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b_tellefsen_rescuesandreads 's review for:
A Quiet Kind of Thunder
by Sara Barnard
Steffie Brons has battled severe anxiety her whole life. Manifesting itself in selective mutism, she is often quiet, unable to speak normally around strangers or in large groups. As a way to help her communicate, she has learned British Sign Language which is why when new boy Rhys, who is deaf, joins her school, she is asked to buddy with him and help him acclimate to the new environment
It doesn't to take long for Steffie and Rhys to bond and soon they create a bubble all their own, learning how to communicate with each other. Rhys makes Steffie feel brave and understood, helping her find her voice and live the life that she wants. Eventually becoming more than friends, Steffie and Rhys have to now navigate not only the trials of being teenagers with special circumstances, but navigating a first relationship and what it means to truly allow someone else in their bubble.
Though I myself am not a part of the Deaf community, nor can I speak to the representation of selective mutism, I felt that Barnard was respectful of both circumstances and thoroughly represented the struggles and questions that follow them.
I will say that this is definitely a character driven narrative, so there is not a great deal of plot. It is all about Steffi and her relationships with Rhys, her best friend. and her family,and how they are all affected and cope with Steffi's anxiety and how Steffi struggles to do what normal people take for granted so she can have her own agency.
Though I did think the story was sweet, I found myself annoyed by the main characters at certain points, possibly because I could not relate to their difficulties. It also felt a bit too "insta-love" for me. Though Rhys and Steffi knew eachother for a couple of months before they became a couple, the book doesn't necessarily portray that.
Also, the narration of this story made it feel as though Rhys and Steffi were younger than they are. They are 18 and 17 in the story, yet I kept picturing them as 14 or 15. I am not entirely sure why.
Overall though I definitely felt this was a solid contemporary and would recommend.
It doesn't to take long for Steffie and Rhys to bond and soon they create a bubble all their own, learning how to communicate with each other. Rhys makes Steffie feel brave and understood, helping her find her voice and live the life that she wants. Eventually becoming more than friends, Steffie and Rhys have to now navigate not only the trials of being teenagers with special circumstances, but navigating a first relationship and what it means to truly allow someone else in their bubble.
Though I myself am not a part of the Deaf community, nor can I speak to the representation of selective mutism, I felt that Barnard was respectful of both circumstances and thoroughly represented the struggles and questions that follow them.
I will say that this is definitely a character driven narrative, so there is not a great deal of plot. It is all about Steffi and her relationships with Rhys, her best friend. and her family,and how they are all affected and cope with Steffi's anxiety and how Steffi struggles to do what normal people take for granted so she can have her own agency.
Though I did think the story was sweet, I found myself annoyed by the main characters at certain points, possibly because I could not relate to their difficulties. It also felt a bit too "insta-love" for me. Though Rhys and Steffi knew eachother for a couple of months before they became a couple, the book doesn't necessarily portray that.
Also, the narration of this story made it feel as though Rhys and Steffi were younger than they are. They are 18 and 17 in the story, yet I kept picturing them as 14 or 15. I am not entirely sure why.
Overall though I definitely felt this was a solid contemporary and would recommend.