Bibliography: Zink, M. (August 2009). Prophecy of the Sisters. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: New York. ISBN: 9780316027427
Plot Summary: Teenaged twins Alice and Lia are made orphans by their father’s death, their mother having died tragically when they were young. When Lia discovers a mark on her wrist and an ancient poem hidden in her father’s private library she starts to learn about the prophecy of the sisters. Luckily she has help from unexpected people and places, but above all else, she cannot trust her own sister who has a different role to play in the prophecy and she can’t tell the man she loves anything because she doesn’t want him to get hurt.
Critical Analysis: From the first page, this book as a decidedly gothic feel. The opening scene in a graveyard in the rain, a dark house, even darker rooms, a finishing school with a strict headmistress, a handsome suitor whose love is doomed, a boy in a wheel chair, not one but two mysterious deaths of parents, twin sisters who are friends and yet strangers. This book definitely has a lot of atmosphere, and good call on the decidedly dark and creepy cover featuring the twin statues, much better than the cover on the advanced copy which was pastel and featured a sparkly piece of jewelry.
The decision to use Lia’s limited point of view is a good one also, as the reader discovers new things at the same time that she does. However, because of this limited point of view, the reader never sees any other character besides Lia as fully fleshed out. I suppose this fits with the conventions of the genre and there are other books to follow this one, although it seems pretty clear from part way through where events are headed, Of course, many teens and readers will be happy to follow Zink along for the ride. Some readers will feel like this book moves slowly but most won’t care as it is more like a slow burn, with events building and cumulating, heading towards that ultimate showdown between sisters and good and evil that is coming later on.
Readalikes: This reminded me a great deal, after a fashion, of the wonderful Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox which also features two teen girls with different roles to play in events that play out. Likewise, dreams play a large role in events in Prophecy, albeit it of a different sort. More traditional gothic tales also rose to my mind: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
