Reviews

The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins

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oliviaback's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thebookdragon77's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

4.0

videojames's review against another edition

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3.75

3.75 stars!

Thank you to Bridget Collins and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

I feel a little mixed about this one because, theoretically, it has everything I love. Historical fantasy? Yes. Multiple timelines? Yes. Queer and disability rep? Yes. And yet, I don't feel particularly passionate about it in either direction. This is my first of Bridget Collins's books, although I've had my eye on them for a while since they've been compared with those of Natasha Pulley, and I liked it overall for sure.

First, the good. The writing is really gorgeous and makes for lush setting and dialogue. The concept for the fantasy elements with the spiders' silk and the way it interacts with sound was such a cool and original idea, and it felt crucial to the story, not as if it was added in as an afterthought. Sophy's journal was really intriguing and absolutely heartbreaking, so I really looked forward to those segments. The themes of motherhood and manipulation, both of Sophy and Henry and of the silk factory workers, were very raw and made sense for the story. I loved hearing about Philomel whenever she showed up, and I wish we had gotten more of her. The balance of passion and evident toxicity and abuse in Henry and Edward's relationship was done well. It got my heart racing at points and I couldn't tell whether I was compelled or disturbed which I think was the aim.

There aren't some massive flaws that I found but there were a few elements that fell short or that could have been expanded upon. In my opinion, a lot of the characters don't get the time or space that they deserve at the end. Edward, May, and Philomel hardly get a send-off. Sophy's story has a clear arc (upsetting as it is), but I wish Henry had really meditated on her legacy at the end having read her journal to really connect the two timelines. Henry wasn't a very compelling protagonist, at least in comparison to Sophy, so I struggled more with his sections (which are most of the book). His section drags quite a bit in the middle. I would have loved to learn more about Hira as well. Generally, it seems like a lot of material was cut and I think a more fleshed out ending really would have benefited the book. The premise was cool but I wish more had been done with it. It's not even really an issue of execution, I just think this book needed more length tackle everything it could have.

I did like it and I would recommend it if you normally like gothic novels. If you want the fantasy elements to feel really complex or you like a more character-focused book, this might fall a little short. As always, it's worth a try, and I think this will be fantastic for the right kind of reader!

Happy reading!