I loved it, I cannot put her books down. I read thids in a day, it was very good. ( )

From Booklist
*Starred Review* A writer as virtuosic as Hoffman doesn’t bestow the name Story on a family lightly. So, yes, this is a many-storied novel about storytellers, brimming with magic and despair, atonement and redemption. The Story sisters, Elv, Meg, and Claire, are dark-haired beauties clustered in the attic of their old Long Island house, while their lonely mother broods below. Their all-female household, a sly variation on Little Women, is under a grim fairy-tale spell, and not even sojourns with their fairy-godmother-like grandmother in Paris can protect them. As always in Hoffman’s glimmering universe, nature is an awesome presence reflected in the mercurial human heart, and consequently, the Story girls are preternaturally sensitive to storms, ghosts, and plant and animal spirits. Meg is practical, while Elv and Claire share a tragic secret, and Elv channels her anguish into elaborate, demon-haunted tales of an imaginary parallel world until she discovers more effective means of self-punishment. The always dazzling Hoffman has outdone herself in this bewitching weave of psychologically astute fantasy and shattering realism, encompassing rape, drug addiction, disease, and fatal accidents. Her alluring characters are soulful, their suffering mythic, and though the sorrows are many and the body count high, this is an entrancing and romantic drama shot through with radiant beauty and belief in human resilience and transformation. --Donna Seaman ( )

very disappointing after waiting expectantly for my favorite authors newest book. I just didn't enjoy the whole premise of the sisters and their special language and all the escapades they engaged in. ( )

The bond between Elv, Meg and Claire, the three Story sisters changes forever on the day Elv protects Claire from an abduction and they hide the incident from everyone. At first Elv survives by retreating into her invented land but she eventually succumbs to the pull of reckless and selfish behavior that ends up having a dramatic affect on her whole family. I found most of the characters to be annoying rather than sympathetic. Not my favorite Hoffman - much preferred The Third Angel for family sagas. ( )

I thought I would really like this book, but after reading about 100 pages, I simply couldn't summon the interest to continue. I didn't like the characters, couldn't understand the weak oblivion of the mother, and was put off entirely by the "magical realism." I gave it 2 stars out of guilt for not finding out if it improved after the first 100 pages. ( )

This book started out so promising, and I was utterly charmed by Hoffman's writing from the very first page. Sadly, this enchantment did not last very long. The main story revolves around the three Story sisters: Elv, Megan and Claire. Elv is the oldest, and the creator of a magical imaginary world that the three sisters share. Unfortunately, the magic doesn't last.

None of the characters were very appealing. Annie, the mother, seemed weak, clueless, and helpless. Elv was simply unpleasant. And the middle sister Megan and youngest sister Claire weren't much better. With no one to sympathize with, that left the plot. After the promising start, it soon went down a road I wasn't happy with. The book took an unexpected turn and lost my interest.

I kept trying to plow through, hoping the story would pick up again, but no such luck. Wondering why and how this book received so many glowing reviews, I continued reading long after I would normally stop. Finally reached page 152 and threw in the towel. With so many books on my TBR pile vying for my attention, why bother with a book I was struggling with?

So Story Sisters, I bid you farewell. Can't say it nice meeting you, but at least I didn't have to pay for the pleasure. Back to the library you go!

I gave this book 1 out of 5 stars, as I simply couldn't finish it. ( )

I found the book to be slow starting. About halfway through it becomes one of those you can't put down. It's definately worth sticking with. ( )

I started The Story Sisters yesterday afternoon and with a few breaks for sleep, finished it this morning. I was hesitant to read this now, though I am a long-time reader of Hoffman's work, because of the recent criticism surrounding the author. I am glad I did not wait. This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me spellbound until the end.
The main character is Elv, the oldest sister, who was abducted and molested at age 11 after saving her sister Claire from the fate meant for her. Elv tells no one, instead she creates an imaginary world, Arnelle, with her sisters, and Arnish, their own secret language. To Elv, it is a world of good and kind, unlike the real world which is haunted by demons. Eventually Elv begins to look for the darkness in her secret world and the real one, to confront her fears. She begins doing drugs, cutting herself and shutting out her sister, Meg, who is unaware of what happened to Elv. Claire is caught between the two sisters but eventually pulls away from Elv as she sinks deeper into destruction. Elv's choices then impact the girls lives throughout the novel.
Hoffman's prose is lyrical and beautiful as usual, though this novel is darker than her others. It is also heartbreaking and moving, destructive and redeeming, and will stay with you long after you finish.
My rating: 4 stars
I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to Hoffman's works but to anyone acquainted with her style of writing. ( )

Once upon a time, when the Story sisters were young, eldest sister Elv Story tried to protect her youngest sister Claire, and the bad thing ended up happening to Elv instead. On that day, the sisters’ personal fairyland, Arnelle, was born. Elv retreated into a wonderful world of her own making, where she was heir to the throne and her sisters were always by her side. The magical world enchanted the other sisters as well, and playing there and speaking their private language of Arnish dominated their childhoods and much of their adolescence. But as Elv entered the always turbulent teen years, her youthful feyness spiraled dangerously into something darker and wilder. Elv’s mother and her sisters—the kind-hearted youngest Claire and the clever and rational middle girl Meg—watched helplessly as Elv began to embrace the demons that she had always decried before, dragging her entire family into the darkness with her.

Lyrical, lovely, and engrossing, “The Story Sisters” is a modern fairy tale of three sisters and their mother lost in the dark woods and struggling to find a happily ever after. ( )

Audiobook. A good book but not a great book. Just too many things that seemed like life lived in a novel, but perhaps not in the pages of the book. I could forgive the latter, that's interesting. Or something surprising. But this was just a compentent novel. I'd be proud to write this, not overwhelmed to read it. ( )

Started off slow but I am glad that I finished this one.

Alice Hoffman is an author known for her novels filled with magical touches. Her latest, The Story Sisters, continues that, when a magical world created by three sisters collides with the reality of the world in which we all exist.

Elizabeth, called Elv, Meg and Claire Story live with their mother in a small town on Long Island. Their parents are in the middle of a bad divorce, and it has affected the girls deeply. When they were young children, Elv (whose nickname connotes the fairy-like elves) created a fairy tale world, Arnelle, which had its own language. It slightly concerned their mother Annie when they would continue to speak this language, even as they grew out of childhood. Annie's mother Natalia warns her that this behavior could isolate the girls from the real world.

This fantasy world contrasts with the physical world in which they live. Annie has a large garden, and grows heirloom tomatoes. The girls are knowledgeable in all areas tomato. They love animals: Elv likes dogs, Claire rides horses. Elv is artistic, attracted to painting and color. Meg is a voracious reader, and a very good student. They sleep in the same bedroom, and are each other's best friends.

The horrors of the real world intrude on the girls of Arnelle when a bad man hurts Elv, who saves the younger Claire from his clutches. They never tell anyone about "the day the bad thing happened", not even Meg. This bad thing, and her reluctance to tell her mother, causes Elv to act out. Annie is struggling too, "she felt as if everything she did was in halves: half a mother, half a teacher, half a woman". In that one sentence, Hoffman articulates the feelings of so many women.

Elv begins to believe "that evil repelled evil, while good collected it", and she is determined to become evil in order to expel it from her life. She uses drugs, becomes promiscuous, steals- everything a young woman with low self esteem does to dull her pain. Meg is angered by her sister's behavior, but Claire vows to remain loyal to Elv. Elv's behavior breaks the bonds of sisterhood she so tenderly nurtured.

Hoffman uses imagery and metaphors so beautifully. When Elv saves a kitten thrown into a river, she tells Claire that she is haunted because she couldn't save a second kitten thrown in. Claire reminds her that it is important that she saved one, but Elv can't get over that she couldn't save the other, echoing the fact that she saved Claire once, but was unable to save herself.

The author's writing hits home with the reader, as when following a death, Annie's cousin says, "Call me the minute you need something," she told Annie and Claire, but neither of them could think of a single thing they might need that anyone could possibly give them." Everyone who has lost someone knows that exact feeling.

This is a moving, haunting novel that will make you cry. There is so much sadness, so many tragic things that happen, and we all know people about whom we say, "haven't they suffered enough?" About a good man who becomes involved with the Story family, Hoffman writes "He stayed in the kitchen with the dog for a while. He covered his face and wept. When he was done, he patted Shiloh's head. This wasn't his house or his family or his dog, but it was his sorrow."

Hoffman broke my heart with this beautiful story of how secrets can destroy, but ultimately about the power of love to redeem. I became deeply invested in her characters, and will not be able to get them out of my thoughts. It is so powerful, so moving, it is the best of what fiction attempts to be. I give it my highest recommendation of five stars. ( )

The three Story sisters share more than a set of divorced parents; they share an enchanting beauty, a secret language - Arnish; a secret world - Arnelle, a passion for stories, and a tragic, yet beautiful life. Is evil present in each of us; or an external force to be held at bay with charms and incantations? ( )

Reason for Reading: I've become a big fan of magical realism over the last year or so and Alice Hoffman was an author on my list, so I figured why not start with her new book.

Comments: Well, I hardly know where to start with this book. What is this book about? It's the story of three sisters who live in a fantasy world of their own creation. Two of them hold a dark secret, but one of them holds the darkest secret of all. It's a story of a mother's loves as she tries to raise her daughters single handedly. The girls grow up, let go of their fantasy world (though parts will never leave them) and face the pain of real life. This is a story of the fantastical, a family saga, a harsh, dark realism and ultimate redemption.

I'll start by saying I really, really enjoyed this book. But I also have to say there were parts when I just didn't get it. Each chapter starts with a few paragraphs of an italicized story from the fantasy world, at least that's what I thought at the beginning, but by the end I had no idea what they were about or what their purpose served. The first half of the book when the girls are young and living in the fantasy world is beautiful. The language and atmosphere is so fairy tale-like. It's pure delight to read but even at this stage glimpses of the dark secret are seen and the power of even the smallest glimpse of this evil into such serene surroundings is shiver-inducing. As events unfold the author throws a stunning shock at the reader and the atmosphere becomes more realistic, heavier and darker.

The characters are marvelous. I just loved every single one of them, even the ones that I didn't particularly like as people. They were just so well written I could visualize and hear each one of them. Truly brilliant characterization! The writing as a whole is beautiful, the family saga is compelling and heart-wrenching while the fantasy elements are always present whether in full force or just as tiny flickers. It's still a book I have to give some thought to, though. This has given me a taste for Alice Hoffman and I plan on reading her again. ( )

A very sad, but beautifully written story. ( )

as always.....it is the tragic story of a family....told as only Hoffman can.....truly one of her best. ( )

The Story Sister has much in common with Hoffman's earlier novel, Practical Magic. A focus on relationships between sisters and a hint of the supernatural. Elv, Meg and Claire are different enough from each other to be distinguishable as characters but sometimes fell a little flat.

I enjoyed this audiobook quite a bit although there were parts of the story that I didn't enjoy. I didn't find Elv's boyfriend to be a believable character at all and I couldn't believe that Elv fell for his stories.

Paul Smith seemed entirely too good to be true. He was definitely like the detective from Hoffman's earlier book, Practical Magic.

Entertaining but not a new favorite. ( )

Elizabeth, called Elv, Meg and Claire Story live with their mother in a small town on Long Island. Their parents are in the middle of a bad divorce, and it has affected the girls deeply. When they were young children, Elv (whose nickname connotes the fairy-like elves) created a fairy tale world, Arnelle, which had its own language. It slightly concerned their mother Annie when they would continue to speak this language, even as they grew out of childhood. Annie's mother Natalia warns her that this behavior could isolate the girls from the real world.

The sisters are so close that they sleep in the same bedroom, and are each other's best friends. The horrors of the real world intrude on the girls of Arnelle when a bad man hurts Elv, who braveley saves the younger Claire from his clutches. They never tell anyone about that day, not even Meg. This bad thing, and her reluctance to tell her mother, causes Elv to act out.

Elv begins to believe "that evil repelled evil, while good collected it", and she is determined to become evil in order to expel it from her life. She uses drugs, becomes promiscuous, steals- everything a young woman with low self esteem does to dull her pain. Meg is angered by her sister's behavior, but Claire vows to remain loyal to Elv. Elv's behavior breaks the bonds of sisterhood she so tenderly nurtured.

This is a moving, haunting novel that will make you cry. There is so much sadness, so many tragic things that happen, but ultimately it is a story about sisters and the bonds that sisters have. ( )

What would you do for the love of your sister or brother? Alice Hoffman takes us on a journey into the minds of three sisters who are so close as children that they have created a fantasy world where no others are allowed. This world is the creation of the oldest sister, Elv, who rescues her youngest sibling from probably child molestation by taking shoving her out of a moving car and taking her place. When she is released she keeps it all inside herself, vowing to keep both her sisters safe from the demons that inhabit the real world.

Elv and her sisters are the products of divorced parents. Annie, their mother, thinks she has a close bond with the girls but sadly knows nothing of their fantasy world and Elv’s private hell.

Elv is driven to sex, drugs, and the dark side in her search for love. Claire, the youngest, who Elv rescued from being a victim, watches this downward spiral. She blames herself not only for Elv’s fall but also for the deaths of people and animals she loves. Most importantly Claire blames herself for the death of their middle sister, Megan, and vows never again to love another being.

In the end, we watch the lives of the sisters drift apart before they reunite years later. It is a long, intricate journey but one that is skillfully woven by Ms. Hoffman. The characters are believable and vulnerable and I was anxious to see how they would fare. I would have enjoyed getting deeper into the feelings of Claire and learning more of the young Megan. Perhaps even learning about how the actions of the sisters caused their mother to do some of the things she did. Another aspect I would have enjoyed would have been the story of the girls’ father and how he viewed his rebellious oldest daughter.
As in other Hoffman novels we are treated to wonderful descriptions of Long Island and New England. The author makes good use of using the seasons to reflect the changing lives of Elv and her family. Another thread, common in many of Hoffman’s stories, is the use of black roses to signify the dark side of things.

In all, I didn’t like this book as much as Ms. Hoffman’s earlier works. There was just something missing, that elusive call to the reader that says, “don’t put me down just yet”.

The story starts out full of promise but it isn’t until the final chapters that the promise is fulfilled. The middle reads like just so many other stories one sees on the nightly news. ( )

Alice Hoffman wove a magical tale that throughly captured and enchanted me. ( )

Beautiful written book. Elv, Claire and Meg, three sisters who create a fantasy world to escape the harsh realities of their lives. Tragedy strikes all three sisters at different time in their lines instead of sharing the burden of these tragedies it fractures their bond.

Alice Hoffman deserves her starred review in Booklist, but I'm just not really sure what to think of her latest adult novel. Her writing is beautiful, but I like to become attached to my characters and Hoffman has a deliberate way of separating the reader from her characters.

Elv, Claire and Meg are three sisters who create their own language and fantasy world to escape the troubles of their parents' divorce. I love the descriptions of the world and even the way the sisters communicate and feed off each other. But then they start to drift apart. And as the sisters drift apart, so did my interest in them as people. Elv goes downhill until she crashes. And I won't even mention what happens to one of the sisters. But let's just say that tragedy strikes. The girls become women I wouldn't like, so the book was difficult to read. I zipped through the first half, but the last half bogged down a bit. ( )