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A review by rachel___mae
Hush by Dylan Farrow
4.0
3.5 / 5 stars.
Hush is the debut novel from Dylan Farrow, and I'll admit that I didn't make the connection that other readers did about who Dylan is. I'm always intrigued by fantasy books, and I'm drawn to books with interesting world-building, so this one seemed like a perfect one to download from NetGalley. I think this is the perfect book for younger readers, and even though I think it was meant for readers younger than myself, I found it a generally enjoyable read.
Hush takes place in a world where writing is banned and a terrible disease called the Blot stems from the written word and leaving dead villagers in her wake. Mysterious figures called Bards travel from town to town and are able to use magic in the form of a Telling to affect the world around them.
We're introduced to this world through the character of Shae, a seventeen year old girl who's life is turned upside down as she loses one family member after another. Just when she thinks things are finally safe, her mother is murdered in their home, and she's left truly alone to embark on a journey to try and find the truth.
The world in Hush is fascinating. It drew me in from the start of the book, and I loved discovering it with Shae. My biggest complaint with the world building is that I wanted to see more of it and understand more about how the magic system worked. I hope that this is explored more in the next book! The pacing felt uneven at times throughout the book, but it wasn't too much that it slowed me down reading it. Some of the plot points were predictable for me, but I'm excited to see where Shae's story goes next!
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Hush is the debut novel from Dylan Farrow, and I'll admit that I didn't make the connection that other readers did about who Dylan is. I'm always intrigued by fantasy books, and I'm drawn to books with interesting world-building, so this one seemed like a perfect one to download from NetGalley. I think this is the perfect book for younger readers, and even though I think it was meant for readers younger than myself, I found it a generally enjoyable read.
Hush takes place in a world where writing is banned and a terrible disease called the Blot stems from the written word and leaving dead villagers in her wake. Mysterious figures called Bards travel from town to town and are able to use magic in the form of a Telling to affect the world around them.
We're introduced to this world through the character of Shae, a seventeen year old girl who's life is turned upside down as she loses one family member after another. Just when she thinks things are finally safe, her mother is murdered in their home, and she's left truly alone to embark on a journey to try and find the truth.
The world in Hush is fascinating. It drew me in from the start of the book, and I loved discovering it with Shae. My biggest complaint with the world building is that I wanted to see more of it and understand more about how the magic system worked. I hope that this is explored more in the next book! The pacing felt uneven at times throughout the book, but it wasn't too much that it slowed me down reading it. Some of the plot points were predictable for me, but I'm excited to see where Shae's story goes next!
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.