frootjoos's review against another edition
4.0
I love the changing narrative and the different perspectives of the adults and children involved in this tale of two little girls who disappear into the Iowa woods. Gudenkauf has a steady, even hand with prose and clearly defined characters--I never had to refer back to the chapter heading to see who was narrating which part. Beautiful work.
406knits's review against another edition
5.0
The novel is told from several points of view: Calli, Calli's mother, Deputy Sheriff Louis (who once had a "thing" with Calli's mother), Calli's brother, and Martin Gregory, who is the father of Calli's best friend Petra. The first half of the book is really the back story: what is happening, and what relationships these people have with each other. Memories are spotted throughout. Then, just as that gets a little old, some other events come up and the novel picks up it's pace. The next thing you know, it's done, and you're salivating for more. The plot was addicting and unique. The whole novel you're wondering what is going on and who is responsible. SO. GOOD. It's a little Jodi Picoult-esque, so if you enjoy her writing, give this one a chance. Even if you don't, I'd encourage you to give this one a chance.
zosiablue's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5) This was about two 7-year-olds (one with selective mutism) who go missing in the woods & the central mystery was pretty interesting! But this was designed more like a character study with a mystery in the background & the writing/development wasn’t strong enough to hold my interest in the interpersonal parts. Which is almost always the case for me when a thriller tries to go deeper. Also a mystical raven(?) becomes a surprise Deus ex machina and while I’ll never get mad at a large bird, this ending scene was so out of place and magical that it made me wish the rest of the book had been like that.
kkop12's review against another edition
3.0
A good filler book. Some twists. Nothing fabulous but it kept me entertained.
bookite22's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
julie_loves_books's review against another edition
5.0
I could not put this book down. I started it one night and finished it 24 hours later at 2:30 in the morning. I can count on one hand the number of books that have kept me up that late.
This book grabbed me from the get go. It is told in the first person for many characters. And, the story is suspenseful. It kept me guessing till the very end what would happen. I love books with well developed characters and I feel she did a great job of doing that.
I hope she writes more...as I am looking forward to reading them.
**This was one of our Book Club picks. I feel there is plenty to discuss in this book. Can't wait to discuss.
This book grabbed me from the get go. It is told in the first person for many characters. And, the story is suspenseful. It kept me guessing till the very end what would happen. I love books with well developed characters and I feel she did a great job of doing that.
I hope she writes more...as I am looking forward to reading them.
**This was one of our Book Club picks. I feel there is plenty to discuss in this book. Can't wait to discuss.
gladdenangie's review against another edition
4.0
Really beautifully written, you would think that a book dealing with the abduction of two little girls would be terrible, but this book was so full of tender, lovely moments that it made the suspense bearable. There were some pretty bad characters, and you hated them, but they didn't dominate the book. "The Weight of Scilence" was one of those read straight through novels, where you just can't wait to see how it all ends.
beasleymomtwo's review against another edition
4.0
This was the first book I bought on my very first Nook, it has sat on there for 7 or so years. It was a great book even though I figured out what happened very early on. This is my second book but this author and the first one I liked, sorry.