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nerdalert64's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
quailtea's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i'm not sure i liked it, but it's like i couldn't look away. compelling premise and the beginning had a strong momentum, but it devolved into a sort of goofy and exaggerated tale.
averyarthelia's review
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
I really loved this book most of the way through, but the ending just didn't "click" for me. I also felt like questions from the prologue remained totally unanswered by the end, which frustrated me and left me confused. I'd still say it's worth reading - I found the concept fascinating - but I wish it had ended with more answers than lingering questions.
seattleserina's review
5.0
I don't normally rate books this highly, but I absolutely loved this book. I was intrigued by both the story and the way it was written; this book began life as an Ipad app written by three different authors. I'm impressed with the way three different people were able to work on the same story without ever making it feel schizophrenic in tone, if that makes sense. I also loved the ending, which I won't quote here (spoilers!). There was one story thread I didn't love, but given that the rest of the book was so good, I can overlook that, being the generous soul that I am :)
ampersandread22's review against another edition
3.0
Read this and other reviews at Ampersand Read.
Sprawling. The one word to describe this book. It covers a great many years, a plethora of characters, and touches on a great deal of political and social hot topics. This novel's sprawling-ness (not a word!) isn't always a great thing.
We follow the epidemic of silents from the birth of the first wave of children, to decades later, when these children have reproduced, their parents have become estranged, their condition "cured," then protested, and then the whole thing brought to an overall unsettling conclusion.
It's a book you have to pay attention to. The first dozen chapters (none more than five or six pages) are dizzying. You are introduced to a new narrator every chapter, each with their own story and relationship to the silents. And then you have to remember all these different stories, each with multiple characters each. It gets to the point that you see the name of the narrator at the beginning of the chapter, and you struggle to recall who they're linked to, and what was the last thing that happened to them? It's honestly difficult at first.
But then it's like getting hit in the head again and again: eventually you learn to duck. Eventually you remember the characters and stories by sheer repetition. It's a big book. There are a lot of stories going on. And decades of fictional history. Some characters are infrequent narrators (a shopkeeper at a mall, a politician). They come up to spice up the monotony the authors feel you're going through, hearing about the same core group of people. But these infrequent narrations tend to confuse, and muddy up the steady timeline.
Now, it is a good book. No doubt complex, which is the one thing I would expect from a piece written by three different people. But the concept of silents, and the way most of the characters approach them and support or act against them, are plausible reactions people would have were this situation a reality. I like the idea of a worldbuilding/dystopian characteristic (a section of the population born without speech) approached so big-picture, so broadly, and from so many angles. It's fascinating in a scholarly way, and the fact that most of it is so well-written really helps.
The ending is eerie and disturbing, in an interesting and bittersweet way. It's a good way to end the epic that was The Silent History, which was a unique approach to a fascinating idea.
Sprawling. The one word to describe this book. It covers a great many years, a plethora of characters, and touches on a great deal of political and social hot topics. This novel's sprawling-ness (not a word!) isn't always a great thing.
We follow the epidemic of silents from the birth of the first wave of children, to decades later, when these children have reproduced, their parents have become estranged, their condition "cured," then protested, and then the whole thing brought to an overall unsettling conclusion.
It's a book you have to pay attention to. The first dozen chapters (none more than five or six pages) are dizzying. You are introduced to a new narrator every chapter, each with their own story and relationship to the silents. And then you have to remember all these different stories, each with multiple characters each. It gets to the point that you see the name of the narrator at the beginning of the chapter, and you struggle to recall who they're linked to, and what was the last thing that happened to them? It's honestly difficult at first.
But then it's like getting hit in the head again and again: eventually you learn to duck. Eventually you remember the characters and stories by sheer repetition. It's a big book. There are a lot of stories going on. And decades of fictional history. Some characters are infrequent narrators (a shopkeeper at a mall, a politician). They come up to spice up the monotony the authors feel you're going through, hearing about the same core group of people. But these infrequent narrations tend to confuse, and muddy up the steady timeline.
Now, it is a good book. No doubt complex, which is the one thing I would expect from a piece written by three different people. But the concept of silents, and the way most of the characters approach them and support or act against them, are plausible reactions people would have were this situation a reality. I like the idea of a worldbuilding/dystopian characteristic (a section of the population born without speech) approached so big-picture, so broadly, and from so many angles. It's fascinating in a scholarly way, and the fact that most of it is so well-written really helps.
The ending is eerie and disturbing, in an interesting and bittersweet way. It's a good way to end the epic that was The Silent History, which was a unique approach to a fascinating idea.
chrysalis11's review against another edition
3.0
This was a book that took so long to finish, I pretty much lost interest by the end of it! The premise was super interesting and it began on a very promising note. But the story lost its fizz along the way and by the end it was just flat, sad leftover soda. (I read this was originally developed as an app-format story and my god that must have been tedious after a point.)
But I still enjoyed the first quarter and then some more a lot. The short chapters and multi-person narrative style was a great format. I just wish they had varied the tone and style of the narrators a lot more, what with so many people carrying the narration. Esp. that of Calvin!
But I still enjoyed the first quarter and then some more a lot. The short chapters and multi-person narrative style was a great format. I just wish they had varied the tone and style of the narrators a lot more, what with so many people carrying the narration. Esp. that of Calvin!
markandcover's review against another edition
Way too slow for such a large book. Didn’t have the patience to push through despite being really interested in the initial plot
sbaunsgard's review
4.0
I think this book is supposed to make you have feels and raise lots of questions, but there's something also not quite together enough about it. It reminds me of California by Edan Lepucki. Some children are born without language. Society does everything awful that you'd expect.