Silent

by Sara Alva

[Angie]

Silent was so great! It took a bit for me to get into, because I didn't really care for Alex at first. Having bad things happen doesn't automatically make me care about a character. It takes more than that. But once Alex is told that he can't go home until his mother and her boyfriend are investigated, I was sold. Alex really believed that they would lie and say nothing was going on, and he'd go back to his home. Well, that's not what happens. Alex's mother just disappears, so he's stuck in a group home and having to attend a new school. At least he's got some shoes that fit now. And then there's Seb. Everyone believes Sebastian is mentally handicapped in addition to being mute. Alex finds him easy to talk to since he doesn't believe he understands what he's saying, but then he realizes that he does, and maybe something more is developing between them.

I have to start with the romance because I absolutely adored it! Silent starts with Alex being in the closet, but well aware and accepting that he's gay. He just knows it's not safe for someone like him in his neighborhood, so he puts on the straight, playboy act. He does lust after a couple of the boys in the group home, included Seb, although Alex feels bad about that since Seb is supposedly "special." But he can't help it, Seb is hot, and he's a horny teenage boy! He doesn't act on it though. It's Seb who takes control of their relationship! And what a sweet and steamy relationship it is! I actually was surprised by the amount of sex in Silent. It's not graphic, but it is a lot more detailed than other YA novels. But it fits, because Alex's narrative is very open and honest. He does not censor his feelings.

As for the plot, I was expecting Silent to be more depressing than it was. But I'm glad that it wasn't! At first it seems like one disaster after another, as Alex gets abused by his mother's boyfriend, put into foster care, then eventually runs away and runs into even more bad luck. But there's always this ray of hope following him wherever he goes. Alex could have turned to some quick and dirty methods of supporting them, but Seb was always the (silent) voice of reason. And I'm really proud of Alex for what he ends up doing at the end. It was very mature of him to go that way instead of taking the "easy" road.

In the end, I really liked Silent. Alex faces some tough times, but he keeps pushing through. Of course, he makes a lot of mistakes along the way, but his heart is in the right place. It just takes some time for his head to get there with him, but he does get there. The romance was really fantastic, too! Seb and Alex really do bring the best out of each other. The ending was a bit too nice and neat, wrapped in a bow, but I'm sooo happy for them!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.