Justine Larbalestier is the Australian-American author of many novels, including the award-winning Razorhurst and Liar, which both received four starred reviews. Justine lives in Sydney, Australia, and New York City, though not at the same time. You can find her on Twitter @JustineLavaworm and her website, justinelarbalestier.com.
Praise for My Sister Rosa
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2016
A Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2016
"[My Sister Rosa is] amazing . . . It's a permanent presence
in my life now . . . [Justine Larbalestier’s] brain is an amazing
and terrifying instrument."
—John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars
“The evil in the room across the hall, the evil in the flowery
party dress, the evil who just wants a bedtime story—Rosa is more
frightening and more adorable than any villain you have yet met.
Larbalestier is at her tricky, terrifying best in this novel.”
—E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author
of We Were Liars
"Troubling, thoughtful, provocative, and wise, My Sister
Rosa is a compelling character study, a chilling thriller, and
a love letter to the diversity and vibrancy of New York City."
—New York Times bestselling author Kass Morgan
"With My Sister Rosa, Larbalestier brings us a novel that
starts out as a quirky family story with a cast of intriguing and
likeable characters (even the titular pyschopath), but which
quickly races into psychological thriller territory that meets and
beats The Silence of the Lambs for suspense—it's the kind
of book that had me literally gasping aloud as it rattled to its
incredible conclusion."
—Cory Doctorow for BoingBoing.com
“My Sister Rosa is a gripping, terrifying, wonderful story
that I could not put down.”
—Laurie Halse Anderson
"An utterly compelling and wonderfully creepy exploration of the
many faces of psychopathy. Rosa will stay with you long after you
turn the last page."
—Jay Kristoff, New York Times bestselling coauthor
of Illuminae
"Manipulative, murderous Rosa is one of the most terrifying
villains to come along in fiction in quite awhile."
—Buffalo News
"Not one to shy away from tough subject matter, Larbalestier
addresses issues related to gender, sexual orientation, religion,
identity, and race with tact . . . This dark thriller is the
1956 film The Bad Seed meets 2016; readers will be
simultaneously terrified when Rosa's present and afraid to let her
out of their sight."
—Kirkus, Starred Review
"A chilling contemplation on human morality—Che’s physical sparring
in the ring has nothing on his go-arounds with Rosa . . .
[incorporates] sharp commentary on privilege, faith, gender
identity, and race. The tension of wondering where and how Rosa
will strike next will keep readers riveted from start to
finish."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Larbalestier reminds readers of her masterful gift for slippery,
unreliable characters . . . Thriller fans will devour this
suspenseful, chilling meditation on the roles of nature and nurture
in creating dangerous criminals."
—ShelfAwareness, Starred Review
"A tense, thrilling rumination on the psychology of evil, this work
manages to keep a suspenseful tone while also showcasing a
burgeoning romantic relationship. There are also a wide
variety of nuanced and complex diverse characters in Che’s New York
City neighborhood. Rosa is a truly chilling figure, seemingly
unpredictable in her violence yet methodical in her manipulations
of those around her."
—School Library Journal, Starred Review
“The plot is devilishly clever, with clues that point to without
giving away the surprise twists . . . Even those with no prior
experience of [Larbalestier’s] craftiness will find Che’s
helplessness in the face of Rosa’s casual cruelty absolutely
chilling.”
—The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books, Starred
Review
"My Sister Rosa is terrifying, brilliant, and heart-wrenching.
A must read."
—Cindy Pon, author of Serpentine
"Larbalestier masterfully crafts a unique tale about a boy and his
kid sister who bring old problems to a new city. It's darkly funny,
disconcerting, and absolutely brilliant!"
—Jason Reynolds, author of The Boy in the Black Suit and
coauthor of All American Boys
"Haunting is the best way to describe Larbalestier's latest home
run . . . I loved the hidden depth of the secondary characters and
found the complexity of the family dynamics familiar and
fascinating."
—RT Book Reviews
"In confronting Rosa’s sinister tendencies, Che not only comes
face-to-face with his family’s dark past but also a few grim
secrets of his own . . . A captivating exploration of family, fate,
and the fight to outrun them."
—Booklist
"A toe-curling psychological thriller."
—The Sydney Morning Herald
"Larbalestier’s novel is a slow boil, moody and tense, with just
the right amount of creep factor and a casually diverse cast of
characters . . . Che’s journey toward self-awareness is at
times enlightening, at times devastating, and the threat of
violence from Rosa is suspenseful and truly terrifying."
—The Horn Book Magazine
"Outstanding . . . This is a subtle but completely unsettling
examination of how evil is born and how it is often found in the
most unsuspecting places. My Sister Rosa is tough to put down and
even more difficult to forget."
—New Mystery Reader
"The sense of impending doom overshadowed all. It will take some
time to truly absorb My Sister Rosa and more time to
recover . . . An excellent psychological thriller featuring diverse
characters; it’s a page-turner that happens to fall into the YA
category."
—DarkMatterZine.com
Praise for Razorhurst
"A day full of bloody confrontations, secret alliances and
unexpected romance . . . fascinating setting, colorful names, and
sharp, peppery dialogue."
—The New York Times Book Review
"Vivid . . . Lavishly imagined . . . Larbalestier's elaborate world
is sure to linger."
—Los Angeles Times
"Vivid and bloody and bold and fast—I feel like Razorhurst is in my
bones now."
—Elizabeth Gilbert
"Sure, it is shiny and chilly and bloody and sharp, like the razor
of the title, but Larbalestier's book is also magical and
glamorous."
—E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author of We Were
Liars
"Larbalestier packs plenty of danger into the single day this novel
covers . . . [The] story's interwoven intrigue and empathy make it
feel timeless."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Larbalestier pulls no punches with the gruesome, gory details
about the violence of poverty, and the result is a dark,
unforgettable and blood-soaked tale of outlaws and
masterminds."
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
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