Review: A Rare Gem of a Story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 26, 2012
Broken Voices by Andrew Taylor is a beautifully crafted story which takes place in 1910'ish England. The story of two boys, students of the Cathedral School, thrown together by circumstance, who embark on a journey of self discovery, and ultimately set out to solve a 200 year old mystery.The boys, young teens, are left with nowhere to go during the Christmas holiday break, and are sent to stay with Mr. Ratcliff, a retired teacher who lived on the school's grounds.Both boys lives are in upheaval, separated from their families for various reasons, and both dealing with their own personal issues.During their stay with Mr. Ratcliff, the boys learn of the mysterious death of Mr. Goldsworthy,the Master of Music at the Cathedral nearly 200 years earlier. Their desire to deal with their own personal demons lead the boys to set out to find a missing piece of the mystery one boy believes to still be hidden in the Cathedral. It is during this journey the boys develop an unlikely but certain bond, and it is this journey that leads to a very surprising end.This story grabbed my attention from the very first paragraph, and kept me keenly interested throughout. It was masterfully written. There is a scene where the boys are in the cathedral at night, and the description was so well written that the hairs on my neck bristled. I still get the chills thinking about that scene.I read the story in one sitting.I simply could not put it down. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Taylor in the future.