Reviews

Silence Is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar

djtran's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

khairun_atika's review against another edition

3.0

"We are one being. All of us. You are not made any differently than I am. And these religions of ours are nothing but languages. You speak in English, I speak Punjabi, he speaks French, she speaks Japanese or Chinese, but we all say the same thing. These religions, they are words, only a language. Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, we are all saying the same thing. Your humanity and my humanity are the same. We are of one being, one value. All of us equal, all of us the same." - Silence is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar

Thought-provoking, intense and beguiling, this is the story of a refugee who still suffers from the horrors of her journey from Syria to England.

With the trauma still fresh in her mind, she distracts herself from her past by being a voyeur of sorts to her neighbours. A part time student and a freelance writer, she contributes articles as "The Voiceless", and is battling between revealing the truth about the plight of refugees and of finding her own identity.

This book sheds light onto the paradox - of how these refugees escape the terrors of their homeland to build a new home - their present lives are also filled with terrors of not being natives of the country. The themes of Islamophobia, racism, and violence are prevalent in this story.

However, the book seems more retrospective as opposed to a traumatised person's stream of consciousness, and there are instances where the focus is more on The Voiceless' neighbours. The descriptions are rather graphic, which calls to mind the worrying nature of one's voyeuristic tendencies. The tone of the book is filled with dread, listlessness and intensity and it does capture the plight of a refugee yearning to find a home. It is not a book you can read or take lightly, but it is a fine piece of literature that captures the realism of the current age dramatically and sensibly.

vicky523's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

bags_and_bookz's review against another edition

4.0

Thank you Netgalley, Algonquin Books and Layla AlAmmar for free e-ARC of Silence Is A Sense in return of my honest review.

The reader meets a girl, a Syrian refugee who is no longer able to talk due to trauma. She uses her voice only to tell written stories in an online magazine under Voiceless- alias. She meets some people in the neighborhood and slowly gets used to a new way of life. Flashbacks to past and her articles in the magazine give the reader a glimpse into her previous life.

Not an easy book to read but so worth it! Horrible stories of her survival during her trip from Syria to England, ignorance by some people she encountered, hate crime and vivid descriptions of war are not the topics one might find comfortable. However, as year of 2020 and summer events showed me that life is not comfortable. Also uncomfortable literature is a pretty comfortable way to educate yourself on some important issues.

scienceworks's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jiujensu's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Like all great books, there is the main story, this one about a mute refugee who cannot speak and then all the other things it makes you think about. Obviously, there's silence - when you choose it and when it's imposed on you. Protests in Syria vs proests by liberal people in thre west. Religion - how it's divisive and how it coheres. Bigotry, democracy, patriotism, borders, and language too. 
A hopeful ending without too much closure. 
Excellent.

gabyk_lib's review against another edition

5.0

I found this book intense, profound, and very moving. It makes you think about what you read, what you expect and what the impact of trauma can be.

sam_the_librarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

greatlibraryofalexandra's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Obsessed. Love this book. Beautiful engaging writing. So voyeuristic and cerebral. This is one of those books that just...sucked me in. I liked the mixed media storytelling and the observational narrative and the gut-punches laced throughout...reminded me of "Speak" (Laurie Halse Anderson). I just really, really liked this. 

kmarks917's review against another edition

5.0

The prose was so visceral & emotional— from the words to the pacing to the imagery. SIAS really captures what (I imagine) the experience of a (deeply traumatized Syrian refugee is without being trauma porn but also doesn’t hold back on how difficult it is/was/will be for the main character. The author gives enough info, but not too much. Maybe the most moving book I’ve read in 2022!

Btw- this isn’t a plot-driven book, so don’t expect some crazy rollercoaster of her fleeing/displacement/resettling.