The Quiet You Carry

by Nikki Barthelmess

Victoria Parker knew her dad's behavior toward her was a little unusual, but she convinced herself everything was fine--until she found herself locked out of the house at 3:00 a.m., surrounded by flashing police lights. Now, dumped into a crowded, chaotic foster home, Victoria has to tiptoe around her domineering foster mother, get through senior year at a new school, and somehow salvage her college dreams . . . all while keeping her past hidden. But some secrets won't stay buried--especially when unwanted memories make Victoria freeze up at random moments and nightmares disrupt her sleep. Even worse, she can't stop worrying about her stepsister Sarah, left behind with her father. All she wants is to move forward, but how do you focus on the future when the past won't leave you alone?

• ISBN13: 9781635830286
• Publish Date: 5 March 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Flux
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Victoria just had to make it through her final year of high school, and then, she would be able to enjoy the freedom, that comes with attending college, but instead, she found herself thrust into the foster care system following an altercation with her father, which had left her watching her future slip out of reach.

I had no idea this was an own voices book, when I requested it, though, I am not surprised. There was quite a bit of insight shared and, shared in a way, I have yet to see in other books involving foster children. Barthelmess brought me into the process, rules, and frustrations surrounding foster care. She showed the upside and downside, and it always came across as honest and fair to me.

This book had a HUGE emotional impact on me. I so clearly felt Victoria's fear, shame, distress, and hopelessness surrounding her situation. I also got a good sense of her strength, determination, and hope, which she tried not to let ebb, as she attempted to rebuild her life and continue to pursue her dreams.

I won't lie and say this book was light, because it was not. The book dealt with many heavy issues, but it wasn't all grim. Seeing Victoria continue to fight for her future was probably one of the things I loved most, and it kept me very hopeful. Barthelmess also gave Victoria a small group of great and supportive friends, an extremely sweet romantic interest, and some really supportive educators to help her along the way.

But, what I loved most was the ending. This was the payoff for the pain and tears shed. There was lots of closure and hope for the future, but the author also let some characters redeem themselves. I don't know, it was important for me to know, that not everyone was the villain they appeared to be.

Overall: A story that was equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking, but also hopeful and a tribute to how much power honesty, kindness, and friendship hold.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[anastasia]

Full Review on my blog!

*a copy was provided by NetGalley*

Wow. I don't know what to say.
Initially I was drawn to this book by its cover and title, more importantly I found it to hold more important messages. At one point I found that it was dragging on, and was a bit slow, but I eventually got through it. This book was so raw, and some parts made me cry, but I also loved seeing Victoria grow.

We come into the book not knowing much besides Victoria is being taken away by CPS. We have no idea what happened; just that Victoria is saying that nothing happened and it was all a misunderstanding. Victoria ends up in a foster home. The foster mother seems a bit harsh at first, but she's actually really cool and nice, which we get to see near the end of the book..

Eventually we learn the truth about what really happened, it comes in pieces, but after the first couple of chapters, you pretty much understand what happened. Victoria tries hard not to make any friends at her new school, but Christina and Kale won't let up on her, they become her best friends, and it was nice to see after all she's been through.

I don't think I've ever seen foster kids being portrayed in YA, I thought this was done really well. Definitely looking to pick this one up when it's released. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author~

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