The protagonist in this book is so incredibly unlikable and unrealistic. That takes away from any emotional connection. For sad, realistic fiction to work, the reader has to have a response beyond "I hate you, you prick." Unfortunately, that doesn't happen in this book. Without that response, his feelings for the other characters don't matter much either. Also, he felt very much like a stalker for the first quarter of the book. The author tried to hard to be John Green and edgy. It ended badly. Wasn't able to finish because of my dislike for the character.

Please don’t be turned off and/or judge this book by its cover, the title and the first several chapters where the author uses the word and phrase,” What the Hell!” Or the fact that they talk about reincarnation and what animal they’d like to come back as with friends at school.

Trust me when I say you’ll miss something unique and beautiful as you watch Leo discover what true love is about and you'll agonize with him as he wrestles with who God is, where He fits in the scheme of things and if Leo will let him into in his life. You’ll see how the challenge of a new teacher to dream changes everything.

This author has a gift in showing sixteen-year-old Leo’s perspective of the world around him and gives a peek into what’s inside his heart. He masterfully weaves words into pictures and that’s saying something since this novel was translated into English. The author is highly educated, holds a PhD in Classic Literature, and teaches Ancient Greek, Latin and Literature in High School. This book was also made into a movie. I was blown away when I learned these facts by the last page of the ebook.

Thoughts of Leo, “Silence is white – and I can’t stand white. It has no boundaries: a white elephant, a white flag, a white lie…In fact, white isn’t even a color. It is nothing, like silence. A kind of nothing without words or music. silent, alone.”

“…Thanks to our freedom, we can become something different from what we are. Freedom allows us to dream, and dreams are the blood of life, even if that occasionally means taking a long journey and getting a bit beaten up along the way. Never give up your dreams.” Leo’s teacher tells him.

This is story touched me deeply and surprised me near the end. After reading the last page of the book I learned this book was translated into English and was made into a movie. This story hits on a wide range of emotions; makes you think, and rejoice that we were meant to love on another as our selves. This is a memorable read and one that would work well for your book club.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher/NetGalley.. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine https://tinyurl.com/y9lwbfrs
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Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me a copy of this in exchange for my review.

Leo is your typical high school student: plays soccer, hangs out with friends, and has a girl he is in love with from a distance. His teacher has left and a substitute teacher has taken over, nicknamed The Dreamer. He’s got a way with words and a way with the kids. He seems to know exactly what to say. He’s got Leo thinking about the love of his life. How can he tell her how much she means to him? Especially now that she’s been diagnosed with Leukemia? Will he ever tell her?

This really was nothing like The Fault in Our Stars. Maybe the girl with cancer, but other than that? Nothing. The author is a popular Italian writer. This book actually was a movie in Italy! He is also an English teacher. As a teacher myself, I appreciated the student point-of -view throughout the novel. The author completely nailed the emotions students feel about their parents, their peers, and even substitute teachers. I was not a huge fan of Leo’s affection for Beatrice. It wasn’t authentic to me. He loved her from afar but did not seem to have any interactions with her whatsoever up until a certain point. Then it just got totally creepy! Borderline stalker-ish! The white and red love references was actually really beautiful. There were a bunch of quotes that I would cherish deeply throughout the book (based on love), but that was literally all I’ll remember from this book. The debate about believing in God was also quite interesting coming from a Thomas Nelson book.

2/5 Stars

A well written inspiring tale of love and triumph. This realistic fiction is perfect for fans of John Green.

received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Interesting read of a young teen who has fallen deeply for a girl he barely knows, This book has love and much heartache throughout, but I like how the author has "the dreamer" with his lessons and words of wisdom and advice. Gave the moments of despair another outlook.

Although I enjoyed the book, I found it a little slow paced for me, sometimes to much time making metaphors and such.,as in my opinion it would get tiring. But over all, good story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book seemed like it would be very interesting, and I am still struggling to decide how I felt about it...hence the rating. I found it as confusing as Dante's work itself, and I'm not sure if this was clever and purposeful or merely a writing choice that could have been changed. I considered putting it down several times, but once I was halfway through, the book started to grip me. It has several interesting morals that I can appreciate, such as the struggle to live your dreams, to love, and to sacrifice everything. Something I was shocked by, however, was the presence of profanity (mild; PG-13) and the fact that the main character grappled with trying to decide between evolution, reincarnation, and the existence of God -- somewhat disappointing, coming from Thomas Nelson. I also felt as though I was reading about 13 year olds rather than 16 year olds, who should be somewhat more in control of their emotions, hormones, and --yes, know how to mail a letter! I have to say that I loved Silvia and The Dreamer, perhaps feeling more for them than I did the main character and Beatrice, who seemed painfully unattainable to the point that I almost wished he would give up and see reality.

Overall, it was an interesting book but, as Dante's work, I'm torn between saying it was a jumble of side-stories or saying it was an artful creation.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I had the chance to read an excerpt from this in Netgalley's Buzz Books, and I instantly knew that it would be a book that I would love.

I don't believe that the Italian "Fault in Our Stars" is an accurate description of what White as Silence, Red as Song really is. It honestly reminded me more of Catcher in the Rye or The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Leo, the narrator, is a teenage boy trying to make sense of the world and suffering from all the typical teenage issues which often plague this sort of protagonist: the tediousness of school, furor of first love and desire to prove oneself to one's peers. Leo is a confident and genuine person, and I grew very fond of him as I read through the book. I enjoyed how the colors in the title are related to the quirky way in which Leo views the world, trying to attribute colors to people and feelings. I saw this as a way of simplifying the unknown, trying to rationalize an increasingly confusing world from the perspective of a sixteen year old.

In his day to day life, Leo is a regular teen; he hates school, thinks teachers are lame, plays soccer and gets into trouble with his friends. He is fiercely enamored with Beatrice, a beautiful red-haired girl, even though he does not know her personally. While this may cause some readers to roll their eyes, the beauty and authenticity of Leo's feelings is undeniable in my opinion.

The book is focused on the way Leo reacts when he discovers that Beatrice is suffering from leukemia, and follows the transformation on his initial infatuation into a different, more profound feeling. Two other relationships that are explored are Silvia, Leo's best friend and "guardian angel" and The Dreamer, a substitute teacher who, against all odds, befriends Leo and offers an adult perspective over the difficult situation.

I loved this book because it was sad, beautiful and pure. I enjoyed the writing style and the first-person narration, it gave the story a personal touch and made me connect to the protagonists's worldview and feelings. I would warmly recommend this book to anyone who does not mind wading through a bit of teenage angst to get to a beautiful, touching story.

I didn't make it more than ten pages into this book; I find the writing style grating and tiresome, and I already don't like the narrator's voice.

I honestly could not get immersed in this story because I didn't like the attitude of the main character, and I would not want my students reading this book. There are some positive aspects about the book like Leo's love for Beatrice.