Here’s a fun question, circle which applies! Fictional siblings are better than real ones: yes / yes?
JUST KIDDING! I have several sisters and some of them are okay. I say “several” because I couldn’t be bothered counting and I just kind of blink over the existence of a brother too. Look I’m second-to-youngest and find tumultuous amounts of people * overwhelming so I really was born for a hermit hut in the alps with walls of books and an enchanted goat or whatever. But. I do love the thought of siblings and I absolutely love reading about them.
Because siblings in books always just seem way more awesome. **
Or murdery??? Like get you a fictional-world and fictional-family and they probably want to kill you for the throne! Exciting!
* That all saying, I am an adult now and all my siblings have left home so I mostly just argue with my dog and my 7 fish who have just given birth so it’s still crowded here.
** Um a blanket apology to any siblings of mine that might accidentally read this.
1. THEY CAN MAKE A SENSATIONAL POWER TEAM.
Nothing cures the apocalypse better than a bunch of siblings smacking it back with a hammer. Honestly books about power-sibling-duos are just LIFE.
The most power-sibling-duo thing I’ve done with my sister is tag-team asking our mum for ice cream until she gave in. So less demons and apocalypses and frighteningly awesome swords. But still important!!
2. THE CAN GIVE YOU THE SIBLINGS YOU NEVER HAD.
Obviously I had a lot of siblings…wait HAVE. I didn’t eat them haha, whoops, typo there. Nothing suspicious to see here. Anyway. Often we don’t get the exact sibling we always had in mind, you know? Like many of us live under the elusions that if “we only had a twin!” we would’ve had the perfect supportive sibling. I’m 99% sure all real-life-twins would laugh at that, BUT BOOKS MAKE IT SEEM THIS WAY.
Or if you wanted a brother –> only had sisters. Or wanted sisters –> stuck with a brother. Books can help you think of what life could’ve been like.
3. SIBLING RIVALRY IS GREAT TO READ ABOUT.
Because it’s also realistic. So it creates a ton of fun plot for books to explore. Especially when there’s a crown or immortal blade involved that only one person gets. It’s also so much more TRAGIC when a sibling betrays you. I have first hand experience of this from back when I was 12 and gifted a bar of Willy Wonka Chocolate and…well 1 of 3 sisters was undoubtedly guilty. There is no forgiveness. Not even now, 12 years later.
NEVER FORGET.
4. IT GIVES US A BREAK FROM ROMANTIC PLOT LINES.
The complex emotions of families is so fascinating to read about. Be it a healthy family or a seriously scarily warped family (HI EVERYONE IN GAME OF THRONES!). But the best part is?! Reading about really intense but platonic love. We need moooore of it! I’m not opposed to romance and I have my ships that I will defend violently unless you bribe me away with some chocolate covered ginger and then — haha. Sure I’ll do anything you say. But it’s just nice to have a break of angsty romances?! And have angsty-platonic-love problems instead!
Such a fan.
5. SO MUCH POTENTIAL FOR TRAGEDY.
Now if a YA book is about a sibling, there is a 402% chance THEY’VE TRAGICALLY DIED BEFORE THE BOOK BEGINS. Apparently this is a great motivator but mostly we all just get to sit around crying. ME INCLUDED. Omg. Looking for missing siblings or healing from grief is something that does hit me in the feels which is so rare so I appreciate the effort.
Ugh my mask of being an emotionless piece of bread is slipping. Who am I.
6. THE SNARK IS ALIVE AND WELL AND SO SO SALTY.
I LIVE FOR BOOKS WITH SNARK. And generally where there are siblings —> you better believe there is a powerful level of salt. It’s basically like a bag of salt and vinegar chips at all time. If a sibling appears someone it’s automatically engrained in our souls to insult them. Fun types of insults amongst siblings include:
- Complimenting them but seeming too nice, so follow it up with an insult. “Hey I liked your art, even though your face is a broken toaster.”
- All the nicknames which range from “you inverted egg” to “dough ball” to “cakesniffer.” Probably.
- How if you do one embarrassing thing your siblings will never never let you forget it.
- All the lowkey lies to cover that you actually like your sibling. Like “your face is annoying move over” but you still want to watch a movie with them, etc. etc.
- When they achieve literally ANYTHING good and you tease them about it, always lovingly but in a mean way. #Blessed
7. THE “I WILL KILL YOU AND KILL FOR YOU” VIBE.
Families that slay together, stay together! Unless they slay each other first but shhh small details. Gotta love the siblings who refuse to mesh uNTIL SOMETHING DIRE HAPPENS and then they are the salt team and you’d better pack sandwiches for the road because you’ll be running for your life forever.
8. BIG FAMILY FEELS.
Most books about siblings have about 2 to 3…which is still great, but BIG FAMILIES ARE MY FAVOURITE TO READ ABOUT. Mostly because ones in books seem more fun than mine ever was buuuuut also because it’s like a culture all of its own?! The constant noise and comings-and-goings and banter and sandwiches and kids tumbling up. I swear it isn’t that exciting IRL but I’m all for it in books. Like the Weasleys or the Garretts!
9. CRIME FAMILIES…JUST EXISTING, YOU KNOW?!
This is like a WILD difference from the messy big-family tumbling through freckles and picnics and mismatched socks, but HEY! We love all types! But can we take a moment for bookish mafia families?! (ESPECIALLY MAGICAL ONES.) Because they are so fantastic. Or huge magician families where everyone is wicked deadly?! Mess with one and you have his 13 cousins, three times removed, come here to toss you into a death black hole in space. EXCITING.
10. JUST ALL THE SIBLING CULTURE THAT BOOKS CAPTURE.
You can always tell when an author actually KNOWS what it’s like to have a sibling! You get all those bits and scraps of sibling culture that just make you go “UM YES THAT’S HOW IT IS” while reading. And I love it. Things like:
- when you hide food so your family doesn’t get it first
- when your parents go through 4 names (including the dog’s) before they reach yours
- being the same size as your sisters so you can steal their clothes/shoes
- buying your siblings a present that you want so you can borrow it
- the loving insults
- the complexities of sharing friends if you + sibling are close in age
- always blaming them for literally anything, even if you’re standing in the middle of your own crime zone
- sibling rivalry which ranges from trying to bake the best cupcake to wHO CAN TAKE THE UNDERWORLD BY STORM
- offering to sell them at least twice a day
- often having a homegrown friend to
tormentbond with - the amount of nicknames that go around
- cracking a hardboiled egg on their head when they think it’s raw just for the reaction (okay…possibly this is just something I’ve done and isn’t usual but eh)
And because i can’t resist giving book recs to go along with this…here are some of my favourite sibling books!
The covers flip over if you over on them and click to go to Goodreads!
Sibling narrative IS the best. I agree with what you say about giving a break from romance, because (well unless it’s something pretty uncommon xD) you can safely expect NOT to he attacked by romance in that relationship – cause it seems you’re never safe from that if it’s just friends -.- there’s gotta be romance in everything. Gah xD
I also love sibling narratives because of their friendship, and it’s a very special friendship. It can be so beautiful.
I sort of have a sister but only half xD we’re technically half sisters (dad had two marriages), so we never lived together. And what’s worse, she and her mom left to American when I was like… 8. So I see her like once every two years 🙁 but she’s my bestest and ONLY sister. She’s given me two Kindles and the sequels to Red Rising despite not being a reader herself, so you can see what amazing sister material I’ve got here. She also gifts me stationery all the time. And nice dresses of hers. Could I ask for more?? And oh, amazing nephews as well. I’m just so sad she lives so far away. I guess I love sibling narrative so much too partly because me and my sister have always been apart, and I’ve always thought she’s like the coolest person ever (she’s older), so I’ve always wanted to spend more time with her.
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Evelina @ AvalinahsBooks recently posted…[Discussion] My Fears as a Book Blogger. Do You Have These Too?
I know right?! And I mean I don’t want to be anti-romance in books😂 I know it’s very enjoyable to a lot of people and I have a lot of ships I’m passionate about…BUT I GET SO TIRED. I JUST WANT A BREAK.😂(And I guess there are a few books where the siblings um…fall…in love…but I tend to stay so far away looool.)
Aww no, I’m sad you didn’t really get to grow up with a relationship with your sister though. 😭But she still sounds AMAZING. Honestly any sibling that gives books is an A+ sibling. I only glare at mine about that 59 times a year. (Although having so many siblings SHOULD equal a ton of preorders.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m gonna use these siblings for something.)
Yes, definitely – there should be romance in books, but there should also be some variety for the rest of us people who don’t like romance in books 😀 so I’m always up for friendships, mentorships (not the cliche kind xD) and sibling relationships! And yes, I agree about those OTHER kinds of sibling relationships in books xD xD
Haha yes, if you use this logic, you should indeed be getting books by the dozen from your siblings 😀
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I have a little sister 3 years younger but we are as different as night and day in both looks and personality! If we weren’t related we never would have been friends irl! Still she’s the only person who I can be really mean to and we still have a fine relationship after a fight!!
Yes that’s so relatable haha! 😂 My sister and I can fight and be so bitter and then 30mins later we’re laughing about something so so much.😂
I have a brother. I love how when I read a book with siblings in it I can tell whether or not the author actually had any. The typical sign is a book in which the siblings are always 100% nice and supportive, and there are no petty squabbles. Like, siblings can and will fight over anything: games, space, friends… Maybe that’s less true when there’s a bigger age gap? I wouldn’t know. My brother and I aren’t even two years apart. * Shrugs * Having a sibling is like, “We either fight together or fight each other.” If only the first half of that comes across, I’m like * squints * you never had a sibling, did you?
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YES EXACTLY. 😂When I read those “perfect” sibling relationships it’s like “woah spoiler alert the author has no idea”.😂😂 It’s possible to love your sibling to death and be super close, BUT YOU FIGHT SO MUCH TOO. It’s unavoidable living all together for so long.😂My sister and I (we’re 4 years apart) will be laughing and fighting in like the same 30 minutes. Our parents are so tired.😂
Love this topic, Cait. I also love sibling stories in any shape and form.. Toxic siblings are like, woah, I can’t believe he/she/they can do this to his/her/their own flesh and blood! Supportive sibling stories never fail to warm my heart. And competitive siblings are so realistic, it’s funny.
#5. so much potential for tragedy, ah I couldn’t nod more. Recent read in memory for this category is “Words in Deep Blue” by Cath Crowley – dead little brother before the book even begins. Good thing there is a set of alive siblings with good banter to balance the sad mood. Also “Love Letters to the Dead” by Ava Dellaira whose main character’s sister is also dead at the start of the story.
So happy there are siblings that we’ll be looking forward in your book, ATPN! Can’t wait to read about them.
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I know right?! Like it’s so good reading ALL the types?! I get so mad at toxic siblings but at the same time I can’t look away. 😂😂And omg Words in Deep Blue was amazing bUT SO SAD and I think it’s becoming a really common trope?? I do get that it drives the story a lot but like whyyyYYY can’t we have happy siblings together in books more too.
Aww thank you!! 😍
i have six younger siblings, and being queen has its pros and cons. they always trying to uplift my authority?? like so rude??? i was the oldest for a reason NOW GET BACK HERE YOU SOGGY SANDWICH I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET. but its also nice when you tell them to do something and then they just do it without a thought or complaint and it feels amazing. *smug smile* and ah yes, the sharing friends. like people find it so complicated/weird to think about, but its not! like my best friend is also my sisters best friend, and so that means all three of us are best friends, but my best friend is like two and a half years younger than me, and i have a brother that age who’s ALSO very good friends with her, though their relationship might work out better if he wasn’t always trying to drive her crazy, and wait a second i confused my self dang it. -_-
Loki and Thor are one of my favorite sib duos! i love ’em. 🙂 i also like the Weaslys, James and Sirius, (they are totally sibs shhhh) and Dex’s triplet sibs from KOTLC.
Most crazily, ~Olive
THAT’S A LOT OF LITTLE SIBLINGS GO YOU.😂Although at least, yes, you do get to rule them (If they obey??? It’s so hard to make little squishy siblings obey sometimes smh.)
And it is weird sharing friends right?!😂It’s cool but then also weird haha.
Loki and Thor are AMAZING, especially in the movies haha, they represent the perfect level of sibling rivalry (maaaybe minus all the stabbing though).😂
So I just discovered this blog last week and I can’t even express how much I love it!! Cait, you do a really great job!! 👍
But anyway, I loved this post because I’m the oldest of four so I can totally relate to the sibling arguments in books and I love it when I find accurately portrayed sibling-ry 😂😂 and also I loved the Thor and Loki gif!! I love books with siblings, especially the Penderwicks, which was my favorite book when I was younger, and Lisa Bergren’s River of Time series – Gabi and Lia from those books were great! And OF COURSE I loveeeee the Boudelaires!! Violet and Klaus and Sunny are perfection!!
Thank you for blogging, Cait!! You’ve grown my TBR list from 5 to 50 😂😂😂
(I’ll never finish now)
Aww thank you, Kailey!! That means SO MUCH to me! (It’s really nice to *meet* you.) 🎉🎉
And sibling rivalry is like the most important part of sibling life right?! 😂 When I read books and the siblings get on to well, it’s like ding ding alert this is not realistic at all.😂 Ah hahhahhh. MUCH love for the Baudelaire’s! Do you watch the Netflix show?! I just finished S2 and it is so good. I have all the appreciation!
You and your TBR are most welcome. 😉
OKAY WHAT. Did you read my mind??? I’m writing a sibling story for Camp NaNo, and I’m rereading Lady Midnight to get me in the mood–and I was THIS CLOSE to messaging you on Instagram a day or two ago and asking you for reccommendations of sibling books. 😱😱😱 So thanks for this!! I have one brother who’s six years younger than me, and he’s my best friend. I feel like it’s a good age gap you know? Not too big but not too close. And I’ve always wanted more siblings, so I’m 1000% here for big family books.
THIS IS AMAZING OF ME, AND ALSO CREEPY. I AM A READER OF MINDS.😂😂 So here you are! This post is ALL for you.😂😂 (Also Lady Midnight is just the best book in existence right?!? Julian is killing me with how wonderful he is afjkdslafd the perfect mother of 4.)
I have only one sister and of course, I love… to kill her. JUST KIDDING. I LOVE MY SISTER BUT DON’T TELL HER I SAID THAT. She’s a great influencer. I discovered my favorite books, TV series, and anime because of her. She’s the Watson to my Sherlock (if watson was smarter lol) and the Sam to my Frodo (because she’s infinitely braver than me).
Enough with the cheesy talk. I looove book siblings! The first on the list are the Weasleys of course. I LOVE THEM ALL EXCEPT THAT GIT PERCY. I also love the Gansey siblings. Helen is a control freak and a badass but she loves Gansey all her heart and I love her for that. Starr and her brothers from THUG are so adorable I love them so much and Starr and Seven love Harry Potter so that’s a huge plus. I also adore the demigod siblings in Percy Jackson. The family tree of the gods are confusing but Percy + Tyson, Bianca + Nico and so many others are lovable even if their families are so twisted.
I know I have many favorites but my brain is fuzzy right now. I can’t wait for your book, Cait! Good luck 😘
I have to add something. I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT THE LYNCH BROTHERS. They have a complicated relationship, especially Ronan and Declan, but they still love each other. They’re complex characters—the dreamer, the dreamt and the one in between. Stiefvater is a genius.
YES. I RELATE. I’d love to … kill… I MEAN ADORE my sister! I mean, maybe strangle her a bit too. Seriously sisters are so annoying?? But also useful for inside jokes and fandom adoration and general goofiness.😂
Weasleys are AMAZING (Percy can fall into a hole, we are in agreement) and omg I’m so ashamed I forgot Starr and her family! They were AWESOME (also her parents are the cutest?!). And definitely will agree with all the sibling love in Percy Jackson!!
I like fictional siblings better than my real ones. When fictional people get annoying, you can close the book. Real siblings are harder to make go away. Sometimes I wish I could close them in a book.
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SEE?!? THIS IS EXACTLY IT. We are in 500% agreement. Plus siblings in books generally are nicer than real life siblings. In books they’re all like “oh Ill save you!” and in real life it’s like “I literally ate all the leftover dessert lol bye now”. Monsters.
I saw the title of this post and went YES YES YES!! I LOVE stories about siblings. I have a younger brother myself, and we were best friends growing up. We’re two very different people these days (expect for the writing thing, I suppose, though he writes music not books), but we have each other’s backs.
So I was kinda surprised when I went through the list of books I’ve read and found…not that many books with strong sibling-relationship themes. I think most of the great sibling stories I’ve encountered must come from movies and TV shows (e.g. the Gallagher siblings from Shameless).
Still, I think I get my sibling fix from one of my current WIPs. The two MCs are adoptive brothers–brothers in all but blood 🙂
Ahhh that’s so funny because my sister is a writer of music too!! And a flutist! She’s my closest sibling (relationship wise anyway 😂 my brother is 2 years older but a weirdo). It’s nice to have siblings that you simultaneously love and maybe want to strangle sometimes. Good times. :’)
Nawww!! I love adopted-close-sibling-bonds in books too!! I write a LOT of brothers into my books to make up for mine being a weirdo.😂
Very relatable post. I have 5 siblings and were basically the Weasly’s minus the magic and 563% more evil and we’re all still at home…
Unfortunately this came right after Caleb betrays Tris in Insurgent and on the betrayal part i was just like “geez, wonder what recent thing that reminds me of” 😒
And omg I freaking loved The Cruel Prince!!!!! 😃 and so glad book 2 actually already has a title, cover, and synopsis!
Ahhh that sounds…fun.😂 I complain about living in a big family, but tbh, most of my teen years were just spent with 1 brother and 1 sister because the oldest ones were already starting their own families?? Does that stop me complaining and trying to sell them: OF COURSE NOT. OFF THEY GO. 50% OFF OR FREE I’M FLEXIBLE.😂
Ohhhh yes Caleb and Tris. WHAT a family there.😂 They need like 19 years of therapy. And afjdskal The Wicked King is literally killing me by EXISTING and not being in my life. How dare it. I neeeed it so bad.
Oh my GOSH I love this post. 😂 It is so true. SO TRUE. I was chuckling all the way through because #relatable, I’m the oldest of three. “Cycling through all the family names” AHHHHHH my dad repeatedly calls me either my aunt’s or my brother’s name. And “buying your siblings things you want to borrow them” YESSSSsss “blaming them when you’re in your own crime zone” EVERY TIME, and my sister would ALWAYS do this to me!!! Because I was the oldest I was accused of being the “ringleader” when actually my little sister was evil and sneaky and it was ALWAYS HER. Also once my brother smashed a window and I was made to pay for it! Yes Thor and Loki are the ULTIMATE power duo. And I love how you’ve basically insinuated that you’ve murdered your family through this whole post I was cracking up. OH and snarking in your own book there at the end…HAHAHA LMAO 🤣🤣😋
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Omg I’m so glad most of the sibling culture here is so universal.😂😂 Aren’t we great? And horrible to each other?😂😂 And omg even though I’m older, I was like MASTER (in our childhood) of being the evil one but my sister was the one who got caught looool lol. She still hasn’t forgiven me.
Nice self-promo there 😂 I have two siblings, who are 8-year-old twins… I only see them a couple times a month at best, but they still manage to give me hell.
Anyway, you’ve GOTTA read “Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: Little Women”, which is a comic on Tapas app! It’s the novel Little Women re-envisioned in modern-day Brooklyn and it is SO DAMN HEARTWARMING, AAAAA. *squeals* It has four lovely sisters, one of which is a bookworm (bonus points!!!!). Besides, it has 7 episodes (chapters) so far and is constantly updating.
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Wasn’t it so subtle?!? I’m literally the BEST at subtle self-promo.😂😂 (awww little 8year old hellions. HOW NICE. My nephew is 7 and he’s a wildfire that’s for sure.😂)
I actually have never read the original version of Little Women…should I sit in the corner of shame?!😂
I recently finished the Shades of Magic series and I LOOOOOOVED the sibling relationship between Kell and Rhy.
I have FIVE siblings myself, four sisters and a brother, and I love my huge familiy. I’m the youngest and when I was a kid we didn’t all get a long but now we do, and it’s pretty awesome.
YESSS aren’t they wonderful!? They fight SO MUCH but would, and will, literally die for each other bless them.
And duuuude, congrats to you for surviving all those siblings too.😂
I LOVEEEEEEEEE BOOKS INVOLVING /ABOUT SIBLINGS!! because sibling relationship is like the best relationship in books. Because sibling are always ready to kill each other and it’s good to know that I am not the only one who wants to kill her sister. I obviously love it when sibling are ready to do anything for each other buuuuut I might enjoy reading “I’m gonna kill you in your sleep” kind of siblings better.
YES YES IT’S SO MUCH FUN. Siblings don’t leave each other properly until they also want to kill each other.😂
Lol, I have twelve siblings…
The joy of that is that I always have someone to talk to… even when I want some peace and quiet lol. I’m close to them all, but as siblings go, they know how to really get on my nerves.
The sister just under me is my best friend. We do everything together.
Favourite fictional siblings? Probably Prim and Katniss.
DUDE. HOW DO YOU SURIVE. HAVE YOU NOT FED ANY OF THEM TO A DRAGON BY NOW. 😂 HAha just kidding, I’m glad you get along with (most?) of them! Even though I have 4 older siblings, I mostly just grew up with 1 brother, 1 sister, because the other 3 sisters are a lot older and kind of started their own families by the time I was a teen. But IDK. I’d still sell ’em all. Too many people.😂 (Except my younger sister, we’re very close.😂As in, we also very closely want to strangle each other a lot.)
Lol, I’ve certainly tried! But the dragon is kept well fed as a deterrent.
Depends on the day. Some days I’d like to strangle them all X)
Younger sisters are the best. It’s older sisters that are the problem lol.
AAAHH!!! This post is practically perfect! I LOVE book siblings. You have so many awesome (a word which here means “inspiring feelings of awe because siblings are just that impressively glorious”) things here. I especially like what you had to say in numbers 2,4,5,8 and 10. I have three sisters but I have always wanted a brother, I am all for more platonic relationships in books, tragedy is always welcome, the Weasleys are wonderful, and authentic sibling culture is the best. So many great things! I need more sibling centered books in my life. There can be such variety in family dynamics and I love it. There is something magical about sibling relationships in books that I can’t get over.
Obviously the Baudelaire siblings are near and dear to my heart, but a few of my other favorite book siblings include Faramir and Boromir from LOTR, the Gelesses from City of Orphans, the Keaths form Moccasin Trail, Barbara and Richard from The Sherwood Ring, the Weasleys from Harry Potter, and Kate and Nicholas from Nicholas Nickleby.
Your book has siblings?!? Good gravy, now I am even more excited to read it!!!
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Ahhh Lemony Snicket REFERENCE THERE. *hi fives* 😂😂
And YAS for book tragedy and Weasleys and squabbling sibling culture. Although I’ll absolutely sell you my brother, no no…giveaway! Seriously just pick up and collect, brothers are not worth it.😂
OMGGGG THE KEATHS FROM MOCCASIN TRAIL. 😍😍I’m slayed with feels right now.
Ha, ha, yes, I have always known that my Ideal Brother only exists in fiction. Fictional brothers can be extremely wonderful, but I have often heard that real life is another story.
What?!? You know Moccasin Trail?!?!?! How is it that you know of all my favorite obscure books? This is amazing!
Yessss SO much love for Moccasin Trail. I literally was so obsessed with it as a kid that when my mum was reading it aloud to us kids at night, I’d sneak off with it in the day to read ahead and then pretend I hadn’t at night.😂😂
OMG I’m an only child but my mom would still accidentally call me by the dog’s name. XD
And I’ve always wished I had siblings! Literally all of my characters in my WIPs have siblings somehow so that I can pretend I have some. XD I just use my observations from what I see with my friends and on TV to write about them. 😛
Ah hahahaha I’m glad to hear that’s universal problem then.😂 Seriously my mum congratulated me for finishing a writingish thing the other day and she CALLED ME BY MY SISTER’S NAME. THANKS MUM.😂
And honestly writing is the BEST way to live the life you never could.😂
YOU MENTIONED THE BLACKTHORNS AND OMG I LOVE THEM THEY ARE ALL JUST SO CUTE GOSHHHH I WOULD DIE FOR THEM (and Emma) (and Kit <- he's kinda part of the family now right?)
THEY ARE MY EVERYTHING, ELISE, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. *sobs with love for them* Also Kit is totally an honorary Blackthorn, and hopefully he and Ty will become a thing anyway.😂 Problem solved.
AHHH SAME THEY DESERVE THE WORLD! (maybe that’s how Kit will become part of the family, him and Ty will become a thing 😂
Do I have any siblings?? I have 2 older sisters. And 4 younger ones. And we’re all in the house together practically 24/7 for 10 years because we started homeschooling when I was in kindergarten. (aka 10 years ago) So lots of screaming, fake crying, and siblings bugging you for your lego. (Which you don’t play with but you want for when you move out because you want to rebuild them and just have a room all for them because they’re amazing to look at. Also, cause maybe once I’m 100 they’ll be like antiques or something and I can sell them for lots of money. 😂)
And the annoyingness of how they act cute when people you aren’t related to are around, and they all think they’re adorable and I’m just like “No they’re monsters I promise.” (I’m a great sister, I know)
My oldest sister is pretty cool, though. She likes writing and is the only one who can do my hair. (I can only do ponytails) The one right after me also likes writing, and we both agree on many things so that’s nice. But when we get into arguments, it is NOT pretty. 😂
Oh WOW that is an intense household!! Congrats to you for surviving. 😂 And I felt annoyed with just one little sister so basically you’re a hero for surviving 4.😂 And omg that part where everyone is cute for strangers but in real life, IT’S LIKE THE APOCALYPSE WITH LOTS OF HAIR EVERYWHERE BECAUSE GIRLS SHED SO MUCH.
AHHH I agree with this post 100% siblings are the BOMB!!! Everything you said I 100% stand by! mob families are life and I also LOVE all the witty banter (like please give me more)!! Also a totally nice break from all the angst and relationship drama, like a good sibling relationship is a must have in a 5 star read. And your Recs are fabulous! I love Kell and Rhy from ADSOM and Kitty and Laura jean!! As well as the sisters in The Cruel Prince (even is tarlyn annoyed me to no end) Fabulous post Cait!!
Mob families in books are so awesome?! After all this I forgot to put White Cat on the list but I freaking LOVE that series. Ahh!! Kell and Rhy though. 😍 they fight SO MUCH but would literally die for each other ajfklsad.
And omg Taryn really annoyed me too. 😭 I mean Jude did EVERYTHING for her and she was so selfish!?? But I still loved that Jude was such a good sister and took care of them all. 😫
Oh, you put your book on the list of recs!!! *inner screaming* Because it’s just so beautiful. And I’m so excited because it’s coming out so soon!!!!
And yes, back to the actual post topic. I LOVE SIBLINGS. I think siblings are the best thing to include in books. Because they add such reality to stories? The fights, and competition, and sheer love. I adore siblings and all the quippy love that happens with family.
And siblings mean so much to me. I lived as an only child for 13 years and finally having siblings was so precious, We live apart now, but I love my baby sister SO MUCH. (also, she’s getting married and asked me to be her maid of honer. Aka, the #powerteam is real)
I literally daydreamed about all the things I would do with my siblings and when I finally had sisters it was a dream come true. Siblings are so fantastic.
Doesn’t mean I didn’t try to strangle them a couple times. Ok, maybe a few time. Real love.
But crime families??? More please!!!! *cough, cough, Gemina and inner-space crime families*
The self-promo was strong with this one.😂😂 (AND IT IS OUT SO SOON I’M HYPERVENTILATING A LITTLE.) And siblings are just so great and fun and can add such a homey and snarky aspect to a story. LOVE IT.
N’awww that’s awesome your sister is getting married!! congrats to her! 4 of my siblings are married but my younger sister and I are like: yeah nope.😂
and hey you don’t properly appreciate your siblings until you also want to murder them a few times. :’)
Dude, how is this so true!? I was just writing a post about fluffy books that I don’t hate, and half of the reason I loved the Lara Jean books is because of the sisters- obviously Kitty wins at life- because of the snark. I live for sibling snark. And you nailed it with the whole “kill you and kill FOR you” thing because YEP that is what makes it so epic!
I have a brother but… we don’t talk much. We have nothing in common, and also his political views are garbage (and that basically breaks up families over here, good times. Can I move in with your fish, Cait?) But yeah we aren’t close, but I really wish we were, so I extra love reading about siblings, even though I get high key jealous!
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YES EXACTLY. Omg Kitty gives me life. She is literally the most Slytherin piece of snark ever and I love her. 😂😂 But yesss the Song sisters are everything, plus the perfect amount of annoying to each other + actually really close!
(Ugh @ siblings with garbage political views. I have many. Sometimes you just get the feeling you should sell them on etsy…)
I don’t have any siblings so I try to vicariously love through books! I would love siblings but I guess my parents decided one was enough especially since they can’t give me back (joking lol)(but who knows). I fill the sibling void with my best best friends to an extent. One day I was telling my mom how I wish I had siblings and guess what she said?? “You were a twin so maybe that’s why you miss having a sibling so much.” Um mother you don’t keep quiet about this until I’m SIXTEEN. Oof.
Omggg dropping that twin-surprise on you must’ve been a hit. 😳😳 I would be devastated if I knew I was going to be a twin. 😭
I love the Blackthorns sosososososo much! And I really love Jess and Brendan’s relationship as well! And… those are literally all I can think of… But yes, I love sibling relationships in books!
THE BLACKTHORNS ARE MY FAVOURITE IN ALL THE WORLD I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH.😍😍😍
Hi, Cait!
Aaah, love the siblings thing. Yesterday we had a barbecue with ALL my siblings present for a change – including my elusive older brother who cannot run from us forever, muahahahahahaaa – and had this moment when I thought how much I love these crazies even though they drive me nuts 99% of the time. And then I really embarrassed myself in front of the boyfriend™ and several significant others and the feeling stopped. XD
I love great sibling relationships in books and movies. I like that even though one might find love and stuff and have different priorities there is still someone who they can go to to rant. I somehow like sister relationships the most but that’s probably just because I’m not a guy and cannot tell how a relationship between brothers feels like. 🙂
“Angelfall” portraits the much older sister being responsible and quite panicked about the wellbeing of the lil’ sis perfectly I think. 😀
LG, m
It’s so true right?! They drive us NUTS but they’re still good!! YAY WEIRD FAMILIES. (Although I totally run from mine at every opportunity so I don’t know. Someone muffle me.😂)
And yes! I think sibling/relationships are just so important and as much as romantic ones are still important and great to read…I think sibling ones can be more complicated and awesome?! And YES Angelfall!! I never got around to reading the finale but I did love the first 2 a lot!
<3 <3 this post! I want to read many of these books because yayayay siblings! As you know, I have a twin sister and we fight about dumb small things but in the end we're always there for each other and it is great. I have a younger sister (kind of like a super tomboy kitty) who I like to bake with and talk about books with. And I sometimes bond with my brother over sport related things, although we aren't really besties tbh. He's 15 so this is probably normal. I love books with siblings! I'm so excited to read yours (why do your characters have such gender neutral names, btw? That's a bit unique). And basically it's so nice to have deep and fun and meaningful relationships that aren't about romance 😀 <3
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I thought of you while I wrote that twin part of my post actually ah ahhaha.😂 I can imagine books make having a twin seem a lot more magical than it is, probably?!😂 And I’m like 500% not close with my brother either lollll, why are brothers SO WEIRD. I wish for refunds.
(I pick names I like for my characters haha and I guess I’m just generally drawn to the gender-neutral ones?! 😂)
I can’t read yours yet, Cait! Why must you taunt me?!
But seriously, loved the post. Especially the Loki/Thor gif. 😆😆
I TAUNT BECAUSE I’M SO MEAN. 😂😂
I LOVE SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS. This post actually makes me wonder why I haven’t written a book with siblings in yet, for some reason both my MCs in my current WIPs are only children…..sadly having siblings didn’t really fit their plot arcs! I definitely need to write a sibling story at some point though because they are my absolute favourite relationships in fiction and so underutilised. I have an older sister (two years older) and yes we are close, but closer now that she lives in a different country! Is that weird? Like I love her, but I love her more when she’s not living in the same house as me! As for favourite siblings, you’ve got a lot of mine on your list anyway! Rhy and Kell (obvs), the Baudelaires, Prim and Katniss, Jess and Brendan but also the Weasleys, Anna, Kate and Jesse from My Sister’s Keeper, Julie and Jamie from Code Name Verity, The Fossils from Ballet Shoes, Sephy and Minerva from Noughts and Crosses……the list goes on!
You should totally write one!! I just plotted my FIRST EVER BOOK without any siblings in it and it feels so weird. 😂😂 I feel like I need to rethink the entire book ah ahhaha. Ahem. But I totally relate to siblings living far away! I literally live nearly half-a-country away from 4 of my siblings. (Including my favourite ones😭) so that’s hard. Although I guess distance makes the heart grow fonder? lollll
RHY AND KELLLLL I just love them so much. And omg Julie and Jamie! I forgot how much I adore those two.
I love, love reading about siblings and friendships! 😍 Relationships are great in small doses, but as it’s always all or nothing. 😕 In The 5th Wave, I almost broke all my wires when Cassie gives his teddy bear to her little brother. 😭 That is to say, I need way less to be broken with siblings!
I’m surprised you didn’t put a supernatural gif somewhere! 😮
I have a big sister. 😀 We get along well, but we drifted apart after we placed me in a group home because being away from home was a good way to fix my anxiety disorder, of course. 🙃 She has her own life now, but she’s aware that someday she will inherit me. 😂
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Omg YES Cass and her little brother were so so precious *cries* And I always love love LOVE plot lines where the siblings are off to save each other! (And I’m trying to do less gifs in my posts haha but omg I did think of Sam and Dean. I SHOULD HAVE JUST GONE FO RIT.)
Aw I’m sorry to hear about your sister…and also you being sent away. That sounds really traumatic. 😭
( YOU SHOULD ALWAYS GO FOR IT WHEN IT IS SUPERNATURAL GIF! THAT’S AN UNIVERSAL RULES! )
I won’t forget they sent me away because it made things worse and well, I have to navigate life with the consequences, but that’s okay. 😊 I can’t change the past, so.
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I LOVE siblings in books! But they have to be accurately portrayed. If they aren’t, then it’s just like . . . are you just trying to have an excuse not to do romance?
(Also, 10/10 going to check out some of the books you listed. Because I obviously don’t have enough to read already)
Omg when the siblings in books are SO NICE to each other?! It’s like: “I see you and your fakeness.”😂😂 But mostly I only find good siblings! (Or like evil siblings but that’s still…good?!? Okay this comment is a mess.😂)
Ahhh I 100% love siblings in books! For basically all the reasons you just listed!😂Okay, but how the Weasleys actually the best example of this ever. I love how Ron got all protective of Ginny and didn’t want Harry to hurt her…it was just so cute ajdlacunwjd. My heart can’t take this. 😂Oh, and I also love the Song sisters and the Baudelaires. (I thoroughly enjoyed your ASOUE gif, by the way.) Great post, Cait!
Oh, and I have an older sister. She’s pretty great, but I’d be lying if I never wished I was part of the Weasley family. 😉 …Just kidding, kind of.
THE WEASLEYS = YES. I’d trade all my sisters for some of the Weasley siblings let’s be real here. And the twins?!? I love George and Fred so much.😂
Ha my sister and I tag team ask for ice cream too! Or also tv. And I totally agree, sibling books are the absolute best! There should definitely be more books that focus on platonic relationships. Also –> “when your parents go through 4 names (including the dog’s) before they reach yours” = SO RELATABLE
Because like if TWO of us ask, it’s double the chance we’ll get ice cream right?! #siblinglogic 😂 (Also why are names so hard?! When my mum congratulated me for a writing then yesterday, shE DIDN’T EVEN GET MY NAME RIGHT.😂)
I have an older brother but I’ve spent most of my life wishing I was an only child because I don’t think having a sister would be much better 😅 I don’t really give much thought to siblings in books because usually whenever there are any I just kind of go “eh can’t relate”, and then I also end up making my own characters only children because I’m kind of projecting myself onto them. But there are times where I do like sibling relationships in fiction, it’s just a little rare for me to find, haha.
Sisters are MUCH better than brothers, I can definitely guarantee that fact.😂 But fair enough that it isn’t something you search for in books! I reeeally love it haha, but I can imagine it wouldn’t be relatable to all.😂
I am BFFs with my sister, but to anyone who didn’t know us, it would sound like we wanted each other dead. #justgirlythings
This is the most relatable thing ever. I think sisters are like the #1 person you would strangle but also very much love spending time together??? Somehow????
So sneaky Cait, putting in your own book there. 😉 But I approve.
I do not have siblings so I have to live through snarky siblings in books to get my fix.
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SO SNEAKY. 😂😂 I have no shame mwhahaah.
My sister is actually the Antichrist smh
But there’s a surprising amount of Good Antichrist rep (Adam in Good Omens is a p r e c i o u s and Jack from Supernatural is mY CHILD), so I guess I can’t really complain.
Maybe she can get me some lemon drops or nougat…
We’re… sort of close. Sometimes we love each other and snuggle and be lovey dovey siblings, but then we also yell at each other and bicker and blame each other for stupid stuff. And then we go right back to half play wrestling, half laughing our butts off at literally everything.
God, I’d have to say Jess and Brendan Brightwell from the Great Library series because they actively hate each other and yet they also call each other out on being heartless and rude aFFECTIONATELY? Like Jess hates his brother more than he hates the Library but he wouldn’t let anything happen to smh
i GOT NO RECS BUT I DO GOT MY WiPS (which I can’t stop talking about I’m sorry)
In Stars, my MC has an older brother by birth and a twin brother by adoption (lONG STORY) and my other MC has literally destroyed his own life for his baby sister, while a background character literally became an assassin to provide for her little brother.
Then Duct-Tape Heroes has a) an MC who misses her super-artsy big bro (who’s at college) and eventually has to leave home to find him when he goes missing, and b) a family of, like, five kids who were all adopted by their two gay dads and the youngest one is a girl and she’s constantly defending her big brothers who do a bunch of stuff that gets them picked on.
ANd then The Balance of Gold is literally all about sibling bonds because MCs are siblings who are pitted against each other by a war that’s been going on forever and then narrator has a twin brother who lives an extremely different life and I just
I LOVE BOOK SIBLINGS MAN
I LOVE READING THEM AND I LOVE WRITING THEM
ADAM IS PRECIOUS IN GOOD OMENS. Like yes give the little darling the world, who even cares by this point, hE’S JUST DOING HIS BEST PRECIOUS CINNAMONS (devil) SON!! But c’mon ahem seriously now…is it even a sibling relationship if you don’t fight all the time?!😂 My sister and I either want each other dead or are laughing at private jokes for like hours. There is no in between.
I LOVE Jess and Brendan so so bad. I never know what they’re going to do?! Pithy little monsters. And I love how it’s not the “good vs bad” twin. It’s like the “angry vs bitter twin” and “let’s see if they stab each other or stab others together today”. Bless.
I LOVE HEARING ABOUT YOUR DAMAGED SIBLING DUOS THERE. HOW LOVELY. I love the ones where the older sibling will do anything to protect the younger one!! So adorable! I would probably let my sister fall in front of a bus but *shrugs* Ya know. It’s more fun to read loving siblings than to be one.
(Although seriously, I have written 29 books ALL with siblings and then this one I’m working on now???? NO siblings. I don’t know what to do with myself. The earth is cold and the stars are dying.)
Adam for World Leader 2018, he’ll do a better job than most. And you’re absolutely correct, there’s no in-between.
Mmm perfect summary of Jess and Brendan. They’re lovely and probably the most accurate depiction of twins in literature lol
Exactly. Why be a loving sibling when you can write a loving sibling?
(Ahh why would you do that? What will your main character do without someone to have inside jokes with and bicker with for literally no other reason?)
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce was interesting in that it wasn’t about pitting the sisters apart but instead making both of them realize there are different elements of each other’s personalities. I liked how it dealt with their identities, who they were together versus who they are apart. Although I will say the plot wasn’t terribly interesting.
Oooh I read that AGES ago and have forgotten basically everything but Goodreads told me I gave it 4-stars?!😂 So I must’ve enjoyed the sisters hahaa.
Lol, fair enough, to be honest, the werewolf elements weren’t particularly good. Unfortunately the werewolves themselves had some rapey undertones (or at least that was my impression). I prefer my Werewolves to be complex, but these were just psychotic killers.
This was a super awesome post! Yesss I have three siblings all older than me. My favourite set of siblings/family is the Weaselys, by far, because they’re so relatable, Ron is especially relatable to me, being overshadowed by his older siblings, and Fred and George are the funniest ever. <3 Have you read the Divergent trilogy? The dynamic between Tris and Caleb is really interesting. They don't seem very close, so you don't get all the awesomeness or the inside jokes or anything, but it's still cool.
Aww thank you! I’m glad you liked it! And WEASLEYS ARE AMAZING also so funny and the twins are just the best. I am both the twins at all times, absolutely annoying to everyone. 😂And yes haha Caleb and Tris have a very interesting dynamic there…especially in the last book. 😱
I really love books with strong sibling relationships, as well. Which is probably why I wrote one. And one of the points you mentioned is true for my book and it made me laugh out loud. Because ~reasons~.
But honestly, the PAIN of sibling relationships in books can trump all other kinds of pain, in my opinion. And when they’re given as much/more time and development than the romance, I AM LIVING.
I’ve hardly read any of the books in your little suggestion matrix, so I obviously need to get on that. Especially The Foxhole Court, since people have compared it to The Raven Cycle?? SCREAMING.
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