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The Weight of Silence by Heather GudenkaufMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary: It happens one August morning. As dawn's light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing.
Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy as a toddler. Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to do the best she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay has cost more than her daughter's voice.
Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend and voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual demeanor. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of family secrets.
Favorite Quote:Having a little girl has been like following an old treasure map with the important paths torn away.
My Thoughts: The one thing that struck me most about 'The Weight of Silence' was how strong Callie's voice comes across even when she wasn't present. Gudenkauf has a wonderful way of playing with narrative voice, the subtle shift in tense, characters speaking for others, instead of themselves, in spite of themselves.
Looking back on the book I was shocked to realize that Petra had narrated a section toward the beginning. Despite so much of the book being about Petra, she's surprisingly absent. It's this absence that most capitvated me as the piece of the mystery came together. It's what drew me forward through to the end. Ouside of this, the book is predictable in a good way, a solid read. The epilogue, while somewhat necessary, was depressing. The hope that had built in the last several sections of the books where left tainted with a bitter aftertaste once I finished the epilogue.
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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Summary:
I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ.
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.
The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club... and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.
As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.
My Thoughts: I'm the first to admit I like things a bit dark and twisted, which is part of why I love Flynn's writing so much. It's gritty and at times disturbing. Add to that the spectacular way in which she weaves a story into a mystery and I'm in heaven.
Libby's childlike thought patterns, her awkwardness make her an unusual choice for a narrator. She's not the most likable character, but she grows on you, worms her way into your heart the same way that her story haunts you- relentlessly. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, it's the hope that shines through at the end that I most loved.
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.
The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club... and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.
As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.
Favorite Quotes:
“I am, I guess, depressed. I guess I've been depressed for about twenty-four years. I can feel a better version of me somewhere in there - hidden behind a liver or attached to a bit of spleen within my stunted, childish body - a Libby that's telling me to get up, do something, grow up, move on. But the meanness usually wins out.
Libby's childlike thought patterns, her awkwardness make her an unusual choice for a narrator. She's not the most likable character, but she grows on you, worms her way into your heart the same way that her story haunts you- relentlessly. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, it's the hope that shines through at the end that I most loved.
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fifteen years later, Caroline, now a New Orleans cocktail waitress, sees a photograph of a woman in a magazine. Convinced that it is Ellie all grown up, Caroline embarks on a search for her missing sister. Armed with copies of the photo, an amateur detective guide, and a cooler of Dixie beer, Caroline travels through the New Mexico desert, the mountains of Colorado, and the smoky underworld of Montana, determined to salvage her broken family.
Favorite Quote:
“When you are small, if you reach out, and nobody takes your hand, you stop reaching out, and reach inside, instead.”
My Thoughts: While the description on the back of the book may lead you to believe that the story centers around the disappearance of five year old, Ellie, the story is much more about the Winter's family: their grief, and their struggle to find themselves. Despite much of the plot falling into place early on in the book, there's still a feeling of suspense until the end, which was almost disappointing because I want more!
I liked the use of various POVs within the novel, although at first it was unclear what role they played. They were a nice way to present information to the reader, at times providing a nice source of humor (which was wonderfully sprinkled throughout the book) to lighten some of the sadder or more serious moments. As I said before, my main complaint is that there wasn't more. While I can appreciate the book ending as it did, I want more, something to lighten the sadness that threaded itself through the entire book. I'm not usually one for hearts and flowers, but I'm a bit attached, what can I say?
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Favorite Quotes:
“Spanish, huh?" he said, glancing down at the scattered papers as he grabbed them. "Can you say anything interesting?"
"El tono de tu voz hace que queria estrangularme." I stood up and waited for him to hand over my papers.
"That sounds sexy," he said, getting to his feet and handing me the stack of Spanish work he'd swept together. "What's it mean?"
"The sound of your voice makes me want to strangle myself."
"Kinky.”
“I wanted to make sure you were fine...and that he was okay, too. You didn't, like, stab the boy, did you? I mean, I totally disapprove of murdering hotties, but if you need help burying the body, you know I'll bring the shovel.”
“I'm perfectly fine with being used. But I would like to know for what I'm being used."
"Distraction."
"That much I gathered. What am I supposed to be distracting you from? There's a chance that if I knew, I could do my job more effectively.”
My Thoughts: I generally avoid novels set in modern high school environments. I always fear I’ll end up reading what amounts to an episode of Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars and at the very least end up with wardrobe envy. Every once in a while though, a book comes along that makes me curious enough to risk it. The Duff is one of those books.
All in all, I’m glad I picked it up. While stylistically it can be a bit repetitive at times, it’s a good read: fast and compelling. The drama that is present is lacking a lot of the usual overdrawn teenage angst and settles around the major disturbances in Bianca’s, the main character’s, life. I know there are those who won’t appreciate her cynicism, or her heightened sense of responsibility toward her friends and family, but I loved them both, particularly the cynicism since I do have a soft spot for it. The issues within the book are universal and independent of the age group (and intended audience) which I think is spectacular as it provides a lot of brain fodder: how would the story be different if Bianca were a college student, if her parents were older and so on. My biggest nitpick is the simplicity of the writing style, which I can’t say was that unexpected. While I won’t be picking up The Duff for a reread any time soon, I would happily check out other books by the same Keplinger.
Spring
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book love,
there's a season called spring
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It’s spring. Alright, it’s not really but it might as well be; it’s warm and parsnips are out of season. It’s time to bring on the radishes and the asparagus. I’m so excited I’m a bit scared for anyone who might end up around me when I’m cooking, or eating, or grocery shopping, or really just breathing in general. Spring means rain and mud and earthworms, and salad greens.
This i awesome.
(Yes, I suppose this means I’m back, which is both exciting and confusing. If nothing else, there should be semi-regular if widely spaced book geekery here since I’ve fallen into obsession once again <3)
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