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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
I was excited to read this for three reasons:
The idea of magical propaganda is such a powerful thought, and has potential to be an excellent parallel of the real world.
I instantly fell in love with the cover.
The author is an activist for survivors of sexual assault, so I was curious to see if this would reflect that.
And there were some redeemable aspects to this book. Firstly, the concept? Fantastic. I am obsessed with this idea. And personally, I loved the themes and messages discussed. The author dives deeply into a world marred by severe poverty, classism, sexism, and “government” control. The entire narrative held notes of several important conversations and was dealt in a very subtle way.
This book sets up a nice framework for a sequel. The writing is simplistic, and allows the reader to fly through the pages easily. In the end, there is enough intrigue and information to expect the sequel to be full of potential.
Unfortunately, I had a few issues with this book*. Shae is an obnoxiously dull character. Well, not dull exactly. She’s extremely single-minded, basic, lacking in the character depth I’ve come to adore and appreciate from books. I wouldn’t go so far as to call her stupid but my gosh. An answer would stare her in the face for a solid half a chapter and then suddenly PLOT TWIST that thing we all assumed was so obvious it didn’t need to be blatantly stated? Yeah, our dear main character just realized it. So um… clearly I didn’t like Shae. However, I did like the unreliable narrator moments that the author incorporated.
*aren’t you proud of how articulate i am today? instead of “asdfghjkl i really didn’t vibe with this sis”. i’ll be back with that tomorrow.
My other big qualm is that I genuinely didn’t feel like this was of a caliber I’ve come to expect from published works. Maybe I’m being too strict (especially considering that this is the author’s debut after all!) but this entire novel was disappointing in the basic book critieria. Writing, plot, and characters: none of it stuck out.
the writing was very plain, and a lot of “tell” rather than “show”. not a single line stayed with me because it was all extremely unmemorable.
plot-wise, i definitely expected more. it was fast-paced to the point that not a single plot point got its due time, and so everything felt shallow and underdeveloped. almost every twist i could see coming a mile away.
I ALREADY RANTED ABOUT SHAE SO UM YEAH.
And then. The sickly sweet, sugar coated icing on top of this mess of a cake: the romance. It didn’t play the biggest role in the plot but still. From the moment Shae meets a certain character, she instantly forgets about this boy she’d (a) been friends with her whole life and (b), had just talked about how much she adored the friend. Like, what??? And then she has the audacity to tell her "love interest" later that she likes him and This Character* is rightly like “uhh…you shouldn’t be feeling like that”. Mostly because they’d had maybe three conversations in total before Shae decided to confide in him. Goodbye.
*bless his little unnamed soul
Hopefully I didn’t sound too salty, because I do believe that both this author and this series have fantastic potential. I’m just not sure if it’s worth investing in for me though.
a huge thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The idea of magical propaganda is such a powerful thought, and has potential to be an excellent parallel of the real world.
I instantly fell in love with the cover.
The author is an activist for survivors of sexual assault, so I was curious to see if this would reflect that.
And there were some redeemable aspects to this book. Firstly, the concept? Fantastic. I am obsessed with this idea. And personally, I loved the themes and messages discussed. The author dives deeply into a world marred by severe poverty, classism, sexism, and “government” control. The entire narrative held notes of several important conversations and was dealt in a very subtle way.
This book sets up a nice framework for a sequel. The writing is simplistic, and allows the reader to fly through the pages easily. In the end, there is enough intrigue and information to expect the sequel to be full of potential.
Unfortunately, I had a few issues with this book*. Shae is an obnoxiously dull character. Well, not dull exactly. She’s extremely single-minded, basic, lacking in the character depth I’ve come to adore and appreciate from books. I wouldn’t go so far as to call her stupid but my gosh. An answer would stare her in the face for a solid half a chapter and then suddenly PLOT TWIST that thing we all assumed was so obvious it didn’t need to be blatantly stated? Yeah, our dear main character just realized it. So um… clearly I didn’t like Shae. However, I did like the unreliable narrator moments that the author incorporated.
*aren’t you proud of how articulate i am today? instead of “asdfghjkl i really didn’t vibe with this sis”. i’ll be back with that tomorrow.
My other big qualm is that I genuinely didn’t feel like this was of a caliber I’ve come to expect from published works. Maybe I’m being too strict (especially considering that this is the author’s debut after all!) but this entire novel was disappointing in the basic book critieria. Writing, plot, and characters: none of it stuck out.
the writing was very plain, and a lot of “tell” rather than “show”. not a single line stayed with me because it was all extremely unmemorable.
plot-wise, i definitely expected more. it was fast-paced to the point that not a single plot point got its due time, and so everything felt shallow and underdeveloped. almost every twist i could see coming a mile away.
I ALREADY RANTED ABOUT SHAE SO UM YEAH.
And then. The sickly sweet, sugar coated icing on top of this mess of a cake: the romance. It didn’t play the biggest role in the plot but still. From the moment Shae meets a certain character, she instantly forgets about this boy she’d (a) been friends with her whole life and (b), had just talked about how much she adored the friend. Like, what??? And then she has the audacity to tell her "love interest" later that she likes him and This Character* is rightly like “uhh…you shouldn’t be feeling like that”. Mostly because they’d had maybe three conversations in total before Shae decided to confide in him. Goodbye.
*bless his little unnamed soul
Hopefully I didn’t sound too salty, because I do believe that both this author and this series have fantastic potential. I’m just not sure if it’s worth investing in for me though.
a huge thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Shae lives in a world where there is no written word and too much silence. For wherever words appear the deadly disease Blot is spread, leaving death and madness in its wake. When Shae’s mother is murdered—a forbidden and dangerous term— she is thrown into a conspiracy tangled in the very fabric of her reality. Hush invites you into a world that is a fantasy and yet all too tangibly possible. Censorship of knowledge is wielded as a form of control and power held in the hands of very few. Shae is told over and over how she is too emotional and imagining things, the type of gaslighting that too often happens to women in any world. I admired Shae’s intense emotions and her determination to find the truth, with no help at any turn. But I shouldn’t say any more lest the Blot catch wind of this account and we become lost in the clutches of insanity.
*received a free ecopy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Hush takes place in a world where Bards use words to weave magic, and they all but control the population. Years ago, a great plague known as the Indigo Death swept the land, yet only the Bards were able to stop it, citing the unregulated use of the written word as the cause of the plague. As a result, anyone found messing around with literacy or forbidden objects is subjected to terrible punishments. After Shae’s mother is murdered by a Bard’s dagger, she goes in search of answers, discovering along the way that she too can wield words.
This story has a similar concept to Melanie Cecilier’s Spoken Mage series, but uses a softer magic system where the power of words as a tool to influence people is emphasized. Thematically, this book tackles the nefarious power of propaganda and fearmongering, along with the easy way women in particular are silenced when they speak up against injustice. Knowing that Dylan Farrow is the author certainly gives a little perspective to this tale, especially with regards to the central villain of the story.
I had a hard time liking the protagonist because she was so straightforward in her actions that I constantly wanted to shake her and tell her to use her head, approach a problem from another angle. She is always going around asking dangerous questions directly, without stopping to consider that there might be a better way that doesn’t get her into trouble. Her use of magic is interesting though.
I did enjoy her budding romance with her LI, although I’m not looking forward to the love triangle that is getting set up. There were also certain character beats that happened offscreen for the side characters, such that when they reappear in the narrative with a 180 personality, I’m more than a little caught off guard.
The plot itself is very standard, and none of the twists are particularly groundbreaking. Honestly, the biggest twist was probably in regards to the narrative choices with the primary LI, as Farrow went against the standard genre conventions for YA fantasy.
Still, this was a fast read, easily digested. I did enjoy this one and I am interested in the sequel.
Hush takes place in a world where Bards use words to weave magic, and they all but control the population. Years ago, a great plague known as the Indigo Death swept the land, yet only the Bards were able to stop it, citing the unregulated use of the written word as the cause of the plague. As a result, anyone found messing around with literacy or forbidden objects is subjected to terrible punishments. After Shae’s mother is murdered by a Bard’s dagger, she goes in search of answers, discovering along the way that she too can wield words.
This story has a similar concept to Melanie Cecilier’s Spoken Mage series, but uses a softer magic system where the power of words as a tool to influence people is emphasized. Thematically, this book tackles the nefarious power of propaganda and fearmongering, along with the easy way women in particular are silenced when they speak up against injustice. Knowing that Dylan Farrow is the author certainly gives a little perspective to this tale, especially with regards to the central villain of the story.
I had a hard time liking the protagonist because she was so straightforward in her actions that I constantly wanted to shake her and tell her to use her head, approach a problem from another angle. She is always going around asking dangerous questions directly, without stopping to consider that there might be a better way that doesn’t get her into trouble. Her use of magic is interesting though.
I did enjoy her budding romance with her LI, although I’m not looking forward to the love triangle that is getting set up. There were also certain character beats that happened offscreen for the side characters, such that when they reappear in the narrative with a 180 personality, I’m more than a little caught off guard.
The plot itself is very standard, and none of the twists are particularly groundbreaking. Honestly, the biggest twist was probably in regards to the narrative choices with the primary LI, as Farrow went against the standard genre conventions for YA fantasy.
Still, this was a fast read, easily digested. I did enjoy this one and I am interested in the sequel.
**I received an E-Arc of this book in return for an honest review**
I sat down intending to start reading this novel and instead inhaled it over the course of several hours without stopping.
Hush is a story about knowing your truth, learning to trust yourself, and use your voice, all set against the backdrop of a fantasy world where things are rapidly degrading while those in power pretend it isn't happening.
From the first few pages where we get a look at a world where words have power, and writing is forbidden you're transported to another world. Shae is a riveting protagonist, and the writing is concise and full of personality. I never quite knew what was going to happen next, but Dylan Farrow weaves an intricate and blood-chilling story that grabbed hold of me and refused to let go.
If you want a cold twisty fantasy full of intrigue, a desperate search for the truth, and finding your people along the way, this is the one to read!
I sat down intending to start reading this novel and instead inhaled it over the course of several hours without stopping.
Hush is a story about knowing your truth, learning to trust yourself, and use your voice, all set against the backdrop of a fantasy world where things are rapidly degrading while those in power pretend it isn't happening.
From the first few pages where we get a look at a world where words have power, and writing is forbidden you're transported to another world. Shae is a riveting protagonist, and the writing is concise and full of personality. I never quite knew what was going to happen next, but Dylan Farrow weaves an intricate and blood-chilling story that grabbed hold of me and refused to let go.
If you want a cold twisty fantasy full of intrigue, a desperate search for the truth, and finding your people along the way, this is the one to read!
I really enjoyed Hush! This is a well-written, tightly-woven story about a girl who loses her brother, then her father, and finally her mother, and goes on a quest to find who murdered her mother. The people who have the power that controls Montane (the land in which she lives) try to prevent her from learning the truth, while trying to use her for their own ends. In the process of looking for the truth, Shae, the main character, discovers that she has the same powers as the Bards who control her society. As she is trained in her powers so that she can become a Bard herself, she continues searching for her mother's killer, and discovers another plot, while she is embroiled in yet another. With twists and turns that will surprise, while still making perfect sense when they are revealed, this book will not disappoint. I look forward to what I hope will be a multi-book series.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC through Netgalley and a physical ARC through the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
CW: death, parental death, and general scenes of violence
I devoured this book. It went by so quickly and it was just... wow. What a fast read where the action just kept coming.
Shae's world has many taboos. There are things that they can't say or talk about and they're ruled by/kept in line by the Bards, a group of people who have magic (Telling) that they can use to help keep those people the way they are needed to be. That and a disease called the Blot that took her brother away. Yet, Shae's life is relatively normal until a tragedy strikes that brings her on her way to wanting to find out why this happened.
As I said, the book is very quick. Whenever I sat down, I found myself reading at least 100 pages at a time because it was easy to turn the page and keep going. The pacing was very good because it didn't feel like it was too fast or that things were going by too quickly. I also enjoyed the characters. Shae was a good one and I felt that Ravod had a great start, but I wanted a bit more development to them. Still, they had a good foundation created.
My main critique of the book is that the plot felt a little contrived at times. It didn't feel nearly as polished as other books I've read. Such as, I could see where things were going and the use of characters (aka their real internal selves) a mile away. I also felt that Shae was a bit too innocent and I found it hard to believe that she wouldn't see through the people as well. But, that is my minor critique of the book because the rest was very good.
All in all, can't wait for book two because it left off in a great way to dive into the next adventure!
CW: death, parental death, and general scenes of violence
I devoured this book. It went by so quickly and it was just... wow. What a fast read where the action just kept coming.
Shae's world has many taboos. There are things that they can't say or talk about and they're ruled by/kept in line by the Bards, a group of people who have magic (Telling) that they can use to help keep those people the way they are needed to be. That and a disease called the Blot that took her brother away. Yet, Shae's life is relatively normal until a tragedy strikes that brings her on her way to wanting to find out why this happened.
As I said, the book is very quick. Whenever I sat down, I found myself reading at least 100 pages at a time because it was easy to turn the page and keep going. The pacing was very good because it didn't feel like it was too fast or that things were going by too quickly. I also enjoyed the characters. Shae was a good one and I felt that Ravod had a great start, but I wanted a bit more development to them. Still, they had a good foundation created.
My main critique of the book is that the plot felt a little contrived at times. It didn't feel nearly as polished as other books I've read. Such as, I could see where things were going and the use of characters (aka their real internal selves) a mile away. I also felt that Shae was a bit too innocent and I found it hard to believe that she wouldn't see through the people as well. But, that is my minor critique of the book because the rest was very good.
All in all, can't wait for book two because it left off in a great way to dive into the next adventure!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to love this book, and I think maybe the series will get better. This book was a lot. It was like Farrow was so excited to write a fantasy novel that she poured all fantasy elements into one book. It was overwhelming at times, but it also wasn't super fleshed out. Instead of developing a couple of really good themes or magical elements, she just skimmed across every fantasy element she could think of. I didn't think it worked a whole lot. By the time I was excited, the first book ended. I will probably try the second book though just to see if the rest of the story is a little better outlined.
I'm really conflicted on this one since it started off intruging and then the pacing slowed. I'm not sure why this is labeled a feminist novel since nothing highlighted the importance of equality between men and women. It read as every other young-adult historical fantasy book. Nothing made it stand out that screamed feminism. Shae was written like most other teen protagonists. She was utterly naive, made rash decisions, and found herself in trouble where a boy had to save her. The instant love/infatuation between her and Ravod was something else that disappointed me. They talked for maybe 5 minutes in the book and upon laying eyes on Ravod, Shae was in love and constantly thought about him. I have no doubt there will be a love triangle in book 2 between Shae, Mads, and Ravod based on how the story flowed in Hush. Or possibly not since Ravod never reciprocated Shae's feelings. Even though I was disappointed, and still do not understand what the Blot is, I will read the sequel since I'm curious on what happens next. Thank you Edelweiss for an ARC.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book immensely. The portrayal of the insidious nature of lies propagated by powerful people was perfect. I have experienced the confusion you can feel when you see and exist in a reality that no one believes. This author perfectly portrays that existence, and still it is a hopeful story at its heart.
Very grateful to netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The fiction debut from activist Dylan Farrow was not at all what I expected. Hush has been described as feminist fantasy and 'fantasy set against a near-future dystopia' but neither of those rings entirely true. Instead, I found it to be more of the usual YA fantasy fare, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The story follows Shae, who struggles with the grief of losing her younger brother to the Blot (a deadly disease said to be spread by ink), the silence of her mother, and her own anxiety about what she sees as her curse. On top of that, her village is suffering from drought and the resulting famine.
When the Bards come to collect the village tithe, Shae is convinced that they can remove her curse with a Telling (the magic of the Bards, who are mostly men) and sneaks off to see them. Hours later, she finds her mother murdered by a Bard's golden dagger. When those she trusts dismiss her claims as crazy, she leaves her small village and sets off in search of High House, home of the Bards and the answers she needs. In her quest to get justice for her mother, Shae discovers the truth about her curse, her family, the Bards, and, most importantly, about herself.
"How do you speak up in a world where propaganda is a twisted form of magic?”
Farrow has crafted a world where language itself is magic; reading and writing are considered dangerous and therefore forbidden, disease comes from ink, and almost anything can be spoken into existence.
A world where a select few (primarily men) are able to wield that magic, granting them authority over the rest.
A world that is obviously inspired by the inequalities of our current reality.
While there are a few hundred Bards in total, only seven are women — due to the belief that women are unable to control the magic as well as the men.
Hmm, sounds familiar…
It’s easy to see the theme of speaking truth to power throughout Shae’s journey — from asking the Bards for help with her curse to questioning the village Constable’s narrative surrounding her mother’s murder to finally questioning the established power structures of Montane, Shae’s primary motivation is finding the truth in order to keep others safe.
There were a few aspects of the book that I wasn’t overly fond of. I know this is a debut but I would have really liked to see more character development. Shae was a little flat and there was basically no development of secondary characters at all. Kennan definitely should have been more than a nemesis-turned-convenient rescuer.
So many times I found myself annoyed with Shae. She was a bit whiny at times and her naivete was absolutely next level. I’d be shaking my head while reading, thinking 'girl, just no! Have you got any common sense at all?! Why did you just do that?! Aaarrrggghh this girl!’
More often than not the interactions between Shae and others felt awkward and forced — especially with her love interests — in a way that didn’t seem authentic to the character but rather spoke more to the inexperience of the author.
With that said, the writing style itself was great. The pacing and flow were on point. It was definitely hard for me to put down for any real length of time, and while I spotted most plot twists pretty early on, there were a couple that I didn’t see coming.
The ending sets up the next book quite nicely. No crazy cliffhangers but I still want to know what happens next.
Most of the issues I had with Hush are common in debuts and can be fixed as Farrow gains more experience with writing fiction.
Overall, Hush is definitely a compulsively readable YA fantasy with an intriguing magic system and I’m looking forward to the second book in this series.
**Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the digital review copy! All opinions are my own.**
The story follows Shae, who struggles with the grief of losing her younger brother to the Blot (a deadly disease said to be spread by ink), the silence of her mother, and her own anxiety about what she sees as her curse. On top of that, her village is suffering from drought and the resulting famine.
When the Bards come to collect the village tithe, Shae is convinced that they can remove her curse with a Telling (the magic of the Bards, who are mostly men) and sneaks off to see them. Hours later, she finds her mother murdered by a Bard's golden dagger. When those she trusts dismiss her claims as crazy, she leaves her small village and sets off in search of High House, home of the Bards and the answers she needs. In her quest to get justice for her mother, Shae discovers the truth about her curse, her family, the Bards, and, most importantly, about herself.
"How do you speak up in a world where propaganda is a twisted form of magic?”
Farrow has crafted a world where language itself is magic; reading and writing are considered dangerous and therefore forbidden, disease comes from ink, and almost anything can be spoken into existence.
A world where a select few (primarily men) are able to wield that magic, granting them authority over the rest.
A world that is obviously inspired by the inequalities of our current reality.
While there are a few hundred Bards in total, only seven are women — due to the belief that women are unable to control the magic as well as the men.
Hmm, sounds familiar…
It’s easy to see the theme of speaking truth to power throughout Shae’s journey — from asking the Bards for help with her curse to questioning the village Constable’s narrative surrounding her mother’s murder to finally questioning the established power structures of Montane, Shae’s primary motivation is finding the truth in order to keep others safe.
There were a few aspects of the book that I wasn’t overly fond of. I know this is a debut but I would have really liked to see more character development. Shae was a little flat and there was basically no development of secondary characters at all. Kennan definitely should have been more than a nemesis-turned-convenient rescuer.
So many times I found myself annoyed with Shae. She was a bit whiny at times and her naivete was absolutely next level. I’d be shaking my head while reading, thinking 'girl, just no! Have you got any common sense at all?! Why did you just do that?! Aaarrrggghh this girl!’
More often than not the interactions between Shae and others felt awkward and forced — especially with her love interests — in a way that didn’t seem authentic to the character but rather spoke more to the inexperience of the author.
With that said, the writing style itself was great. The pacing and flow were on point. It was definitely hard for me to put down for any real length of time, and while I spotted most plot twists pretty early on, there were a couple that I didn’t see coming.
The ending sets up the next book quite nicely. No crazy cliffhangers but I still want to know what happens next.
Most of the issues I had with Hush are common in debuts and can be fixed as Farrow gains more experience with writing fiction.
Overall, Hush is definitely a compulsively readable YA fantasy with an intriguing magic system and I’m looking forward to the second book in this series.
**Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the digital review copy! All opinions are my own.**