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A review by vikingwolf
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
3.0
Calli is seven has been mute since a childhood trauma that is never spoken about. So when she and best friend Petra disappear during the night, the families are in a panic and everyone is suddenly a suspect. Police and abduction experts are called in and the families turn on each other as secrets are uncovered.
This was not the type of book that I normally read but it was really gripping. It is a thriller full of human emotion and it gives you an idea of what it must be like to have your child go missing. The story is told through the POV of Calli, the police, and the families, switching between them as the search continues. You can see what is happening to Calli as you follow her journey of terror through the woods with her drunk and violent father but you know that Petra is with someone a lot more dangerous. You scream with frustration each time the scene shifts away just as you are about to discover something vital! This for me is the mark of very good writing!
Good things-gripping plot, good character development, the changing POV, the mix of memories and current events and the back story of the main characters all combine to give a really good tension filled story. It is not just a boring search for missing kids as it has plot twists throughout.
My only niggle is that I guessed very early who had taken Petra and abused her. It did also seem a bit convenient to have the cops shoot Calli's dad so leave her mother free to be with the cop. Just a little too neat for me but it didn't spoil the story in any way.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story.
This was not the type of book that I normally read but it was really gripping. It is a thriller full of human emotion and it gives you an idea of what it must be like to have your child go missing. The story is told through the POV of Calli, the police, and the families, switching between them as the search continues. You can see what is happening to Calli as you follow her journey of terror through the woods with her drunk and violent father but you know that Petra is with someone a lot more dangerous. You scream with frustration each time the scene shifts away just as you are about to discover something vital! This for me is the mark of very good writing!
Good things-gripping plot, good character development, the changing POV, the mix of memories and current events and the back story of the main characters all combine to give a really good tension filled story. It is not just a boring search for missing kids as it has plot twists throughout.
My only niggle is that I guessed very early who had taken Petra and abused her. It did also seem a bit convenient to have the cops shoot Calli's dad so leave her mother free to be with the cop. Just a little too neat for me but it didn't spoil the story in any way.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story.