Book Review: “The Quality of Silence” by Rosamund Lupton

“The Quality of Silence” by Rosamund Lupton (2016)

Genre: Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Page Length: 384 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Thrillingly suspenseful and atmospheric, The Quality of Silence is the story of Yasmin, a beautiful astrophysicist, and her precocious deaf daughter, Ruby, who arrive in a remote part of Alaska to be told that Ruby’s father, Matt, has been the victim of a catastrophic accident. Unable to accept his death as truth, Yasmin and Ruby set out into the hostile winter of the Alaskan tundra in search of answers. But as a storm closes in, Yasmin realizes that a very human danger may be keeping pace with them. And with no one else on the road to help, they must keep moving, alone and terrified, through an endless Alaskan night.

Review:

The Quality of Silence is a high-action novel that is filled with suspense and mystery. A mother and daughter set out on a risky journey into unknown land in order to save a loved one that is presumed dead. From the beginning of the novel many questions arise and the readers must figure out who is friend or foe?Even though Yasmin and Ruby’s treacherous journey lasts over a number of days, (to the reader) it feels as if it is one, long black night.

The writing is detailed and offers readers a vivid descriptions of the picturesque beauty and the unforgiving cruelty of Alaska’s landscape. In one scene we seen a frozen tundra with snowflakes falling gracefully from the sky, and in the next minute the wind forcefully blows trying to wreak havoc on the truck they’re driving. Yasmin feels her marriage is in a downhill slope and this rescue effort for Matt seems somewhat of a last resort. She wants the best for Ruby but ends up putting more pressure on her such as when she tells Ruby to use her real (speaking) voice instead of talking through a computer. While she is courageous and headstrong I was a bit turned off of how she dove headfirst into the situation without thinking of the consequences until things (her & Ruby) became dire. I know she had underlying suspicion of Matt really not being dead nor did she trust the blurred facts of how the village really burned down, but she was very reckless at times.

Ruby, though deaf, speaks the most volume out of any character in this novel. Though she has trouble physically speaking, her use of sign language, twitter account (you’ll understand when you read the novel), and voice magic (a computer program) provide an outlet for her to be outspoken on many things. She struggles with a lot of issues such as fitting in at school and speaking out loud, but she sets those things behind her and puts on a brave front.

I enjoyed the scenario presented in this novel and its overall fast reading pace. The characters face the danger of an imminent storm, driving on an icy road in the blackest of nights, and a mysterious creeper who seems to track Yasmin and Ruby’s every move. The novel also opened my eyes and helped me to better understand the issues surrounding fracking.