Interesting twist on a difficult topic. I felt that Oakley's mutism was believable and I loved Jasper and Cole for their appropriate response to her. This books ends in a pretty terrible way, so be prepared to have the next book ready! ( )

Good

I really liked this book. It was real and honest and demonstrated how warped the perspective of someone who is taken advantage of, abused, and mistreated. ( )

Due to the content of the book, I'm uncomfortable recommending it to teenagers. Foul language, nudity, and teen sex scenes would qualify this book as a "R-rated" type of read. That aside, I will say that Natasha Preston did an excellent job of building her characters. I felt so awful for Oakley, but I love Cole who stands by her through thick and thin.

Her mother is very loving but sometimes comes across as trying too hard. Her brother is not very mature, but deep down where it counts, I think he does have some genuine love for his sister. Her father---I don't even want to go there.

So I've given this book four stars because it's a great book to read. I would have rated it 5 if it hadn't been for the foul language, nudity, and sex. ( )

Abuse! A sad story well-told. A subject matter that should never occur. ( )

Silence is about a 16 year old girl named Oakley who was sexually abused growing up and has been completely silent since she was five. She only really trusts three people in her life, one of which is her best friend Cole. Cole is Oakley's best friend that is only two years older than her. He is a very sweet and dynamic character, who cares for Oakley and loves her, and she reciprocates those feelings. You'd think it would be hard for them to communicate but Cole understands almost everything she is trying to convey. They've been best friends for their whole life, and as they get older their feelings for one another grow. The only man she really wants to be with is Cole, he and her have such an immense love for one another and it warmed my heart throughout the book. Cole and Oakley switch POVs throughout the book, although it's mostly Oakley that is narrating. I love that about this book because it shows Cole's side of the story, which is very interesting. Nobody really KNOWS why Oakley is silent except her dad, who, by the way, is a complete ass. He walks around keeping the secret about what happened to Oakley and not to mention he is the reason she is silent. Ugh, I hate .....
You can read the rest of this review (along with many more) here. ( )