CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS

A wealthy family is desperate to be reinstated in the good graces of its matriarch in this often funny but uneven family drama. At the novel’s opening, Almighty Lou, the severe and dominating grandmother of Baltimore’s eccentric Sullivan clan, threatens to strike her son and his family from her will due to an unspecified offense one of her grandchildren has committed against her. In response, the three teen sisters, Norrie, Jane and Sassy, pen confessions of their misdeeds for her and beg forgiveness. Each girl narrates a section in turn, and humor abounds in the inner workings of this interesting and unusual family. The girls’ voices are easy to distinguish from one another, nicely reflecting the differences in their personalities. However, bad girl Jane’s section relies heavily on pat examples of teenage angst that make her seem less real than the others. Further, the conclusion seems rushed, and there are some loose ends that remain, but readers may not be bothered—there is still plenty in this light read to enjoy. (Fiction. 12 & up)