Review: Where Silence Gathers by Kelsey Sutton

In this companion novel to the critically acclaimed Some Quiet Place, Alex must choose between Revenge and Forgiveness.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Tate sits outside Nate Foster's house, clutching a gun. After serving ten years for the drunk driving accident that killed Alex's family, Nate has been released from prison. Every night, Alex waits out of sight, building up the courage to exact her own justice. There's just one problem: Forgiveness.

Alex has been able to see personified Emotions for as long as she can remember, and Revenge is her best friend. But when Forgiveness suddenly appears, he offers Alex a choice—getting even or moving on. It's impossible to decide when Revenge whispers in one ear . . . and Forgiveness whispers in the other.

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

This is a companion novel to Some Quiet Place and since I really enjoyed the first book (besides the heartbreaking ending) I was very excited to read this. I still enjoyed the premise (characters see the physical manifestations of emotions) but my interest waned in certain portions of the book.

The good thing about the protagonist Alex is that unlike the narrator of the first book, Alex can feel emotions. It was hard to connect with the dead inside main character of the first book. Alex has gone through a lot in the past six years and she is trying to decide whether to seek revenge or forgive the man who wrecked her world.

The writing was lyrical and beautiful in the book and I enjoyed Alex’s narration. It was interesting again to read about the physical manifestations of emotions, but in some parts, I found it distracting. It took me out of the story and there were so many emotions, I never remembered their exact appearance anyway when they popped up again. The pacing was slow in this book and I kept waiting for more to happen.

The second half of the novel luckily picked up and I became interested in the mysteries surrounding the death of Alex’s family. There were also a few intense interactions between Revenge and Alex. Revenge was mysterious enough that I liked never knowing what exactly his intentions towards Alex were. The character of Forgiveness was also intriguing to read about.

I enjoyed Where Silence Gathers, but I did wish for more excitement between the pages. I think the premise is unique enough that there’s room for growth in the series.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!