Why Every One Should Read A Quiet Kind Of Thunder!

by - Thursday, January 19, 2017

A Quiet Kind Of Thunder No Spoiler Book Review | sprinkledpages

Hey lovelies!

I have a very special book to be sharing with you all today and that is A Quiet Kind Of Thunder by the lovely Sara Barnard. I had read Barnard’s other book Beautiful Broken Things last year (review here!) and I really loved it so when I heard she was coming out with a new book – this one being a diverse read – of course I had to read it!

I read this book in about a day and then proceeded to write a super lengthy goodreads review for it (my longest one yet!) just because of how much I loved it!

And before we get started, can we talk about how utterly gorgeous the cover is? The cover designer at Macmillan for Barnard’s books really needs a round of applause because DAMNNNNN! *insert heart eye emoji*

Okay but for real now, let’s begin!


About the book. 

Book: A Quiet Kind Of Thunder
Author: Sara  Barnard
Pages: 320
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Synopsis: Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.
Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.
Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.
Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.  (source)
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Recommended for: Anyone 14+.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a review copy of this title however all thoughts and opinions are my own and this is an honest review. 

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR


My thoughts.

{ WRITING }

I love Barnard’s writing. It’s so easy to read and relate to and it really helps the readers connect with the characters. You get sucked into her story and you feel like you really know the characters and as if they are right there in front of you, acting out the book rather than you simply reading it alone in your room.

Everything about her books is just so vibrant and engaging. Through her writing, I fell in love with the characters and the story and there were times where I just wanted to reach through the book and either shake some sense into some of the characters or just give them a hug because they seemed like they needed it!


{ IDEA + PLOT }

Okay, prepare yourself because this is going to be a long one!

I thought the idea of this book was AMAZING. In fact, amazing probably doesn’t even cut it. I hadn’t read a book with selective mutism and a deaf main character before and I learnt SO MUCH! It was so well researched and informative and I can tell you right now that this knowledge has changed my perspective on so many things!

This was such an excellent idea and (to my knowledge) had excellent representation of this disabilities where it showed how these characters learned to lived normal lives. It had such a great family dynamic and Tem and Steffi were #friendship goals. This book provided hope for those with a disability similar to Steffi and Rhys that it IS possible to live a normal life and it was so inspirational.
I loved how Barnard also zoomed out a little and focused on the bigger picture including the reactions of others so deafness and selective mutism. (Eg talk louder to a deaf person thinking that they can hear you).

A Quiet Kind Of Thunder No Spoiler Book Review | sprinkledpages

I liked how the book focused on the disability but not to the point where the entire book became about the disability. There were other things going on like growing up, two people trying to make a relationship work, Steffi struggling with her grief and anxiety and all that added so well together to create such a beautiful story.

This book is so real. Everything from the personality of the characters to the story to the romance and relationships and conversations. It feels so raw and truthful. It doesn’t sugar coat anything, including the disability Rhys has or the anxiety Steffi feels and it especially doesn’t sugar coat the romance between the two.

The plot I felt was a little lacking and could have been a little more busy however, I can also see that Barnard intended it to be that way as she wanted to focus on the character development of the individual characters and the romance between the two.


{ CHARACTERS }

Let me just start off by saying I liked how Barnard didn’t create perfect characters, especially when it came to the romance. Both Steffi and Rhys made mistakes and could be irrational but they could also be sweet and caring.

Same with the parents. I loved how Steffi’s mum wasn’t always the most supportive and understanding because it made it real. She wasn’t mean or cruel to her – she just wasn’t able to understand what was causing Steffi to be selectively mute and wanted to help her, in her own way.
I loved Steffi as a character. I could see a lot of myself in her with our anxiety and social shyness and awkwardness. Although I wouldn’t say my social anxiety or anxiety in general is as severe as Steffi’s, a lot of her thought processes were similar to mine. I also admired what a level headed and patient character she was. From her relationships with her parents and her step parents to her friendship with Tem and how much she cared for her half siblings and dog (did I mention there is a dog in this book??? Because any book with a dog in it automatically gets raised a notch in my opinion!) she was determined and realistic and such an awesome character.

Rhys. Aha, Rhys! Before I express my love for Rhys, let me just say how much I respect him. He is such a determined character. He has a disability which could have made it difficult for him to do normal things but he just pushes past it with his never-ending enthusiasm. He is so friendly and kind and observant and all round brilliant.

Tem is another great character. This book, like Barnard’s other book, focuses on a good female relationship where the girls lift each other up instead of getting catty. Tem and Steffi have such a beautiful and intricate friendship and I love them. Tem also.

A Quiet Kind Of Thunder No Spoiler Book Review | sprinkledpages

{ FINALLY… }

I had originally given this book a 4.5 star rating but I have decided to revise it to a 5 star rating because THIS BOOK IS SO BLOODY BRILLIANT. I am going to recommend this TO EVERYONE that I meet from now on because this book deserves to be read and talked about and fangirled over.

This has made it into my favourite books ever list and I could NOT stop thinking about it long after I put it down. AND I loved it so much that after a week of having finished it, I picked it up again to read my favourite parts because DAMN!!

I highly, highly, strongly, 100% in fact 10000000% recommend you read this book! It is BEYOND brilliant and I loved it so goddamn much!


OVERALL RATING:


So please, READ IT. Also, let’s give a round of applause to the lovely Sara Barnard for writing this brilliant book. Are you clapping? You better be!

Have you read this book yet? What did you think?

Also, follow me on twitter (@sprinkledpages) for my upcoming giveaway of this amazing book!

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24 happy thoughts

  1. I'm so excited that you adored this so much! I JUST ORDERED MY COPY. *flails wildly while waiting for it to arrive* I always specifically seek out books about anxiety (and if you want more Selective Mutism recs, you might like The Things I Didn't Say by Kylie Fornaiser and The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L Armentrout! I loved them so much too. <3 Anyway yayyyy this this lived up to your expectations and I hope I love it too!

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    1. OOH I will try those out soon thanks for recs Cait! ALSO, I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! I ALWAYS LOVE IT WHEN MY FAV PEOPLE ENJOY MY FAV BOOKS ;)

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  2. I can tell you really enjoyed this book Anisha, particularly with the anxiety, awkward character, the doggie and the disability aspects! Thank you for sharing lovely.

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    1. No problem Jeann, thanks for reading and commenting Jeann!

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  3. This one sounds amazing! I haven't read any of her books before, so maybe I should start with her first book. I agree that the cover is gorgeous, and the premise is really interesting! Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. You must Tasya! It is such an amazing book and I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  4. I adored this book so glad to see you enjoyed it too. Sara Barnard is definitely an author to watch out for - although I must admit, her debut, Beautiful Broken Things remains my favourite. Great review!

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    1. Thank you so much! Thanks for commenting and reading also and YES Beautiful Broken Things was absolutely amazing though AQKOT is my fav hahah, opposite to you!

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  5. Wasn't it magnificent Anisha! I loved the characterisation and that's a brilliant point you bring up too, how the narrative panned out to include family members and friends which felt so much more realistic. I loved Steffi's dad in particular, thank goodness she has his support because her mother was so narcissistic. Brilliant review Anisha, really enjoyed it <3

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    1. OMG YES KELLY! IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK I CANNOT EVEN!!!! And aww you're too kind!

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  6. Great review! I absolutely loved A Quiet Kind of Thunder, it's such a beautiful story! I also loved how it looked at Steffi and Rhys' struggles, but that their anxiety and deafness wasn't the sole focus of the plot, that their relationship with each other was. Just a gorgeous read! And it's made me even more determined to learn BSL!

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    1. YES OMG IT'S SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK IM SO GLAD TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE THAT LOVED IT AS MUCH AS I DID YAY!

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  7. This sounds like an amazing book! Thanks for sharing your review :)

    Stephanie Jane @ Literary Flits
    http://litflits.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks for reading and commenting Stephanie!

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  8. Great review, Anisha! I also really, really loved this book - the characters are flawed yet really likable, and I thought the way it explores selective mutism/deafness/disability was very sensitive and respectful. I haven't read Beautiful Broken Things yet, but now I'm kind of curious. :)

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    1. REG GO READ IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING OH MY GOD YOU MUST!!!!!

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  9. Aww I'm so happy to see you loved this book so much! I already ordered this and it's on its way right now! So excited hahaha also yes the cover is sooo gorgeous and the writing+the characters sound really awesome! I mean, I admit I didn't actually read your review because I like going in blind hehe also I almost bought Beautiful Broken Things but didn't :( if I love AQKOT I'm definitely gonna buy it next <3

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    1. OMG YAY HOPEFULLY YOU ENJOY IT! And then that means you'll also buy Beautiful Broken Things so double plus! Thanks for reading and commenting Puput!

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  10. Ah so happy to hear you enjoyed this book! I read it last month as well and I can only wholeheartedly agree with your review ;)

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    1. YAY LINDSEY SO GLAD WE AGREE! Thanks for reading and commenting! <3

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  11. I'm so excited to read this. I've heard nothing but amazing things about it and the cover is gorgeous. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much!

    Brooklyn (https://brooklynsippingacupoftea.blogspot.com.au/)

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    1. OMG YOU MUST READ IT BROOKLYN! It is a wonderous wonderous book!

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  12. Oh my goodness, I really want to read this!

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