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A review by bookshelfjpg
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
4.0
This is a book that I didn't even know existed until I found it while browsing at the library. Let's be honest, seeing a blurb on the front marking this one as "the ultimate haunted house story, in space" caused me to check it out without even taking the time to look it up. I went into it blind which I think both made it super fun but also a little "meh" as I read on.
Things I liked? The premise. Sci-fi space adventure mixed with horror was right up my alley. Now, sometimes space-centered sci-fi can get a little too over my head with all the logistics and world building needed. But this one was both scientific, logical (in a way where I was like "oh yeah, that checks out"), and approachable for the average reader which I liked. The story and settings were both interesting and creepy as hell. I could not put this one down for the sheer fact that I just REALLY wanted to know how it would play out, which made it a fun read.
The first half was exciting and scary. My mind was constantly firing through conspiracies along with the characters. But the second half brought me down just a little. I enjoyed that the story lined up with Claire re-telling her experience and then brought us forward to the present-day adventure, but the overall shift of that made the remainder of the book a lot more action and a lot less spooky (which ended up being what I enjoyed most about this story). Although a satisfying and understandable conclusion, there was just a little bit of the pizazz missing at this point that I had completely devoured in the first half.
I still think Dead Silence was a great read! It was unique, clever, exciting, and fast. If you are a fan of thrillers, horror, or space-centered stories, I suggest you pick this one up.
Trigger warnings GALORE in this one: death, suicide, violence, gore, psychosis
Things I liked? The premise. Sci-fi space adventure mixed with horror was right up my alley. Now, sometimes space-centered sci-fi can get a little too over my head with all the logistics and world building needed. But this one was both scientific, logical (in a way where I was like "oh yeah, that checks out"), and approachable for the average reader which I liked. The story and settings were both interesting and creepy as hell. I could not put this one down for the sheer fact that I just REALLY wanted to know how it would play out, which made it a fun read.
The first half was exciting and scary. My mind was constantly firing through conspiracies along with the characters. But the second half brought me down just a little. I enjoyed that the story lined up with Claire re-telling her experience and then brought us forward to the present-day adventure, but the overall shift of that made the remainder of the book a lot more action and a lot less spooky (which ended up being what I enjoyed most about this story). Although a satisfying and understandable conclusion, there was just a little bit of the pizazz missing at this point that I had completely devoured in the first half.
I still think Dead Silence was a great read! It was unique, clever, exciting, and fast. If you are a fan of thrillers, horror, or space-centered stories, I suggest you pick this one up.
Trigger warnings GALORE in this one: death, suicide, violence, gore, psychosis