All The Silent Bones by Gregory Fun

This book will be published on June 9th.

Genre:  Adult, Suspense, Thriller

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I must admit that I was only familiar with this author’s middle-grade books because I teach middle grades.  However, I have discovered how excellent his adult books are.  I am a very eclectic reader.  My mother used to say if it stood still long enough, I would read it. She wasn’t wrong. I love reading works with a dark side, like this book, which is full of darkness. What is there to love about All the Silent Bones?

The opening of the book introduces two of the characters.  Both characters have very dark sides. Although the book begins with the characters as adults, it then flashes back to their childhood.  When Bobby moves into their neighborhood, Ray’s father forbids him from ever going into their house.  We all know what happens when you tell a kid they can’t do something. I immediately wondered whether his father knew something or just felt something was off with the family.

The trauma that happens at Blackamore Pond is handled differently by each boy. Regardless, we can see that each character is still affected by that trauma years after it occurred. We can see how childhood violence affects the characters as adults.  Trauma stood out the most because I had several students this year who struggled with family violence in their homes. When I have students like this, I often wonder how they will handle it as adults.  For me, seeing the makeup of the characters and the way their past created their present made them feel more realistic.  I liked that.

This book was a bit of a slower read for me, as I am accustomed to reading middle-grade and young-adult books to recommend to my students.  It took a while to get into the adult frame of mind and expectations. It had all the things I love and crave in adult books.  We have characters who have been hiding secrets.  The characters are fleshed out so that we see all their sides, including the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I loved the pacing and the twist.  The only negative for me is a personal thing. I am a grown woman, but not a fan of the “F” word. I hear enough of it from my students.  Overall, I would recommend this book and check out his other adult books.

 

Do You Hear What I Hear? by Helen Dunlap Newton

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Thriller
Source: I purchased a copy

Noah Baker is trying to find a new normal after an accident caused a traumatic brain injury and a complete loss of hearing. His parents have done everything they could to make life normal after the accident. With a new cochlear implant to help him hear again, he dreams of a new normal. But normal is not in the cards. Noah realizes he can hear the thoughts of those around him through his new device. This is how he learns how worried his parents are about the cost of all of this and how his brother blames himself for Noah's loss.  When the doctor learns what Noah's device can do, he is caught up in a government plan. He isn't the only one. Lena, an amputee, has a new leg.  The government is using both of them.  They have been asked to use their new devices, which could put them and their families in danger. Yet, at the same time, they have been asked to serve their country under the guise of being ambassadors for a new organization that puts disabled kids at the front of society.  I loved this story and can't wait to read its sequel, "Careful What You Hear."  This book is full of technological advances and spy adventures. I think I loved this book because it reminded me of Anthony Horowitz's Stormbreaker series.  Anyone, young or old, who loves teens put in adventurous situations will love this book.