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A review by belles_lettres
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
3.0
This was book was sent to me via the First to Read program.
THE QUALITY OF SILENCE by Rosamund Lipton
I have enjoyed the previous two novels of Lipton's and was eager to read this current one, however I was disappointed. I would give this book 3/5 stars. This book while having some elements at the same level fell short in character development. This is a story of Ruby who is deaf and her mother Yasmin who travel from England to Alaska to visit their father/ husband Matt who is a wildlife photographer in the Artic Circle area. When they arrive in Alaska they are told Matt and all the villagers in the remote area are dead due to a fire. Yasmin and Ruby set out to discover the truth and must travel the ice roads in perpetual night with a very real threat following behind. I found Ruby to be a delight. Her tweets of words and how they must taste was a unique perspective on language. Her determination to use only sign language and assistive technology and not her voice gave her mother fits but fit with this stubborn child forming her own path in life. I found both Yasmin and Matt to be utterly frustrating characters. Yasmin studied astrophysics, but gave it all up when Ruby was born deaf and while advocating for her daughter does so in such a way that infuriates Ruby and gets both of them nowhere. Matt has a job that takes him away from home and so Yasmin resents that when he is around Ruby sees him as a "good time Charlie". Though Matt is better for Ruby because he takes her wanting to sign exclusively in stride and helps her in using technology to communicate to the larger hearing world. The parents are the two characters I felt lacking. Right at first, I did not like Captain Grayling either, although I understand that a search for someone can only take away manpower and resources for so many days before results or a halt to activities is required. He redeemed himself at the end by approaching Ruby with humbleness and sincerity. All in all a good read but not as strong as Lipton's other works.
THE QUALITY OF SILENCE by Rosamund Lipton
I have enjoyed the previous two novels of Lipton's and was eager to read this current one, however I was disappointed. I would give this book 3/5 stars. This book while having some elements at the same level fell short in character development. This is a story of Ruby who is deaf and her mother Yasmin who travel from England to Alaska to visit their father/ husband Matt who is a wildlife photographer in the Artic Circle area. When they arrive in Alaska they are told Matt and all the villagers in the remote area are dead due to a fire. Yasmin and Ruby set out to discover the truth and must travel the ice roads in perpetual night with a very real threat following behind. I found Ruby to be a delight. Her tweets of words and how they must taste was a unique perspective on language. Her determination to use only sign language and assistive technology and not her voice gave her mother fits but fit with this stubborn child forming her own path in life. I found both Yasmin and Matt to be utterly frustrating characters. Yasmin studied astrophysics, but gave it all up when Ruby was born deaf and while advocating for her daughter does so in such a way that infuriates Ruby and gets both of them nowhere. Matt has a job that takes him away from home and so Yasmin resents that when he is around Ruby sees him as a "good time Charlie". Though Matt is better for Ruby because he takes her wanting to sign exclusively in stride and helps her in using technology to communicate to the larger hearing world. The parents are the two characters I felt lacking. Right at first, I did not like Captain Grayling either, although I understand that a search for someone can only take away manpower and resources for so many days before results or a halt to activities is required. He redeemed himself at the end by approaching Ruby with humbleness and sincerity. All in all a good read but not as strong as Lipton's other works.