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alongreader's review against another edition
3.0
It's a mixed review on this one, sadly.
This got such good press, and it sounds really intriguing. But when I started reading it, I found it sooooo slooooooow. I wasn't even sure for a while that everything was happening in the same time frame; I thought it was going to turn out to be a timeslip twist. Having three different protagonists made it hard for me to keep track of what was happening, though that often happens with me and doesn't necessarily reflect the book.
It's an interesting setting, but I'm afraid it just didn't grab me. Apologies to those of you who loved it - I'm sure I'm well outnumbered!
This got such good press, and it sounds really intriguing. But when I started reading it, I found it sooooo slooooooow. I wasn't even sure for a while that everything was happening in the same time frame; I thought it was going to turn out to be a timeslip twist. Having three different protagonists made it hard for me to keep track of what was happening, though that often happens with me and doesn't necessarily reflect the book.
It's an interesting setting, but I'm afraid it just didn't grab me. Apologies to those of you who loved it - I'm sure I'm well outnumbered!
isla_s's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
wayfaringbibliomaniac's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warning for rape and rape culture, as well as toxic masculinity, self-harm, and other topics.
This book has been a long time coming. Beautifully brilliant and heart-poundingly devastating. More to come....
This book has been a long time coming. Beautifully brilliant and heart-poundingly devastating. More to come....
alittlemixofvix's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars for Goodreads.
Whilst clearly a YA book, it was a heavy read. I was transfixed throughout and felt all the emotions running through the teens. Boys should certainly be held accountable.
It's been a while since I was at school but I could understand the reactions the teenagers had - the ease of giving in to peer pressure, believing rumours, overlooking things because your partner is "more popular" than you. Everything was raw and hormone driven - as an adult it's much easier to speak out or stand against the crowd, but not necessarily so when you're younger.
It was painful to see the path Quinn was on, struggling with her secret assault, but I like how the ending was handled - I can't add more without spoilers. However, I still felt there should have been a bit more follow up.
Overall, an intense YA read which covers a lot of topics. It's written well, so much so that I was surprised Cameron wasn't actually a teen herself. An author I'll keep my eye on.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from Readers First and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Whilst clearly a YA book, it was a heavy read. I was transfixed throughout and felt all the emotions running through the teens. Boys should certainly be held accountable.
It's been a while since I was at school but I could understand the reactions the teenagers had - the ease of giving in to peer pressure, believing rumours, overlooking things because your partner is "more popular" than you. Everything was raw and hormone driven - as an adult it's much easier to speak out or stand against the crowd, but not necessarily so when you're younger.
It was painful to see the path Quinn was on, struggling with her secret assault, but I like how the ending was handled - I can't add more without spoilers. However, I still felt there should have been a bit more follow up.
Overall, an intense YA read which covers a lot of topics. It's written well, so much so that I was surprised Cameron wasn't actually a teen herself. An author I'll keep my eye on.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from Readers First and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
poppyjessica's review against another edition
5.0
Cameron Kelly Rosenblum's 'The Sharp Edge of Silence' is brutal, disturbing and necessary, shining a light on misogyny and sexual assault rife in the institutions of the powerful. Lycroft Phelps is a prestigious private school and easy route into the Ivy League for the generations of wealthy students from elite families who attend. We view the new school year from the point of view of three students: beautiful Charlotte, a dancer with an enviably rich and handsome boyfriend, Max, a scholarship student who is being seduced by the advantages which could be his in the life of an athlete, and Quinn who is reeling from an experience last summer she would rather hide, despite it being a haunting trauma. We follow the events of the new school year complete with secret societies, athletic rivalries and the debauched behaviour of the rich and powerful.
I found this book a tough but important read. Quinn's story is something alarmingly real for any woman who has experienced any sort of unwanted advances from a man. Rosenblum does not hold back on the grotesque portrayal of the corruption of the elite who believe they are entitled to anything they lay claim to, including women's bodies. What is even more disturbing is the young age of the students involved in this story, the rotten core present even in the younger generations. The reveals get darker and more disturbing as the narrative progresses, at some stages the reader being teased with the 'good' characteristics of Quinn's rapist and the potential for lovely Max to be drawn into this disgusting, exploitative world. The moral lines are blurred and the reader longs for the world to be righted with villains punished and the heroes finding justice. Rosenblum highlights the messiness of reality and does not hold back in her portrayal of toxic masculinity and the corruption of the rich and powerful.
Overall, this is a fantastic read. Hard, yes, but powerful. One of my best reads of 2022. 5 stars,
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book a tough but important read. Quinn's story is something alarmingly real for any woman who has experienced any sort of unwanted advances from a man. Rosenblum does not hold back on the grotesque portrayal of the corruption of the elite who believe they are entitled to anything they lay claim to, including women's bodies. What is even more disturbing is the young age of the students involved in this story, the rotten core present even in the younger generations. The reveals get darker and more disturbing as the narrative progresses, at some stages the reader being teased with the 'good' characteristics of Quinn's rapist and the potential for lovely Max to be drawn into this disgusting, exploitative world. The moral lines are blurred and the reader longs for the world to be righted with villains punished and the heroes finding justice. Rosenblum highlights the messiness of reality and does not hold back in her portrayal of toxic masculinity and the corruption of the rich and powerful.
Overall, this is a fantastic read. Hard, yes, but powerful. One of my best reads of 2022. 5 stars,
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
caylieratzlaff's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars. CW: Sexual assault, misogyny, toxic masculinity, r*pe culture
Whew. Okay, this one made me cry. I knew it was going to, but seeing Q work through her trauma and share the story multiple times and have people support her but also her rage, just her rage, was a lot to process and absolutely also needed in YA lit. While it does have three different POVs, they end up converging toward the end. I liked each individual storyline, but I also liked how it was tied together at the end and brought Q justice. I also like how Q's justice didn't out her as a survivor, but it still gave her (and others) closure.
This was a beautiful, yet harrowing, look at toxic masculinity. While it is set at an elite boarding school, the rhetoric of the situations presented can be found anywhere. This is a must read for how bluntly it discusses the topic, but it definitely needs to be read with awareness of triggers. Star deduction because some of it felt a tad unnecessary plot wise and could have been condensed (also, Q's gun plot....yet it was her rage but then it was never addressed...like surely they would have noticed a missing gun?!)
Whew. Okay, this one made me cry. I knew it was going to, but seeing Q work through her trauma and share the story multiple times and have people support her but also her rage, just her rage, was a lot to process and absolutely also needed in YA lit. While it does have three different POVs, they end up converging toward the end. I liked each individual storyline, but I also liked how it was tied together at the end and brought Q justice. I also like how Q's justice didn't out her as a survivor, but it still gave her (and others) closure.
This was a beautiful, yet harrowing, look at toxic masculinity. While it is set at an elite boarding school, the rhetoric of the situations presented can be found anywhere. This is a must read for how bluntly it discusses the topic, but it definitely needs to be read with awareness of triggers. Star deduction because some of it felt a tad unnecessary plot wise and could have been condensed (also, Q's gun plot....yet it was her rage but then it was never addressed...like surely they would have noticed a missing gun?!)
olabainbridge's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s a very powerful message. What it talks through is a major problem in society that keeps going unnoticed and by reading it it sparks so much inside you. It’s a strong topic but definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Rape, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
laurajaane's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
alex2009's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0