Review - Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

Published by Scholastic
Published 1 Septemember 2010

Summary - The Sullivan sisters have a big problem. On Christmas Day their rich and imperious grandmother gathers the family and announces that she will soon die . . .and has cut the entire family out of her will. Since she is the source of almost all their income, this means they will soon be penniless. 

Someone in the family has offended her deeply. If that person comes forward with a confession of her (or his) crime, submitted in writing to her lawyer by New Year's Day, she will reinstate the family in her will. Or at least consider it.

And so the confessions begin....

I think it's safe to say that this is going to be one of those "ZOMG! I am going to read this book forever and ever and ever and we'll live in a castle and everything will be so pretty and we'll live happily ever after" kind of reviews.  Because you know what? I think I am dealing with a Favourite here.  And the use of the capital is intentional because a small f just doesn't cut it.  People, this book is just SO darn good it makes me want to buy every single person a copy, even people I don't know.

Okay, so the book takes the form of three letters from the sisters writing to confess to Almighty (yes they call their grandmother Almighty.  Yes, this is what book heaven feels like, revel in it), because she had the audacity to cut them from her will.  You see, Almighty is this mega rich old lady, a lady of society and class, a lady that rules the social standing order of Baltimore.  If you don't know Almighty then your a nobody, and god can only help you if she she knows you and doesn't like you.  Over the course of the book, you get to meet and know each of the sisters, they all get enough page time to cement themselves firmly as fully formed, artfully crafted characters who you will come to love.  I say will, because there is no discussion on this part.  You will love them ALL so MUCH you'll want to shove them in your purse and pull them out for perusal at your leisure.

Norrie, Jane and Sassy are our main girls.  And yes they are rich, but not the "we got rich quick" kind of rich; they are born and bred upper class girls, which of course means they are as CRAZY as they come.  They were so eccentric which makes for such a hysterical time.  Plus, there is nothing like reading a book where the grandmother is so evil that everyone calls her Almighty, even her own son, who the girls call daddy'o by the way.  I know what your thinking.....can this book get any more AWESOME.  And the fact is, it does, because they have a brother called St John.  I KNOW!  

I started every new confession thinking I could never like the next sister as much as I did the previous one, and I got shot down every. single. time.  I just loved them all oh so MUCH.  Every sister had a unique voice and seemed so genuine and REAL.  Norrie, who always tried to do what was right and was so sweet, sugar didn't have diddly squat on her. (Norrie, i'm fist pumping you SO HARD right now!!!) To Jane who quite liked to stick it to the man on occasion and stand for what she believed in (Jane, I think we should get together and see if we can make that "Bad Girl Bathroom" thing work, I mean, I have a REAL tattoo).  To Sassy who was so bizarre and random that I just wanted to hug her and laugh at her at the same time.  (Sassy, I love you, you crazy gal, maybe I can tutor YOU at math, i'm pretty clever).

Confessions has taught me that whatever it is that makes a writer, Standiford has it.  In heaps and heaps and heaps.  From the dialogue between the sisters, to the interactions with their friends and family, her talent shines through everyting, making a story that made me thankful this woman decided to write.  A very much character driven book that delves into family dynamics, I loved this book like you would not believe.  One of my All Time Favourites.  I will be the first in line to buy whatever Standiford cooks up next.