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The Quality of Silence
On 24 November Yasmin and her ten-year-old daughter Ruby set off on a journey across Northern Alaska. They're searching for Ruby's father, missing in the arctic wilderness.
More isolated with each frozen mile they cover, they travel deeper into an endless night. And Ruby, deaf since birth, must brave the darkness where sight cannot guide her.
She won't abandon her father. But winter has tightened its grip, and there is somebody out there who wants to stop them.
Somebody tracking them through the dark.
More isolated with each frozen mile they cover, they travel deeper into an endless night. And Ruby, deaf since birth, must brave the darkness where sight cannot guide her.
She won't abandon her father. But winter has tightened its grip, and there is somebody out there who wants to stop them.
Somebody tracking them through the dark.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2015
About the author
Rosamund Lupton
9 books1,948 followersThank you for visiting this bio. My books are not easy to slot into a particular genre, and you can usually be found under 'contemporary fiction', 'literary fiction', 'political thriller' and 'psychological thriller.' If you try one I hope you enjoy it.
From the publisher:
Three Hours was chosen by the Times as their thriller of the year. The Sunday Times called Three Hours 'a brilliant literary thriller...reminiscent of both Greek tragedy and Shakespeare’
Ruth Jones, author and actress, said 'It's gob-smackingly, heart-stoppingly, breath-holdingly brilliant.. the tension will blow your mind....'
Her debut novel, 'Sister' was a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime, a Sunday Times and New York Times best seller and the fastest selling debut in WHSmiths'history. Her next two books 'Afterwards' and 'The Quality of Silence' were also Sunday Times best sellers. Her novels have been translated into over thirty languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,456 reviews
March 7, 2019
UPDATE: $1.99 Kindle US 3/7/19
You have no idea how much I want to give out spoilers about this book!
I liked this book because it goes into things that are very important to me, but alas! NO SPOILERS! Well some MILD SPOILERS :-)
I fell in love with little Ruby right away. She is deaf and she's so smart and so sweet. Her mother Yasmin....mmmmm.... I had issues with her because she takes Ruby onto the ice roads with her with a major storm coming in.. she put her child's life in danger. BUT, Ruby can't hear and there is no one around to leave her with, so what's she to do? Some of the things Yasmin thought of doing, I really wanted to smack her, but it all worked out.
So, they are supposed to be meeting Ruby's dad Matt in Alaska.. when they get there, they find out he has been killed in an explosion with a lot of other people. Yasmin doesn't believe Matt is dead because of some circumstances that happened. She decides to hitch a ride, with Ruby in tow, with one of the ice road truckers. She wants to make it to Deadhorse to see for herself. When Yasmin's driver has a medical emergency, she decides to ...um.. steal his rig and take off, just her and Ruby across the tundra so to speak. Oh and did I mention this is in the middle of the night. Yeah......
She does have a CB and internet access in the rig and she ends up making friends with a couple of old blokes. I wish we could have actually met them at the end of the book, but I digress.
--->EXCERPT<---
Yasmin didn't say anything.
"Someone let you rent a rig?" Coby said, and chuckled. "Who'd have thought it."
"She's got a license, right?" asked the other trucker.
"Must have," Coby said.
Yasmin didn't know what to say and, as she said nothing, the truth became clear.
"Jesus Christ," said the other driver. "If you ain't trained to drive a truck, then you gotta stop, pull over someplace safe. You got that, lady?" she imagined him with fiery red hair and freckles, alarmed and cross, but not aggressive.
"I have to get to Deadhorse. My husband's missing and I have to find him."
"Ain't that somethin' for the state troopers?" Coby asked.
Yasmin didn't reply.
"The road will kill you," said the fiery redheaded driver. "Or you'll kill someone else. You gotta pull over."
"No," said Yasmin. "Not till I've found my husband."
"You don't get it ma'am," the red-haired driver said. "It's not safe to have you out here. Not safe for you, but not for us either. You'll cause an accident. Or you'll break down and we all get held up and there's a likely storm blowin' in and that ain't safe either."
"I'm sorry, really. But someone has to get to my husband and at the moment that's me."
"Reckon you're one helluva lady," Coby said in his kind voice.
They proceed to give Yasmin tips on how to drive the truck, what to do and how to make it to Deadhorse.
Along the way someone seems to be following Yasmin and Ruby. As you can image if your not scared enough driving these ice roads at night in a storm in a big rig, you have some freak following you. And something just doesn't seem right about the explosion that supposedly killed her husband.
Did someone leave the heat to close to the gas line or was it murder or something else entirely!
Yasmin and Ruby do end up getting caught in the storm and have to hunker down in the truck and pray they make it.
--->EXCERPT<---
Mum says she thinks we're in the eye of the storm. I look out of the widescreen to see if there's an evil eye watching us, like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, but there's just the reflection of our faces.
Isn't she sweet? Oh and also, someone keeps sending them emails of dead animals and something else that I can't tell you because you will figure out what it is like I did :-) It all turns out in the end, we find out what happened and if Matt is still alive. But the ending left me wanting more, it just like ended so you have to think well did this all happen or what?
Either way, I enjoyed the book, accept for the dead animals and the reasons and grrrr. I did love that it was set in the cold Winter and the ice roads, that was pretty cool.
*I would like to thank Blogging for Books for a free print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
You have no idea how much I want to give out spoilers about this book!
I liked this book because it goes into things that are very important to me, but alas! NO SPOILERS! Well some MILD SPOILERS :-)
I fell in love with little Ruby right away. She is deaf and she's so smart and so sweet. Her mother Yasmin....mmmmm.... I had issues with her because she takes Ruby onto the ice roads with her with a major storm coming in.. she put her child's life in danger. BUT, Ruby can't hear and there is no one around to leave her with, so what's she to do? Some of the things Yasmin thought of doing, I really wanted to smack her, but it all worked out.
So, they are supposed to be meeting Ruby's dad Matt in Alaska.. when they get there, they find out he has been killed in an explosion with a lot of other people. Yasmin doesn't believe Matt is dead because of some circumstances that happened. She decides to hitch a ride, with Ruby in tow, with one of the ice road truckers. She wants to make it to Deadhorse to see for herself. When Yasmin's driver has a medical emergency, she decides to ...um.. steal his rig and take off, just her and Ruby across the tundra so to speak. Oh and did I mention this is in the middle of the night. Yeah......
She does have a CB and internet access in the rig and she ends up making friends with a couple of old blokes. I wish we could have actually met them at the end of the book, but I digress.
--->EXCERPT<---
Yasmin didn't say anything.
"Someone let you rent a rig?" Coby said, and chuckled. "Who'd have thought it."
"She's got a license, right?" asked the other trucker.
"Must have," Coby said.
Yasmin didn't know what to say and, as she said nothing, the truth became clear.
"Jesus Christ," said the other driver. "If you ain't trained to drive a truck, then you gotta stop, pull over someplace safe. You got that, lady?" she imagined him with fiery red hair and freckles, alarmed and cross, but not aggressive.
"I have to get to Deadhorse. My husband's missing and I have to find him."
"Ain't that somethin' for the state troopers?" Coby asked.
Yasmin didn't reply.
"The road will kill you," said the fiery redheaded driver. "Or you'll kill someone else. You gotta pull over."
"No," said Yasmin. "Not till I've found my husband."
"You don't get it ma'am," the red-haired driver said. "It's not safe to have you out here. Not safe for you, but not for us either. You'll cause an accident. Or you'll break down and we all get held up and there's a likely storm blowin' in and that ain't safe either."
"I'm sorry, really. But someone has to get to my husband and at the moment that's me."
"Reckon you're one helluva lady," Coby said in his kind voice.
They proceed to give Yasmin tips on how to drive the truck, what to do and how to make it to Deadhorse.
Along the way someone seems to be following Yasmin and Ruby. As you can image if your not scared enough driving these ice roads at night in a storm in a big rig, you have some freak following you. And something just doesn't seem right about the explosion that supposedly killed her husband.
Did someone leave the heat to close to the gas line or was it murder or something else entirely!
Yasmin and Ruby do end up getting caught in the storm and have to hunker down in the truck and pray they make it.
--->EXCERPT<---
Mum says she thinks we're in the eye of the storm. I look out of the widescreen to see if there's an evil eye watching us, like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, but there's just the reflection of our faces.
Isn't she sweet? Oh and also, someone keeps sending them emails of dead animals and something else that I can't tell you because you will figure out what it is like I did :-) It all turns out in the end, we find out what happened and if Matt is still alive. But the ending left me wanting more, it just like ended so you have to think well did this all happen or what?
Either way, I enjoyed the book, accept for the dead animals and the reasons and grrrr. I did love that it was set in the cold Winter and the ice roads, that was pretty cool.
*I would like to thank Blogging for Books for a free print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
November 29, 2017
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton is a 2016 Crown publication.
Harrowing, white knuckle suspense!
Alaska. Its beauty contrasts with the dark, brutal, bitter cold, making it the perfect backdrop for this gripping environmental thriller which is coupled with a story of undying love and devotion.
Yasmin has traveled to Alaska in search of her husband, Matt. She has brought her deaf daughter, Ruby along, believing deep in her heart that despite evidence to the contrary, her husband was not a victim of the deadly fire that wiped out an entire village.
Knowing no one is looking for Matt, Yasmin and Ruby take off across Northern Alaska, in one of the worst winters on record, determined to find her husband.
Not only will Yasmin have to contend with weather conditions few humans could endure, she feels a prickly sense of danger, as though someone is following her, trying to prevent her from making it to her destination.
Did Matt know something about the fire someone wants to keep quiet?
This story has a several interesting layers to it. On one hand, we have Yasmin, who is unwavering in her belief that Matt is alive, and rises to the occasion, showing a type of grit only sheer determination and a refusal to give up could pull off. Yet, all the time she is battling the elements, she is also battling an internal struggle involving the state of her marriage, which has hit a rough patch.
But, the story also features the fearless and brave ten year old, Ruby, whose deafness accentuates an added vulnerability, but in reality, it could be what makes Ruby so strong, so pragmatic and observant. Ruby’s narrative plays a key role the way the reader views the various aspects of this incredible landscape.
She has absorbed every single thing her father has shared with her, using that information to help guide her mother and to restore Yasmin’s faith in Matt and their marriage.
In this way, the novel is a beautiful story of familial love, a bond between parent and child and husband and wife, as each member gains a new perspective on their relationship as they face incredible adversity.
The plot is centered around ‘Fracking’, the danger to the environment that it poses, and the motives behind the argument for tapping down that far underground for oil.
All these elements combine to create a taut story of suspense, adventure, greed, and danger, as well as a tightly woven family drama.
The author does an incredible job creating the Alaskan climate, bringing both its beauty and its harshness into focus. As awesome as the images of it appear in pictures and on television, I don’t think I’d survive living in Alaska!
The only downside here, is that some parts of the story are just too unrealistic, but the atmosphere is so tense, I willed those negative thoughts away and focused on the what was working.
Ruby’s characterization, the various tools she uses to communicate, is also part of what makes the story poignant and her mettle so impressive.
But, thrumming in the background, is that pesky feeling that something is terribly wrong, that the elements are not the only thing Yasmin and Ruby should be afraid of and that knowledge haunts their journey from start to finish, until the all the pieces of the puzzle finally snap into place.
I was so impressed with this book, I wanted to see what else this author has written. I was surprised that I had already read one her books. I didn’t make the connection until just now, because I think I had it mixed up with another book with a similar title. But, sadly that means I only have one more book to read by this fabulous author. I hope to hear from her again soon!!
4 stars
Harrowing, white knuckle suspense!
Alaska. Its beauty contrasts with the dark, brutal, bitter cold, making it the perfect backdrop for this gripping environmental thriller which is coupled with a story of undying love and devotion.
Yasmin has traveled to Alaska in search of her husband, Matt. She has brought her deaf daughter, Ruby along, believing deep in her heart that despite evidence to the contrary, her husband was not a victim of the deadly fire that wiped out an entire village.
Knowing no one is looking for Matt, Yasmin and Ruby take off across Northern Alaska, in one of the worst winters on record, determined to find her husband.
Not only will Yasmin have to contend with weather conditions few humans could endure, she feels a prickly sense of danger, as though someone is following her, trying to prevent her from making it to her destination.
Did Matt know something about the fire someone wants to keep quiet?
This story has a several interesting layers to it. On one hand, we have Yasmin, who is unwavering in her belief that Matt is alive, and rises to the occasion, showing a type of grit only sheer determination and a refusal to give up could pull off. Yet, all the time she is battling the elements, she is also battling an internal struggle involving the state of her marriage, which has hit a rough patch.
But, the story also features the fearless and brave ten year old, Ruby, whose deafness accentuates an added vulnerability, but in reality, it could be what makes Ruby so strong, so pragmatic and observant. Ruby’s narrative plays a key role the way the reader views the various aspects of this incredible landscape.
She has absorbed every single thing her father has shared with her, using that information to help guide her mother and to restore Yasmin’s faith in Matt and their marriage.
In this way, the novel is a beautiful story of familial love, a bond between parent and child and husband and wife, as each member gains a new perspective on their relationship as they face incredible adversity.
The plot is centered around ‘Fracking’, the danger to the environment that it poses, and the motives behind the argument for tapping down that far underground for oil.
All these elements combine to create a taut story of suspense, adventure, greed, and danger, as well as a tightly woven family drama.
The author does an incredible job creating the Alaskan climate, bringing both its beauty and its harshness into focus. As awesome as the images of it appear in pictures and on television, I don’t think I’d survive living in Alaska!
The only downside here, is that some parts of the story are just too unrealistic, but the atmosphere is so tense, I willed those negative thoughts away and focused on the what was working.
Ruby’s characterization, the various tools she uses to communicate, is also part of what makes the story poignant and her mettle so impressive.
But, thrumming in the background, is that pesky feeling that something is terribly wrong, that the elements are not the only thing Yasmin and Ruby should be afraid of and that knowledge haunts their journey from start to finish, until the all the pieces of the puzzle finally snap into place.
I was so impressed with this book, I wanted to see what else this author has written. I was surprised that I had already read one her books. I didn’t make the connection until just now, because I think I had it mixed up with another book with a similar title. But, sadly that means I only have one more book to read by this fabulous author. I hope to hear from her again soon!!
4 stars
November 29, 2017
A wondrous and atmospheric thriller. This is an intense and moving study of a family that has to go through a harrowing trauma to find each other again. Yasmin and her deaf daughter, Ruby, arrive in Alaska expecting to be met by Matt. Instead Yasmin is informed that her husband is dead after a village has been wiped out.
Yasmin and Ruby do not believe Matt is dead and get a lift with a kind trucker, Adeeb. Adeeb gets sick and Yasmin drives the truck across a desolate frozen tundra and arctic storms. However, there is someone following them who means them harm. Yasmin begins to regain clarity and understand herself and her love for Matt with new depth. She also begins to understand Ruby more. The CB radio turns out to be a life saving for Yasmin, a novice at truck driving in the ice and provides company in the isolating and dangerous circumstances she finds herself in. Ruby's voice throughout the story is uplifting, engaging and courageous.
This is a story which has emotional depth to its characters. The prose is beautiful and insightful. The location and weather plays a central role in the story and the descriptions do it so much justice that you imagine you are right there in the truck travelling through the harsh landscape of Alaska. The air of menace is built up skilfully. Lies, deceit and murders are uncovered. This is a well written and researched story. Highly recommended.
Yasmin and Ruby do not believe Matt is dead and get a lift with a kind trucker, Adeeb. Adeeb gets sick and Yasmin drives the truck across a desolate frozen tundra and arctic storms. However, there is someone following them who means them harm. Yasmin begins to regain clarity and understand herself and her love for Matt with new depth. She also begins to understand Ruby more. The CB radio turns out to be a life saving for Yasmin, a novice at truck driving in the ice and provides company in the isolating and dangerous circumstances she finds herself in. Ruby's voice throughout the story is uplifting, engaging and courageous.
This is a story which has emotional depth to its characters. The prose is beautiful and insightful. The location and weather plays a central role in the story and the descriptions do it so much justice that you imagine you are right there in the truck travelling through the harsh landscape of Alaska. The air of menace is built up skilfully. Lies, deceit and murders are uncovered. This is a well written and researched story. Highly recommended.
January 3, 2016
3.5 It is not often that implausibility in a plot can be overcome, but this one did the nearly impossible. At least it did for me, the strong writing, the descriptions, the suspense and the ultimate warning about the high cost of our way of living and our constant need for oil.
Little Ruby was an interesting character, a deaf girl with amazing skills and thoroughly bonded with her father. Her mother, Jasmine was tenacious and smart but....... well read this and you will see. But, the real star of this show are the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, the extreme cold, the brilliant stars and the people and animal that make this place home. Almost felt like I was there, but of course I was much warmer. The ending a little predictable but suspenseful and as I said, cautionary. So despite plot flaws I enjoyed this book immensely. Took me to a different place and did it with amazing skill.
ARC from NetGalley.
Little Ruby was an interesting character, a deaf girl with amazing skills and thoroughly bonded with her father. Her mother, Jasmine was tenacious and smart but....... well read this and you will see. But, the real star of this show are the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, the extreme cold, the brilliant stars and the people and animal that make this place home. Almost felt like I was there, but of course I was much warmer. The ending a little predictable but suspenseful and as I said, cautionary. So despite plot flaws I enjoyed this book immensely. Took me to a different place and did it with amazing skill.
ARC from NetGalley.
January 23, 2016
I received The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton through NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and to Rosamund Lupton.
To experience Alaska (and I've been there) is to truly know the meaning of biting, piercing, below-the-skin-surface cold. Rosamund Lipton envelops you with pure descriptors of what makes Alaska a source of both incredible beauty always and a very dangerous destination at times.
Matt Alfredson, a wildlife photographer from England, is missing in the Arctic region of Alaska. His wife, Yasmin, and his daughter, Ruby, have flown there to meet up with him. When the news breaks, they are determined to search for Matt even when the state police have provided evidence that there were no survivors in a fire that claimed the lives of every villager in Anaktue. Yasmin convinces a trucker to drive them as close to the scene as possible. She and Ruby are absolutely convinced that Matt is alive even though everyone tells them otherwise. Their hardened determination provides the inner lining of this story.
The theme of "silence" is best drawn from the fact that Ruby has been deaf from birth. She signs and interacts beautifully throughout the story. We experience the fact that Ruby is lightyears ahead of any average ten year old. She draws her resilience from her father. According to her parents, "The world is a million different places and Ruby will find the place she wants to be."
Lupton has a rich flare with words as you experience the heightened desperation and fear experienced by the characters. However, there are quite a few moments that question plausibility within the storyline. I don't wish to divulge too much. Yasmin seems to have uncanny capabilities that are needed in order to move the story along in the right direction. As readers, we sometimes are much forgiving and that appears to be the case here.
This was an enjoyable read with emphasis on the use and misuse of Nature at the core. You cannot view Alaska firsthand without it clutching at her heart and at your senses. Kudos to Ms. Lupton for a remarkable story.
To experience Alaska (and I've been there) is to truly know the meaning of biting, piercing, below-the-skin-surface cold. Rosamund Lipton envelops you with pure descriptors of what makes Alaska a source of both incredible beauty always and a very dangerous destination at times.
Matt Alfredson, a wildlife photographer from England, is missing in the Arctic region of Alaska. His wife, Yasmin, and his daughter, Ruby, have flown there to meet up with him. When the news breaks, they are determined to search for Matt even when the state police have provided evidence that there were no survivors in a fire that claimed the lives of every villager in Anaktue. Yasmin convinces a trucker to drive them as close to the scene as possible. She and Ruby are absolutely convinced that Matt is alive even though everyone tells them otherwise. Their hardened determination provides the inner lining of this story.
The theme of "silence" is best drawn from the fact that Ruby has been deaf from birth. She signs and interacts beautifully throughout the story. We experience the fact that Ruby is lightyears ahead of any average ten year old. She draws her resilience from her father. According to her parents, "The world is a million different places and Ruby will find the place she wants to be."
Lupton has a rich flare with words as you experience the heightened desperation and fear experienced by the characters. However, there are quite a few moments that question plausibility within the storyline. I don't wish to divulge too much. Yasmin seems to have uncanny capabilities that are needed in order to move the story along in the right direction. As readers, we sometimes are much forgiving and that appears to be the case here.
This was an enjoyable read with emphasis on the use and misuse of Nature at the core. You cannot view Alaska firsthand without it clutching at her heart and at your senses. Kudos to Ms. Lupton for a remarkable story.
June 14, 2018
The Quality of Silence is a totally gripping thriller written beautifully and with delightful characters - especially ten year old Ruby who actually makes the book!
Rosamund Lupton describes the extreme cold of the Arctic Circle perfectly. I felt like grabbing a blanket to huddle under everytime Yasmin got out of the truck! I did not even mind having to totally suspend belief while watching her drive a giant truck on ice roads, through a major storm for 300 miles. Not possible but it made a great story!
Little Ruby was a heroine too. I liked the way the author dealt with her deafness and the ways in which she communicated. Her relationships with her father and mother were beautifully described. Most of the suspense of the book was due to a fear that this lovely little family of three might never be reunited.
I enjoyed every moment and will be looking out for her other books.
Rosamund Lupton describes the extreme cold of the Arctic Circle perfectly. I felt like grabbing a blanket to huddle under everytime Yasmin got out of the truck! I did not even mind having to totally suspend belief while watching her drive a giant truck on ice roads, through a major storm for 300 miles. Not possible but it made a great story!
Little Ruby was a heroine too. I liked the way the author dealt with her deafness and the ways in which she communicated. Her relationships with her father and mother were beautifully described. Most of the suspense of the book was due to a fear that this lovely little family of three might never be reunited.
I enjoyed every moment and will be looking out for her other books.
July 3, 2015
The Quality of Silence is a read that was worth waiting for (I’m a huge fan of Ms Lupton’s previous novels) and with this one she has taken a step up with some beautiful writing, an intense, chilly and emotional read that is utterly utterly gripping.
Ruby’s father is seemingly killed in a horrific accident – Ruby’s Mum however does not believe it and with Ruby in tow sets off across a bleak and unforgiving landscape to track him down. As the story unfolds from both points of view it is truly fascinating and this is one of those tales that you sink into without looking back.
Rosamund Lupton really does have the magic touch when it comes to characters, Ruby’s voice is amazing and really makes the whole novel so much more than it could have been – the yin/yang aspect between her observations and that of her Mother is well imagined and gives huge depth to proceedings, I loved both of them dearly.
As for setting, the author brings Alaska to vivid, realistic life around our two as they travel ever onwards, the beauty of the descriptive prose giving the reader a real feel for the challenges being faced, so realistically written that at times you may physically shiver, even in the current heatwave we are experiencing. Therein lies the power of words – in this novel that power is inherent in every chapter and is honestly addictive.
All in all then a truly marvellous read, one that will tug on the heartstrings, have you holding your breath, keep you turning those pages to find out the outcome, especially for Ruby and ultimately a story that you will never forget. I loved it.
Highly Recommended. HIGHLY.
Ruby’s father is seemingly killed in a horrific accident – Ruby’s Mum however does not believe it and with Ruby in tow sets off across a bleak and unforgiving landscape to track him down. As the story unfolds from both points of view it is truly fascinating and this is one of those tales that you sink into without looking back.
Rosamund Lupton really does have the magic touch when it comes to characters, Ruby’s voice is amazing and really makes the whole novel so much more than it could have been – the yin/yang aspect between her observations and that of her Mother is well imagined and gives huge depth to proceedings, I loved both of them dearly.
As for setting, the author brings Alaska to vivid, realistic life around our two as they travel ever onwards, the beauty of the descriptive prose giving the reader a real feel for the challenges being faced, so realistically written that at times you may physically shiver, even in the current heatwave we are experiencing. Therein lies the power of words – in this novel that power is inherent in every chapter and is honestly addictive.
All in all then a truly marvellous read, one that will tug on the heartstrings, have you holding your breath, keep you turning those pages to find out the outcome, especially for Ruby and ultimately a story that you will never forget. I loved it.
Highly Recommended. HIGHLY.
January 24, 2016
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I have struggled with how I should rate this book. I really liked a lot of things about this book but I had a few problems with it. I consider this to be a good book overall that I wouldn't have any problems recommending to most readers. I think that the three star rating that I finally went with is fair.
Let's start with the things that I really liked about this book. First of all, Ruby was a fantastic character. She was smart, resourceful, and very brave. I really wished that more of the book would have come from Ruby's point of view because her outlook on the world was just so interesting to me. I think that the descriptions of her hearing loss were incredibly well done and it added a lot to the story. Ruby was just an amazing child.
The setting in this book was wonderful. This book is set in the winter months in Alaska. I can't imagine that kind of cold. At least, I couldn't before reading this book. I thought that the conditions in this book were fantastically portrayed. I read this book curled in a blanket hoping that I would never experience the kind of cold that I was reading about. There was a beauty to this cold wilderness that really surprised me.
I didn't love Yasmin but as the book progressed I started to understand her a bit. She was a strong woman and very goal oriented. Yasmin was not afraid to take risks. I didn't like her at all for the first part of the story. The way she was with Ruby made me want to strangle her at times. As the story unfolded, her character really started to grow. She got to know Ruby a bit better and before everything was over, I had warmed up to her a bit.
The main problem with this book is that it felt like two different stories to me. There is really very little cohesiveness between the first 2/3 of the book and the final section. I mean some of the characters are the same and they were still in Alaska but that was about the only connection. It was almost like the majority of the book was really just trying to get to the very exciting ending but it was such a sudden change in pace that it just didn't work for me. The sudden shift in the book was really quite jarring for me and took me out of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. The descriptions were lovely and the writing style was really nice. This is the first book by Rosamund Lupton that I have had a chance to read. I would definitely read more of her work in the future.
I won an advance reader edition of this book from Crown Publishing in a LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I didn't hate it but I did find this book to be incredibly far fetched. The overall plot lacked any kind of cohesiveness. This will end up being either a 2 star or a 3 star book from me.
I have struggled with how I should rate this book. I really liked a lot of things about this book but I had a few problems with it. I consider this to be a good book overall that I wouldn't have any problems recommending to most readers. I think that the three star rating that I finally went with is fair.
Let's start with the things that I really liked about this book. First of all, Ruby was a fantastic character. She was smart, resourceful, and very brave. I really wished that more of the book would have come from Ruby's point of view because her outlook on the world was just so interesting to me. I think that the descriptions of her hearing loss were incredibly well done and it added a lot to the story. Ruby was just an amazing child.
The setting in this book was wonderful. This book is set in the winter months in Alaska. I can't imagine that kind of cold. At least, I couldn't before reading this book. I thought that the conditions in this book were fantastically portrayed. I read this book curled in a blanket hoping that I would never experience the kind of cold that I was reading about. There was a beauty to this cold wilderness that really surprised me.
I didn't love Yasmin but as the book progressed I started to understand her a bit. She was a strong woman and very goal oriented. Yasmin was not afraid to take risks. I didn't like her at all for the first part of the story. The way she was with Ruby made me want to strangle her at times. As the story unfolded, her character really started to grow. She got to know Ruby a bit better and before everything was over, I had warmed up to her a bit.
The main problem with this book is that it felt like two different stories to me. There is really very little cohesiveness between the first 2/3 of the book and the final section. I mean some of the characters are the same and they were still in Alaska but that was about the only connection. It was almost like the majority of the book was really just trying to get to the very exciting ending but it was such a sudden change in pace that it just didn't work for me. The sudden shift in the book was really quite jarring for me and took me out of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. The descriptions were lovely and the writing style was really nice. This is the first book by Rosamund Lupton that I have had a chance to read. I would definitely read more of her work in the future.
I won an advance reader edition of this book from Crown Publishing in a LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I didn't hate it but I did find this book to be incredibly far fetched. The overall plot lacked any kind of cohesiveness. This will end up being either a 2 star or a 3 star book from me.
December 23, 2015
I've got to say, I was impressed by this book. I read her previous work Sister and while it wasn't bad, I didn't think it was that great. I'm really glad I gave this one a shot as it has much improved my opinion of her work!
I think my favorite aspect of this novel was the author's sheer talent for descriptions of the setting. As I was reading I could have sworn I was trekking through the snow in Alaska with Yasmine and Ruby. The writing is beautiful and almost felt like poetry. This was a unique feeling for me that has taken time to process.
****** Possible spoiler in this next paragraph even though it is mentioned very early on******
I also really enjoyed the narration from Ruby's perspective as she is deaf. This added a whole other level of expert writing I felt and was very impressed with how this played into weaving the overall story together.
I also found myself holding my breath at times. I wouldn't call this novel "edge of your seat action and suspense", but it was a slow, steady building of terror. I could have sworn I felt a set of icing fingers wrapping around my neck while reading this; there was a creepiness and suspense that had a quiet power to it.
I don't really want to say much more; I'd rather you just read it yourself! What a beautiful, haunting read.
Thank you Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.
I think my favorite aspect of this novel was the author's sheer talent for descriptions of the setting. As I was reading I could have sworn I was trekking through the snow in Alaska with Yasmine and Ruby. The writing is beautiful and almost felt like poetry. This was a unique feeling for me that has taken time to process.
****** Possible spoiler in this next paragraph even though it is mentioned very early on******
I also really enjoyed the narration from Ruby's perspective as she is deaf. This added a whole other level of expert writing I felt and was very impressed with how this played into weaving the overall story together.
I also found myself holding my breath at times. I wouldn't call this novel "edge of your seat action and suspense", but it was a slow, steady building of terror. I could have sworn I felt a set of icing fingers wrapping around my neck while reading this; there was a creepiness and suspense that had a quiet power to it.
I don't really want to say much more; I'd rather you just read it yourself! What a beautiful, haunting read.
Thank you Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.
January 21, 2018
5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback - ik heb dyslexia - Ik heb dit boek in een minibieb gevonden 😀-
-Mijn naam is een vorm, geen geluid. Ik ben een duim en vingers, niet een tong en lippen. Mijn leeftijd is tien opgestoken vingers - ik ben een meisje dat bestaat uit letters R-U-B- Y, en dit is mijn stem.-
Wat een meesterlijke thriller! Naast dat de spanning door het boek heen goed word opgebouwd is het ook het verhaal van een wankel huwelijk, vragen, volwassen worden, acceptatie en hoop, geloof en liefde.
Yasmin haar man is spoorloos. Volgens de autoriteiten omgekomen bij een tragisch ongeluk. Maar Yasmin, zelf opgegroeid in een eenouder gezin, weigert de hoop op te geven en gaat met haar dochter de ijsvlaktes op. Op zoek naar haar man. Naast dat heel goed wordt neergezet dat Ruby doof is en wat dat voor haar en haar vader en moeder betekend, worden er ook stukken verteld vanuit het perspectief van een tien jarige. Ik vind het meesterlijk hoe vloeiend de verhaallijnen van Ruby en Yasmin in elkaar overgaan en daarnaast de spannings- opbouw in het verhaal hierin meegaat. Zeker voor mij de vijf sterren waard. - Ik weiger te geloven dat hij dood is, ik weiger het. - 🌷🌹🌷
-Mijn naam is een vorm, geen geluid. Ik ben een duim en vingers, niet een tong en lippen. Mijn leeftijd is tien opgestoken vingers - ik ben een meisje dat bestaat uit letters R-U-B- Y, en dit is mijn stem.-
Wat een meesterlijke thriller! Naast dat de spanning door het boek heen goed word opgebouwd is het ook het verhaal van een wankel huwelijk, vragen, volwassen worden, acceptatie en hoop, geloof en liefde.
Yasmin haar man is spoorloos. Volgens de autoriteiten omgekomen bij een tragisch ongeluk. Maar Yasmin, zelf opgegroeid in een eenouder gezin, weigert de hoop op te geven en gaat met haar dochter de ijsvlaktes op. Op zoek naar haar man. Naast dat heel goed wordt neergezet dat Ruby doof is en wat dat voor haar en haar vader en moeder betekend, worden er ook stukken verteld vanuit het perspectief van een tien jarige. Ik vind het meesterlijk hoe vloeiend de verhaallijnen van Ruby en Yasmin in elkaar overgaan en daarnaast de spannings- opbouw in het verhaal hierin meegaat. Zeker voor mij de vijf sterren waard. - Ik weiger te geloven dat hij dood is, ik weiger het. - 🌷🌹🌷
February 29, 2016
A Beautiful Place. A Ridiculous Plot. - 3 Stars
Part of me feels that I may be a tad generous with a three star review. I had some issues with this book but on the other hand, there were elements that I found quite enjoyable and even enchanting. This novel holds the distinction as one of a few books that I both liked and disliked.
Plot Summary
Ruby and her mother Yasmin, fly from England to Alaska to meet up with their father/husband who is in a remote village filming a documentary. Upon arrival, Yasmin learns that there has been a massive fire at the village and all persons are believed dead. Not believing this to be true, Yasmin takes her daughter on a harrowing journey across the Alaskan ice roads in search of the truth. What follows is a series of terrifying experiences and a journey that allows Yasmin to understand the silent world of her deaf daughter.
My Take
There was much I didn't like. My summary of the plot does little to describe the absurdity of what occurred. In this story we have the highly intelligent Yasmin. Well, we assume that she is supposed to be intelligent. She is an astrophysicist after all. Within the first few pages, Yasmin is informed that her husband is believed to be dead. All bodies were accounted for at the village. She refuses to believe this. She is angry at her husband and they haven't been speaking. She is unsure whether they will remain together. What does she do? Take her preteen, deaf child across the Alaskan interior during the dead of winter. Sure, -50 degree is nothing. Yasmin put the Ruby into danger without cause so many times she should have had this child apprehended by Alaskan Children's Services. Unfortunately, Yasmin's stupidity and confusing behavior increase as the story progresses. She goes from stupidity to committing felonies. Very few of her actions show the least bit of common sense.
Generally, I don't mind plotting issues when the book is meant to be a character novel. The author did a decent job of developing her characters but the actions of Yasmin were erratic and seemed to be without logic. The plot progressed with the intent to get to a final destination and never flowed organically from the nature of the characters.
The novel was further confused by the perspective changes. Multiple perspectives of the same events are popular at the moment. This novel used this device with abandon. There were many changes within the same chapter and no indication that the perspective was changing. It became tiresome trying to determine what perspective I was viewing.
Given the above, the book sounds terrible. While it had serious problems, there were some magical elements in the book. Without a doubt, the best part of the book was the Alaskan Interior. The author has an amazing sense of place and described the barren, frigid terrain with great skill. While the character's actions were unbelievable, I felt as if I was on an Alaskan ice road. I found the setting to be quite enchanting and I am interested in finding more books with similar settings. Issues aside, I think this makes the book worth reading.
Beyond the setting, the character of Ruby was well developed. Seeing the world through the eyes of a deaf character was a new experience for me. I enjoyed how she would conceptualize words as colors, shapes and ideas. The contrast between the barren interior and altered world of Ruby was interesting. There were wonderful parallels between the need to adapt to a foreign environment and Ruby's ability to adapt in a world that does not understand her.
Final Thoughts
You may love it or you may hate it and there is a good chance you will both love it and hate it. The novel is deeply flawed but there is much worthy content. If you are on the fence and enjoy wonderful settings, I would suggest you give it a try.
Content Advisories
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 1.5
There is a character who is slimy and leering at Yasmin. The discomfort is throughout the story. There is allusion to a possible affair having occurred.
Language
F-Word - 16 instances Mild Profanity - Approx. 3 Religious Exclamations - 4
Violence - 2
There is mystery surrounding multiple dead bodies. There is a series of photographs sent to character that display dead and, at times, mutilated animals. There are several gunshots from unknown persons. One person is shot in stomach but it is not graphic.
Part of me feels that I may be a tad generous with a three star review. I had some issues with this book but on the other hand, there were elements that I found quite enjoyable and even enchanting. This novel holds the distinction as one of a few books that I both liked and disliked.
Plot Summary
Ruby and her mother Yasmin, fly from England to Alaska to meet up with their father/husband who is in a remote village filming a documentary. Upon arrival, Yasmin learns that there has been a massive fire at the village and all persons are believed dead. Not believing this to be true, Yasmin takes her daughter on a harrowing journey across the Alaskan ice roads in search of the truth. What follows is a series of terrifying experiences and a journey that allows Yasmin to understand the silent world of her deaf daughter.
My Take
There was much I didn't like. My summary of the plot does little to describe the absurdity of what occurred. In this story we have the highly intelligent Yasmin. Well, we assume that she is supposed to be intelligent. She is an astrophysicist after all. Within the first few pages, Yasmin is informed that her husband is believed to be dead. All bodies were accounted for at the village. She refuses to believe this. She is angry at her husband and they haven't been speaking. She is unsure whether they will remain together. What does she do? Take her preteen, deaf child across the Alaskan interior during the dead of winter. Sure, -50 degree is nothing. Yasmin put the Ruby into danger without cause so many times she should have had this child apprehended by Alaskan Children's Services. Unfortunately, Yasmin's stupidity and confusing behavior increase as the story progresses. She goes from stupidity to committing felonies. Very few of her actions show the least bit of common sense.
Generally, I don't mind plotting issues when the book is meant to be a character novel. The author did a decent job of developing her characters but the actions of Yasmin were erratic and seemed to be without logic. The plot progressed with the intent to get to a final destination and never flowed organically from the nature of the characters.
The novel was further confused by the perspective changes. Multiple perspectives of the same events are popular at the moment. This novel used this device with abandon. There were many changes within the same chapter and no indication that the perspective was changing. It became tiresome trying to determine what perspective I was viewing.
Given the above, the book sounds terrible. While it had serious problems, there were some magical elements in the book. Without a doubt, the best part of the book was the Alaskan Interior. The author has an amazing sense of place and described the barren, frigid terrain with great skill. While the character's actions were unbelievable, I felt as if I was on an Alaskan ice road. I found the setting to be quite enchanting and I am interested in finding more books with similar settings. Issues aside, I think this makes the book worth reading.
Beyond the setting, the character of Ruby was well developed. Seeing the world through the eyes of a deaf character was a new experience for me. I enjoyed how she would conceptualize words as colors, shapes and ideas. The contrast between the barren interior and altered world of Ruby was interesting. There were wonderful parallels between the need to adapt to a foreign environment and Ruby's ability to adapt in a world that does not understand her.
Final Thoughts
You may love it or you may hate it and there is a good chance you will both love it and hate it. The novel is deeply flawed but there is much worthy content. If you are on the fence and enjoy wonderful settings, I would suggest you give it a try.
Content Advisories
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 1.5
There is a character who is slimy and leering at Yasmin. The discomfort is throughout the story. There is allusion to a possible affair having occurred.
Language
F-Word - 16 instances Mild Profanity - Approx. 3 Religious Exclamations - 4
Violence - 2
There is mystery surrounding multiple dead bodies. There is a series of photographs sent to character that display dead and, at times, mutilated animals. There are several gunshots from unknown persons. One person is shot in stomach but it is not graphic.
June 19, 2015
In the Alaskan darkness Yasmin and her ten year old daughter Ruby arrived at the airport; after discovering the shocking facts about why he wasn’t there to meet them, Yasmin was determined to search for Matt, the husband and father whom they loved so dearly. Ruby had been deaf since birth; she was a chatterbox, albeit through signing but she was also without real friends at school – they teased her and called her names. Jimmy had been her best friend until recently…but she was extremely excited to be spending Christmas in Alaska with her Mum and Dad; dad was a wild-life photographer and had been working out of a tiny village called Anaktue deep in the frozen wilderness, miles from anywhere.
When circumstances continued to work against them to travel to Anaktue – not legal for the truckies travelling the route to take passengers; a violent storm heading their way – Yasmin made a heart wrenching decision. The police had stopped looking for Matt; no-one was searching for him – it was up to Yasmin and Ruby to find him. The terror of driving through the frozen Alaskan countryside where all that could be seen was snow and ice, and a deep entrenching blackness that didn’t lift – plus the fear of freezing to death or dying from hyperthermia was a constant. But Ruby was brave and Yasmin was determined. Then with the realization they were being followed – slowly, patiently, consistently – the fear became entrenched; the terror was never far away…
Wow! Unbelievably breathtakingly brilliant! I absolutely loved this latest novel by Rosamund Lupton; I have loved her previous books, Sister and Afterwards, as well, but this is most definitely her best in my opinion. Ruby was an absolutely delightful child and I laughed often at her comments – when she was excited it was “super coolio”; the book was narrated in both hers and Yasmin’s voices and blended well. Hauntingly beautiful, I felt the bitter cold of the Alaskan snowstorms and was immersed in the remarkable story of the love that drove Yasmin and Ruby forward and compelled them to do things, especially Yasmin, that she couldn’t see herself doing otherwise.
The Quality of Silence is up there with my favourites and one that will stay with me for a long time. I have no hesitation in recommending Rosamund Lupton’s latest novel extremely highly and wish to thank The Reading Room and the publisher for my proof copy to read and review.
When circumstances continued to work against them to travel to Anaktue – not legal for the truckies travelling the route to take passengers; a violent storm heading their way – Yasmin made a heart wrenching decision. The police had stopped looking for Matt; no-one was searching for him – it was up to Yasmin and Ruby to find him. The terror of driving through the frozen Alaskan countryside where all that could be seen was snow and ice, and a deep entrenching blackness that didn’t lift – plus the fear of freezing to death or dying from hyperthermia was a constant. But Ruby was brave and Yasmin was determined. Then with the realization they were being followed – slowly, patiently, consistently – the fear became entrenched; the terror was never far away…
Wow! Unbelievably breathtakingly brilliant! I absolutely loved this latest novel by Rosamund Lupton; I have loved her previous books, Sister and Afterwards, as well, but this is most definitely her best in my opinion. Ruby was an absolutely delightful child and I laughed often at her comments – when she was excited it was “super coolio”; the book was narrated in both hers and Yasmin’s voices and blended well. Hauntingly beautiful, I felt the bitter cold of the Alaskan snowstorms and was immersed in the remarkable story of the love that drove Yasmin and Ruby forward and compelled them to do things, especially Yasmin, that she couldn’t see herself doing otherwise.
The Quality of Silence is up there with my favourites and one that will stay with me for a long time. I have no hesitation in recommending Rosamund Lupton’s latest novel extremely highly and wish to thank The Reading Room and the publisher for my proof copy to read and review.
November 29, 2015
Possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. I really liked her first book Sister and Afterwards was ok but this is terrible. A completely implausible plot and absolutely no sense of menace whatsoever. The final chapter was beyond a joke, seriously how did this get past the editor.
June 19, 2015
An evocative read that is haunting and chilling, quite literally, as it is set on the Alaskan Ice Road in the middle of winter with a monster storm brewing. Yasmine and her 10 year old daughter Ruby have just arrived in Alaska to meet husband Matt but is faced by the news that he has been killed in a devastating fire in the remote Alaskan village he was staying in – a fire that has claimed the lives of everyone in the village. Yasmine’s refusal to accept that her husband is dead takes her and her daughter on a terrifying drive along the Ice Road, something which I had only ever seen before on the Ice Truckers programme. The treacherous conditions are not the only dangers they are going to have to face however – it soon becomes apparent that someone is following them on their journey.
The journey has been described magnificently here, really bringing it to life, with temperatures so cold that they can freeze your eyes shut and danger lurking around every corner during a winter in which night can last for months. I don’t know what research the author did but you feel as if she must have experienced at least some of it first hand to portray it in such a convincing way.
That is not the only thing that the author excels in describing though. Ruby is totally deaf and lives in a completely silent world. She doesn’t like to use her voice, preferring to either use sign language or her laptop. She has a speech/text programme and has a love of social media, which is the only place she feels as if she is communicating on a level playing field. Her silent world is brilliantly shown and is extremely convincing. She is a very likeable character with a wonderful personality and, above all else, is one who I could really believe in.
My feelings towards Yasmine changed constantly throughout the read. On the one hand I admired her determination and courage but on the other hand I was furious with her for taking a small child on such a perilous journey. When she did consider leaving Ruby in a safe place, she even contemplated asking total strangers to take care of her. The story is also very much about the relationship between Yasmine and Ruby. Yasmine thinks the best way for Ruby to communicate would be to use her voice and not the sign language or technology and sometimes I really felt sorry for Ruby when Yasmine tried to force her to speak and didn’t seem interested at all in what she had to say.
The first ¾ or so of the read is extremely chilling and compelling with a wonderful atmospheric feel to it. The last 1/4 however, when the story reaches its climax, didn’t quite hit the same level for me. There was a slightly different feel to it and the dialogue was just not as strong as it was in the first part of the book. In addition, there were a couple of times that you had to suspend disbelief a little bit, for instance when Yasmine – a total novice – successfully drives a monstrously huge truck and its load along the route without killing anyone and even manages to put snow chains on it.
Having said that, this was an extremely enjoyable read. Thanks to the publishers for a review copy.
The journey has been described magnificently here, really bringing it to life, with temperatures so cold that they can freeze your eyes shut and danger lurking around every corner during a winter in which night can last for months. I don’t know what research the author did but you feel as if she must have experienced at least some of it first hand to portray it in such a convincing way.
That is not the only thing that the author excels in describing though. Ruby is totally deaf and lives in a completely silent world. She doesn’t like to use her voice, preferring to either use sign language or her laptop. She has a speech/text programme and has a love of social media, which is the only place she feels as if she is communicating on a level playing field. Her silent world is brilliantly shown and is extremely convincing. She is a very likeable character with a wonderful personality and, above all else, is one who I could really believe in.
My feelings towards Yasmine changed constantly throughout the read. On the one hand I admired her determination and courage but on the other hand I was furious with her for taking a small child on such a perilous journey. When she did consider leaving Ruby in a safe place, she even contemplated asking total strangers to take care of her. The story is also very much about the relationship between Yasmine and Ruby. Yasmine thinks the best way for Ruby to communicate would be to use her voice and not the sign language or technology and sometimes I really felt sorry for Ruby when Yasmine tried to force her to speak and didn’t seem interested at all in what she had to say.
The first ¾ or so of the read is extremely chilling and compelling with a wonderful atmospheric feel to it. The last 1/4 however, when the story reaches its climax, didn’t quite hit the same level for me. There was a slightly different feel to it and the dialogue was just not as strong as it was in the first part of the book. In addition, there were a couple of times that you had to suspend disbelief a little bit, for instance when Yasmine – a total novice – successfully drives a monstrously huge truck and its load along the route without killing anyone and even manages to put snow chains on it.
Having said that, this was an extremely enjoyable read. Thanks to the publishers for a review copy.
April 10, 2018
OK, so I know this is going to be corny but here goes….
Holy Frack!!!!
If you’ve read the book, you’ll get it, if not, why not!
I really do enjoy a Rosamund Lupton novel. Her writing style is a literary treat compared to so many authors in this genre. Her attention to detail, the depth of her characters and tight plotlines all add up to a highly sumptuous reading experience.
This is my second novel by her, the first being the excellent Sister and I think I see a bit of a science geek deep in this author with the way both stories pan out.
The Quality of Silence is another taut, suspenseful tale full of mystery and intrigue. Yasmin’s husband Matt, a wildlife photographer, has gone missing in the far north of Alaska and everyone, including law enforcement, believe he is dead but Yasmin refuses to accept this and, along with her ten year old deaf daughter Ruby, she sets out on a perilous journey to find him.
The book didn’t really turn out the way I had expected I have to say but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It ended up being mostly about the journey to the story I thought it would actually be about and what a journey that was. I confess I rolled my eyes on more than one occasion at Yasmin’s decision making and seriously doubted whether any of that was actually possible and for a long time, I felt like I was in an episode of Ice Road Truckers but with a deadly pursuit thrown in. For me, it did lag slightly in the middle and I found myself impatient to get to the destination but for the most part, it held my attention and I feared greatly for the two girls out in the deadly, icy wilderness alone.
The title seemed to have a duality to it. It referred both to the still, icy quiet of the snow which absorbs all the sound around it and also to Ruby’s silent world where words take physical forms. It was a fascinating and well-researched foray into the silent world of the deaf and thoughtfully done.
I very much enjoyed this novel which was suffused with encroaching menace and highly compelling and flawlessly plotted. I developed great empathy for the characters and was desperate for things to work out for them, even when all seemed lost. It’s a breathless race against time which had me turning the pages faster and faster.
I’m looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next although I can see that she sure does take her time!! Write faster Rosamund!!
4 icy sinister stars
June 18, 2015
I love snow, I love the cold weather I absolutely do. I am a winter baby, so this was lovely and chilling to read, I could imagine myself trekking through the snow, the cold the wet and the wind, gorgeous. Love it.
The atmospheric conditions and imagination in this read was enthralling and enticing to me.
I have read Rosamund Lupton's book before and I know she can deliver a pretty good story that I will mostly enjoy and this one was the same.
Fragile marriages.
There they are, Yasmin and her daughter Ruby arriving at Alaska to meet her husband who has been on an assignment there. They are quietly ushered away to be told he was killed in a fire. Matt is dead. Yasmins husband. Ruby's Father.
How awful.
Ruby is deaf.
I have a vested interest in this as I used to be a translator for the deaf so worked closely with them and how and by what means their strength and agility to overcome obstacles. Unless you have been deaf or know someone who is and worked closely with them or live with them, you cannot imagine the hardships that hearing loss can toss at you.
But here we see Ruby, strong ruby coming through and her Mother very resilient in helping and achieving Ruby to manage.
So did the title Quality of Silence come about by.....Is there something suspicious about Matts death?
or could it be....
Ruby is deaf, could it be related to that?
or could it be...
Alaska the cold, the bitter ices climate where even the icicles you cannot hear dripping.
I thought and thought about this.
The story is told in a 'quiet' kind of way. You seem to trek along with Yasmin and Ruby, silently following in their footsteps, at times its quite eerie.
I also found interesting that discovering Ruby was deaf, how each parent had their own ideas on how to manage her disability, and how to help her cope in a hearing world.
At times there were reflections on the relationship between husband and wife, Daddy and daughter, Mummy and Daughter. The time together melted them into one whole.
We meet ice truckers. Wow, what respect I have for them, we just don't think how they have to respect and be aware of their surroundings.
Yes its about finding Matt. Is he still out there like she believes?
But its also about relationships.
Its about courage.
Its about not taking things and each other for granted.
Its a whole heap of things.
Its truly a beautiful piece of work, then the crunch [excuse the pun'] comes more towards the end.
Its not an earth shattering read, the way it is written more than makes up for that.
I liked this a lot
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK for my copy to read and review via Net Galley
February 5, 2016
From the setting of the story to the underlying issues, I found this one to be pretty impressive. Rosamund Lupton brings her readers to the Arctic Circle to experience polar night – which means no daylight for months. I could feel the bone-chilling cold and envision the snow covered tundra all around me, which only intensified the eeriness of being in complete darkness.
You have to question whether Yasmin is incredibly brave or if she’s delusional. She arrives in Alaska with her ten-year-old deaf daughter, Ruby, with plans to deliver an ultimatum to her husband, only to find out there has been a tragic accident. Driving a semi-truck through Northern Alaska, in the middle of a snow storm, she's determined to find her husband and bring him home.
The story gets a little monotonous at the half-way point – driving through the snow, panicking about driving off the road and fearing there's a tanker following her. I couldn't help but to wonder, would they realistically be able to survive this trip, alone? Seasoned drivers were pleading with her to turn around. Of course, she didn't listen. Would you, if it was your husband out there?
Ruby was the bright spot in the story for me. She was smart, charming and the connection she shared with her dad was incredibly sweet. He seemed like the only person that really understood her and it made me hope against all odds that he was safe.
What I thought was a story headed in one direction, ended up being something totally different. The underlying social and ethical issues made this story a stand out for me. It was refreshing. Well played Rosamund Lupton.
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
You have to question whether Yasmin is incredibly brave or if she’s delusional. She arrives in Alaska with her ten-year-old deaf daughter, Ruby, with plans to deliver an ultimatum to her husband, only to find out there has been a tragic accident. Driving a semi-truck through Northern Alaska, in the middle of a snow storm, she's determined to find her husband and bring him home.
The story gets a little monotonous at the half-way point – driving through the snow, panicking about driving off the road and fearing there's a tanker following her. I couldn't help but to wonder, would they realistically be able to survive this trip, alone? Seasoned drivers were pleading with her to turn around. Of course, she didn't listen. Would you, if it was your husband out there?
Ruby was the bright spot in the story for me. She was smart, charming and the connection she shared with her dad was incredibly sweet. He seemed like the only person that really understood her and it made me hope against all odds that he was safe.
What I thought was a story headed in one direction, ended up being something totally different. The underlying social and ethical issues made this story a stand out for me. It was refreshing. Well played Rosamund Lupton.
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
August 6, 2019
A terrifying rollercoaster ride!
Just you, your ten year old daughter (deaf since birth), total darkness, bone numbing, deadly freezing cold, completely isolated in the Alaskan wilderness.
Not for the faint of heart!
Ruby
It's FREEZING cold; like the air is made of glass. Our English cold is all roly-poly snowman and 'woo-hoo! it's a snow day!' a hay-there friendly kind of cold. But this cold is mean.
Mum is keeping close to me, like she can wrap me up in another warm layer of her, and I lean right back into her. She thinks that Dad's snowmobile broke down so he missed his taxi plane. She says his sat-phone must has run out of charge otherwise he'd have definitely phoned us.
Dad was meant to meet us at the airport. Instead there was this policewomen who 'Can't Tell You Anything Yet I'm Sorry.
The story follows Yazmin and Ruby on a journey to find Ruby's father who's missing in the arctic wilderness.
Driving on Dalton Highway across Northern Alaska is one of the most isolated and dangerous highways in the world. The road is gravel to accomodate big rigs for hauling.
Mr. Azizi said in winter they pour gazillions of gallons of water onto the gravelly road and then it freezes. He said ice is the only thing that won't break with big trucks driving on it, because ice is very, very tough.
Yasmine closed her mouth against a scream so that Ruby couldn't see her fear. They were plunging down a sheer drop into darkness.
Ruby's dad is a films wildlife documentaries and has taught her many wonderful things about the Alaskan wilderness.
'I think they're wing prints made by a ptarmigan', I say, finger-spelling 'ptarmigan'. Dad showed me pictures, which is how I know.
Dad told me ptarmigans fly into snow banks when they want to rest so a predator won't see their footprints.
Ruby
Words Without Sounds @ Words_No_Sounds - 1m 651 followers
AWESOME-SAUCE-BEAUTIFUL: Touching a black spot on a cheetah's fur; a lemonade sea w/ fizzing waves; a ptarmigan's wing prints in the snow.
******
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton is unique and fresh. The story about Yasmine and her husband, Matt when they met, the mixed feelings and suspicions she had about why he was spending time so far and isolated from home where communication is so difficult.
We follow Ruby as she views her world with such imagination and wisdom. The beautiful world of animals, birds he teaches her following his filming of the Alaskan wildlife.
Sister was the first book that I read by this author and it is one of my favorite novels so I was excited to read this one. It started out exciting and the descriptions of driving on the road were truly terrifying. Unfortunately, as the story played out I found it more and more unrealistic. I tried to push it to the back of my mind and just enjoy it. I was drawn in by the anticipation of finding out what would happen next which kept me rapidly turning the pages to the finale.
This was a bit of a disappointment for me mainly because of the implausible storyline but I really enjoyed seeing the world from Ruby's perspective. Further, I learned quite a lot of very fascinating facts about the Alaskan wilderness so this story will stick with me as an okay read.
Just you, your ten year old daughter (deaf since birth), total darkness, bone numbing, deadly freezing cold, completely isolated in the Alaskan wilderness.
Not for the faint of heart!
Ruby
It's FREEZING cold; like the air is made of glass. Our English cold is all roly-poly snowman and 'woo-hoo! it's a snow day!' a hay-there friendly kind of cold. But this cold is mean.
Mum is keeping close to me, like she can wrap me up in another warm layer of her, and I lean right back into her. She thinks that Dad's snowmobile broke down so he missed his taxi plane. She says his sat-phone must has run out of charge otherwise he'd have definitely phoned us.
Dad was meant to meet us at the airport. Instead there was this policewomen who 'Can't Tell You Anything Yet I'm Sorry.
The story follows Yazmin and Ruby on a journey to find Ruby's father who's missing in the arctic wilderness.
Driving on Dalton Highway across Northern Alaska is one of the most isolated and dangerous highways in the world. The road is gravel to accomodate big rigs for hauling.
Mr. Azizi said in winter they pour gazillions of gallons of water onto the gravelly road and then it freezes. He said ice is the only thing that won't break with big trucks driving on it, because ice is very, very tough.
Yasmine closed her mouth against a scream so that Ruby couldn't see her fear. They were plunging down a sheer drop into darkness.
Ruby's dad is a films wildlife documentaries and has taught her many wonderful things about the Alaskan wilderness.
'I think they're wing prints made by a ptarmigan', I say, finger-spelling 'ptarmigan'. Dad showed me pictures, which is how I know.
Dad told me ptarmigans fly into snow banks when they want to rest so a predator won't see their footprints.
Ruby
Words Without Sounds @ Words_No_Sounds - 1m 651 followers
AWESOME-SAUCE-BEAUTIFUL: Touching a black spot on a cheetah's fur; a lemonade sea w/ fizzing waves; a ptarmigan's wing prints in the snow.
******
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton is unique and fresh. The story about Yasmine and her husband, Matt when they met, the mixed feelings and suspicions she had about why he was spending time so far and isolated from home where communication is so difficult.
We follow Ruby as she views her world with such imagination and wisdom. The beautiful world of animals, birds he teaches her following his filming of the Alaskan wildlife.
Sister was the first book that I read by this author and it is one of my favorite novels so I was excited to read this one. It started out exciting and the descriptions of driving on the road were truly terrifying. Unfortunately, as the story played out I found it more and more unrealistic. I tried to push it to the back of my mind and just enjoy it. I was drawn in by the anticipation of finding out what would happen next which kept me rapidly turning the pages to the finale.
This was a bit of a disappointment for me mainly because of the implausible storyline but I really enjoyed seeing the world from Ruby's perspective. Further, I learned quite a lot of very fascinating facts about the Alaskan wilderness so this story will stick with me as an okay read.
August 28, 2017
I gobbled up "Afterwards" and "Sister" was, if not a favorite, a gripping read, so I was exited to get my hands on "The Quality of Silence". The cover summary reveals so little, which was clever, as it allowed for a heightened sense of mystery to pervade the story. I won't, therefore, summarize the story much either. Lupton's writing is, as in her previous novels, polished and at times poetic, and the story flowed very nicely. I was especially impressed with the way Lupton so thoughtfully tells part of the story through the voice of deaf Ruby. It was a unique angle and one I felt added depth to the story. Lupton does really intriguing characters, and though I do not always love them, I have to admire how well-developed they are. Especially Ruby, who was the star of this novel, and who will linger with me for some time to come.
The story itself was interesting and though, after some time, I had an idea where it was going, I wasn't sure until the end what the greater motivation behind the crime was. The plot was very relevant, and I came away from it with the feeling that I had learnt something. Though the ending was a little rushed and I would have liked an epilogue, it was a well thought out book I would certainly recommend!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
The story itself was interesting and though, after some time, I had an idea where it was going, I wasn't sure until the end what the greater motivation behind the crime was. The plot was very relevant, and I came away from it with the feeling that I had learnt something. Though the ending was a little rushed and I would have liked an epilogue, it was a well thought out book I would certainly recommend!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
September 10, 2022
The Quality of Silence is one hell of a thriller that I couldn’t put down. This is the second book that I’ve read by this author now and I’m looking forward to reading her other books. Intense, on the edge of your seat and intriguing. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would.
If you enjoy reading thrillers, mystery, crime or suspense, then I HIGHLY recommend you read this book.
If you enjoy reading thrillers, mystery, crime or suspense, then I HIGHLY recommend you read this book.
July 13, 2015
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
Matt is a wildlife photographer and film maker and has been working solo on a huge project in some remote areas of Alaska, photographing and documenting information on the native wildlife in their natural habitat there.
Usually he comes home for the Christmas break to be with his wife Yasmin and ten year old daughter Ruby.
This year they were going to come to Alaska to be with him, and were so excited that Ruby and her father had been discussing it and planning it for ages...how they would start their own blog and write about everything they do whilst there.
He had already taught her so much about life in the freezing climate, and how they survive in such temperatures. He had even purchased her special clothing, especially for her hands.
Ruby being profoundly deaf relies on signing to communicate, so it is a vitally important that her hands need to be kept as carefully protected from the cold as possible...also those of her parents, if they are to be able to communicate fully with her.
When Matt failed to meet them at the airport in Alaska as planned, and after much anguish, Yasmin and Ruby were eventually guided to a room where a waiting senior police officer told her that a large explosion and fire had occurred at the place where her husband was believed to have been staying. A thorough search of the area had revealed no sign of him, and he has made no contact recently with anyone.
Mobile phones and computers are essential devices for communication in these remote parts of Alaska, but they are not always reliable as it is not always possible to get a signal and they are susceptible to the extreme cold temperatures.
Yasmin refused to believe that her husband was dead and insisted on another search of the area, but the policeman was adamant, telling her that the searches had been thorough, and that extreme weather conditions as well as the perpetual darkness at that time of the year prevented further searching, apart from which it was just too dangerous.
Now she and Ruby must find a way to find him themselves...before he really does die from exposure out there.
There are only two means of travel between those distances..flying, which is out of the question because of the storm front moving in and gale force ice winds...or by road, equally treacherous and also out of the question because only the big ice road truckies are daring to venture that route...and even they are mindful of the impending storm front...some have decided to wait it out.
Another blow was the discovery that truckies are not allowed to take passengers.
Now more determined than ever, Yasmin hatches several plans and sets out with her daughter to find their beloved husband and father...one way, or another.
If you have ever watched the Ice Road Truckies on TV, then you will get a sense of the magnitude of the danger which Yasmin and Ruby might have to face...even before they reach their destination.
This is a very original story which presents a new kind of danger and fear that I don't think has been explored to such an extent before, you could almost sense the quiet and darkness as a presence, and just the idea of existing in such frigid temperatures is a notion well beyond my ken.
This story will hold you captive to the end.
A favourite quote from the book: "She could taste dried fear in her mouth."
A highly recommended thrilling read 4★s
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for my copy to read and review.
December 30, 2020
This was so disappointing. I was expecting a battle for survival through the Alaskan wilderness. Instead it was more about mother and daughter bonding. It was so predictable and contrived at times too and other plot parts were just ridiculous and made me roll my eyes.
May 21, 2019
I've found this book rather difficult to rate. There was a lot I enjoyed about this book, but there were a couple of issues, that in turn, prevented me from loving it.
I loved that the setting of this story was in the brutal winter cold of Alaska. It felt really well described, and I actually felt rather cold reading it. The winter wilderness felt very real.
As a person that has much to do with child hearing loss, I thought Ruby's part was well done. Her character was brave, thoughtful and portrayed adequately for a child with a hearing impairment. I think she should have had a bigger role in the story, though.
The main issue that stands out to me, is that I felt like I was reading two different stories. Sometimes, this method actually works, but in the case of this particular book, it didn't. The ending was rushed, and had no significance to the previous part of the book. It kind of irritated me. It was all pretty tense, then something happened, which ruined the rest of the story for me. It's unfortunate, but it happens.
Overall, I'd recommend even just for the beautiful Alaska descriptions, but as for the plot, I was quite disappointed.
I loved that the setting of this story was in the brutal winter cold of Alaska. It felt really well described, and I actually felt rather cold reading it. The winter wilderness felt very real.
As a person that has much to do with child hearing loss, I thought Ruby's part was well done. Her character was brave, thoughtful and portrayed adequately for a child with a hearing impairment. I think she should have had a bigger role in the story, though.
The main issue that stands out to me, is that I felt like I was reading two different stories. Sometimes, this method actually works, but in the case of this particular book, it didn't. The ending was rushed, and had no significance to the previous part of the book. It kind of irritated me. It was all pretty tense, then something happened, which ruined the rest of the story for me. It's unfortunate, but it happens.
Overall, I'd recommend even just for the beautiful Alaska descriptions, but as for the plot, I was quite disappointed.
April 26, 2016
Three and a half stars.
I’m finding this a hard book to review. On the one hand the story absolutely pulls you along for the ride, despite the fact that some of the plot stretched belief. But after a while you stop worrying about those things that sound unrealistic and just let the story take hold of you. The main star of this book is Alaska. The description of the land had me even feeling chilly as I read it. Add to this an engaging character in the 10 year old deaf Ruby. Her mother Yasmin agonises a bit throughout the novel, but then it is usually with good reason. Her husband has been pronounced dead along with other inhabitants in the destruction of the village of Anaktue. Yasmin refuses to believe it and sets off with Ruby to find him. Captain Grayling has other ideas and thinks her hope misplaced even though he understood it. He had felt similarly in regards to his son Timothy. ‘Denial was a melting icefloe, but you clung to it anyway.’
Some of the writing is brilliant and perfectly crafted. In this description of Rachmaninov’s second pain concerto. Ruby’s friend Jimmy told her ’it sounded like catching the wind with silver lassos.’ I also liked this snippet from a movie about a preacher where he ‘tells people why gossiping is so terrible. He says that when you say a bit of gossip, you’re emptying a feather pillow out of a high window into the wind, and if you wanted to take the gossip back you’d have to find every single feather and you could never do that.’ Made me think about the destructive nature of gossip, how it clings and how each of us as people should be more careful with our tongues.
It so obvious there has been a lot of research done before this novel took shape and it shows. It makes it all very real and the trip being followed across the Alaskan landscape really comes to life. However I still think towards the end the story does stretch the bounds of credibility. Or it did for me. But all in all it was still a very good read.
I’m finding this a hard book to review. On the one hand the story absolutely pulls you along for the ride, despite the fact that some of the plot stretched belief. But after a while you stop worrying about those things that sound unrealistic and just let the story take hold of you. The main star of this book is Alaska. The description of the land had me even feeling chilly as I read it. Add to this an engaging character in the 10 year old deaf Ruby. Her mother Yasmin agonises a bit throughout the novel, but then it is usually with good reason. Her husband has been pronounced dead along with other inhabitants in the destruction of the village of Anaktue. Yasmin refuses to believe it and sets off with Ruby to find him. Captain Grayling has other ideas and thinks her hope misplaced even though he understood it. He had felt similarly in regards to his son Timothy. ‘Denial was a melting icefloe, but you clung to it anyway.’
Some of the writing is brilliant and perfectly crafted. In this description of Rachmaninov’s second pain concerto. Ruby’s friend Jimmy told her ’it sounded like catching the wind with silver lassos.’ I also liked this snippet from a movie about a preacher where he ‘tells people why gossiping is so terrible. He says that when you say a bit of gossip, you’re emptying a feather pillow out of a high window into the wind, and if you wanted to take the gossip back you’d have to find every single feather and you could never do that.’ Made me think about the destructive nature of gossip, how it clings and how each of us as people should be more careful with our tongues.
It so obvious there has been a lot of research done before this novel took shape and it shows. It makes it all very real and the trip being followed across the Alaskan landscape really comes to life. However I still think towards the end the story does stretch the bounds of credibility. Or it did for me. But all in all it was still a very good read.
January 16, 2020
Combinação Divinal
Recostada no meu sofá de leitura vou sorvendo e degustando um cocktail de neve e silêncio.
Que Combinação Divina! 👍
Recostada no meu sofá de leitura vou sorvendo e degustando um cocktail de neve e silêncio.
Que Combinação Divina! 👍
July 11, 2015
Yasmin is going to Alaska to meet up with husband Matt who has been making a wildlife film in the depths of the Alaskan winter. Ruby their deaf 10 year old daughter is also super excited to be going, she can't wait to use the blog that her father has helped set up for this trip. But on arrival at the airport there is no Matt and they are informed that the village he was working out of has been destroyed by a freak fire and all inhabitants had died. Yasmin, who actually feels their relationship is currently fragile, is given his wedding ring as proof but she doesn't believe he is dead, as he told her he always takes his ring off when working.
So begins a dangerous journey across the uninhabited landscape of Alaska to find him.
I absolutely loved this book, especially Ruby's 'voice', so beautifully articulated to explain how she 'hears herself' when she signs but not when she speaks. Ruby has a special bond with her father and he understands her desire to communicate her way, hence Ruby's twitter account and blog. Yasmin is not so accepting of Ruby's deafness and constantly asks Ruby to use 'her voice'. But this trip makes Yasmin understand Ruby in a different way. When strange images of dead animals arrive on Yasmin's computer, Ruby believes that it is her father communicating with them but Yasmin is not so sure.
Who would have thought that a story about driving a huge tanker in the middle of uninhabited Alaska in a -50 degrees snow storm would be so compelling...it was. I wish I could have just curled up and read through, but life got in the way. I learned a lot of interesting facts in this book and the subject of fracking/mining is also very topical in Australia currently.
It really is a beautiful story told in a way I could feel the love and protectiveness between parent/child/partner and how greed can cloud judgement in others.
Thank you to The Reading Room and publisher for a copy to read and review.
I must also mention I loved the cover. I'm not a hardback book fan but this one was a pleasure to hold and I loved the non dust jacket and the simple image of two figures with stars on the cover.
So begins a dangerous journey across the uninhabited landscape of Alaska to find him.
I absolutely loved this book, especially Ruby's 'voice', so beautifully articulated to explain how she 'hears herself' when she signs but not when she speaks. Ruby has a special bond with her father and he understands her desire to communicate her way, hence Ruby's twitter account and blog. Yasmin is not so accepting of Ruby's deafness and constantly asks Ruby to use 'her voice'. But this trip makes Yasmin understand Ruby in a different way. When strange images of dead animals arrive on Yasmin's computer, Ruby believes that it is her father communicating with them but Yasmin is not so sure.
Who would have thought that a story about driving a huge tanker in the middle of uninhabited Alaska in a -50 degrees snow storm would be so compelling...it was. I wish I could have just curled up and read through, but life got in the way. I learned a lot of interesting facts in this book and the subject of fracking/mining is also very topical in Australia currently.
It really is a beautiful story told in a way I could feel the love and protectiveness between parent/child/partner and how greed can cloud judgement in others.
Thank you to The Reading Room and publisher for a copy to read and review.
I must also mention I loved the cover. I'm not a hardback book fan but this one was a pleasure to hold and I loved the non dust jacket and the simple image of two figures with stars on the cover.
May 6, 2016
2.5 stars (Somewhere between "meh" and "I liked the book.")
This book has two huge things that completely destroyed my immersion and my suspension of disbelief. I'm not going to spoil the ending or any of the plot twists, but I'm going to talk about these two things (which happen in the beginning of the book).
FIRST, Yasmin is the worst mother ever. I can't believe she'd take her child into northern Alaska during a freaking storm with no plan. So reckless and irresponsible. I dislike her as a character because of this.
SECOND, I laughed at the idea that Yasmin could just DRIVE A TRUCK over Alaska's ice roads with no training or experience. She just hops behind the wheel and glibly drives away as if it were a compact car on a gentle country road. Her explanation of "I majored in physics in college" makes no sense. She barely even struggles with driving or the elements.
There were, however, several things I liked about this book:
* Ruby is an amazing character: gifted, bright, and complex. I enjoyed her voice throughout, and I appreciated the exploration of her deafness.
* This book made me want to learn sign language because of how beautifully it was portrayed.
* At the beginning of the novel, I felt a lot of anxiety for the characters; that only happens when I'm immersed in a book.
* Lupton writes well.
* Though I don't like Yasmin for her actions, I appreciate her arc of growth.
The ending is a bit preachy (even though I agree with the author's opinion), and warning: there are some gruesome deaths in this book (animal deaths too, if that bothers you).
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
This book has two huge things that completely destroyed my immersion and my suspension of disbelief. I'm not going to spoil the ending or any of the plot twists, but I'm going to talk about these two things (which happen in the beginning of the book).
FIRST, Yasmin is the worst mother ever. I can't believe she'd take her child into northern Alaska during a freaking storm with no plan. So reckless and irresponsible. I dislike her as a character because of this.
SECOND, I laughed at the idea that Yasmin could just DRIVE A TRUCK over Alaska's ice roads with no training or experience. She just hops behind the wheel and glibly drives away as if it were a compact car on a gentle country road. Her explanation of "I majored in physics in college" makes no sense. She barely even struggles with driving or the elements.
There were, however, several things I liked about this book:
* Ruby is an amazing character: gifted, bright, and complex. I enjoyed her voice throughout, and I appreciated the exploration of her deafness.
* This book made me want to learn sign language because of how beautifully it was portrayed.
* At the beginning of the novel, I felt a lot of anxiety for the characters; that only happens when I'm immersed in a book.
* Lupton writes well.
* Though I don't like Yasmin for her actions, I appreciate her arc of growth.
The ending is a bit preachy (even though I agree with the author's opinion), and warning: there are some gruesome deaths in this book (animal deaths too, if that bothers you).
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
September 30, 2015
This is the first of Rosamund Lupton's that I've read and going by the cover (which I love) and the blurb, I had high hopes.
The book starts off well. A mother and child find themselves in the Artic circle on the hunt for the girl's missing father who has been declared dead but a fact they refuse to believe themselves. In fact, in a nutshell, the book's blurb is pretty much the whole story. A missing father, fracking, cold alaskan weather, truck driving, a tenacious mother and a deaf child. And that's it. I'm in mixed minds about this book. It's well written, described well enough, starts of well. But I just didn't understand the premise of it. Why would any mother take her child into such dangerous life threatening conditions?! I got the desperation, the urgency, but it all seemed a bit far fetched even with all the mother's supposed talents. All we really got was a tale of mother and child's communication and their journey there which was perilous and mind boggling at best!
The cold ... was just cold, nothing I haven't seen on Ice Road Truckers, in fact that's what gave me an insight into this but fracking?!! Really?!! I ended up speed reading most of it just to see the outcome, and, well, that was pretty lame. As I've not read anything else by the author I've nothing to compare to. That said, it hasn't put me off trying other works by Ms Lupton and I think I will. Just here the whole thing, for me anyways, seemed to border on the slightly far fetched or more the.. why??! An ok three star rating for me.
Thanks go to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
The book starts off well. A mother and child find themselves in the Artic circle on the hunt for the girl's missing father who has been declared dead but a fact they refuse to believe themselves. In fact, in a nutshell, the book's blurb is pretty much the whole story. A missing father, fracking, cold alaskan weather, truck driving, a tenacious mother and a deaf child. And that's it. I'm in mixed minds about this book. It's well written, described well enough, starts of well. But I just didn't understand the premise of it. Why would any mother take her child into such dangerous life threatening conditions?! I got the desperation, the urgency, but it all seemed a bit far fetched even with all the mother's supposed talents. All we really got was a tale of mother and child's communication and their journey there which was perilous and mind boggling at best!
The cold ... was just cold, nothing I haven't seen on Ice Road Truckers, in fact that's what gave me an insight into this but fracking?!! Really?!! I ended up speed reading most of it just to see the outcome, and, well, that was pretty lame. As I've not read anything else by the author I've nothing to compare to. That said, it hasn't put me off trying other works by Ms Lupton and I think I will. Just here the whole thing, for me anyways, seemed to border on the slightly far fetched or more the.. why??! An ok three star rating for me.
Thanks go to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
May 29, 2016
He didn't know what day it was any more and he thought out here there were no days, no turning of the Earth to reach the face of the Sun, but a dark night of the soul in which only violent storms broke time into different pieces.
Paz. Este libro transmite paz. Una mezcla de silencio, desolación, esperanza, tormentas de nieve, un cielo tan negro que libera la noche más oscura de las noches, infinitas estrellas que manchan el eclipsado firmamento y un toque de auroras boreales.
El final no me gustó. En parte reconozco que fue culpa mía ya que me había olvidado de que había un misterio por resolver. El clima que creó la autora me aisló de la parte del thriller, entonces al llegar al conclusión fue un corte brusco que me sacó de ese ambiente. A pesar de eso, el final no es bueno.
Es una historia sobre el amor de un madre a una hija, en un terreno frío e implacable. Sobre la esperanza que se debilita ante la noche eterna de Alaska. The Quality of Silence se lo recomiendo a todo aquel que quiera leer un relato que toque sus fibras sensibles.
July 21, 2019
Being myself slighty deaf in one ear since the age of about 8 due to an ear infection, I found that I could easy relate to the young daughter in the story Ruby being deaf.
I totally loved this unusual story as a whole, the characters, the story line with Ruby being deaf and the unusual setting of the places events took place.
Ruby and her mother Yasmin Alfredson had travelled to Alaska to meet Ruby’s dad at the Fairbanks airport. Deaf Ruby knew it would be really cold and super-quite with thousands of miles of snow and with hardly any people.
As soon as Yasmin and Ruby arrived at the airport there was no sign of Ruby’s dad. Lieutenant Reeve meets Yasmin and explains to her that he has records of all foreign nationals working in Alaska and that a catastrophic fire happened in Anaktue and that no one survived including Ruby’s dad.
Yasmin refuses to accept that Ruby’s father is dead and sets out on a long track of a journey in the top freezing temperatures to find him.
I am a fan of Rosamund Lupton and I have read all of her books. I look forward to her next book.
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