TLDR: Shred Sisters is honest, raw, and hits hard, especially if you've got personal experience with addiction or mental illness in the family. It’s a story about love, resilience, and finding some kind of peace in the chaos. 

 

This one hit close to home. Having an older sister who’s a recovering addict, Shred Sisters felt like a punch to the gut in the best way possible. Betsy Lerner really captures the complicated, messy love that comes with having a sibling struggling with addiction—the constant push and pull, the anger, the helplessness, and ultimately, the hope. 

 

 

The characters are flawed and raw, but that’s what made them feel so real. I loved how Lerner didn’t sugarcoat the recovery process or turn it into some neat, redemptive arc. Instead, it was jagged and painful, with no guarantees, which felt a lot truer to life. 

 

The relationship between the sisters is beautifully written—it's both heartbreaking and grounding. The ups and downs, the moments of connection, the resentment that’s always simmering under the surface... it all felt so real. Lerner’s writing is straightforward but powerful, and she knows how to pack an emotional punch without overdoing it.