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cheekylaydee's review
5.0
Imagine being 11 years old. In a bid to control just a part of your life you build a wall of silence around yourself. However, soon the silence that protected you becomes an entity unto itself and it becomes your jailor.
This beautiful novel portrays a family in crisis. Dad Wilson and mum Ruth have no explanation for thier daughter Isabelle's self imposed silence, and trying to find a reason is slowly tearing them apart, both as individuals and as a couple.
Isabelle herself is in turmoil, knowing she could end her parent's pain but feeling unable to.
This novel really made me think about what it would be like to be in Isabelle's situation, and scary as it is I can just imagine how easy it is just to say nothing, and before you know it nine months have gone by without a word being uttered. December is one of the best books that I've read this year. Amazing and beautiful
This beautiful novel portrays a family in crisis. Dad Wilson and mum Ruth have no explanation for thier daughter Isabelle's self imposed silence, and trying to find a reason is slowly tearing them apart, both as individuals and as a couple.
Isabelle herself is in turmoil, knowing she could end her parent's pain but feeling unable to.
This novel really made me think about what it would be like to be in Isabelle's situation, and scary as it is I can just imagine how easy it is just to say nothing, and before you know it nine months have gone by without a word being uttered. December is one of the best books that I've read this year. Amazing and beautiful
gaynorcaw's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Strange book wanted to get to end as it drew you in but disappointed
randybo5's review
3.0
A story about a family trying to hold it together when the teen-age daughter stops talking. All of the characters try so hard and don't have a clue what the others are thinking.
catladylover94's review
5.0
awesome story about a girl who does not speak, until her father is in danger and she calls out his name, and finally talks again, really a great story
sandeestarlite's review
3.0
An interesting premise - a little girl gets overwhelmed by the world and stops talking. It's been months now and the stress of the situation is wearing on both parents. The pain of the situation was a little too well written for me - I had a hard time picking up the book to try to read more although I did like the way the author teased out bits of information.
chrissireads's review against another edition
This book is quite confusing, not really the content, but the point and the actual plot of the story. A young girl has spent 9 months in silence, the story revolves around the girl and her parents. That said, it wasn't a boring read. It must have some quality to it as I kept reading wanting to know if Isabelle would talk. The book is very descriptive, I think this is what captured my attention. Would I read another from this author? I don't think so.
bookrec's review against another edition
1.0
The premise sounded so good but reality wasn't. The characters are so self centered, even the child. She knows she is hurting her parents by not talking but continues any way. The mom is very self absorbed in the few chapters I did read. The dad seems OK but not enough to redeem this book.
koko09's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The book was a little slow and boring. Nothing much happens and you don’t get to know why Isabelle was silent for so long and what happens to Maggie the dog.
captainjemima's review against another edition
3.0
Winthrop's novel follows Ruth and Wilson Carter, and their daughter Isabelle who hasn't said a word in nine months. Five psychiatrists can't work out what's wrong with her, and even Isabelle doesn't really know. All she knows is that her attempt to take control over her life has gone too far and she's stuck in the silence. Ruth and Wilson try desperately to find a cure or a way to fix Isabelle, as they navigate their own precarious marriage.
I think I'm being generous in giving this book three stars. I hesitated on two, but I opted for three because it's a very different book...a very different approach. I applaud Winthrop for doing that, but I didn't really like this book.
I found Ruth and Wilson extremely irritating. Throughout the novel the reader is presented with streams of consciousness - the thoughts of Ruth, Wilson and Isabelle, as an insight into their feelings. It wasn't difficult to distinguish between the passages, but I just wasn't bowled over by them. Ruth and Wilson can't focus on their own lives, all they can do is fret about Isabelle. They try several things that they think will "fix" her, and really they become the people in the novel who are least capable of coping with her silence. Even Ruth's brother and Wilson's mother are a lot more accepting and calm about the situation. I just thought that with all the pressure her parents were putting on her, there's no wonder Isabelle didn't want to talk. If they weren't arguing, they were avoiding each other.
As for Isabelle, she was a very interesting eleven-year-old. She seemed to have some compulsive thoughts about how things should be arranged, and how certain things should be for her eyes only. There's no doubt she was troubled.
There was a point in the book where Isabelle connects with a deaf boy. It's not clear what exactly goes on, but they disappear to play in the garden or something. I thought that might lead to something, but it's just left hanging.
I definitely won't read this book again. It was just too boring. I read it pretty fast, not only because it's pretty short and had a large font, but because I was desperate to know what happened to Isabelle. I'm just disappointed that it wasn't a terribly interesting conclusion.
I think I'm being generous in giving this book three stars. I hesitated on two, but I opted for three because it's a very different book...a very different approach. I applaud Winthrop for doing that, but I didn't really like this book.
I found Ruth and Wilson extremely irritating. Throughout the novel the reader is presented with streams of consciousness - the thoughts of Ruth, Wilson and Isabelle, as an insight into their feelings. It wasn't difficult to distinguish between the passages, but I just wasn't bowled over by them. Ruth and Wilson can't focus on their own lives, all they can do is fret about Isabelle. They try several things that they think will "fix" her, and really they become the people in the novel who are least capable of coping with her silence. Even Ruth's brother and Wilson's mother are a lot more accepting and calm about the situation. I just thought that with all the pressure her parents were putting on her, there's no wonder Isabelle didn't want to talk. If they weren't arguing, they were avoiding each other.
As for Isabelle, she was a very interesting eleven-year-old. She seemed to have some compulsive thoughts about how things should be arranged, and how certain things should be for her eyes only. There's no doubt she was troubled.
There was a point in the book where Isabelle connects with a deaf boy. It's not clear what exactly goes on, but they disappear to play in the garden or something. I thought that might lead to something, but it's just left hanging.
I definitely won't read this book again. It was just too boring. I read it pretty fast, not only because it's pretty short and had a large font, but because I was desperate to know what happened to Isabelle. I'm just disappointed that it wasn't a terribly interesting conclusion.
kayleigh5041's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.0
I got this book as part of a mystery book bundle and so I was a little sceptical of reading it. The character of Isabelle and her sudden silence did immediately intrigue me as I wanted to know what it was that caused this silence. The book goes switching between Isabelle and both her parents point of view. Both parents seem to have their own troubles with the situation, Isabelle’s mother seems to blame herself for her silence and her father seems to feel as though he has lost his child forever. The characters were interesting however I was disappointed with the ending as despite Isabelle deciding to speak again we never truly find out the reason for her silence.