Soundless

This review was originally published on herestohappyendings.comSoundless was one of my most anticipated reads for 2015, and after I bought it, I kept putting off reading it, because of a lot of negative reviews. I’m not usually one to read a lot of negative reviews on a book before I read it (especially one that’s so high up on my “holy crap I’m super excited for this!” list), but seeing that maybe people’s unfavorable opinions on it put me off of reading it for a bit.I’ve noticed that a lot of people didn’t like this book, especially after reading the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. I haven’t read any of Richelle Mead’s other books, so I can’t really compare them to this, but I actually kind of enjoyed this.I liked the whole Chinese folklore/mythology thing that this book had going on. I honestly never read anything like this, and I was stunned at how well it was written.“Our village came to terms with silence when our ancestors lost their hearing generations ago for unknown reasons, but plunging into darkness? That’s a fate that scares us all.”Fei is used to not being able to hear. No one in her village has been able to hear for a very long time – her ancestors lost their hearing many years ago. Since the people living in her village have never had their hearing, they don’t really miss it – they communicate through signing. However, when the villagers start going blind, things start to get scary for them – after all – there will not be any jobs available to them if they can no longer see or hear, and they end up as beggars on the street.Fei and her sister both work as artists in the village – they observe the things that go on in the village and then paint the daily news – and for their work, they are rewarded more than the other villagers, such as the miners or servants. However, when Fei’s sister begins to lose her sight, and the elders of the village begin to notice, she can’t continue to help her. However, one night, Fei wakes up after a strange dream – and she is able to hear. At first the experience confused her, but as she began to realize what was going on, things changed for her.In order to figure out what was happening in her village, Fei decided to go off with an old childhood friend, who she no longer gets to talk to because of her status as an artist and his as a miner. When he tells her he is leaving the village to figure out what is going on, she convinces him that she can hear and that she can go along, too.When the two of them set off to figure out the mystery of why the villagers are losing their sight, they find some things that they might not have been ready for – and Fei is determined to get back to her village and save the others.The whole premise for Soundless is fantastic, and the way the story is told makes for a nice read. I liked Fei’s character, and her determination to save her village – she wasn’t the kind of girl who relied on everyone around her to fix things – she takes charge and gets things done. There is a romance between Fei and the guy she goes with to get to the bottom of things, and it’s actually pretty sweet.“Once I felt like I had too many senses, now I suddenly feel as though they’ve all disappeared. I hear nothing. I see nothing. All I’m aware of in the world at that moment is the feel of his lips on mine.”Sometimes I feel like romances hinder the plot of the story, but this one didn’t really take center stage, and it was a nice little side-thing going on while they were working on fixing their village.I think this book was really well put together, and you can tell a lot of thought and research was put into writing it. I really liked this, so I’m looking forward to other books my Richelle Mead.

It's one thing to cerebrally acknowledge that the heroes of stories are brave . . .But when an author is able to capture that bravery, the fearlessness in the face of adversity, the lack of self when others face harm or death if they remain ignorant to newly discovered information . . . That is the foundation of a truly great book, and that is exactly what Richelle Mead has done in SOUNDLESS.Fei and her people have lived on the top of their mountain for generations. Hundreds of years ago, they also lived and farmed the fertile valleys beyond the mountain pass, but an avalanche blocked the pass, and ever since they have been dependent on the line keeper.The line keeper sends food and supplies via zip cord, which has always been there and leads no-one-knows where.But the line keeper only sends the supplies in exchange for the metal mined on the mountain top, and when the villagers begin to lose their sight in addition to their widespread and complete loss of hearing (also generations ago--no one on the mountain even knows what sound is), and they begin to send less and less ore, the line keeper sends less and less food.It's only fair.As an artist, it is Fei's job to record the daily life, to preserve the history in text and picture, to capture the growing crowd of beggars who have lost their sight and have never had sound. Beggars who can do nothing but sit in silent darkness, slowly starving, waiting for handouts from a dwindling food supply.Fei is to observe, never interfere. She is separate from the lower working classes of miners and servants.Except Fei herself grew up in a mining family. The boy she loved but can never marry (Li Wei) is a miner still. And when her sister, the last surviving member of her family, begins to lose her sight, Fei can no longer simply observe . . . So when an avoidable tragedy claims the life of Li Wei's father and he decides to climb down the mountain and confront the line keeper, Fei decides to go with him.Something must change.What follows is an incredible journey of discovery. Of life off the mountain. Of lies and abuse. Of kernels of truth in old stories. Of determination and hope and perseverance. Of new beginnings.And it is truly lovely.SOUNDLESS by Richelle Mead is her greatest work to date and completely unlike anything else she's ever written. An instant classic, it deserves shelf space in every library, every home, and should be told and retold to audiences of all ages. I don't know if it's a new version of an old story or an entirely new tale based on the Chinese folklore that inspired it . . . Either way, it's as beautiful as is it timeless. Highly recommended.

It took me some while to finish this. Having read previous reviews and given the price I expected this to be an out of the ordinary and mind blowing read. Unfortunately it was an ordinary novel, well written but not breathtaking. Also predictable. The plot was quite mediocre. And again predictable. Not one I'm likely to recommend to a friend.

Very addictive. I found this easy to understand and follow. The protagonist is likable and her goals are realistic. The sidekick character is also likable, and their romance isn't jarring, but refreshing. Everyone in this novel is a POC, which is an added bonus.

Excellent product. As described. Thank you.

Great.

Another great book from a brilliant author.