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A review by okevamae
The Hush by Sara Foster
4.0
The Hush is set in the near future in the UK, which has been swept by an epidemic of mysterious stillbirths of babies who seem perfectly healthy right up until the moment they are delivered - at which point, they simply never take a breath. In a climate of heightened surveillance and the government suppressing freedoms in the name of safety, young pregnant women have started going missing. As a midwife, Emma’s once-rewarding job has become a waking nightmare. When her teenage daughter Lainey admits she’s pregnant, Emma knows she will do anything to keep her daughter safe.
For the most part, this book is not what you’d call “action-packed” in the traditional sense – no car chases or standoffs at gunpoint here – and it’s just a little slow to get started, but the author still manages to ratchet up the tension, make the pace quick enough, and pack in enough intrigue, conspiracy, and mystery to earn its place in the “thriller” genre. The book also has a distinctly dystopian flavor, even though it’s set less than 10 years after the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that it takes place only a few years in the future – and that the future portrayed is believably extrapolated from current events – makes it all the more terrifying.
I really enjoyed the book – the plot and the mystery were intriguing and the main characters (the POV switches between Emma and her daughter Lainey) were people you really wanted to root for. My only real complaint is that the ending was pretty abrupt and left some threads unresolved. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath.
Representation: Women of color as prominent side characters
CW: Pregnancy loss, abduction, gaslighting, government abuse of power
For the most part, this book is not what you’d call “action-packed” in the traditional sense – no car chases or standoffs at gunpoint here – and it’s just a little slow to get started, but the author still manages to ratchet up the tension, make the pace quick enough, and pack in enough intrigue, conspiracy, and mystery to earn its place in the “thriller” genre. The book also has a distinctly dystopian flavor, even though it’s set less than 10 years after the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that it takes place only a few years in the future – and that the future portrayed is believably extrapolated from current events – makes it all the more terrifying.
I really enjoyed the book – the plot and the mystery were intriguing and the main characters (the POV switches between Emma and her daughter Lainey) were people you really wanted to root for. My only real complaint is that the ending was pretty abrupt and left some threads unresolved. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath.
Representation: Women of color as prominent side characters
CW: Pregnancy loss, abduction, gaslighting, government abuse of power