Sara Barnard

A Quiet Kind of Thunder

trixie

“you have the best hair.” “racist.” “you always tell me when i’m being racist, which is very helpful.” why do your publishers hate you

Izza

Yasmin H

I really enjoyed this book and I found all the characters were very unique. I think this book is very important because it spreads awareness for people with disabilities. 

Steffi has selective mutism and has just started sixth form. Rhys is deaf and relies on BSL and lip reading. After being introduced to each other because of their knowledge of sign language, they begin to grow closer, learning how to communicate with each other. 

My favourite character in this book was Tem (Steffi's best friend) because she helps Steffi so much and is always there for her. I liked how Tem wants the best for Steffi even though they have their differences - they are like sisters to each other. 

I really enjoyed this book and I loved the relationship Steffi and Rhys had.

Lee Yi Hsean

I really loved this book, and it might be one of my favourites from Sara Barnard. This story was a perfect combination of romance; humour and self discovery, and I simply couldn't put the book down. I was hooked from the start, and I don't think I was bored even for a second.

Flavia Louise

Carley Whitehead

3.5 stars


Super cute, but ultimately not a book that I would reread. Light and fluffy and love the non traditional main characters, but it just seemed slow at times.

Steffi doesn't talk. Rhys can't hear. They understand each other perfectly. Love isn't always a lightning strike. Sometimes it's the rumbling roll of thunder ... Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk and, as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.

A quiet kind of thunder

Elizabeth Garza

This book gave me all the bloody feels. Such a sweet book to read but also kind of heartbreaking.

Charlotte Rayfield

OH BOY. SHIT. I’m crying cause it is beautiful but also fragile and scary and painful and emotional. It’s everything. I identify and relate and these characters will forever live in my heart ♥️

Ruth Parker 

A Quiet Kind Of Thunder revolved around Steffi, who doesn’t talk and Rhys, who can’t hear. They meet on the first day of school and find themselves in an easy friendship, able to understand each other perfectly.

This is one of the best teenage relationships I’ve rooted for in a long time. I found myself holding out hope for them from the second they meet. They are cute, sweet and perfect together, although of course young love is not without it’s trouble.

The main point I need to make in this review is that I am not deaf. I do not have selective mutism. I have suffered from social anxiety in the past but not to this extent. I am writing from the perspective of someone enjoying a story about these characters and not someone who has knowledge and understanding of being deaf or selectively mute. My opinions on these matters really don’t actually matter. I’m not really able to say if this is accurate or not. 

With that in mind, please take the following with s punch of salt; there are people who are much more able to give their opinions. 

It’s rare to find a book with a deaf lead character and I found the inclusion of this world and the representation of BSL fantastic. I thought the relationship between Rhys and Steffi was beautiful and pure. I have met selectively mute children before while working as a teacher and as much as I want to be mad at Steffi’s mum for the things she says and feels at times, I understand her point of view. There were times when working with one particular selectively mute student that I wondered what I was doing wrong and why he didn’t like me. It was nothing to do with that and his parents would contact me to say how much fun he had in my classes and how he talked about me as his favourite teacher at home all the time - but still I wondered what I was doing wrong that he didn’t want to talk to me. 

Offering Steffi’s mother as a character who you want to be annoyed with is great for understanding the pressures and hardships faced by Steffi, who can not control this aspect of her life, no matter how much she wants to. 

Overall I really loved this book and I appreciate the thoughts and the time that Sara Barnard put into this. The relationship was beautiful to me and I was rooting for it throughout.

Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Jandy Nelson. A girl who can’t speak and a boy who can’t hear go on a journey of self-discovery and find support with each other in this gripping, emotionally resonant novel for “readers who enjoyed John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down” (Booklist) from bestselling author Sara Barnard. Steffi doesn’t talk, but she has so much to say. Rhys can’t hear, but he can listen. Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life. The condition’s name has always felt ironic to her, because she certainly does not “select” not to speak. In fact, she would give anything to be able to speak as easily and often as everyone around her can. She suffers from crippling anxiety, and uncontrollably, in most situations simply can’t open her mouth to get out the words. Steffi’s been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He’s deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she’s assigned to help him acclimate. To Rhys, it doesn’t matter that Steffi doesn’t talk. As they find ways to communicate, Steffi discovers that she does have a voice, and that she’s falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. But as she starts to overcome a lifelong challenge, she’ll soon confront questions about the nature of her own identity and the very essence of what it is to know another person.

Sophie Elaina 

What a wonderful book; the only problem is I need more! These characters were adorable they were just so realistically written and developed throughout the book. I can't believe how amazing this was. I definitely was not expecting to love this book as much as I do!

"Love isn't always a lightning strike. Sometimes it's the rumbling roll of thunder..."

Sara Barnard delved into so many things that I hadn't read about before in a contemporary as well as things that I had but that were executed much better in this book than I have ever seen before. The representation of different types of anxiety and how it can get in the way of day to day life was wonderful. The author was able to make me feel for and really relate to the protagonist Steffi. 

“And then it happens. The panic. It's slow at first, creeping through the cracks in my thoughts until everything starts to feel heavy. It builds; it becomes something physical that clutches at my insides and squeezes out the air and the blood.” 

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life; she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. We follow Steffi on her journey of the realisation that she does have a voice. 

“﻿I want the world, I think. Even if it scares me.”

Barnard was able to pull me in and make me think about so many issues while reading this and it really opened my eyes in terms of how different people see and experience the world around them in many different ways depending on their circumstances. I don't really want to say too much more about it, because I believe you should just pick it up and read because it is such an amazing book and that is all you need to know. JUST READ IT!!! Overall it was a fabulous read and I really recommend it. Well and truly deserving of the spot it now has reserved on my favourites shelf.

Lena

I'm not deaf and I've never been mute but I do have an anxiety disorder and boy did this book represent it well while also being enjoyable. 

A lot of the time when I'm reading books from the perspective of characters with similar mental health issues to me it triggers an episode but this didn't!! because it was still fun the whole way through and it didn't have this overall dark tone that reminds me too much of my bad headspaces. This was lighthearted and enjoyable and I got to laugh at certain comments Steffi made about her anxiety and go oh yeah I can relate. Some things she did seemed a little unrealistic for someone with the level of anxiety she is meant to have but overall it managed to be fun and also portray anxiety in a way I can say was accurate for me.

Marija M

3.5*

This was a really cute YA contemporary romance with unique and important representation - selective mutism, severe anxiety and deafness. Reading from POV of our two main protagonists was a unique experience considering one of them is deaf. It was interesting to see how Barnard wrote their communication.

When it comes to plot, it didn't swipe me off my feet. I felt it kept repeating itself and didn't grip me as much as I wanted to. It had some typical teen comedy clichés. 

However, I do think more teenagers should read this story as it covers some important topics that aren't often seen in YA literature, or literature at all.

Laura Springall

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is definitely a must-read! There were some things that I disliked, but the vast majority was adorable and wonderful and really important!

Dislikes
The ending conversation with the parents. That felt super rushed and unfinished, I feel like that should have been a much longer conversation, and probably should have included a one-on-one with Steffi's mother. I really didn't like the mom, she was so unsupportive and frustrating and made Steffi feel stupid/useless/a myriad of other things. I feel like none of those issues were actually resolved before the mom was all "oh no I'm actually really proud of you and think you're totally capable!" A complete 180 from where she was a few chapters prior. The entire ending conversation was kind of like that, not just with the mom. Everyone else had at least been more supportive for the whole book so it wasn't as odd for them to say what the did, but the whole section was just really cheesy for me and felt like the most obvious ending to this book

Same with Steffi and Rhys' final conversation, that also felt like the most obvious way to end the book which made it feel super cheesy. I feel like Barnard could have been a little more creative with it, but regardless it was still a sweet moment between the two of them. The location they were in made me like it a bit more, that really added to it

Likes
Steftember is my favourite thing ever I LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY SUPPORTIVE FRIENDSHIPS! This friendship is what I wanted Turtles All The Way Down to have; they argue and get mad at each other sometimes but it's never ever ever about Steffi's anxiety or her selective mutism or anything social anxiety related. Tem doesn't see any of that as an "issue that needs to be dealt with." She never sees it as an inconvenience or an annoyance and that's exactly the kind of supportive friendships I want to see when it comes to someone who struggles with mental health

Discussions about sex and consent and the notion of virginity! A+ Sara Barnard! I especially liked that one conversation Steffi and Tem had, where Steffi said something like "You weren't saving it for marriage, you were saving it for you" and putting so much emphasis on being ready and there never being any judgement. Everything with Rhys and Steffi was great as well, I really appreciate Barnard putting so much emphasis on getting consent even without words. And the conversation Steffi and her mom had about sex and vibrators was first of all hilarious and second of all something we need to see more of in YA, parents talking to their children so casually about sex and not villainizing them for wanting to do it.

Anxiety! There was heavy focus on the thoughts that go through Steffi's head on a daily basis and how much anxiety controls her life, and how difficult it is to get that control back. This is so important both for people who also struggle with anxiety to have representation, and for people who don't so they might understand a little better. Also big points for not making medication be this big huge deal like it so often is. Going on medication does not mean you're giving up, or letting something else do the work for you!!!! This book did a good job of showing that, especially during that conversation between Steffi and Tem. I also really liked how much Steffi described and talked about her coping mechanisms, and what things gave get anxiety and what things didn't. 

Addressing issues around deaf and hearing worlds! So many times Rhys told Steffi when she did or said something as a hearing person that is upsetting to him as a non-hearing person. I love this so much! I don't have significant hearing problems and can't comment on the accuracy of the problems he brought up, but it's so so so important to show how to go about bringing up these conversations and how you should/shouldn't react to them. They often aren't easy conversations to have, they're uncomfortable but still extremely important regardless. I really liked seeing Steffi grow and learn how to be more considerate until it was eventually just second nature, and she grew to start question others as well. She started to realize her own privilege and address others as well when Rhys wasn't able to. Some good shit right there!

There's a lot more that I really enjoyed but I'll stop there, this is already long enough LOL

TL;DR READ THIS BOOK IT'S GREAT

considering i'm in quarantine and have all the time in the world, it says a lot that i couldn't and wouldn't finish this book. one positive thing about it was that i could identify with the main character's anxiety, but that's about it.

Kaele Perkins 

I love the social anxiety rep. It felt very realistic. I really related to Steffi. Some things I feel like could have been handled differently and I wish that more time had been taken to wrap up the story because it felt a little rushed at the end. I always want an epilogue, but I kind of didn't mind here. It made since to have a bit of unknown.

Jobananareads

Courtney Parker

Ahh, my second time reading this and I think I like / appreciate it more! 

It’s such an easy, cute story. It’s so light, even with the few problems they have. I’m here for it.

Sandy

Oft wird die 'perfekte' Liebe wie ein Blitzeinschlag beschrieben: Man sieht die Person und weiß sofort, dass es sich um den oder die Eine handelt, man fühlt sich in deren Gegenwart elektrisiert und aufgeregt. So sind allerdings weder Steffi, noch Rhys. Die beiden scheinen von Stille umgeben zu sein - Steffi spricht nicht, weil es ihre Sozialphobie unmöglich macht; Rhys hingegen ist taub. Sie verlassen sich auf andere Sinne, ihre Gefühle und Intuition. Sie sind der ruhige Donner, den man bis ins Mark spüren kann, und gerade deswegen sind sie so außergewöhnlich. Ich habe lange keine Liebesgeschichte erlebt, die so zart, ehrlich und wunderschön ist wie in diesem Buch. Deshalb möchte ich euch auch keine Details verraten und nur sagen, dass sie euer Herz erwärmen wird.

Die Liebe ist allerdings nur ein Aspekt der Geschichte. Das Thema Diversität ist natürlich mit dem Fokus auf Steffis psychische Erkrankung vertreten, aber auch farbige Minderheiten werden auf selbstverständliche Weise mit eingebunden. Es gibt Scheidungsfamilien, die nicht bis aufs Bitterste zerstritten sind sondern einfach ihre eigene Wege gehen, was für mich genau so dazu gehört. Dabei finde ich den Kontrast zwischen den beiden Familien-Teilen wundervoll. Wie man mit Trauer umgeht wird hier ebenfalls verarbeitet, Freundschaften müssen sich beweisen und auch die Liebe zu Tieren spielt eine Rolle; gender non-conforming (entschuldigt das englische Wort) wird beiläufig mit eingebaut, als ein kleiner Junge unbedingt eine Fee sein will und das auch darf. Diese authentische Themenvielfalt hat mich tief beeindruckt und macht das Buch so realistisch, menschlich und komplex. Unsere Leben bestehen aus unzähligen verschiedenen Teilen; wir sind ein Produkt all dieser Einflüsse, und so kompliziert wie das ist, 'A Quiet Kind of Thunder' stellt es fantastisch dar.

Dieses Buch wird so vielen Menschen helfen, denn es gibt jedem das Gefühl, verstanden zu sein, der wie Steffi unter schwerer sozialer Angst leidet oder regelmäßig von seinen Sorgen überwältigt wird. Auf der anderen Seite zeigt es Nicht-Betroffenen, was es wirklich bedeutet mit dieser Krankheit zu leben und wird hoffentlich zu mehr Verständnis, Akzeptanz und Hilfsbereitschaft führen. Außerdem bekommt man einen Einblick in die Welt der Menschen, die sich über Zeichensprache verständigen. Gerade für jemanden, der vorher fast nie damit in Berührung gekommen ist, waren das völlig neue und faszinierende Eindrücke und man möchte am liebsten gleich einen passenden Kurs belegen.

Falls ihr Bedenken wegen der Sprache habt: das Englisch lässt sich unglaublich leicht lesen, weil es sehr modern und aktuell ist. Außerdem sind alle Charaktere so realistisch gezeichnet, dass sie genau so in diesem Moment in Großbritannien herumlaufen könnten. Dieser Eindruck wird durch verschiedene abgebildete SMS, Chats und handgeschriebene Konversationen (die mit verschiedenen Schriftarten und teilweise auf 'liniertem Papier' dargestellt werden) nur noch verstärkt und macht das Buch perfekt für unsere Generation.

Was mir aber am besten gefallen hat ist die realistische Art, die ich schon erwähnt habe. Die Geschichte ist außergewöhnlich aber trotzdem irgendwie normal, nicht künstlich heroisch oder herzzerreißend sondern eher wie die Erlebnisse einer Freundin, die sie dir erzählt. Und genau deswegen wirkt es auf mich so berührend, hoffnungsvoll und inspirierend.

'A Quiet Kind of Thunder' ist eines dieser Bücher, die man nicht zur Seite legen kann und von denen man gleichzeitig hofft, dass sie nie enden werden. Ich habe geweint, gelitten, gelacht und gekichert, hatte Herzklopfen und -schmerzen, war frustriert, wütend, verliebt und tief in Gedanken versunken. Ich liebe dieses Buch. Es hat mich auf eine Weise berührt wie kein anderes im letzten Jahr, und deshalb ist es auch neben Wind, Sand and Stars mein Higlight aus 2016.

Kate

4.75/5 *
With it’s Disney, Les Miserables and Harry Potter references, diverse cast of characters, wonderful anxiety representation and yes, there was even a dog, A Quiet Kind of Thunder has everything I love and long for in a book. It had a perfect balance between the cute and fluffy, with it’s adorable, fun romance, whilst also discussing mental illness in a brilliantly real and honest way. Whether you’re living with anxiety yourself, know someone who is or simply want an insight into what it’s like, A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a book everyone can take something away from.

*Read my full review here* http://girlreading.co.uk/bookreviews/...

It pulled at everyone of my heartstrings and I think I’m somehow growing even fonder of this book whilst writing this. Looking back through the notes I took whilst reading, it’s even clearer to me how fantastic this book is in it’s discussion surrounding anxiety, mental health and everything that comes with it. It’s raw, honest, real and yet, it was uplifting. It had a brilliant sense of humour and a lovely romance to balance out the heaviness.

I loved that, despite Steffi being able to relate to Rhys on many levels, there was always a reminder that Steffi isn’t deaf. It was made clear that she could and would get things wrong because, despite their similarities, their experiences differ in many ways and Steffi and Rhys would have to navigate that both together and individually, as neither could truly know what the other was dealing with.

The diversity of A Quiet Kind of Thunder’s small cast of characters, adds one more reason to the list of reasons as to why this book is so great. In addition to Rhys being deaf and Steffi’s anxiety and selective mutism, Rhys is also biracial, with his father being from Guyana. And Tem, Steffi’s best friend, is Somalian.

Sara Barnards writing style was incredibly comfortable to read, leading me to fly through it despite having been in a reading slump. I could have very easily devoured the entire book in one sitting had I not wanted to somewhat pace myself (an incredibly insistent episode of How To Get Away With Murder may or may not have been involved too…)

It’s safe to say this book made my heart very happy and I would without a doubt recommend it to anyone and everyone.

A Quiet Kind of Thunder

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