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maalinmariaa's review against another edition
4.0
I kind of wish I wouldn't have read this book because it broke my heart into a million pieces. This story is so sad, gripping and emotional, but yet so beautifully written.
bryonyf96's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
This was executed incredibly well and was super gripping. My only downfall was the slow pacing of the first few chapters but I do understand that they were the way they were so that the reader could have a lot more background to the characters so we could get as many emotions as possible out throughout the book.
This is obviously a very sensitive book for some people but I do think the author did brilliant with THAT scene and the ones surrounding it.
The second half of the book really made the rest of the story brilliant but personally, the beginning let it down slightly.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was executed incredibly well and was super gripping. My only downfall was the slow pacing of the first few chapters but I do understand that they were the way they were so that the reader could have a lot more background to the characters so we could get as many emotions as possible out throughout the book.
This is obviously a very sensitive book for some people but I do think the author did brilliant with THAT scene and the ones surrounding it.
The second half of the book really made the rest of the story brilliant but personally, the beginning let it down slightly.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
keeperofpages's review against another edition
2.0
This book had been on my radar for ages. I was so intrigued by its premise; a story that takes place in one day, mainly in one location – a character driven story that plays out a situation we’d all be terrified to be in but sadly, a very real and possible situation. While I liked that this story touched on a very real subject, this book didn’t capture my attention the way I hoped it would. And this was because the book opens with an introduction to the characters on the train, narrated from multiple viewpoints, we learn about their lives and how they came to be on the train. My issue was simple, I found the characters boring – I understand Staincliffe portraying them as ordinary people and these are exactly the people likely to be on the train but it was all too ‘plain Jane’ for my liking. By the time the tempo of the book picked up, I wasn’t invested in the aftermath.
This is a fictional book and I found it read too ‘academic’ for my liking; yet as a character study, it didn’t go deep enough, as a character-driven novel, the characters weren’t interesting enough. I can see why so many people liked this book but for me it fell short. The anticipation, the tension, and most importantly, the emotion were all missing for me.
I was most interested in the subplot, featuring Saheel’s family, mainly his sister, and how things affected them but a subplot cannot carry a book so unfortunately, The Silence Between Breaths was a miss for me.
This is a fictional book and I found it read too ‘academic’ for my liking; yet as a character study, it didn’t go deep enough, as a character-driven novel, the characters weren’t interesting enough. I can see why so many people liked this book but for me it fell short. The anticipation, the tension, and most importantly, the emotion were all missing for me.
I was most interested in the subplot, featuring Saheel’s family, mainly his sister, and how things affected them but a subplot cannot carry a book so unfortunately, The Silence Between Breaths was a miss for me.
pebs's review
4.0
I have just raced through *The silence between breaths* by Cath Staincliffe. It's the first book of hers that I have read and I couldn't put it down. It tells the story of several people who are travelling to London with a chapter dedicated to a specific person or family and reveals their personalities and life events. One person on the train is not what they seem to be and they are sussed out by a fellow passenger with disastrous consequences. Bravery features highly in this novel from some of the most unexpected people.
Well worth reading.
Well worth reading.
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