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{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=The Weight of Silence
|sort=The Weight of Silence
|author=Heather Gudenkauf
|reviewer=Katie Pullen
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=416
|publisher=MIRA
|date=April 2010
|isbn=978-0778303695
|website=http://www.heathergudenkauf.com/books.html
|cover=0778303691
|aznuk=0778303691
|aznus=0778303691
}}
On a hot August morning in the small town of Willow Creek, Iowa, Calli Clark and Petra Gregory are reported missing. They are both seven years old, live in the same street, and are the very best of friends. Calli has suffered from selective mutism from the age of four when she witnessed a traumatic event in her home. As a result Petra has become Calli’s voice, speaking for her and is even able to tell others what Calli is thinking.
Gudenkauf has also mastered an impressive multiple narrative throughout the novel. The story is told primarily by five characters - Calli, her mother Antonia, her brother Ben, Petra’s Dad Martin, and the Deputy Sheriff Louis. This may seem a bit over the top or confusing, but it works surprisingly well and is a versatile way of fleshing out the history of each storyteller, histories that help the reader to understand the actions of the characters and the current events that surround them. The only narrative I was uncertain about was Calli’s. I felt it risky to see events from her perspective, as surely this would weaken the primary plot that would keep most readers interested. But, surprisingly Gudenkauf gives little away and instead injects extra mystery to what has happened to Calli and Petra.
The characters themselves are all strong and well -conceived, and I felt immense sympathy for Antonia, Martin and Fielda as they move from hope to dread as they try to find the girls, as well as a loathing towards Calli’s violent father Griff. However, Calli’s elder brother Ben really stands out as the hero here. Very protective of Calli since she lost her voice, Ben seems to have no voice of his own as he is overlooked by his mother and Petra’s parents after the girls’ disappearance, but without him , the events that unfold may have taken a different route.
The story also takes place over twenty -four hours, an extremely short period to write about, but this is perhaps why the novel works so well. The pace is kept remarkably fast, reflecting the chaos that surrounds Calli and Petra’s families and as a result , none of the drama or focus of the story is lost.
For a first novel , Gudenkauf has also given herself some tricky themes, but these have obviously been well researched as she deals with the subjects of abduction, domestic violence and alcoholism carefully and sensitively.
I cannot recommend this book enough if you want a fast -paced, well-written novel with plenty of suspense. The only negative is that the outcome is a little predictable, but hey you can’t have everything.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also have a review of [[These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf]].
Further Reading Suggestion: If this book appeals to you, you may also enjoy [[Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult]], [[The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain]] and [[The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold]].
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