Una madrugada, la adorable Miss Princesita del Hielo de Nueva Jersey y promesa del patinaje, aparece asesinada en el sótano de su casa de un barrio de clase alta de Fair Hills. Tenía seis años; su hermano Skyler, nueve, y apenas recuerda nada de aquella noche que lo cambió todo. Ahora, diez años más tarde, escribe una historia que explique el porqué de la infancia destrozada, la culpa, la ambición desmedida y el infierno de la prensa sensacionalista: una historia que aclare las dudas y revele los oscuros secretos de su familia.

This book was really a chore for me to get through. At least it had a somewhat hopeful ending. ( )

The Jon-Benet Ramsey murder case is the inspiration for this sordid dysfunctional family story, as narrated by the little girl/murder victim's older brother, Skyler. Not favored by his parents, and even labelled a murder suspect in some quarters, outcast Skyler struggles to make sense of the disintegration of his family after his ice-skater sister's early death and his own incarceration in mental hospitals. His wealthy parents are repulsive: over-the-top ignorant, insensitive and self-centered, and their status-conscious neighbors and associates in their upscale New Jersey town aren't much better.

The narrative is both sad and oddly fascinating at the same time. It also could have been at least 100 pages shorter. ( )

> Un conte de fées qui se transforme en murder party, voilà la trame de ce roman magistral où l'on pénètre dans les coulisses d'une famille détruite par sa propre vanité.
—L'Express

> Petite soeur, mon amour, par Joyce carol Oates, Par André CLAVEL, publié le 26/11/2011 à 11:00. — En 1996, une jeune starlette lauréate de plusieurs concours de beauté fut retrouvée étranglée dans la cave de sa maison, au Colorado. S'inspirant de ce fait divers sordide, Joyce Carol Oates met en scène un couple assez détraqué dont la petite fille, métamorphosée en Barbie pailletée et sexy, deviendra championne de patinage avant d'être assassinée dans la chaufferie de sa maison… Un conte de fées qui se transforme en murder party, voilà la trame de ce roman magistral où l'on pénètre dans les coulisses d'une famille détruite par sa propre vanité, au coeur d'une Amérique avide de sensations : les Atrides en version Disney, avec une petite patineuse dans le rôle de la victime expiatoire.
—L'Express

(59) Wow. This was mesmerizing. Tortured. This is obviously based on the unsolved child-murder of Jon Benay Ramsey. The poor little blonde girl that did child modeling and was found in her house murdered with no sign of a home invasion; rich parents; and a crazy ransom note - it is all in here. Including the tabloid hell that the older son finds himself in after it all goes down. And this older son, Skyler Rampike, is amazingly characterized - the desperation, the loneliness, the pathos, the bitter irony, the footnotes! It is brilliant. Indeed, a hint of postmodernism (blacked out words, splotched pages, different fonts) and satire which I usually hate - but Oates pulls it off and it only adds to the outrageousness of the novel, not detracts.

I forget sometimes what an incredible writer Joyce Carol Oates is as I have both loathed earlier novels (them, Wonderland) thought some just OK (We were the Mulvaneys, The tattooed Girl) and absolutely LOVED others - such as this, 'Belllefleur,' and 'Black Water.' The frenetic writing of Skyler is virtuoso like. Both bitingly funny (oh, the playdates and gymnastics!) almost empathetically mocking - the fragile self-esteem of 'Mummy' and the way the upper class creepily use their children's success as their own status symbols. As much as my life DOES NOT resemble Bix and Mummy's - it still hit home in a way. Right? We all inadvertently damage our children. Oates is such a keen observer of our society - just nails it!

I could go on and on. Perhaps a 1/2 star off for a bit of a tawdry subject matter and itsy-bitsy font on the footnotes that hurt my eyes. But overall - fantastic! One of the best novels I have read in quite some time. I need make more time for Oates in my reading life. ( )