From Amazon:

A mother races to save her daughter before her darkest nightmare comes true. Sacred Sisters Catholic girls' school has hardly changed since Jen Archer was a student. Jen hoped her older daughter would thrive here. Instead, shy, studious Carley becomes the target of vicious bullies. But the real danger at Sacred Sisters goes much deeper.

The only person Carley can talk to is "Angel," a kindred spirit she met online. Carley tells Angel everything—about her younger sister, about school, about the sudden death of her former best friend. Angel is her lifeline. And Angel is closer than she knows. When another schoolgirl is found dead, Jen's unease grows. There are too many coincidences, too many links to her past. Every instinct tells her that Carley is the next target. For someone is intent on punishing the guilty, teaching the ultimate lesson in how to fear . . . and how to die.

My Thoughts:

I really had a difficult time getting into this book. The beginning seemed very unconnected. There was way more dialog than any story needed. The characters were just so-so. Carly, the teen who was being bullied was really not very likable...the mother, Jen, was whinny and reliving her high school days through her daughter...just because she and her four sisters were the top dogs at the Sacred Sisters High School she was absolutely certain that her daughter could be also..she just needed a little push, or a big shove. The father was nearly non existent ... I thought he was dead to start with. There were elements of a good story in there somewhere...it just never appeared. The allusion to an intriguing story line is what got it the extra half-star rating. Otherwise 2.5 stars.
( )

I love Wendi Corsi Staub's books, and this was another great read. Carley is a teenager being bullied by the girls in her Catholic high school. She transferred from another school where her best friend, Nicki attends. Life is just not the same without her best friend. Soon Carley begins to receive text messages and "Peeps" (think Facebook) messages from her best friend that aren't so nice. Carley begins a new online "friendship" with Angel, who may or may not be who or what she seems. Great story about teenagers these days and how social media has replaced actual face to face communication - sometimes to the detriment of our relationships. ( )

Similar in plot and style to a Mary Higgins Clark novel of mad men, and missing and murdered girls and women, this felt like a throwback to the thrillers and mysteries I read in my youth. Likewise I think this probably would have been more satisfying to me when I was younger. This was pretty heavy-handed with its message of getting off the internet and talking, which could be (is probably) true, but also a bit antiquated in the face of the ways we communicate these days. The execution of the crimes and the motives and rational were pretty thin, but I did like the interactions between parents and tens. That’s probably a knee jerk reaction to all the absentee parents in fiction whenever teenagers are involved, so, yay parenting! ( )

The Good Sister
By
Wendi Corsica Staub

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Carley is being bullied at school...manipulated online...and an old vendetta is leaving bodies everywhere!

My thoughts after reading this book...

This book was just what I was in the mood for on a hot muggy steamy summer day. The book alternates between allowing us to read pages in a diary from quite a few years ago...to Carley's life in a new school...to Angel...who is mysterious, shrouded, hidden and apparently has a vendetta towards tons of people in this town.

This book is a true chiller...creepy...a tad predictable...but oh so much fun to read! Once I started reading...I truly could not stop.

What I loved about this book...

There is evil...tons of it...in this book. There is a weird evil mom and bullies and one of the nuns at Carley's school isn't so nice either...wait until you read about her! It's just filled with yummy terror. You never know who is going to get "knocked off" next! Or why...

At first there isn't really any rhyme or reason to the deaths...and it's a mystery so you really wouldn't want me to tell you anything juicy about it anyway! My reviewer's lips are sealed!

The best part of this book was the anticipation of what was going to happen next....there were hints and characters that I knew must have a connection...so...that part of the book...trying to figure out the why of everything...was awesome!

What I didn't love...

My heart went out to Carley...she was sad and lost and the constant target of the mean girls.

Final thoughts...

I found this book to be scary, provocative and unputdownable. It is the perfect book for beach or plane. Time will fly by as you try to figure out who did it and why! Again...a little bit predictable...but still fun to read...when you are not scared out of your mind! ( )