A review by bookwormenthusiast
The Silence That Binds Us by Joanna Ho

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"There is a silence that binds us. It ties our tongues when we need help. It muzzles our minds when we need to reach out and shackles our voices when we need to speak up." -The Silence That Binds Us pg. 400



This book made me feel so many emotions, I just couldn't put it down. These were some of the many emotions I felt when I was in high school, and part of me wishes I had it then, at least to think that I wasn't alone. This story does not sugarcoat, it brings to light a lot of the real emotions and experiences that people face every day, and I'm thankful for that. I found myself crying too many times over things that happened in the book, and in the end, it made me appreciate the people in my life, especially my family, a little more.

Things I loved:
- The stories, each character has their own, fleshed out, story that I found myself interested in - even the minor character
-The relationships, there was just a heartfelt quality in every relationship there was, and you could tell how important each character was to the other
-The musical theatre references- as a theatre kid, it just added another little touch that made me more invested

Things I disliked:
-As much as I loved Maybelline, she got on my nerves sometimes. But I also think this was a good thing, especially to help those understand racism a bit more
-Somehow, I felt that the story was moving too fast, but that I needed more at the end. I liked how the pacing reflected emotions, but I feel that a lot was left out because of that 
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