Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Teenage Holland and her younger sister Geneva, having always lived under the shadow of siblings who died before they were born, struggle to establish separate identities and escape from the oppressive weight of their parents' continuing grief.
Is The Other Shepards appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
This emotionally complex story deals with parental grief and how it affects living children who must navigate family trauma. Themes of depression, emotional neglect, and the burden of replacing lost siblings are central.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death of child, grief, and parental neglect (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teen readers dealing with family expectations or feeling invisible will connect with Holland and Geneva's struggle to forge their own identities.