geleeregina's review
4.0
"Speech Team Reality TV"
The story was well paced, thoughtful and made me laugh in several spots. It reminded me of high school and all the drama involved. It was a unique perspective of someone who has a phobia about public speaking being on the high school speech team. After reading, I need to revisit several novels mentioned in the story, just to re-experience them. :) The story had some minor movement issues in the flow, as perhaps it needed to be fleshed out a bit more, especially at the end, but overall it was a sweet, funny read. I'm looking forward to other titles by the author.
This was a listen for me rather than a read. I'm delighted by Ms. Klanac's performance. Both her male & female voices were distinct from each other and well done. :) She will be a performer to keep an eye on!
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
The story was well paced, thoughtful and made me laugh in several spots. It reminded me of high school and all the drama involved. It was a unique perspective of someone who has a phobia about public speaking being on the high school speech team. After reading, I need to revisit several novels mentioned in the story, just to re-experience them. :) The story had some minor movement issues in the flow, as perhaps it needed to be fleshed out a bit more, especially at the end, but overall it was a sweet, funny read. I'm looking forward to other titles by the author.
This was a listen for me rather than a read. I'm delighted by Ms. Klanac's performance. Both her male & female voices were distinct from each other and well done. :) She will be a performer to keep an eye on!
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
see_sadie_read's review
3.0
This had many of the elements of contemporary YA literature that I dislike: the pretty girl who doesn't know she's pretty, the boy who solves her problems and gives her her confidence back, all the girls outside the main character's circle were horrible, etc. (Well, so was her best friend. That girl should have taken long walk off a very short pier. She was horrible, but forgiven without even apologizing and I was angered by it more than the other mean girls.)
Despite having plenty of elements I disliked, it was also smart and witty, had a clean narrative voice and relatable high school experience. All of which I enjoyed. Additionally, Ashley Klanac did a good job with the audiobook narration. So, end the end I enjoyed listening to The Fie Art of Keeping Quiet, even if I sneered at certain bits of it.
Despite having plenty of elements I disliked, it was also smart and witty, had a clean narrative voice and relatable high school experience. All of which I enjoyed. Additionally, Ashley Klanac did a good job with the audiobook narration. So, end the end I enjoyed listening to The Fie Art of Keeping Quiet, even if I sneered at certain bits of it.
suzenbee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nixwolfwood's review
5.0
I was given an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, I wasn't sure what I'd think of this book. I recently subscribed to an audiobook list that sends out audible review requests once a week. There was nothing else on the list I was really interested in, so I applied on a whim. The next day I found out I had been given an audible code in exchange for the review.
A week or so goes by, and I decide it's time to actually give it a listen. I really have no expectations for it. I've never heard of the author and there aren't many reviews on either amazon or goodreads.
To say this story surprised me would be an understatement.
The entire time I'm listening to it, I'm either yelling at it for someone's insolence, laughing because of some hilarity, or face palming because of how often something huge was not dealt with properly as the characters thought they could handle it on their own.
I finished this one in a day. Instead of sleeping. I had to go find headphones so I could listen to it after everyone was asleep. ... I hate headphones. That's how much I NEEDED to finish this one.
Also, and this is a very important thing. The author is totally a Whovian. She mentions it several times! The first time, Jolia is wearing a Doctor Who shirt with pajama pants. Which happens to be EXACTLY what I was wearing at the time.
I plan on checking out more stories from Charity Tahmaseb after this one.I really enjoyed how real this story was. Also, it made me miss speech class. Which I only took for one summer semester back when I was 13 or so... but I loved it! (I spent the entire summer talking in an accent and managed to convince the entire class that I was from England...)
Ah, and Ashley Klanac, the narrator, I was pleased with her as well. Quite interested in checking out more of her narrations. She's done a few other books that I'm interested in.
Highly recommend The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet. Read it immediately!
5/5 Platypires
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/the-fine-art-of-keeping-quiet-by-charity-tahmaseb
To be honest, I wasn't sure what I'd think of this book. I recently subscribed to an audiobook list that sends out audible review requests once a week. There was nothing else on the list I was really interested in, so I applied on a whim. The next day I found out I had been given an audible code in exchange for the review.
A week or so goes by, and I decide it's time to actually give it a listen. I really have no expectations for it. I've never heard of the author and there aren't many reviews on either amazon or goodreads.
To say this story surprised me would be an understatement.
The entire time I'm listening to it, I'm either yelling at it for someone's insolence, laughing because of some hilarity, or face palming because of how often something huge was not dealt with properly as the characters thought they could handle it on their own.
I finished this one in a day. Instead of sleeping. I had to go find headphones so I could listen to it after everyone was asleep. ... I hate headphones. That's how much I NEEDED to finish this one.
Also, and this is a very important thing. The author is totally a Whovian. She mentions it several times! The first time, Jolia is wearing a Doctor Who shirt with pajama pants. Which happens to be EXACTLY what I was wearing at the time.
I plan on checking out more stories from Charity Tahmaseb after this one.I really enjoyed how real this story was. Also, it made me miss speech class. Which I only took for one summer semester back when I was 13 or so... but I loved it! (I spent the entire summer talking in an accent and managed to convince the entire class that I was from England...)
Ah, and Ashley Klanac, the narrator, I was pleased with her as well. Quite interested in checking out more of her narrations. She's done a few other books that I'm interested in.
Highly recommend The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet. Read it immediately!
5/5 Platypires
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/the-fine-art-of-keeping-quiet-by-charity-tahmaseb
renee_conoulty's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful young adult novel about friendship and developing self confidence.
Jolia's self confidence plummeted when she got braces and was bullied at school. Now that her braces are off, she is still doesn't believe in herself and has a phobia of public speaking. This is causing her to fail the oral presentation section of her classes. The best way for her to pick up her grades is to join the Speech Club.
I found Jolia very relatable, as I also had braces at her age, was bullied and was quite shy. The narrator was well spoken and easy to listen to.
I recieved this book free in exchange for an honest review.
Jolia's self confidence plummeted when she got braces and was bullied at school. Now that her braces are off, she is still doesn't believe in herself and has a phobia of public speaking. This is causing her to fail the oral presentation section of her classes. The best way for her to pick up her grades is to join the Speech Club.
I found Jolia very relatable, as I also had braces at her age, was bullied and was quite shy. The narrator was well spoken and easy to listen to.
I recieved this book free in exchange for an honest review.
ccopeland28's review against another edition
4.0
Finally a YA book where life as a teenager is relatable to how I remember it being! It seems today's more popular YA books depict teenagers living extravagant lifestyles where no one has a job and yet they all have an endless supply of money, alcohol, nice cars, and no rules to live by. I'm always screaming in my head "Where are the parents?!?!" This book is refreshing in that it is the story of high school students who have involved parents, they have to ride the bus or be picked up by a parent, they get grounded, and so many other things that I suffered through as a teenager.
The plot of the story revolves around the main character, Jolia, unwillingly joining the speech team and the struggles she faces due to deep-seated (and unmerited) self-image issues. Luckily, her friend Sam is there to help her develop her public speaking skills, but he attends a different high school and so he is actually the competition. Thus, Jolia and Sam must meet in secret to practice, sneak around at competitions, and covertly text each other. Another spoke in this wheel is Jolia's best friend, Caro, who has an overprotective mother which results in Caro having to lie to her in order to attend even the tamest of social functions - and heaven forbid that her mom find out about her new boyfriend, Jeremy. Quite a few times Jolia finds herself in situations where she has to decide between Sam or Caro. Been there - done that.
All in all, this was an enjoyable story with a sugar-coated ending. My rating: 3.5 Stars
________________
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The plot of the story revolves around the main character, Jolia, unwillingly joining the speech team and the struggles she faces due to deep-seated (and unmerited) self-image issues. Luckily, her friend Sam is there to help her develop her public speaking skills, but he attends a different high school and so he is actually the competition. Thus, Jolia and Sam must meet in secret to practice, sneak around at competitions, and covertly text each other. Another spoke in this wheel is Jolia's best friend, Caro, who has an overprotective mother which results in Caro having to lie to her in order to attend even the tamest of social functions - and heaven forbid that her mom find out about her new boyfriend, Jeremy. Quite a few times Jolia finds herself in situations where she has to decide between Sam or Caro. Been there - done that.
All in all, this was an enjoyable story with a sugar-coated ending. My rating: 3.5 Stars
________________
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
3.0
This had many of the elements of contemporary YA literature that I dislike: the pretty girl who doesn't know she's pretty, the boy who solves her problems and gives her her confidence back, all the girls outside the main character's circle were horrible, etc. (Well, so was her best friend. That girl should have taken long walk off a very short pier. She was horrible, but forgiven without even apologizing and I was angered by it more than the other mean girls.)
Despite having plenty of elements I disliked, it was also smart and witty, had a clean narrative voice and relatable high school experience. All of which I enjoyed. Additionally, Ashley Klanac did a good job with the audiobook narration. So, end the end I enjoyed listening to The Fie Art of Keeping Quiet, even if I sneered at certain bits of it.
Despite having plenty of elements I disliked, it was also smart and witty, had a clean narrative voice and relatable high school experience. All of which I enjoyed. Additionally, Ashley Klanac did a good job with the audiobook narration. So, end the end I enjoyed listening to The Fie Art of Keeping Quiet, even if I sneered at certain bits of it.
petra_reads's review against another edition
4.0
A charming young adult novel about friendship, bullying, developing self-confidence and finding your voice. Jolia who is fearful of public speaking is forced to join the speech team in order to get the grade she requires.
The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet is a well written, heart warming story with some sweet, first love romance that many teenagers will be able to relate to. Well paced, with some great humor and thoughtful, realistic observations on growing up.
The narration by Ashley Klanac was very well done. Voices used for the different characters were easily distinguishable and her pace and intonation excellent.
A solid 4 star listen!
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet is a well written, heart warming story with some sweet, first love romance that many teenagers will be able to relate to. Well paced, with some great humor and thoughtful, realistic observations on growing up.
The narration by Ashley Klanac was very well done. Voices used for the different characters were easily distinguishable and her pace and intonation excellent.
A solid 4 star listen!
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
wildfire's review against another edition
2.0
When Jolia is failing her speech class, due to her shyness and anxiety of speaking, she is forced to join the speech team. This forces her to face her fears of public speaking and make new friends along the way. It even gives her a chance to find love.
This was an okay read, nothing special. A lot of the story is Jolia at speech tournaments and facing her fears of public speaking and really speaking in general. I believe it does have a nice message of facing your fears and overcoming them. This is a story that I can see a number of people connecting with in one way or another, but for me, I didn't connect with it.
The writing was alright, but there were tropes in throughout it that I didn't like. It did feel like Sam, her love interest, fixed her by giving her the confidence to give the speeches and girls were mean to each other for no reason than to be mean. Those tropes took away from the story for me.
Overall, it was a mediocre read with a romance that I didn't feel. It's a quick easy read, but unfortunately falls under the all too forgettable.
This was an okay read, nothing special. A lot of the story is Jolia at speech tournaments and facing her fears of public speaking and really speaking in general. I believe it does have a nice message of facing your fears and overcoming them. This is a story that I can see a number of people connecting with in one way or another, but for me, I didn't connect with it.
The writing was alright, but there were tropes in throughout it that I didn't like. It did feel like Sam, her love interest, fixed her by giving her the confidence to give the speeches and girls were mean to each other for no reason than to be mean. Those tropes took away from the story for me.
Overall, it was a mediocre read with a romance that I didn't feel. It's a quick easy read, but unfortunately falls under the all too forgettable.
mostlyshanti's review against another edition
4.0
The characters in this book were adorable, I loved their evolution, and the themes this story dealt with was awesome. The only thing that I found that it was a little bit ridiculous, especially towards the end
I really loved Jolia as a character. She is totally an introvert, and I saw a lot of myself in her- likes reading check, plays in an orchestra, check, likes knitting, check. Her friendships were also believeable, though her friend Caro was a bit annoying. She is very shy and definitely lets herself get pushed around. I did wonder why she never practiced violin… but anyway, that was alright. Her relationships with the speech team members and Romero really defined her, and I loved how she developed and got more courage as the book progressed. Her reason for being quiet- buck teeth- was kind of dumb, but that’s okay because I loved seeing her journey. In fact, seeing how she began to embrace speech made me want to join (Just sayin’) I loved that she learnt how to face up to her fears. We see this in the scene with the rink rats. Her relationship with Romero was superbly written, and I especially enjoyed the ending, because that is so true to how high school is. As she became more brave, Jolia was more interesting, and I just loved her for her reality.
So this book is a retelling/ has clear parallels to Romeo and Juliet. It was sort of stupid- speech team rivalry isn’t as big of a deal as sports teams even- but I was able to take it seriously because the characters di too. So there was a bit of a love story, but it was in the background mostly. The plot sort of fluctuates (like a sine wave) with the rhythm of the tournaments and the time in between. It kept moving, and I was always interested, so that’s good. Charity Tahmaseb (who has an awesome last name) has this grounded, precise prose, and I could be immersed in Jolia’s reality without ever being bogged down in the details. There was humor- boy I liked Jeremy- and it was entertaining, mostly because Jolia’s story was so appealing.
Like most ‘teenager books’ this novel focussed a lot on themes ofcourage, discovering what you believe in and who you truly are. That’s average, but it was done pretty well, so I don’t mind. I liked how Jolia- and even Tory, Ryan, Sam’s and Caro’s journeys were told as they learnt not to take each other at face value. This book really promoted the idea that everyone has a story, and you just have to find the courage to tell that story. These themes lent a depth to the story that prevents it from being totally light.
In conclusion, if you want to support an awesome indie author, love well written characters and an engaging plot and don’t mind a bit of melodrama (of the excessive high school variety) then this book is for you.
Spoiler
Look, they got suspended for hacking? After doing it all year? Really? And the climax was just that Jolia had her script stolen. And what was with the fake girlfriend? Honestly that made no sense.I really loved Jolia as a character. She is totally an introvert, and I saw a lot of myself in her- likes reading check, plays in an orchestra, check, likes knitting, check. Her friendships were also believeable, though her friend Caro was a bit annoying. She is very shy and definitely lets herself get pushed around. I did wonder why she never practiced violin… but anyway, that was alright. Her relationships with the speech team members and Romero really defined her, and I loved how she developed and got more courage as the book progressed. Her reason for being quiet- buck teeth- was kind of dumb, but that’s okay because I loved seeing her journey. In fact, seeing how she began to embrace speech made me want to join (Just sayin’) I loved that she learnt how to face up to her fears. We see this in the scene with the rink rats. Her relationship with Romero was superbly written, and I especially enjoyed the ending, because that is so true to how high school is. As she became more brave, Jolia was more interesting, and I just loved her for her reality.
So this book is a retelling/ has clear parallels to Romeo and Juliet. It was sort of stupid- speech team rivalry isn’t as big of a deal as sports teams even- but I was able to take it seriously because the characters di too. So there was a bit of a love story, but it was in the background mostly. The plot sort of fluctuates (like a sine wave) with the rhythm of the tournaments and the time in between. It kept moving, and I was always interested, so that’s good. Charity Tahmaseb (who has an awesome last name) has this grounded, precise prose, and I could be immersed in Jolia’s reality without ever being bogged down in the details. There was humor- boy I liked Jeremy- and it was entertaining, mostly because Jolia’s story was so appealing.
Like most ‘teenager books’ this novel focussed a lot on themes ofcourage, discovering what you believe in and who you truly are. That’s average, but it was done pretty well, so I don’t mind. I liked how Jolia- and even Tory, Ryan, Sam’s and Caro’s journeys were told as they learnt not to take each other at face value. This book really promoted the idea that everyone has a story, and you just have to find the courage to tell that story. These themes lent a depth to the story that prevents it from being totally light.
In conclusion, if you want to support an awesome indie author, love well written characters and an engaging plot and don’t mind a bit of melodrama (of the excessive high school variety) then this book is for you.