The Secret Language of Sisters

November 9, 2015
Sisters Tilly and Roo have been through everything, including their father’s sudden death only a year ago. When an impatient Tilly texts Roo to pick her up at a museum, Roo makes a split-second decision that changes her life forever. Paralyzed and feeling hopeless, 16-year-old Roo, the “perfect, genius, made-for-the-Ivy-League” sister, finds herself stuck in a body that won’t respond, surrounded by loved ones slowly drifting away from her. Alternating between the perspectives of both sisters, bestselling adult author Rice (Home Fires) navigates the delicate territory of sisterhood and accountability in her first book for teens. When 14-year-old Tilly discovers that she is responsible for the text that harmed her sister, this knowledge instigates a series of actions that damage relationships, possibly beyond repair. Rice skillfully examines the way one mistake can shatter the lives of many, though the dialogue centering on disability language and the dangers of texting is heavy-handed in places. With the help of supportive doctors and new friends, both girls find ways to express themselves and prove that sisterhood is an unbreakable bond. Ages 12–up. Agent: Andrea Cirillo, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

April 25, 2016
Rice’s YA novel begins with talented and beautiful 16-year-old Roo McCabe texting while driving, overturning her car, and winding up in a hospital, bloodied and paralyzed. Seemingly in a coma, she can see and hear everything, but can’t respond in any way. She’s filled with guilt and despair, while her 14-year-old sister and best friend, Tilly, on the other end of the text, blames herself for causing the crash. The sisters narrate the book in alternate chapters, with Pressley giving voice to Roo and Rudd portraying Tilly. Both actors do extremely well with the highly emotional story, which follows the sisters’ reestablishment of communication and includes several rocky impediments, including Tilly’s short-lived crush on Roo’s boyfriend. The actors convey a genuine sense of teenage angst and ebullience and are just as successful in presenting the few adults—the girls’ concerned mother, dedicated doctors, and a kindly and philosophical older woman whose dog was mildly hurt during the accident. Ages 12–up. A Scholastic/Point hardcover.