Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
I received a galley copy through Penguin's First to Read program. The story is beautiful, with imagery from all over the state of Alaska. Lupton shares not only a female-centered adventure, but also a deep look into the life of a deaf child, a redemption story about a rocky marriage, and a passionate view on anti-fracking. I must give "The Quality of Silence" a 5/5.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
I loved Sister and Afterwards so had high expectations for this book, and it did not disappoint.
On 24 November Yasmin and her ten-year-old daughter Ruby set off on a journey across Northern Alaska. They're searching for Ruby's father, missing in the arctic wilderness.
More isolated with each frozen mile they cover, they travel deeper into an endless night. And Ruby, deaf since birth, must brave the darkness where sight cannot guide her.
She won't abandon her father. But winter has tightened its grip, and there is somebody out there who wants to stop them.
Somebody tracking them through the dark.
Having just read 'Afterwards' and absolutely loved it I couldn't wait to start this. Sadly it didn't grip me at all although I loved Ruby's character and all the information about signing. The good parts were the wonderful descriptions of Alaska and the relationship between Ruby and her father however this didn't make up for the tedium of the story and the sheer implausibility of the whole adventure.
More isolated with each frozen mile they cover, they travel deeper into an endless night. And Ruby, deaf since birth, must brave the darkness where sight cannot guide her.
She won't abandon her father. But winter has tightened its grip, and there is somebody out there who wants to stop them.
Somebody tracking them through the dark.
Having just read 'Afterwards' and absolutely loved it I couldn't wait to start this. Sadly it didn't grip me at all although I loved Ruby's character and all the information about signing. The good parts were the wonderful descriptions of Alaska and the relationship between Ruby and her father however this didn't make up for the tedium of the story and the sheer implausibility of the whole adventure.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
The plot was nonsensical, changing povs were hard to follow at first and the chapters were too long
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
When Yasmin receives a call to say her husband is believed to have been killed in a fire at a remote village in Northern Alaska, she knows it isn't true. Matt was there photographing the wildlife & they were due to join him shortly. She just doesn't believe Matt is dead but Yasmin can't get anyone to continue the search, so she decides to travel there & search for him herself.
Ruby is ten years old & has been deaf since birth. She has been keeping in touch with her dad via email & messages but hasn't heard from him since the fire, but she doesn't believe he's dead either, so when her mum tells her they are going to travel into the wilderness & find him, she believes they will. As they travel further along the ice road & into bad weather, Yasmin begins to regret her decision to put their daughter in jeopardy, but they've come too far to turn back - plus someone is following them & they won't be safe until they find Matt.
I wasn't sure whether I liked this book right from the start but there was something about it that kept me reading. It did pick up into a decent thriller apart from the absurdity of Yasmin driving an eighteen wheeler along the ice road in a heavy snow storm. Suspend your disbelief there!
There's more to it than a simple thriller though. It's also the story of a marriage where the couple have lost each other in their separate roles & need to find their way back to each other both metaphorically & literally. There is also the issue of Ruby learning to live in the world & the challenges of being deaf. Having a hearing impairment myself, I thought it was well explained (I have had some temporary periods of almost deafness & you do feel 'cut off' from everything around you), but Yasmin was too focused on what she thought was best for Ruby rather than what was actually the best for her. If I never read the sayings "super-coolio" or "awesome sauce" again though it would be too soon. Just didn't ring true as a ten year old saying those.
Ruby is ten years old & has been deaf since birth. She has been keeping in touch with her dad via email & messages but hasn't heard from him since the fire, but she doesn't believe he's dead either, so when her mum tells her they are going to travel into the wilderness & find him, she believes they will. As they travel further along the ice road & into bad weather, Yasmin begins to regret her decision to put their daughter in jeopardy, but they've come too far to turn back - plus someone is following them & they won't be safe until they find Matt.
I wasn't sure whether I liked this book right from the start but there was something about it that kept me reading. It did pick up into a decent thriller apart from the absurdity of Yasmin driving an eighteen wheeler along the ice road in a heavy snow storm. Suspend your disbelief there!
There's more to it than a simple thriller though. It's also the story of a marriage where the couple have lost each other in their separate roles & need to find their way back to each other both metaphorically & literally. There is also the issue of Ruby learning to live in the world & the challenges of being deaf. Having a hearing impairment myself, I thought it was well explained (I have had some temporary periods of almost deafness & you do feel 'cut off' from everything around you), but Yasmin was too focused on what she thought was best for Ruby rather than what was actually the best for her. If I never read the sayings "super-coolio" or "awesome sauce" again though it would be too soon. Just didn't ring true as a ten year old saying those.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death
Have liked her previous books, but thought this on was unbelievable and boring. The author obviously has never talked to 11 year olds! Supercoolio and awesome-sauce!!
Brought to Alaska after her husband goes missing, Yasmin and her young deaf daughter go on a journey, searching the frozen wilderness but they aren’t alone.
When I first read the short synopsis of this psychological thrilled book, I was instantly hooked but as I made my way through the book, I was quite disappointed.
What I liked about this book was the uniqueness of it. While certainly lead by an underlying propaganda tone, a wife desperate to find her husband takes her deaf daughter into the wilderness, having never been before, with no experience in such environmental conditions, and with everyone telling her to turn back. While entirely implausible (part of the reason it didn’t rate higher) I was pulled through till the end to find out what happened – it kept me guessing until the end. I also really liked the young character for the uniqueness that she brought to the story. Having learned sign language in college, I was strongly pulled into that aspect of the story as well.
But, let’s talk about the end (no spoilers) – While I had strong opinions about a mother who takes her 10-year old daughter into life threatening situations just because she’s insecure about her marriage, the story took a leap at the end that left me thinking, “yeah… right. I’m done with this book.” As the story progressed, while I wanted to know what happened to the family, it took more of a preachy tone (you’ll understand if you read it) that bordered on boring.
Overall, it was a fine book and rated right in the middle. I would recommend it to anyone who may be pulled into the story for the same reason I was – psychological thriller, unique character, well developed atmosphere.
Please note: I received this book for free in return for my honest opinion. All words and opinions expressed are my own.
When I first read the short synopsis of this psychological thrilled book, I was instantly hooked but as I made my way through the book, I was quite disappointed.
What I liked about this book was the uniqueness of it. While certainly lead by an underlying propaganda tone, a wife desperate to find her husband takes her deaf daughter into the wilderness, having never been before, with no experience in such environmental conditions, and with everyone telling her to turn back. While entirely implausible (part of the reason it didn’t rate higher) I was pulled through till the end to find out what happened – it kept me guessing until the end. I also really liked the young character for the uniqueness that she brought to the story. Having learned sign language in college, I was strongly pulled into that aspect of the story as well.
But, let’s talk about the end (no spoilers) – While I had strong opinions about a mother who takes her 10-year old daughter into life threatening situations just because she’s insecure about her marriage, the story took a leap at the end that left me thinking, “yeah… right. I’m done with this book.” As the story progressed, while I wanted to know what happened to the family, it took more of a preachy tone (you’ll understand if you read it) that bordered on boring.
Overall, it was a fine book and rated right in the middle. I would recommend it to anyone who may be pulled into the story for the same reason I was – psychological thriller, unique character, well developed atmosphere.
Please note: I received this book for free in return for my honest opinion. All words and opinions expressed are my own.
Wow! This is an amazing story of love, bravery and determination. When I read the synopsis, I was expecting a story about a woman and her daughter looking for their missing husband and father. I knew it took place in Alaska and was expecting some hardship, a certain degree of discomfort for the characters. I had no idea! This book is brutal, the writing puts you right there in the cold and the dark. I was not expecting that level of intensity, of minute to minute danger. I loved Yasmin and Ruby, what they went through could only be described as hellish. I loved that the author chose to write Ruby as a deaf child and then went on to describe exactly how that feels in such a beautiful way. The ending was not what I had expected at all! I would definitely recommend this book.
I gobbled up "Afterwards" and "Sister" was, if not a favorite, a gripping read, so I was exited to get my hands on "The Quality of Silence". The cover summary reveals so little, which was clever, as it allowed for a heightened sense of mystery to pervade the story. I won't, therefore, summarize the story much either. Lupton's writing is, as in her previous novels, polished and at times poetic, and the story flowed very nicely. I was especially impressed with the way Lupton so thoughtfully tells part of the story through the voice of deaf Ruby. It was a unique angle and one I felt added depth to the story. Lupton does really intriguing characters, and though I do not always love them, I have to admire how well-developed they are. Especially Ruby, who was the star of this novel, and who will linger with me for some time to come.
The story itself was interesting and though, after some time, I had an idea where it was going, I wasn't sure until the end what the greater motivation behind the crime was. The plot was very relevant, and I came away from it with the feeling that I had learnt something. Though the ending was a little rushed and I would have liked an epilogue, it was a well thought out book I would certainly recommend!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
The story itself was interesting and though, after some time, I had an idea where it was going, I wasn't sure until the end what the greater motivation behind the crime was. The plot was very relevant, and I came away from it with the feeling that I had learnt something. Though the ending was a little rushed and I would have liked an epilogue, it was a well thought out book I would certainly recommend!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com