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dannilmp's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
Firstly, I listened to the audiobook version of The Silence Project and if you're interested in a what if human world scenario that you can listen to while getting anything else done then this would be perfect for you!
I truly feel the audiobook is truly the best way to experience this novel. Not only does it mean I didn't have to worry about mispronouncing French or Swahili or place names around the world, I also felt it allowed me to have a better experience with reading. Considering this novel is written as a non-fiction biography written in another fictional instance of our planet, as I was listening it felt like Emilia was speaking her thoughts aloud to me while drafting this biography of Rachel Morris. The ending comments about the prospects of what her world could have been without her mother's influence certainly got me thinking about the current state of our own world too. Certainly a book that has left an imprint on me.
The only thing I really disliked about this book was such comments as 'you know what I'm talking about' or 'as you've seen it everywhere' as obviously I did not know what events or things Emilia was referring to! However this style of writing certainly fit the idea of a biography written in Emilia's universe so I was able to get over my annoance and let it slide.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a feminist book set in our own little planet Earth. Certain events in the book leave you pondering the state of Emilia's world while other comments leave you thinking about our own world. I think the experience of this book will be on my mind for a while yet.
I truly feel the audiobook is truly the best way to experience this novel. Not only does it mean I didn't have to worry about mispronouncing French or Swahili or place names around the world, I also felt it allowed me to have a better experience with reading. Considering this novel is written as a non-fiction biography written in another fictional instance of our planet, as I was listening it felt like Emilia was speaking her thoughts aloud to me while drafting this biography of Rachel Morris. The ending comments about the prospects of what her world could have been without her mother's influence certainly got me thinking about the current state of our own world too. Certainly a book that has left an imprint on me.
The only thing I really disliked about this book was such comments as 'you know what I'm talking about' or 'as you've seen it everywhere' as obviously I did not know what events or things Emilia was referring to! However this style of writing certainly fit the idea of a biography written in Emilia's universe so I was able to get over my annoance and let it slide.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a feminist book set in our own little planet Earth. Certain events in the book leave you pondering the state of Emilia's world while other comments leave you thinking about our own world. I think the experience of this book will be on my mind for a while yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death and Violence
Minor: Rape
suzsta's review
challenging
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
5.0
A dystopian novel for the current age, The Silence Project asks how far a daughter can allow her mother's legacy to go before she must tell the true story, no matter the consequences. Told in the form of an in-fiction non fiction novel, this is a stunning debut that holds up a dark mirror to the conundrums of today's world, and reminds us all of the ever present possibility of falling into the twisted logic and fanaticism that fuels The Community. An exploration of the power of silence, legacy, and cults of personality, The Silence Project blends fact and fiction so skillfully, it is hard to put down, and even harder to get out of your head.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
There are descriptions of a mass self-immolation eventreadingbelowtheclouds's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
nicole_bookmarked's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
On Emilia Morris' 13th birthday, her mother, Rachel, moves into a tent in the backyard and goes silent - never to speak again. Eight years later, Rachel sets herself on fire (known as 'The Event') with her followers or members of 'The Community.' Many years later, Emilia writes a book based on her mother's diaries and this is that book.
The premise of this novel is intriguing, and this book made me ask myself a lot of questions: What kind of power and control will we allow from organizations/corporations? Do money and power really rule the world? What does it mean to truly listen to other people? If an organization does a lot of good, can we ignore the bad?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I was glued to it for the first half, but it got to be a bit too far-fetched for me in the second half. I tend to believe that people are inherently good and we're all trying to do our best, so it was hard to believe that an organization like The Community could rise to a position of such global power and influence. Also, for such serious topics (reproductive coercion, encouraging suicide, etc.) I thought the novel lacked depth and character development.
More than anything, I really wanted to hear first-hand from Emilia. I mean, don't we all want to know what's going on inside the brain of the cult leader? What was she thinking? Did she have a grand plan for The Community? Why did she go silent? Did she see The Community as a success story? Unfortunately, her diary entries didn't answer these questions, so we were left to speculate.
Despite my critique, I think this is a "win" for a debut novel, and I'm glad I read it. It's based on a clever concept and is a cautionary tale for our future. If you're a fan of cult books or the obscure, this one's for you!
The premise of this novel is intriguing, and this book made me ask myself a lot of questions: What kind of power and control will we allow from organizations/corporations? Do money and power really rule the world? What does it mean to truly listen to other people? If an organization does a lot of good, can we ignore the bad?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I was glued to it for the first half, but it got to be a bit too far-fetched for me in the second half. I tend to believe that people are inherently good and we're all trying to do our best, so it was hard to believe that an organization like The Community could rise to a position of such global power and influence. Also, for such serious topics (reproductive coercion, encouraging suicide, etc.) I thought the novel lacked depth and character development.
More than anything, I really wanted to hear first-hand from Emilia. I mean, don't we all want to know what's going on inside the brain of the cult leader? What was she thinking? Did she have a grand plan for The Community? Why did she go silent? Did she see The Community as a success story? Unfortunately, her diary entries didn't answer these questions, so we were left to speculate.
Despite my critique, I think this is a "win" for a debut novel, and I'm glad I read it. It's based on a clever concept and is a cautionary tale for our future. If you're a fan of cult books or the obscure, this one's for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
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