Hush (Hush, #1)

by Dylan Farrow

Graceling meets Red Queen in this exciting debut novel by an electrifying new voice.

They use magic to silence the world. Who will break the hush?

Seventeen-year-old Shae has led a seemingly quiet life, joking with her best friend Fiona, and chatting with Mads, the neighborhood boy who always knows how to make her smile. All while secretly keeping her fears at bay… Of the disease that took her brother’s life. Of how her dreams seem to bleed into reality around her. Of a group of justice seekers called the Bards who claim to use the magic of Telling to keep her community safe.

When her mother is murdered, she can no longer pretend.

Not knowing who to trust, Shae journeys to unlock the truth, instead finding a new enemy keen to destroy her, a brooding boy with dark secrets, and an untold power she never thought possible.

From Dylan Farrow comes Hush, a powerful fantasy where one girl is determined to remake the world.

• ISBN10: 1250235901
• ISBN13: 9781250235909
• Publish Date: 6 October 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this review. This book is available now.

I was intrigued by the rather vague mention to dreams bleeding into reality, so I just had to pick Hush up. I have to be honest: this felt rather generic to me in many ways. Dylan Farrow is a skilled author, there’s no denying that, but the story itself felt like an idea that hadn’t been fully fleshed out yet.

Shae is the main character. When she was younger, her brother died of the Blot, a mysterious plague thought to be spread by ink. After her mother is murdered, Shae decides to track down the Bards, the only people who are now allowed to read and write. There is a reason for her choice, but it doesn’t really make a ton of sense if you think about it for too long. A good chunk of Shae’s decision to find the Bards is for knowledge. If anyone can help her, it would be them. This book is a lot of “don’t notice, don’t question”, with Shae needing to overcome her blind acceptance of things to discover the truth.

Unfortunately, Shae was a rather forgettable character. I never really got a feel on who she was. Again, I got the feel of a half fleshed-out idea. She was stubborn when it didn’t make sense to be, had the dreaded insta-attraction that I hate, and I just felt like she was more a stereotype of what people say all YA female characters are like, as opposed to being a full character. I don’t need to love a character to like reading about them, but feeling apathy regarding the main character definitely detracts from my enjoyment of a book.

The world itself is a fascinating one, full of little details that make it more three-dimensional, and it’s apparent that the author has a vision and is capable of realizing it. Even bare bones of the plot are pretty stinking cool. It just needs to be a little more developed.

I have a feeling that this series will grow and evolve into something great as it continues on. Unfortunately, I won’t be reading any subsequent books. Hush was just not for me.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Hush in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Hush is Dylan Farrow's debut novel, and it is a little bit of everything, fantasy, romance, mystery, and so much more.

Shae has grown up in a world that some would describe as quiet. Though that quietness belies the danger and pain that is so common in her world. Shae watched her brother grow ill – and saw how it cost him his life.

That was the first of several tragedies for Shae, and she is no longer willing to stay silent anymore. Not about her fears. And certainly not about the truth she is determined to uncover.

“What I cannot say to her – what I cannot even understand myself – is that sometimes, I fear the dark will swallow me whole.”

Hush was a wholly unique and chilling reading experience. It was unlike anything else I had ever read, and left me feeling oddly unsettled by the time I came to the final page. This debut novel has been enough to draw my attention towards Dylan Farrow's writing.

All of that being said, I will confess that I did struggle to get into Hush. Though I couldn't quite put my finger on the why. Once I did though, I found it to be a dark yet enjoyable read. One that wasn't afraid to portray all of the dangers that can come with silence – as I said, it's a chilling read.

Truthfully, I am left with so many questions about this series, and the world it is set in. I would give anything to see more of the magical system, of the history, and even the larger world itself. Likewise, I wouldn't mind getting to know a few of the characters that appeared over the course of Hush.

One thing I did truly love about this read is how it seems to defy the definitions of genres. It's undoubtedly YA, but it is also fantasy, with a bit of feminist/women's fiction thrown into the mix as well. I wish this was a blend I saw more often if I'm being honest (seriously, if you can recommend more books like this, I will love you forever).

Also, apparently, I'm just oblivious? I missed all of the hype about Hush, so my review is really not biased based on any of that. I simply enjoyed the premise and the world – and would love to see another visit in it someday.

Check out more of my reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Inkslinger]

"There are many ways a land like ours can be threatened, both from inside and out," Kennan states. "As Bards, we have to be prepared to face any threat and prevail."

 

'Hush' by Dylan Farrow was another of my most highly anticipated reads for 2020.. and it absolutely exceeded my expectations.

 

Shae, our main character, is a girl of seventeen who lives a quiet life in the small village of Aster with her mom.. the last living member of her family. Terrified of the plague that killed her baby brother, she lives in constant fear that she's cursed.. a fear that's reflected back at her by most of the townspeople.

 

Treated as an outcast, the only friends she has are Fiona and Mads.. both of whom do their best to make her life a little better.. but there are rules with harsh punishments enforced by a group called the Bards. These justice bearers come dressed all in black and gold, claiming to use the magic of Telling to keep the people safe.. so long as they provide appropriate tithes.

 

When she finds her murdered mother's body, the discovery exacerbates everything. All her fears and those of the community.. come down hard around her.. and that's where her journey begins.

 

This is one of those extremely rare instances where the synopsis not only leaves the best parts of the story out.. as well it should.. it even leaves out some of the most intriguing aspects told in the very first pages. It's actually kind of mind-blowing.. how bland the blurb is when compared to even the opening of the tale.. and it only gets better from there.

 

The brooding Bard with secrets of his own has an absolutely magnetic pull and I desperately hope there will be another book so I can learn more about him. Everything seems to imply there will be considering the way it wraps up.. but I've seen no confirmation anywhere yet.

 

"The Book of Days.

It is the repository of all truth, brought to our land by the First Rider. In its pages is the record of everything we know. The fabric upon which all reality is shaped."

 

As for the magic system, I loved how the importance of balance was displayed and how it seemed to work. Especially good was the play between illusion and magic grounded in reality. It created a sense of uncertainty, not only for Shae.. but a bit for the reader at times, so that one might wonder which way things would go.

 

Through it all runs an important message that the author alludes to in her acknowledgements. The importance of speaking out, the strength it often takes to do so.. when those around you seem aligned against you, and the celebration of those who do so anyway. It's certainly a position Farrow knows personally and I think that showed in the conviction and sometimes wavering bouts of despair that Shae struggled with.

 

I found the setting nearly as fascinating as the story itself. Shae's home village is described so cleanly, I feel like I can see it.. and the castle.. wow. It's a vast fortress of training grounds and corridors, a hidden maze, and a multitude of dangers.

 

If I was looking for something to improve on.. I'd say the dialogue could be better.. but that's not to say it's bad either. The conversations feel a little contrived at times, but there's definitely better dialogue chemistry once she reaches the home of the Bards.

 

Anyway, this book was fantastic! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderfully creative fantasy read.

(More reviews like this at Betwixt The Sheets.)

(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)