What if the most terrifying person you know is your ten-year-old sister?
Seventeen-year-old Aussie Che Taylor loves his younger sister, Rosa. But he’s also certain that she’s a diagnosable psychopath—clinically, threateningly, dangerously. Recently Rosa has been making trouble, hurting things. Che is the only one who knows; he’s the only one his sister trusts. Rosa is smart, talented, pretty, and very good at hiding what she is and the violence she’s capable of.
Their parents, whose business takes the family from place to place, brush off the warning signs as Rosa’s “acting out.” Now that they have moved again—from Bangkok to New York City—their new hometown provides far too many opportunities for Rosa to play her increasingly complex and disturbing games. Alone, Che must balance his desire to protect Rosa from the world with the desperate need to protect the world from her.
Book Info: 312 pages. Publisher: Soho Teen. Publication Date: 15 Nov 2016
My Review:
I recently posted about my favourite books with “creepy” kids and asked for suggestions and someone very kindly recommended My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier which is a YA novel published in 2026,
Firstly, THANK YOU to whoever recommended this and kudos to the author as Rosa is definitely one of my top 10 creepy as f*ck kids who literally scared the bejesus out of me from the opening chapter.
The book is narrated through the voice of 17 year old Che. A young man on the cusp of adulthood who fears that his little 10 year old sister Rosa is a psychopath. With her blonde curly hair, her gorgeous little smile and perfect features, she looks like the cutest little angel ever.. however behind that smile is a very dangerous, disturbed and dark demon.
When the family have to relocate from Australia to New York due to their parents work, Che has to deal with leaving his best friends and everything he loves behind whilst navigating a new country, way of life and keeping a close eye on Rosa.
The tension running through this book is literally “off-the-page”. Che is torn between his love for his little sister and his genuine terror that she is one step away from killing someone. The fact that their parents are mostly absent or uninterested and that no-one else believes what this little girl is capable of adds to the growing feeling of dread throughout.
My Sister Rosa is a really terrifying look at family relationships, loyalty and asks the question whether a psychopath can be controlled.
Creepy as f*ck.
