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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
(I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
I'm not sure what it is between me and Rosamund Lupton, but we simply do NOT get on.
I read her previous novel, Afterwards, last summer and found it very confusing as it didn't really know what kind of story it wanted to tell.. Was it a murder mystery, or magical realism, or family drama, or something else? Sometimes a mish mash of genres can be an inviting thing, but to me it felt like Lupton was given way too much leeway by her editor and simply wrote whatever popped into her head.
I will admit, The Quality Of Silence doesn't suffer quite so badly from this genre confusion. We follow Yasmin and her daughter, Ruby, a Deaf ten year old, across the wilds of Alaska. I've not read a book before with a Deaf protagonist and found these aspects of The Quality Of Silence very interesting, although at times Ruby became a caricature of a preteen to me - always saying OMG! and SUPER COOLIO! and other things that no child has ever said.
Yasmin is hunting for her husband, wildlife cameraman Matt, who is supposedly stranded in the wilderness. Despite literally dozens of other characters advising her not to set off into a storm with her young child, she does it anyway. It's difficult to sympathise with Yasmin as a character because she simply acts ludicrously. I know we're supposed to think "wow, she really loves her husband!" but how are we to believe that this fight or flight reaction suddenly grants her with all of the knowledge of an arctic Bear Grylls?
The rest of the novel is basically a flimsy attempt to protest fracking, which I found quite odd. Obviously Lupton has done her research on energy resources, and also the cultures of indigenous people in Alaska, which was interesting to read about but a lot of things are left unexplained and I ended up Googling a lot of words that I came across.
I think in the future I'll steer clear of Rosamund Lupton. She has plenty of fans but I'm simply not one of them.
I'm not sure what it is between me and Rosamund Lupton, but we simply do NOT get on.
I read her previous novel, Afterwards, last summer and found it very confusing as it didn't really know what kind of story it wanted to tell.. Was it a murder mystery, or magical realism, or family drama, or something else? Sometimes a mish mash of genres can be an inviting thing, but to me it felt like Lupton was given way too much leeway by her editor and simply wrote whatever popped into her head.
I will admit, The Quality Of Silence doesn't suffer quite so badly from this genre confusion. We follow Yasmin and her daughter, Ruby, a Deaf ten year old, across the wilds of Alaska. I've not read a book before with a Deaf protagonist and found these aspects of The Quality Of Silence very interesting, although at times Ruby became a caricature of a preteen to me - always saying OMG! and SUPER COOLIO! and other things that no child has ever said.
Yasmin is hunting for her husband, wildlife cameraman Matt, who is supposedly stranded in the wilderness. Despite literally dozens of other characters advising her not to set off into a storm with her young child, she does it anyway. It's difficult to sympathise with Yasmin as a character because she simply acts ludicrously. I know we're supposed to think "wow, she really loves her husband!" but how are we to believe that this fight or flight reaction suddenly grants her with all of the knowledge of an arctic Bear Grylls?
The rest of the novel is basically a flimsy attempt to protest fracking, which I found quite odd. Obviously Lupton has done her research on energy resources, and also the cultures of indigenous people in Alaska, which was interesting to read about but a lot of things are left unexplained and I ended up Googling a lot of words that I came across.
I think in the future I'll steer clear of Rosamund Lupton. She has plenty of fans but I'm simply not one of them.
There's pretty much one reason to set a mystery in Alaska in winter--eventually the weather is going to come into play. This chilling (yep, I just did that) mystery requires some suspension of disbelief for greatest enjoyment but it is a pretty rollicking ride (oops, did it again) to the finish. I enjoyed the strong female lead and the insights into the world of the deaf were very well done. I've traveled on some of the roads described and it is no exaggeration that there is plenty of alone time. In this case, that time was filled with dread and anxiety for what might befall Yasmin and Ruby on their desperate mission to find Matt, their husband and father. There is eco-disaster worked into the plot as well.
All-in-all, this was a quick, absorbing read that had plenty of atmosphere and tension.
All-in-all, this was a quick, absorbing read that had plenty of atmosphere and tension.
I'm giving this 4 stars because of the implausibility of some parts of the plot, but - leaving those aside - The Quality of Silence is a great read. It's a psychological thriller set in Alaska during winter; the vastness, harshness, silence and beauty of the arctic tundra are a character every bit as important as the father, mother and daughter at the centre of the tale.
Ruby, the 10 year old heroine, is profoundly deaf. The silence of an artic winter provides the perfect backdrop for the voice of this courageous young lady to shine through, although not in the manner which I first anticipated.
I also enjoyed the commentary on the fragility of the planet and whilst it didn't change my personal view on fracking, it has certainly made me interested to learn a lot more about it. Less intellectual than my new found desire to learn more about hydraulic fracking is the fact that the novel also made me interested to watch an episode (or three) of the reality TV show Ice Road Truckers which - to be clear- is not at all mentioned in the book but is apparently filmed on the Dalton Highway, the 666 kilometre road that runs parallel to the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline and which Ruby and her mother travel in The Quality of Silence. My sudden interest in watching a reality TV show about truck drivers is greatly amusing my husband!
Ruby, the 10 year old heroine, is profoundly deaf. The silence of an artic winter provides the perfect backdrop for the voice of this courageous young lady to shine through, although not in the manner which I first anticipated.
I also enjoyed the commentary on the fragility of the planet and whilst it didn't change my personal view on fracking, it has certainly made me interested to learn a lot more about it. Less intellectual than my new found desire to learn more about hydraulic fracking is the fact that the novel also made me interested to watch an episode (or three) of the reality TV show Ice Road Truckers which - to be clear- is not at all mentioned in the book but is apparently filmed on the Dalton Highway, the 666 kilometre road that runs parallel to the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline and which Ruby and her mother travel in The Quality of Silence. My sudden interest in watching a reality TV show about truck drivers is greatly amusing my husband!
I loved this! Such a well researched book covering important topics. It was obvious the author researched all these topics (deafness, fracking, the Alaskan tundra, astronomy, Native Americans) extremely well. Really fast read...wanted to know what was going to happen! Also: super atmospheric; I actually felt freezing while reading this!
This was a lovely, heartwarming read. The descriptions, not just of the freezing Alaskan landscape but also of Ruby’s deafness, were breathtakingly beautiful and made me feel as if I was there living and breathing it all with the characters. I loved how you got the different characters’ perspectives and how they developed and grew throughout the book. Unfortunately the ending ruined it a bit for me - I felt like a lot of questions I had went unanswered. Not to mention it wasn’t exactly a realistic concept. But otherwise it was a captivating read and I would thoroughly recommend it.
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This sounded like such a good story but it fell flat for me. I felt it was repetitive and pretty boring.
Originally posted on:> http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/blog-tour-quality-of-silence-by.html
There has been quite an anticipated wait for Rosamund's next novel after Sister did amazingly well. So when The Quality of Silence came out, I was very eager to read and discover Rosamund as a writer.
Wow! Where do I even begin?! The Quality of Silence has got to be one of the most amazing books I have read this year. Rosamund's writing is absolutely stunning, I have never felt so transported to a place in a book than I did whilst reading this.
Set in Alaska, an unforgiving bitter part of the world, Yasmin and her deaf daughter Ruby arrive here with a fierce determination to find her husband Matt. They embark on one of the most dangerous journeys to a practically uninhabitable place with a threatening force on their trail.
Everytime I opened this book it was physically like I was plunging myself into this arctic world. Even despite the weather being the hottest it has been lately, I felt the all encompassing cold of Alaska, the harsh bite it has and that feeling that you will never be warm again. No other novel has been able to make me feel it's surroundings so acutely before, Rosumund has created an incredible palpable and atmospheric novel. What also added to the chilly and haunting atmosphere was the tangible sense of quiet. The silence in itself seemed almost deafening, it was oppressive and adds to that sense that Yasmin and Ruby really are alone. So the fact that someone is watching them in the dark makes it eerie and threatening.
When reading this, you go on a journey with the main characters, experiencing what they are, feeling how they feel. The tension and suspense feels almost tangible as Yasmin and Ruby get deeper and deeper into Alaska and further away from any help or sign of life.
What was also written with such eye opening clarity was Ruby's deafness. Unless you live with someone or know someone close who is deaf or are of course yourself deaf, you can never fully understand what the world is like from this person's point of view. Rosamund has written this beautifully and gave me an understanding that I never had before. Ruby maybe deaf but that does not hinder her as much as you would think, she's very intelligent and knows her own mind,
There are so many adjectives I can use to describe this truly epic story, but I will go with the following; haunting, eerie and chilling to the bone, one of my top reads this year.
There has been quite an anticipated wait for Rosamund's next novel after Sister did amazingly well. So when The Quality of Silence came out, I was very eager to read and discover Rosamund as a writer.
Wow! Where do I even begin?! The Quality of Silence has got to be one of the most amazing books I have read this year. Rosamund's writing is absolutely stunning, I have never felt so transported to a place in a book than I did whilst reading this.
Set in Alaska, an unforgiving bitter part of the world, Yasmin and her deaf daughter Ruby arrive here with a fierce determination to find her husband Matt. They embark on one of the most dangerous journeys to a practically uninhabitable place with a threatening force on their trail.
Everytime I opened this book it was physically like I was plunging myself into this arctic world. Even despite the weather being the hottest it has been lately, I felt the all encompassing cold of Alaska, the harsh bite it has and that feeling that you will never be warm again. No other novel has been able to make me feel it's surroundings so acutely before, Rosumund has created an incredible palpable and atmospheric novel. What also added to the chilly and haunting atmosphere was the tangible sense of quiet. The silence in itself seemed almost deafening, it was oppressive and adds to that sense that Yasmin and Ruby really are alone. So the fact that someone is watching them in the dark makes it eerie and threatening.
When reading this, you go on a journey with the main characters, experiencing what they are, feeling how they feel. The tension and suspense feels almost tangible as Yasmin and Ruby get deeper and deeper into Alaska and further away from any help or sign of life.
What was also written with such eye opening clarity was Ruby's deafness. Unless you live with someone or know someone close who is deaf or are of course yourself deaf, you can never fully understand what the world is like from this person's point of view. Rosamund has written this beautifully and gave me an understanding that I never had before. Ruby maybe deaf but that does not hinder her as much as you would think, she's very intelligent and knows her own mind,
There are so many adjectives I can use to describe this truly epic story, but I will go with the following; haunting, eerie and chilling to the bone, one of my top reads this year.
Totally unrealistic and I never bonded with any of the characters
Very suspenseful but not believable with the Ice Road Truckers theme. Could have done without the preaching/politics of fracking.
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton was a slow burn. A very slow burn. The first half of the book I thought the MC was out of her mind and there really was no way her husband was still alive, coupled with the fact that she was driving into a horrendous Alaska storm (even by Native standards) with her deaf 10yo daughter; made me wince the whole time.
Regardless of whether I thought it was a dumb decision on the MCs part, it was still pretty suspenseful in the beginning. Would they make it through the storm? Is her husband really still alive?
After a while though, it kind of felt like it was dragging on. There wasn’t really anything happening for quite a while. About half way through we finally get some action in a stalker and some graphic pictures to the MCs email. The whole time your left clueless as to what is happening, and where it is going to go.
I love mystery’s that can still really surprise me, and The Quality of Silence did an excellent job! I will definitely be picking up Ms. Luptons next book.
I received this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Regardless of whether I thought it was a dumb decision on the MCs part, it was still pretty suspenseful in the beginning. Would they make it through the storm? Is her husband really still alive?
After a while though, it kind of felt like it was dragging on. There wasn’t really anything happening for quite a while. About half way through we finally get some action in a stalker and some graphic pictures to the MCs email. The whole time your left clueless as to what is happening, and where it is going to go.
I love mystery’s that can still really surprise me, and The Quality of Silence did an excellent job! I will definitely be picking up Ms. Luptons next book.
I received this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.