their relationship with their faith. Somehow, the writing was such that I felt a deep connection and kinship with all of these women, despite me having little to nothing in common with them. I immediately understood the struggles to equate the beliefs they had been taught with what they could actually see going on around them, but also not wanting to alienate themselves from their entire community. The decisions they have to make, or are made for them, are enormous, and I really felt for all of them. The character development and pacing is spot on, not at all predictable and I loved that! This beautiful tale of love, loss and sacrifice will break your heart...With echoes of David Nicholls' One Day and Sally Rooney's novels, it perfectly captures the agony of falling in love and the razor-sharp reality of pain and loss' DAILY MAIL All three women are connected in some way to an extremist religious cult. Will they be able to put themselves first and break free of the stranglehold the men in their lives wield over them in the name of God? So I have to admit I didn’t really know what exactly this book was about going into it, but I adored @jodiechapman’s debut so knew I was in safe hands. Turns out this may be even BETTER than Another Life 😲

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman | Goodreads Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman | Goodreads

Will they find the courage to move forwards? Or will a lifetime of expectation prove too hard to escape... Se potessi vorrei rileggere questo libro di nuovo, perché quando ho girato quell'ultima pagina ero devastata. One woman is punished for being the one who suffers SA, yet, because she cannot provide two witnesses to the accusation, she is the one not believed.

Meet Frankie Marks: the world's least likely fashion PR. She got the job by fluke, she doesn't know the first thing about designers, she's always hungry, and she struggles to think before she speaks. When Frankie crash-lands in the prestigious GGC agency, her friends and family can't believe it - least of all her long-term (and long-suffering) boyfriend, James. I loved how all of the women had a perception of each other that we could see why was the case whilst also understanding how wrong it was. I loved the way they all had similar realisations in different ways and at different times and just the growth!! Oh Sister centres on three women, Zelda, Jen and Isobel, all of whom are “sisters” in a religious community (:cult) The Disciples of the Last Days, but have been disfellowed for different reasons for having gone against the rules. As with most (all?) organised religions, The Disciples require women to be devoted to God, subservient to their elders and brothers who run the cult, and do a steady trade in hypocrisy.