Reviewed by Taylor & Sid

TITLE: Silent

AUTHOR: Sara Alva

LENGTH: 108,865 words (approx.)

RELEASE DATE: 28/10/2013

BLURB: Alex’s life as a teenager in South Central L.A. is far from perfect, but it’s his life, and he knows how to live it. He knows what role to play and what things to keep to himself. He’s got it all under control, until one lousy pair of shoes kicks him out of his world and lands him in a foster care group home.

Surrounded by strangers and trapped in a life where he could never belong, Alex turns to the only person lower on the social ladder than he is: a “special” mute boy. In Sebastian, Alex finds a safe place to store his secrets—those that sent him to foster care, and the deeper one that sets him apart from the other teenagers he knows. But Sebastian has secrets of his own, and when tragedy rips the two boys apart, Alex will stop at nothing to find the answers—even if it means dragging them both through a past full of wounds best left buried.

It might just be worth it, for the slim chance at love.

TAYLOR’S REVIEW

What struck me most about Silent written by Sara Alva is the honesty of Seb and Alex’s story.  It isn’t pretty, you might get angry many, many times, and sad many, many times.  But just like with anything, there are some bright moments to balance all of that darkness.  For me, it’s essential young adult reading, and despite reading hundreds of young adult books, I still feel this one stands out, especially in the m/m genre.

Alex doesn’t have a supportive family, his sister is working on the streets with her drug addicted boyfriend, and his neice has a bed ridden with bed bugs.  Seb is a mute teenager often mistaken for something he’s not, and the two meet in an unexpected place where nothing such as true friendship and love feels like it could foster.

There are a lot of ‘moments’ in this book.  There are a lot of characters in Silent.  In another book, this could feel distracting or kitchen-sink feeling, but this all felt natural.  Two teenagers and the people they meet along the way in this coming-of-age journey across Los Angeles.  There are misfits, counslers, halfway homes, prostitutes, forgotten and abandoned children, people who feel trapped in their situation, moments of happiness on a beach, theives, worn-out shoes, and the way people surprise you or let you down or give you hope.

The best part of this book for me, though, is the friendship and eventual relationship between Alex and Seb.  Two teenagers on the ‘fringes’ of society so to speak for very, very different reasons.  Two people who probably would otherwise never met, never given the other a chance, and never had the either completely change their lives.  They are devoted, scared, brave, funny…they are KIDS.  Just babies, really, but I loved them.

So happy that the m/m young adult world has something this honest and awesome for readers out there.

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SID’S REVIEW

The true essence of a young adult novel is the tenderness and innocence that drips through it. The love between the lead pair is beyond reasons and I, for one, am always left amazed by how deep it always gets. In Silent, the main character Alex makes sacrifices – which, at his age, weren’t supposed to be made and all of that to be with his one true love – Seb. And what’s so special about Seb that he goes to such extremes? Well, because he is “special”.

For others, Seb is this mute kid who always keeps to himself; for Alex – he is the backbone, his support, his only reason to live.

The camaraderie between these two is always so strong throughout the book that you just sense that whatever is blooming there isn’t just a temporary thing – that it will go long way into the future. Alex understands what Seb is trying to say just by looking at him; Seb doesn’t need any gestures or signs to tell Alex what he wants.

This book is a journey that these boys take on to find themselves and to discover the depth of their budding love. And it isn’t always a bed of roses for them. Sara Alva doesn’t shy away from showing the true nature of life. While there are times that happiness kisses their feet, but then there are also times when the sadness overwhelms you. Sudden turn of events happen in a jiff before one could even settle back and it makes you wonder when finally these boys will find peace.

However, there is that ray of light at the end of the tunnel which keeps you going. I never felt like giving up on a hope for a happily ever after for Alex and Seb because little hints of hope were dropped every now and then and these bits are worth it. I don’t know how ugly their lives would be otherwise. Alex, especially, is forced to grow up so soon. He is a teenager! This is the age when he should be partying, hanging out with friends, having one-night stands, etc… This isn’t the age to be out on the streets or being lonely or job hunting and definitely not the age to worry about things like how he should manage his budget so that he could find some more days meals. It was heart-wrenching but also so very true. How many Alex-s are out there today that we have turned a blind eye on!

Silent is a story that brings you face to face with tragic young lives that still find ways to seek happiness in little things. It is a story of love between two kids and it is also a story that is worth reading. I’d highly reccomend this one.

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