Review: Beautiful Story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2014
It took me ages (AGES) to figure out exactly what I wanted to say about this. I’m still not sure I got it all out clearly. Personally, I blame all the feelz.Silent is raw, it’s real, and it’s just… I think amazing is the only word that comes close to properly conveying how I feel about this book. I was amazed by the beauty of the story, the writing, and the characters. I have never connected with a character as much as I did here. Alex and the teenage version of myself would have mind-melded (if they ever made it past the chipped shoulders and into friendship). Sara Alva does a fantastic job at portraying the harsh reality of so many many things; life as a neglected child, growing up with a single mother that suffers from addiction, growing up in poverty, growing up in the hood, and life in the foster care system. Alva manages to capture the emotions, the tough decisions, and the internal scarring all of that entails. More importantly, the strength it takes to move past it, to grow, to accept it all, to still find room for happiness, and I could probably go on to list a page of things Alva flawlessly delivers. However, I want this review to end quickly so you can go fall into the book if you decide to. I also want to prevent your eyes from glazing.I think some people will find this story really sad, maybe even depressing. Nevertheless, you have to look past that to get to the good stuff, because it is there. I promise. The way I look at it, the events in the book are like life. It’s hard, sometimes it’s agonizing, and the bad stuff occasionally piles on in succession. But it’s those good moments that make everything else fade, they make it all worth it. This book is worth dealing with the painful moments.For some, the situations that the characters find themselves in are so out of the realm of their own personal reality that maybe it will be a little overwhelming to read. It is a lot to take in. I also think that for others, like myself, this is (or at one point was) reality. Fortunately, I think Silent is, in the end, an uplifting reading experience that has something for everyone. Everyone has their own experiences that inform the way they react to things. I think that some will think this is filled with misery and gloom, brightened by moments of sweetness. I think others will find it amusing and uplifting, dimmed by moments of sorrow and helplessness. Everyone will probably experience this book differently, but I do think that everyone should experience it.Personally, Alex cracked me up. The book is told from his POV, and he has this dry sarcastic thing going for him (sometimes). Other times he’s just amusing because he’s a complete ass to most people, although he’s pretty oblivious to that fact. Alex has this sort of unintentional humor; he’s bitter and exasperated at the world. He is a detailed, complex character with plenty of self-reflection and growth. I think Alva did a great job of getting into the headspace of a teenager. His reactions and thoughts are so realistic to his age and situation. Reading this book was like being forcefully crammed back into my teenage brain. Alex is moody, petulant, self-absorbed, unreasonable, angry at the world, confused, and riddled with defense mechanisms. Yes, he grew up in a crap situation, but he is still a teenager. He makes some really bad decisions, suffers because of it, and then learns from those mistakes. This is what made him so enjoyable, that he is far from perfect, still likeable, and able to grow.This is a case where I think genre labels have the potential to be limiting to a book. There is so much more than romance here. That being said, there is romance, and it is essential to the story. It’s sweet, it’s beautiful, it is one of the things that make this book so damn good. I’ve avoided talking too much about it in this review. I don’t want to ruin anything. I really enjoyed watching everything play out, as I wasn’t sure what was going to happen (and I had multiple theories). I did figure it out ages before Alex (it was fun watching him work through it all), though not completely and I was still left a little surprised. I will say that Seb is just the peachiest of all peaches. Both boys have been hurt by life. They find a source of comfort in each other, and fall so in love. A lot that happens to the both of them. A LOT. It’s pretty heavy life stuff, but those little glimpses of happiness they find with each other are freaking perfection. They are just sweet as honey. Honestly, Alex and Seb will grab ahold and tug relentlessly at your heart.I loved this book. I loved Alex. I loved Seb. I loved the ending. This is a wonderful coming of age story, as well as a beautiful love story. I wish I had had this to read while I was in high school. There is a great message under all the emotion. Alex learned some things that took me ages to figure out on my own. For example, I still cringe when I hear the word social worker. On some level I’ve always (well not always, it probably came to me when I was a teenager) been aware that they have a tough job, a thankless one more often than not. They spend their lives doing this job, trying to take kids from a horrible situation and give them the opportunity for a much better life. However, there is a good chance those kids they helped will always resent them. Because, even though they were removed from neglect, abuse, or some other horrible situation they see their social worker as the person who ripped them out of the only home they knew and placed them with strangers. I was lucky enough to be placed in a wonderful foster home (sadly it’s not always the case). I love my foster mom; she will always hold a special place in my heart (I have her situated on a little pedestal). Even after I returned to my birth mom I made sure to keep her in my life. But, I still cringe at the word social worker. I didn’t even realize that on some level I was holding onto this resentment, leftovers from my childhood. Anyway, I am so glad for the character of Suzie in this book. Alex’s many interactions with her from beginning to end, and his own epiphanies on the subject were eye opening. I always appreciate things that make my brain chug along, that challenge any notions that need challenging. All in all, Silent is a great book. It might make you smile, it will probably make you cry, and it will definitely make you think.*ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.5 Stars