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lee25's review against another edition
3.0
Let me start by saying I'm a big fan of [a:Michelle Sagara|7031278|Michelle Sagara|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1636586568p2/7031278.jpg]. I absolutely love her Chronicles of Elantra and Wolves of Elantra books.
So... I really expected to love [b:Silence|12437907|Silence (The Queen of the Dead, #1)|Michelle Sagara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1323455949l/12437907._SY75_.jpg|17420633] as well. But I didn't. In fact if this was by any other author it would have been a DNF at about 50%.
I'm not sure if it was because the main characters are so much younger, but I just couldn't warm to them at all, and I found myself skimming over the pages.
Thankfully, once the action started in the final 20% of the book, it gets much better. But, having read the reviews of the next two books in this series, I think I will end on what seems to be the high point.
So... I really expected to love [b:Silence|12437907|Silence (The Queen of the Dead, #1)|Michelle Sagara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1323455949l/12437907._SY75_.jpg|17420633] as well. But I didn't. In fact if this was by any other author it would have been a DNF at about 50%.
I'm not sure if it was because the main characters are so much younger, but I just couldn't warm to them at all, and I found myself skimming over the pages.
Thankfully, once the action started in the final 20% of the book, it gets much better. But, having read the reviews of the next two books in this series, I think I will end on what seems to be the high point.
mamap's review against another edition
3.0
good teenage read. not grown up enough for me. dealing with the aftermath of death and loss. and the ability to see ghosts.
bookishvice's review against another edition
3.0
Emma’s life isn’t the same since her boyfriend died. Life seems bleak, and though she still has friends, she no longer cares about anything much. One night while taking her usual stroll to Nathan’s grave, she meets Eric, the new boy at her school. With him is an ancient looking woman who gives her a lantern and kisses her, making her black out. When she wakes up, Emma discovers that she can see the dead! Eric seems to know a lot about her powers, but he seems reluctant to enlighten her. It'll be up to Emma to choose the path she wants to take with her powers.
As always Sagara's prose was excellent. I love her way with words, and this is what keeps me coming back to her books. Emma was a curious character to meet. She is oblivious about her true nature for most of the book, but at no point she freaks out. Emma tries to deal, and she does it with wit and a lot of dry humor. Eric was a charming romantic interest, as was Chase. Don't worry. This is not a love triangle, and there's not much romance going on. My only issue with these two is their reason for keeping Emma in the dark. It really bothers me when something has to be kept in the dark because 'something horrible' might happen and we can't tell you what that is either. Communication people! Communication is the key to everything.
The rest of the cast was a very quirky bunch. Emma is a great friend to all of them, and so she has their complete trust. There's Allison (introvert, observant and very cunning), Michael (a highly functioning autistic), and Amy (extrovert, and queen bee). Oh, and let's not forget Petal, Emma's Rottweiler. They all make the story come to life, even when the story itself starts to drag a little.
In the end, I wanted more romance, more info on the necromancers, and clearer definition of the magic being used. It's a quick read, drags a bit, but I think the story has potential. The last three lines in the book completely melted my brain and I MUST have the next book now.
As always Sagara's prose was excellent. I love her way with words, and this is what keeps me coming back to her books. Emma was a curious character to meet. She is oblivious about her true nature for most of the book, but at no point she freaks out. Emma tries to deal, and she does it with wit and a lot of dry humor. Eric was a charming romantic interest, as was Chase. Don't worry. This is not a love triangle, and there's not much romance going on. My only issue with these two is their reason for keeping Emma in the dark. It really bothers me when something has to be kept in the dark because 'something horrible' might happen and we can't tell you what that is either. Communication people! Communication is the key to everything.
The rest of the cast was a very quirky bunch. Emma is a great friend to all of them, and so she has their complete trust. There's Allison (introvert, observant and very cunning), Michael (a highly functioning autistic), and Amy (extrovert, and queen bee). Oh, and let's not forget Petal, Emma's Rottweiler. They all make the story come to life, even when the story itself starts to drag a little.
In the end, I wanted more romance, more info on the necromancers, and clearer definition of the magic being used. It's a quick read, drags a bit, but I think the story has potential. The last three lines in the book completely melted my brain and I MUST have the next book now.
sleepygirlreads_'s review against another edition
2.0
The only thing that kept me going through this book was hope. I hoped that somewhere along the way it would actually explain things instead of saying "I don't know" or "it's too complicated" or "I'm not sure how to explain it". I mean, that's fine to do when it's only a few thing, but when it's everything that goes unexplained, that's a piss off. And the fact that nothing was actually said about certain things, the author just assume that the reader will know what she means. We don't know what you're thinking. Some explanation would be nice.
Don't know if I'll finish this series.
Don't know if I'll finish this series.
paradoxically's review against another edition
4.0
I like everyone in this book. That's kind of insane. For all that the characters are somewhat understated, there is just something immensely likable about them, even if they're not trying to be likable. They have this edge, a sort of "Right. And so?" They don't waste time with hysterics or not believing and, okay, it's not all that realistic, but you really can't help but like them anyway. Or at least I did.
Silence is a quiet book (pun unintended). No real loud emotions, but it moves and you're feel compelled to read along. Emma doesn't put up with shit from anyone. Neither do her friends. It's kind of amazing how much she trusts her friends. Heck, what's even more amazing is that the author doesn't descend into petty high school stereotypes. Each character stands on their own, and they might be popular and pretty, but that is not all of what they are (and they aren't vapid and mean and have I yet stated how much the not using of high school stereotypes gladdens me? Because it does.)
Emma just sort of sees dead people. But she doesn't see them everywhere (it's not all that often, actually) and she doesn't really bother keeping it a secret from her friends. This is, in my opinion, one of the most unbelievable parts of the book (ignoring the seeing dead and necromancy and--well, you get it, I hope) because her friends accept the truth right away. It helps that Emma can display proof, but you'd think that they'd need to have some time to come to grips with what is being revealed. That said, I was rather glad we didn't have to go through pages of her friends shunning her or denying everything.
The plot was a bit confusing. It doesn't help that not much is explained to Emma, and thus us as well. Eric, the one who was with Emma the night she unlocked her powers, is rather tight lipped about what is going on. Ostensibly for Emma's own good, but you can't help but think it'd be a lot more helpful for Emma if he told her what was going on. The ending is a rush of words and actions that still don't make all that much sense to me, but it was great anyway, aha. It is confusing, but it's lovely all the same, and there are moments that pretty much grab at your heart and squeeze.
It's an excellent start to a series. I look forward to the next book. 4 stars.
Silence is a quiet book (pun unintended). No real loud emotions, but it moves and you're feel compelled to read along. Emma doesn't put up with shit from anyone. Neither do her friends. It's kind of amazing how much she trusts her friends. Heck, what's even more amazing is that the author doesn't descend into petty high school stereotypes. Each character stands on their own, and they might be popular and pretty, but that is not all of what they are (and they aren't vapid and mean and have I yet stated how much the not using of high school stereotypes gladdens me? Because it does.)
Emma just sort of sees dead people. But she doesn't see them everywhere (it's not all that often, actually) and she doesn't really bother keeping it a secret from her friends. This is, in my opinion, one of the most unbelievable parts of the book (ignoring the seeing dead and necromancy and--well, you get it, I hope) because her friends accept the truth right away. It helps that Emma can display proof, but you'd think that they'd need to have some time to come to grips with what is being revealed. That said, I was rather glad we didn't have to go through pages of her friends shunning her or denying everything.
The plot was a bit confusing. It doesn't help that not much is explained to Emma, and thus us as well. Eric, the one who was with Emma the night she unlocked her powers, is rather tight lipped about what is going on. Ostensibly for Emma's own good, but you can't help but think it'd be a lot more helpful for Emma if he told her what was going on. The ending is a rush of words and actions that still don't make all that much sense to me, but it was great anyway, aha. It is confusing, but it's lovely all the same, and there are moments that pretty much grab at your heart and squeeze.
It's an excellent start to a series. I look forward to the next book. 4 stars.
djinnia's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This was a good book. Not a great book, but decent enough.
Emma meets Eric and finds out he was sent to kill. To say she isn't happy is an understatement. He becomes woven in her life and learns she isn't what he thought she was.
What was great about this book: The interaction between the living and dead. It was easy to read and there wasn't a lot of excess to bog down the plot. The idea of the the story was amazing. I loved the characters including Michael and Chase.
What wasn't so great about the book: The characters were way too accepting of what the bleep was going on. Um, hello, where is the freaking out! There was another thing that bugged me. It could have used a bit more explanation for things. So I was floundering quite a bit of the time. Not for long, but long enough. The last thing was that I had a heck of a time getting through the 0 chapter called Emma. It was in present tense and drove me batty.
Thankfully the rest of the book was past tense.
This was a good book. Not a great book, but decent enough.
Emma meets Eric and finds out he was sent to kill. To say she isn't happy is an understatement. He becomes woven in her life and learns she isn't what he thought she was.
What was great about this book: The interaction between the living and dead. It was easy to read and there wasn't a lot of excess to bog down the plot. The idea of the the story was amazing. I loved the characters including Michael and Chase.
What wasn't so great about the book: The characters were way too accepting of what the bleep was going on.
Spoiler
I mean, oh we saw a dead person in a hospital room. My friend is a Necromancer, oh okay.Thankfully the rest of the book was past tense.
kaylameaux's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book since I read so many promising reviews. Unfortunately, I struggled through the entire book. I thought that the characters were not developed well and since the time period of the book was barely a week, I felt like the relationships formed were unrealistic. I also felt like some of the things that the characters said and felt were things that were only said because the characters weren't developed, especially the young children.
inkygirl's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favourite Michelle Sagara West book so far. SO delighted that she's starting to write YA. I love the voice, the multi-layered characters, the skilfully blended mix of urban fantasy and horror. It's a story of friendship and grief but also self-discovery and redemption. Can't wait for the next in the series!