 "Very satisfying read" | 2009-10-20 |
| - Reviewed By sara24861 |
I was very impressed with "The Weight of Silence". Overall I found the characters well developed- most flawed, yet relatable- and the storyline compelling. I enjoy books that are told from multiple perspectives and Heather Gudenkauf did a nice job of creating different voices, including those of the two little girls and a 13-year-old boy.
The story of two missing 7-year-olds, the reaction of those looking for them, the mystery of where they are and what has happened pulled me in and kept me reading somewhat anxiously. The last 20 pages or so kept me glued in to the extent that I carried the book with me to finish as quickly as I could.
The only two minor issues I had with the book were that Griff was undeveloped- Toni spoke of how charming he could be, but I didn;t find any evidence of that, just an unlikable, drunk and angry man; and that I did guess correctly who was the culprit in one of the mysteries.
Overall, I will definately be passing this along for someone else to enjoy! |
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| "Disturbing, Suspenseful and Very Entertaining" | 2009-10-19 |
| - Reviewed By somah |
When two, seven-year-old girls go missing in the middle of the night in a small Iowan town, everyone becomes suspect, especially those with questionable character traits. One of the girls, Calli, is suffering from selective mutism after a traumatic event befell her when she was four. The other girl, Petra, is Calli's best friend who has never questioned Calli's silence and has always been there for her. Both were "kindered spirits" much to the surprise of their parents and community.
Though slightly predictable, "The Weight of Silence" will keep you turning the pages until you learn what really happens to Petra and Calli.
The story is told from several perspectives, six to be exact: Calli's, Antonia's (Calli's mom), Ben's (Calli's brother), Petra's, Martin's (Petra's dad) and Deputy Sheriff Louis's. Each chapter is told from one of these characters' point of view, where their thoughts and memories make for most of the disturbing (and at times sweet) details. The reader is made aware of how one of the girls goes missing but keeps on guessing what happened to the other until the end of the book.
At the core of the story lies an abusive, alcoholic father and the damage, both physical and emotional, that he inflicts on his family and community. Some of the details are too painful to read, but it's all worth it in the end.
"The Weight of Silence" is a perfect autumn read and I highly recommend it. |
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 "Very Good" | 2009-10-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3CRX3VWH1XNIE |
| Overall good book. I was concerned b/c I kept seeing info about the book being young adult but anyway...A little disappointed by the "who done it" and in the beginning it was a bit annoying b/c the story is told from MANY points of view but once the story got moving I couldn't put it down. Would definately recommend. |
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| "Tight and Terrific" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By kerikegley |
In a small midwestern town, two young girls disappear one early morning - both seemingly from their beds in the middle of the night, both without a struggle. Calli and Petra, seven years old, are best friends in that sweet and fiercely loyal way only seven year old girls can be. Their parents wonder, are they together? Did they go off on an adventure into the woods, not realizing how panicked their parents would become at their absence? Or has something more sinister happened and they've been taken against their will? Added to the confusion is the fact that Calli's father Griff, an abusive alcholic, is nowhere to be found. Ostensibly on a hunting trip, no one has seen him since the night before.
To tighten the tension even further, Calli is mute. Not by birth, but by trauma. Once a lively child who loved to sing, Calli hasn't spoken a word in three years, ever since one chilling night three years before, when something terrible happened in her home. Her mother Antonia and older brother Ben were in the house that night, and although neither knows precisely what happened to Calli or what she might have seen or heard to silence her, both have long had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with Griff.
Griff is a quietly, darkly terrifying character. Unpredictably violent and haunted by demons never fully explained - although one of them seems to be his intense jealousy over his wife's former boyfriend, who is the local sheriff, and his unfounded suspicion that he, Griff, is not Calli's father - Griff's presence in any scene immediately raises one's hackles. In a little gift to the reader right up front, Gudenkauf gives us a peek into how that morning begins, something no character in the novel is aware of. Even so, we don't know what takes place after a certain crucial point. There's an intense sense of foreboding throughout the entire novel, and Gudenkauf does a stellar job of maintaining a storyline so taut it vibrates like a violin string. Alternating senses of dread, anxiety and hope wash over each other as the reader shifts smoothly from one short chapter to the next, each told by a different person in a repeating circular pattern: Antonia, Calli, Petra, Petra's father, Calli's brother Ben, and Louis, the sheriff.
Of course things aren't quite what they appear - are they ever? - and even when things finally begin to untangle, there is still much more to come. For as we all know, there are no real endings to the stories of real life and the complicated webs of marriages, families, friendships and rivalries. This is a stunning debut, no doubt about it. Gudenkauf writes like a seasoned pro who has already honed her skill to perfection. I highly recommend this novel and wait anxiously for her next. |
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| "suspense" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By zapman1 |
| Ms Gudenkauf starts her story with a situation that stirs up all sorts of emotions and you can't stop reading. She describes a neighborhood with its good and bad people and you can picture each one of them and wonder. Then she tells a tale that would terrify any parent and you are totally engrossed. You feel anxious, curious, and sad, along with love and hate. You look to blame someone. A very riveting story you just can't put it down. |
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