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rereader33's review
2.0
Everything was good until the halfway mark, and then an avalanche of disappointment occurred and ruined it. The End.
matthewmeadows4's review
4.0
The Silent Land is a story revolving around a married couple, Jake and Zoe. The couple is on a skiing trip when a large avalanche engulfs them both, burying Zoe under the snow. After they are both free and safe from the snow, they start to notice a change in the world around them. Everyone else is gone. And not only that, but even the two of them are not the same people they were before the avalanche.
And that’s as far as I will get into the plot of the story, now lets get into some of my thoughts.
For me, what makes this book stand out is the skill with which Joyce broaches some difficult topics such as life, love, grief, death and loss. Joyce is able to craft a very eerie, but also very human world.
Jake and Zoe cling to what they know when everything around them is uncertain and scary: each other. The relationship these two characters have is one that left me tearful multiple times, and the book in a lot of ways is a story that shows us what it is like to love, even through the most unforeseen circumstances.
I think this book is great for those of you who want a quick but powerful book to check out as winter comes to a close.
If you want to purchase a copy of The Silent Land and support me and a local bookshop of you choice, check out the link to my bookshop affiliate shop: https://bookshop.org/a/100237/9781534430990
Follow me on socials:
TikTok: @ matthew_reads_books
Instagram: @ matthew_reads_books
And that’s as far as I will get into the plot of the story, now lets get into some of my thoughts.
For me, what makes this book stand out is the skill with which Joyce broaches some difficult topics such as life, love, grief, death and loss. Joyce is able to craft a very eerie, but also very human world.
Jake and Zoe cling to what they know when everything around them is uncertain and scary: each other. The relationship these two characters have is one that left me tearful multiple times, and the book in a lot of ways is a story that shows us what it is like to love, even through the most unforeseen circumstances.
I think this book is great for those of you who want a quick but powerful book to check out as winter comes to a close.
If you want to purchase a copy of The Silent Land and support me and a local bookshop of you choice, check out the link to my bookshop affiliate shop: https://bookshop.org/a/100237/9781534430990
Follow me on socials:
TikTok: @ matthew_reads_books
Instagram: @ matthew_reads_books
authoraugust's review
4.0
I got this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway, and I'm really glad I did. Joyce does well at building up a mystical mystery and keeping everything under wraps until the last ten pages (a fact that drove me crazy because I reached the last thirty pages at the end of my lunch break at work!), and while the characters may be a little flat at first, Zoe and Jake end up being pretty solid protagonists. The biggest complaint I have is that the point of view wasn't really consistent. Most of the time, it was third person limited in Zoe's head, but occasionally -- when it was convenient -- it would jump into Jake's head. That was jarring for me as a reader, and the passages where that happened were far from my favorites. And while the concept may not be the most original ever conceived, it was a surprisingly refreshing take on it and I definitely enjoyed the ride.
illmakeyoulaugh's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
randeerebecca's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The ending of this book would have saved it if it hadn’t been so predictable. The writing was bland and the characters annoyed me.
uchihas's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
deminguyen's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lisawreading's review
4.0
A couple on a romantic ski getaway in the Pyrenees is caught in a sudden, early morning avalanche on the ski slopes. When they finally manage to dig themselves out and find their way back down the mountain, they find their hotel and its village have been evacuated, and they're completely alone. Or is there something else going on? "The Silent Land" is simply told, but does a masterful job of evoking the glory of a snowy mountain, the joy of being with a soulmate, and the disquiet of realizing that some things defy explanation, no matter how hard you try to understand it all. It's hard to go any further without divulging spoilers, which I won't do. Suffice it to say that "The Silent Land" is both beautiful and ominous, gave me the chills, and kept me intrigued enough that I ended up reading in all in one day. Definitely recommended.
suzemo's review
4.0
Wow. This book is just amazeballs. Also, don't spoil yourself before reading it. Just don't.
I wasn't quite sure how to classify this book. I can totally believe that this book would be nominated for awards, but I'm not sure how it didn't win... then again, I haven't read the winners.
This is a deeply atmospheric book. If you ever seen the Shining, it's like that. But x 1000. And better. It's beautiful and scary and suspenseful and heartbreaking and oh, so very, very atmospheric and emotional, which is my favorite kind of tense story (I'm reluctant to call it a "horror" book, though that's how I felt about it for almost the entire book).
I do not like the cold. I am somewhat terrified of snow and ice and the horribleness of it all. So I listen to this book (narrated by the always-awesome John Lee), and it's about a couple on a snow-ski vacation in the Pyrenees mountains. They get buried by an avalanche and then escape. And then everything gets weird. And you figure it out, and they figure it out, only you haven't really figured it out, and you start to wonder what it is that's going on. And it's creepy... and cold... and nerve wracking... and awesome.
There were a few bits that took me out of the story... some of the explicit sex, that I wasn't expecting... something... patriarchal? dudely? about the attitudes (I could tell it was written by a dude). But overall I thought it was really good. It used some of it's harsh language well. In fact, all of the language was used supremely, absurdly well. It got repetitive when it needed to for effect, it was overly detailed when it needed to be and vague where it needed to be. And when I would think "no, that doesn't make any sense/is wrong" there seemed to be a reason for it. The beginning and the end had a beautiful symmetry, actions and words have more than one meaning. It's a true masterpiece.
I had read one of Joyce's works before and didn't like it very much, but this... this was glorious.
I wasn't quite sure how to classify this book. I can totally believe that this book would be nominated for awards, but I'm not sure how it didn't win... then again, I haven't read the winners.
This is a deeply atmospheric book. If you ever seen the Shining, it's like that. But x 1000. And better. It's beautiful and scary and suspenseful and heartbreaking and oh, so very, very atmospheric and emotional, which is my favorite kind of tense story (I'm reluctant to call it a "horror" book, though that's how I felt about it for almost the entire book).
I do not like the cold. I am somewhat terrified of snow and ice and the horribleness of it all. So I listen to this book (narrated by the always-awesome John Lee), and it's about a couple on a snow-ski vacation in the Pyrenees mountains. They get buried by an avalanche and then escape. And then everything gets weird. And you figure it out, and they figure it out, only you haven't really figured it out, and you start to wonder what it is that's going on. And it's creepy... and cold... and nerve wracking... and awesome.
There were a few bits that took me out of the story... some of the explicit sex, that I wasn't expecting... something... patriarchal? dudely? about the attitudes (I could tell it was written by a dude). But overall I thought it was really good. It used some of it's harsh language well. In fact, all of the language was used supremely, absurdly well. It got repetitive when it needed to for effect, it was overly detailed when it needed to be and vague where it needed to be. And when I would think "no, that doesn't make any sense/is wrong" there seemed to be a reason for it. The beginning and the end had a beautiful symmetry, actions and words have more than one meaning. It's a true masterpiece.
I had read one of Joyce's works before and didn't like it very much, but this... this was glorious.
lenemsl's review
I didnt like the characters at all, and if we're only following them throughout the story I just dont see the point in continuing it. Especially when I was just bored and annoyed 1/4 in as well.