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The Favorite Sister Hardcover – May 15, 2018

3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 1,940 ratings

***NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***

“Engrossing…Deliciously savage and wildly entertaining.”—People Magazine (Book of the Week)

From Jessica Knoll—author of Luckiest Girl Alive, the instant New York Times bestseller and the bestselling debut novel of 2015—comes a blisteringly paced thriller starring two sisters who join the cast of a reality TV series. One won’t make it out alive. So…who did it?

When five hyper-successful women agree to appear on a reality series set in New York City called
Goal Diggers, the producers never expect the season will end in murder…

Brett’s the fan favorite. Tattooed and only twenty-seven, the meteoric success of her spin studio—and her recent engagement to her girlfriend—has made her the object of jealousy and vitriol from her castmates.

Kelly, Brett’s older sister and business partner, is the most recent recruit, dismissed as a hanger-on by veteran cast. The golden child growing up, she defers to Brett now—a role which requires her to protect their shocking secret.

Stephanie, the first black cast member and the oldest, is a successful bestselling author of erotic novels. There have long been whispers about her hot, non-working actor-husband and his wandering eye, but this season the focus is on the rift that has opened between her and Brett, former best friends—and resentment soon breeds contempt.

The Favorite Sister explores the invisible barriers that prevent women from rising up the ranks in today’s America—and offers a scathing take on the oft-lionized bonds of sisterhood, and the relentless pressure to stay young, relevant, and salable.
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Popular Highlights in this book

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR THE FAVORITE SISTER BY JESSICA KNOLL


"What could be more engrossing, guilty-pleasure-wise, than a reality show about rich, backstabbing women? A juicy whodunit staged behind the scenes of just such a fictional show, that's what. In Knoll's follow-up to 2015's
Luckiest Girl Alive, one of the viciously ambitious stars of the series Goal Diggers ends up dead—and the truth behind the murder isn't revealed until each conniving cast member presents her version of the backstory. Deliciously savage and wildly entertaining."People Magazine (Book of the Week)

“Knoll mines the rich landscape of reality television and creates a binge-worthy beach read complete with the provocative twists and turns of a whodunit...Reality TV fans will get a kick out of seeing their favorite Real Housewives amalgamated into fictional form. Hint: We see a lot of RHONY in these ladies.”
USA Today (3 out of 4 stars)

“Knoll explores the blurry line between a reality show and real life--and the duplicity of family ties and friendship—in this razor-sharp, darkly comic thriller...[a] briskly paced whodunit...Though the mystery is engrossing enough in its own right, Knoll's novel is most notable as a potent takedown of a reality-show-obsessed culture that seeks out the spotlight rather than harder truths.“
Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

“Fans of Jessica Knoll's Luckiest Girl Alive, buckle up. In
The Favorite Sister, Knoll takes us through the crazy world of reality TV, filled with careful observations and complete OMG moments, like no author can. The story of five women on a reality show called The Goal Diggers, it is utterly unputdownable. Read it, then have fun with your friends trying to figure out which real-life reality stars inspired each of the fictional ones here.“—PopSugar

“You'll be seeing this pink umbrella on beaches everywhere this summer. The next thriller from the pen of
Luckiest Girl Alive has a reality TV show as its setting, and a pair of sisters—who are definitely no Housewives—with a dark secret to get the action going.“Elle

“A twisty, sexy thriller, jam-packed with wit and snark. Everything you wanted to know about what goes on off-camera is here: the secrets, the lies, and all the juicy details that make you speed through it like an episode of The Bachelor.“
Glamour

“The Real Housewives are tame next to the reality-show stars in Jessica Knoll’s wickedly gripping
The Favorite Sister.“Cosmopolitan

“Picture a fictional feminist reality TV show that's basically The Real Housewives of Startup Boardrooms. We find out early that one of the five castmates is dead, but we have no idea who did it, or why. This is the kind of soapy, hilariously vicious book you'll gobble up in one sitting.“
Marie Claire

“We don't want to give too much away, but you won't be able to put this one down—no matter how good the water looks."
Good Housekeeping

“Knoll explores the pressure society places on women to be everything to everyone and do it all without a strand of hair out of place. There's enough conniving, scandal, and snark to rival the most shocking episodes of Real Housewives, and these cutthroat divas play to win even if it means blurring the line between truth and lies. In the end, murder seems inevitable. Season 4 will end with a bang, and there will be blood…salaciously entertaining.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Knoll's second thriller (after
Luckiest Girl Alive) combines the cut-throat world of reality television and the competition for fame among alleged friends. The unexpected and unpredictable twists and surprising revelations will delight suspense fans.”Library Journal

“Knife-sharp and enthralling, Jessica Knoll’s
The Favorite Sister is as bold and smart and audacious a novel about women and ambition as you could hope for. A more-than-worthy follow-up to Luckiest Girl Alive, it proves Knoll is a literary force to be reckoned with.”—Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of You Will Know Me

***

PRAISE FOR LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE BY JESSICA KNOLL

[A] huge summer read . . . one of those great stories that you can’t put down!”
—Reese Witherspoon, InStyle

“The perfect page-turner to start your summer.”
People (Book of the Week)

“Dark, twisty . . . razor-sharp writing . . . propulsive prose . . . [The] reveal is a real doozy—a legitimately shocking, completely unputdownable sequence that unfolds like a slow-motion horror film. It instantly elevates
Luckiest Girl . . . and that momentum keeps going until its final pages.”Entertainment Weekly

“Loved
Gone Girl? We promise [Luckiest Girl Alive is] just as addictive.”Good Housekeeping

“A pulse-pounding, jaw-dropping novel about how tragedy twists and shapes lives.”
InTouch (A-)

“When Ani FaNelli wants something, she gets it: the job, the body, the man. What starts as a
Mean Girls-seeming story line transforms into something so dark, so plot-twistingly intense that…well, actually, no spoilers here.” Marie Claire

“A knockout debut novel . . . completely enthralling . . . devilishly dark and fun.”
Publishers Weekly

“[Ani FaNelli is] a cross between
Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw and Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne. . . . Knoll’s debut truly delivers and will keep readers engaged until the end.”Library Journal

“This is going to be the book you insist all your friends read this summer. . . . [A] clever, cunning satire on the female condition in the 21st century.”
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel



About the Author

Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive, which has been optioned for film by Lionsgate with Reese Witherspoon set to produce. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and the articles editor at Self. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and graduated from The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and her bulldog, Beatrice. The Favorite Sister is her second novel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; First Edition (May 15, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501153196
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501153198
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.18 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 1,940 ratings

About the author

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Jessica Knoll
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Jessica Knoll is the New York Times Bestselling author of THE FAVORITE SISTER and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE—now a major motion picture on Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan, and the articles editor at SELF. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and graduated from The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and bulldog, Franklin. BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is her third novel.

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
1,940 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They describe it as an interesting take on reality television and Hollywood. However, some find the writing style confusing and difficult to understand. The plot is criticized for being boring and lacking a basic premise. Character development is also criticized as undeveloped and blurry. Opinions differ on the pacing, with some finding it fast and realistic, while others consider it slow and confusing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

66 customers mention "Readability"47 positive19 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an enjoyable, fun read with a good plot. Some say it has a slow start, but is still interesting and keeps their interest through. While some readers enjoyed the author's previous book, others found this one confusing and mean-spirited. Overall, customers consider it satisfying and worth reading.

"...The novel is broken into several parts, and each part is more enjoyable than its predecessor. Once I got to the halfway mark, I was hooked!..." Read more

"...It was cool, because Kelly would hint at things in the interview and then the reader would get more details about them through Brett’s and Stephanie..." Read more

"This book was truly mediocre. First, the title doesn’t really fit the plot of the book...." Read more

"...women actually interact and think about each other, then this is a decent book that is easy to read...." Read more

31 customers mention "Interest"31 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting. They appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at reality television and Hollywood. The mystery keeps them on their toes with unexpected twists, and the modern setting is fascinating. Readers appreciate the author's reflection of the caddiness of reality TV.

"...collide—Jessica Knoll's The Favorite Sister is a perfect concoction of both reality television and female dynamics...." Read more

"...Overall, I really enjoyed it. I personally find reality TV entertaining/fascinating, so book/shows like this where you get a “peek behind the curtain..." Read more

"...Ultimately worth the wait, the ending will shock you. It was well worth the time." Read more

"...While the ending was dynamite and there were so many quotable lines that resonated, I didn't like any of the characters and I wasn't rooting for..." Read more

17 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive10 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing. Some find it fast and engaging, with realistic characters and an honest portrayal of reality TV life. Others feel it's slow and confusing, with little time jumps between scenes.

"...information is laid out can be kind of confusing, and there are little time jumps in between a lot of the chapters and even in the chapters as well..." Read more

"...Mostly, I enjoy Knoll's writing style. It is honest and uninhibited, which I like. I mean - she's really not afraid to say anything. So, bravo!..." Read more

"...I'll admit that the pacing was a little slow but I was both surprised and satisfied by the way everything played out...." Read more

"...So it's a pretty good picture of reality tv life." Read more

15 customers mention "Perspective"10 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the perspective. Some find it enlightening and interesting, with multiple perspectives on women, feminism, and family. Others feel the women are snarky and angry at each other, which feels like reality TV. The plot is described as slow and sensationalizing.

"...the book had redeeming qualities by the end, which was an interesting take on womanhood...." Read more

"...Women being petty and angry at each is a soap opera not a book that is suppose to inspire women to want to raise each other up." Read more

"...I was able to follow the plot with ease and simply enjoy the potent reflections on females, feminism and family...." Read more

"...The mystery is interesting, the point-of-view changes kept me on my toes, and the ending is dark." Read more

52 customers mention "Writing style"15 positive37 negative

Customers find the writing style confusing and hard to understand. They say it's difficult to start and finish, repetitive, dull, and predictable. Many feel the book takes too many unnecessary turns and uses too many long phrases filled with metaphors.

"...The beginning of The Favorite Sister was rough, I have to tell you...." Read more

"...I did have issues with some things though. The writing style is definitely unique, and it took me a bit to get in to...." Read more

"...and think about each other, then this is a decent book that is easy to read...." Read more

"...Second, the cast of characters is large and confusing, I found myself forgetting which women were the producers verses the “diggers” in the book...." Read more

47 customers mention "Plot quality"14 positive33 negative

Customers find the plot boring and hard to follow. They mention the lack of a basic premise for the story, underwriting, and confusing plot lines. The story drags its feet until the last 4 chapters where it throws the end at them. They also dislike the characters and dislike them more as the story goes on.

"This book was truly mediocre. First, the title doesn’t really fit the plot of the book...." Read more

"This is not a story for the faint of heart...." Read more

"...The story develops much further than that little blurb, but I felt that you really need a cheat sheet for the main five characters because we are..." Read more

"...Personally, I don’t like this type of writing, it’s too pretentious...." Read more

37 customers mention "Character development"10 positive27 negative

Customers find the characters undeveloped and confusing. They find the cast large and blurry, with no likeable or redeeming characters.

"...Second, the cast of characters is large and confusing, I found myself forgetting which women were the producers verses the “diggers” in the book...." Read more

"...All the characters were awful (which I know was kinda the point) but it just makes it so hard to connect to any of them...." Read more

"Jessica Knoll's use of images, her nuanced characters, her carefully crafted plot are as creative and brilliant as Dostoevsky, the Brontes, George..." Read more

"...this type of entertainment, if you like a wicked tale, with characters so deeply flawed and vicious, you will want to try to understand what makes..." Read more

Print is ridiculous…let me explain
2 out of 5 stars
Print is ridiculous…let me explain
The font on every page is microscopic! Their is (literally) a 2 inch gap all around the text to the edge of the page. EXTREMELY difficult to enjoy the book. I wish I could a normal copy without repurchasing and risk getting this crap again. I’ll write a review about the story if I can get through the book.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2018
    When the Real Housewives and Big Little Lies collide—Jessica Knoll's The Favorite Sister is a perfect concoction of both reality television and female dynamics.

    When I heard Jessica Knoll was coming out with a second novel that exploited the reality television genre in the same vein of the Real Housewives, I was immediately sold. How can I get a copy? What do I need to do? Who's going to be Bethenny Frankel in her book?! I'd do almost anything to get my hands on a copy, no joke. The story involves five wealthy women in New York City who are all featured in the hit reality television show called Goal Diggers. Goal Diggers is a show that strives to show millennial women successfully undertaking careers, while pushing gender norms aside. This cast is uninterested in having children and being stay-at-home mothers; they'd rather break the Forbes 100 list. In this dynamic group, we have Brett Courtney—a twenty-seven year old lesbian woman who is unafraid of what people may say about her body image and runs a yoga studio called SPOKE. She is tattooed and voluptuous, and she makes no apologies for it. Stephanie Simmons can be deemed the token black woman character on the cast, but she is so much more than that. She is a successful author, businesswoman, and wife; who has just released her empowering memoir that is breaking sales records. Lauren Bunn has launched her innovative dating app that is growing in popularity each day, but her drunken antics have caught tabloid attention that overshadows all the success that she has gained. Jen Greenberg, daughter of philanthropist and socialite Yvette Greenberg, has become the voice for dieting and health food options, claiming that her food line not only encourages a healthy body and mind, but also is a catalyst for success. Lastly, we meet Kelly Courtney, Brett's sister and cofounder of SPOKE. Kelly is the newest cast member for the upcoming season and really doesn't fit the mold of the initial concept of the series. She has a twelve year old daughter and is a single mother with modest flair. Goal Diggers is set to begin filming, but nobody would have guessed that it would end in murder.

    I don't want to get any further into the plot than just introducing you to the cast and providing the main theme of the story. The story develops much further than that little blurb, but I felt that you really need a cheat sheet for the main five characters because we are quickly introduced to all five of them (and at least 3-4 secondary characters) immediately. Take the blurb about the cast and carry it with you while you read, I wish I had one! The beginning of The Favorite Sister was rough, I have to tell you. We are thrown way too much about the cast early on, with long chapters that don't provide us a break to digest what we just read. We don't really go anywhere in the first part of this novel because there's too much catch up for us to get to. The novel is broken into several parts, and each part is more enjoyable than its predecessor. Once I got to the halfway mark, I was hooked! As you get to the core of the story, we learn about the exploitation of reality television, we see the dynamics between family and friends, we see how society has forced feminism and women empowerment into a women-eat-women world, and we see fame and notoriety being used as a drug and the lengths people will go for that drug. One thing that I found so profound in The Favorite Sister was the theme of casual racism in every day life. We see a portrayal of how society uses casual racism in dating, business, and overall privilege. I did not expect this novel to even touch any of those topics, and for that I'm grateful. I believe that these thematic elements of the story will resonate with more readers than Ms. Knoll probably imagined. I loved that this story touched on all these different themes without feeling overloaded on plot. The plot is clearly defined as you go on and the story really doesn't deter from that.

    The Favorite Sister is NOT a thriller or a suspense novel in ANY CAPACITY and if anyone tells you otherwise, they're lying. The Favorite Sister really is a drama that may also feel like a tragedy at times. Ugh I can keep talking more about the story, but I think I drove the point home. It's time to pick up this book on May 15, 2018. Will I be buying a hard cover for my collection? Absolutely.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024
    📚BOOK REVIEW📚

    The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
    Genres: Thriller/Mystery
    Tropes: reality TV, secrets and backstabbing, influencer culture, sibling rivalry

    Brett was the problem child growing up, and lived in the shadow of her older (and beautiful) sister Kelly. However, in adulthood, that changed. Kelly is a struggling single mother, while Brett has become a CEO of a successful company she started (and her success has been chronicled on a reality TV show called ‘Goal Diggers’.

    Much to Brett’s annoyance, Kelly manipulates her want onto the show and into Brett’s world. Brett is rightfully threatened, as she knows it doesn’t make sense for the network to keep them both. If she wants to stay for the next season, she has to establish her position on the show. In addition, Kelly knows shocking secrets about her that could ruin her life and career.

    Throughout the story, the readers see both sides to a feud between Brett and another one of the women on the show (through dual-POV), and everyone tries desperately to keep their secrets from coming out.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I have a lot of thoughts about this one. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I personally find reality TV entertaining/fascinating, so book/shows like this where you get a “peek behind the curtain” are very interesting to me. This one had one of my favorite tropes/concepts, which is where you begin to ask yourself “who is really the villain here?” and you’re shown multiple sides to the same story.

    It was also dual-timeline (technically) where we jump between present day (Kelly’s interview about her sister) and the past (before Brett was murdered). It was cool, because Kelly would hint at things in the interview and then the reader would get more details about them through Brett’s and Stephanie’s (one of the other women on the show) POVs. All of the women have secrets which are gradually revealed throughout the book, which keeps you guessing. I also personally did not predict some of the things that were revealed in the end.

    I did have issues with some things though. The writing style is definitely unique, and it took me a bit to get in to. The way information is laid out can be kind of confusing, and there are little time jumps in between a lot of the chapters and even in the chapters as well (which makes it hard to keep track of the overall timeline).

    Sometimes, with the way it was written, it was hard to even visualize scenes (like who is there, who is talking, what they are talking about). And these aspects are super important, because the secrets the women are hiding from each other is a big part of the book (and it was easy to miss “that woman overheard everything” type details). Additionally, at times it was like characters had inside jokes that even the reader wasn’t given context to (which felt confusing and kind of annoying).

    There was also a plot hole that seems minor but ended up really driving the events that happened. Multiple times throughout the book, one of the women would read someone else’s texts just by glancing at their phone. This book takes place in 2017. I feel like, especially when they are all keeping secrets, they would have locked their phones or hidden the incoming messages. At least twice major information is revealed via this method, so it was pretty important to the plot.

    Overall, if you like thriller/mysteries about groups of women who are hiding secrets, or if you (like myself) enjoy “behind the scenes of reality TV” type stories, you may enjoy this one.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2023
    If you like reality tv shows about women degrading each other constantly, then this is the book for you. Not one of the characters in the book had redeeming qualities by the end, which was an interesting take on womanhood. So long as no one takes from this book that this is how women actually interact and think about each other, then this is a decent book that is easy to read. It's not going to transform your life by any means, but it's a nice and entertaining read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2022
    This book was truly mediocre. First, the title doesn’t really fit the plot of the book. Second, the cast of characters is large and confusing, I found myself forgetting which women were the producers verses the “diggers” in the book. There was little character development outside of the main 3 women in the story. The book also had no hero character, no one to root for. Finally, this book was borderline painful to read. I read The Luckiest Girl Alive and found it so captivating, this book on the other hand was so dull and boring. I think the author wrote from experience in TLGA and you could really connect with the main character as a result. In this story, however, the author attempted to touch on racism, LGBTQ issues, domestic violence, and other more. Perhaps her lack of direct experience in these areas lead to an inauthenticity in the characters. Whatever the reason, I felt this book was such a let down after TLGA.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
    This is not a story for the faint of heart. It is satisfying in a way that is hard to describe; you don't get to fully experience and understand it unless you actually read every word. Skipping to the end would be a waste of time. Ultimately worth the wait, the ending will shock you. It was well worth the time.

Top reviews from other countries

  • 124annie.
    1.0 out of 5 stars THE UNFAVOURITE RUCKUS.
    Reviewed in India on May 26, 2019
    This book is drapped with controversies of young, smart and success although it is classified as a thriller/mystery, it continues to revolve around hatred and envy that the women have for each other. It is phenomenal if you seek an overview concerning a fashionista.
  • J.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Okay read.
    Reviewed in Canada on March 13, 2024
    This book did not hold my attention.
  • Daniela Pilz
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2024
    Not as good as the other 2 Jessica Knoll books if have read, but an interesting story set around a reality TV show
  • bleach_baby
    2.0 out of 5 stars Bloodless pandering to current social narratives.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2021
    I was so excited to read this book - I loved 'The Luckiest Girl Alive'. Unfortunately, unlike TLGA, this book was devoid of bravery and seemed to cynically pander to popular social narratives. I found it safe to the point of unreadable, and while I often enjoy accessible fiction, I was so irritated by the constant forcing of politics down my neck that I couldn't get more than halfway through. Really disappointing.
  • tracy
    2.0 out of 5 stars Meh...I’ve read better books
    Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2018
    My second attempt with this author and I’m still very uninterested while reading her books. It took me over two weeks to read this one. I usually can bang out nearly two books a week, and this one has just dragged for me. Too many people to follow, with too many issues to follow. Won’t be picking up any of her books in the future