SISTERS SATURDAY - Denise Jaden

Welome to the first installment of SISTERS SATURDAY! Where we celebrate and explore the wonderful and sometimes complex relationship between SISTERS. We'll talk to YA authors about their sisters and also look at some YA books about SISTERS! And what a great way to start it off with LOSING FAITH! And of course, the author, Denise Jaden!

So I know you don’t have a sister and that makes me a little sad for you. :) What made you want to write about sisters?

Denise: I’ve always wanted a sister, and been secretly jealous of my friends who have close relationships with their sisters. I do have a sister-in-law now, who has two sisters of her own, and I always find myself almost mesmerized by the intricacies of their relationships. There’s a lot to explore with sisters!

There definitely is. It's different than friendships because of shared history good and bad -lol. So, describe the sisters and their relationship in LOSING FAITH?

Denise: Brie is the younger sister and Faith is a year and a half older. They used to be close, but in the span of the book, they’ve grown apart. Faith has found her place among a religious youth group, while Brie feels a lot of resentment toward her because Brie can’t seem to find the place where she fits. There’s a lot of pent up anger and frustration between these two and lots of secrets to discover through the course of the novel.

You definitely got the nuances of sisters in Losing Faith. So tell us what Faith and Brie hated about each other?

Denise: Faith didn’t hate much about Brie. I think she was too distracted and busy to notice anything annoying about her younger sister.

As I mentioned above, Brie was the one with the chip on her shoulder. She felt like the black sheep of her religious family, and her bitterness leaked out in any area Faith seemed to be more the “good” daughter.

What did they love about each other?

Denise: They loved the memories they shared. They stuck up for each other and for most of their lives had been a bit of a team in the family. Brie also really loved Faith’s singing voice, though she’d be hard-pressed to admit that to anyone.

I don’t want you to have to give any spoilers-- but what is the most important lesson about sisters in LOSING FAITH?

Denise: There’s a deep inner-knowledge of the people you’ve grown up with, and nothing and no one can take that away.

What do you think you’ve missed by not having a sister?(besides access to another wardrobe ;)

Denise: Well, hey, another wardrobe is a biggie! But yes, I’ve always wished I had a sister. There’s just a bond I see between sisters that seems unlike any other relationship. I love that sisters know each other so well—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and love each other anyhow.

Well. You have wonderful friends and sisters in law, so that accounts for something, right! Plus, as an author you get to explore the world of sisters, as you did so well in LOSING FAITH.

Thanks so much Denise.

Make sure you check out Losing Faith. It's a great book about sisters, heartwrenching with an intriguing mystery to keep you guessing until the end.

Here's the official blurb.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.
As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

“Strong in its characterization…satisfying…a thoughtful read.”
-VOYA

CHECK BACK NEXT SATURDAY FOR A HILARIOUS TALK WITH COURTNEY SUMMERS ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER SISTER!