The world that Farrow creates is incredibly visual, a cinematic optioning of the material seems inevitable if it hasn't already occurred. Farrow writes in such a way that Aster, Montane, and High House all come vividly to life and that vivid picture helps us to buy into the suspense and mystery surrounding Shae. Farrow also keeps everything age-appropriate, Shae a believable 17-year-old on the cusp of womanhood yet still seeking affirmation from those who will affirm and also from those who will exploit her. As an activist in the area of sexual violence, Farrow clearly understands boundaries and never exploits the character herself.

The characters here for the most part fit the worlds into which they are created. Young Imogen, a servant girl, is perhaps the most beautifully drawn and it's hard to imagine you will not picture her yourself. I certainly did.

Dylan Farrow creates a lush world where silence is the norm and those who dare speak out are scorned.

17 years old Shae lives a world where the written word is banned as it can lead to an illness called The Blot which took her own brother's life. The only ones allowed to read and write are a special; group called the Bards. They hold a special power over the magic of words. Because of these words like “murder” are not to be spoken by the common folk. After Shae's village is blessed by the Bards, she finds her mother murdered. No one will acknowledge what happened or look into why. Shae takes it upon herself to find out. She will march up to the Bards themselves and find the truth.

This book is a metaphor for finding your voice. In Farrow's “Note From The Author”, she hopes that this book will help others let their truths come to light. Giving the book a strong female character should help with this goal allowing young women to feel empowered and emboldened.

The book twists and turns and I only saw one twit coming. Farrow continued to surprise me by not making this a romantic love story and focusing on Shae and her needs. I enjoyed seeing the first part of Shae's journey and how she matured throughout her trials. I believe teenage girls will love her as much as I did.
There is something missing here to make this book perfect. I'm not sure if I can put my finger on it. Maybe it's that The Tellings aren't fully explained. I truly don't understand how they work, the differences between them, and why only some people can do them. There was just something nagging at me.
That isn't to say the book is bad. I rather enjoyed it and look forward to dipping back into Shae's world in the next entry. I can't wait to see where she goes from here.

This was a surprisingly quick book, although it had an unbelievable slow start. It wasn’t until the 40% mark that it picked up.

Aside from that, I enjoyed the story for the most part. It definitely had my mind going in a million different directions, and at times, I’d get a little lost. I do think the world-building could have used more work. I think the magical system wasn't very fleshed out, to the point I felt like I was missing a lot of key points to fully understand what was going on. The characters were very superficial and not much can be said about them.

All in all, it was an entertaining story, but it definitely was lacking. After that ending, I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Hello Gemmies! I have a new book review to share with you today. Please note: I received a digital ARC of this book (via NetGalley) from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Hush by Dylan Farrow is a new YA fantasy novel. This book is an interesting concept and a good start for a series, but I was left a little disappointed. Hush is a character driven story. The story unfolds from our main protagonist.... Shae's point of view. Shae is not my favorite lead. And she is the main reason this is not a 4 star read for me. Shae is painfully naive. She also handles situations like a privileged girl always expecting people to like her or give her what she wants, just because she asked. I just never warmed up to her and that took away from the story. There were other characters that I liked so much more. Like Fiona and Mads.

The world building in Hush is imaginative. The land of Montane and all of its different towns serve as a interesting backdrop. The story would have benefited from a deeper dive into the plight the towns were facing and the events happening at each location. There is a magical system based on language which is a really interesting and original concept, I just wish it was explored or explained more. I enjoyed the overall aesthetic and writing style, and there is a good foundation to improve on if this continues as a series.

Hush has moments of action but some of those moments are really confusing. I think the issue may be with the pacing. Hush was described as a feminist fantasy but honestly I don't see this as feminist at all. I don't want this review to sound like its all bad, there are some moments that really shine and i'm sure some readers will love it. If you are a fan of intrigue, a different kind of magic, tragedy, and destiny, then go read this book. Published by Wednesday Books, Hush is available for purchase from all major booksellers. I give Hush 3 out of 5 gems. Happy Reading!

This was a weird one, and one that's a bit hard to review because it was a hodgepodge of both interesting and good things, and yet cliche and awkwardly written not-so-good things.

The cover and title of the book, along with the blurb about it did not prepare me for the fantasy YA world that is this book. The first few pages of this book are an excerpt from a book... explaining that ink has caused the plague that creates the setting for this book. Weird, right? ;)

I really enjoyed meeting the new characters for the first 30 pages or so. Shae is a 17-year old naive girl whose brother died because of the plague caused by ink. After several inexplicable things happen in her village, she sets off to find what is responsible for the death of a loved one and goes on to find the truth of whatever has been 'hushed' up.

The character development and plot started to fall apart before halfway in the book- predictable villains and a weird magic system detracted from the story line. At the end of the book, I am left with SO MANY QUESTIONS... namely being: What did I just read? I read this so quickly... so it was...good? But why did characters appear and disappear willy-nilly? What is going on? Why did certain characters act the way they did? And for those of you who read the book (not a spoiler):.... Why didn't Shae's mom talk?!
In other words, too many questions for me to rate this book higher-- but also enough interesting concepts that I would consider it a good read.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. "Hush" was released yesterday, October 6th. It wasn't what I hoped I would read, but I can honestly say that I would likely keep an eye out for its sequel :)

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hush tells the story of 17 year old Shae, a young woman whose life has been touched by tragedy. Five years before the start of the novel her younger brother was killed by the Blot, a deadly disease that has ravaged the world. The only defense against the Blot is the support of the Bards, people with great power who perform ‘Tellings’, magical gifts to help the people.

Because the Blot touched her family, Shae is an outcast and she and her mother can barely support themselves. When her mother is murdered and it is covered up, Shae makes the decision to find the truth, no matter the consequences. This leads her to High House, the home of the Bards, and the one place where she may find the truth… or die trying.

I wanted to love this novel, I really did. The first 30 or so pages sucked me in and I was really excited to continue to read it, but that’s when things got a little muddy.

Character Strength – 6

Shae starts strong. She’s lost her brother, her father, and her mother will not speak. Everyone around her treats her like she has the plague, but that doesn’t stop her from risking everything to ask the Bards for help. That’s when she starts to become one dimensional and, to be frank, incredibly boring. As soon as her mother dies and she starts on her quest, shae loses all sense of urgency, which definitely affected the reading experience for me.

The side characters of the novel were forgettable and convenient, but the villain was obvious from the first moment he appeared. Because of this I felt the novel was predictable.

Character Growth – 4

This book seems to fall back on cliché’s, especially the ‘I’m the chosen one?’ trope. What started out as a unique way for the character to express herself fell into the background the further the story went. The closest thing to growth that we had was the appearance of Shae’s friends at the end of the novel.

Plot Strength – 5

I feel like I’ve read this story a few times before. Certain plot elements (the blot, the Bards) felt fresh, but because they were plugged into the same pattern I have read so many times it felt a bit stale. It also got pretty muddy there in the middle/end with too many things happening at once or not being clearly defined.

Pacing - 4

There really was no sense of time. Everything felt like it was either happening at once, or way too slow. There was no real build in the pacing and it got pretty muddy there in the middle along with the plot.

World Building – 6

The world building, what little there was of it, was pretty good. I could see the dying land and the desperate hope that everything could be fixed by the Bards. There wasn’t really a lot there.

Writing Style – 6

The author lost clarity in the middle/end but the opening was written in such a way that it hooked me in. did I feel a little disappointed? Yes, but I think that the author shows potential.

Individuality/impact – 7

The blot and the Bards felt pretty unique, but I still wish that the writing had been clearer. It didn’t really make an impact with me and I probably won’t be picking up the sequel.

Enjoyment – 5

It was a way to pass the time and an opportunity to see the writing style of another author.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. Had potential, didn’t fulfill.

I didn't finish reading Hush. It's not that it was bad. I just lost interest. It could be because of my reading slump. The writing was good. I think the story reminded me a lot of other stories like Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, and Verify by Joelle Charbonneau. It has a classic story feel to it. I definitely plan to pick it back up eventually.

In Dylan Farrow's debut novel, a world of mysterious magic is introduced. I'm not a huge fan of YA fantasy, but the premise of this one - books and reading and writing being BAD - lured me in. And it wasn't an unsatisfying read.

In the world of Montane, words are bad and can cause a disease called The Blot. Only through Tellings by the Bards can towns hope for anything close to prosperity. In Shae's town of Aster, prosperity is long gone. So is her younger brother, Kieran, taken by The Blot, and her mother no longer speaks to her. Shae has two friends, Fiona and Maddox (Mads), but her family are outcasts due to their being tainted by The Blot.

So when the Bards come to town to collect the tithes to bring back to the High House, Shae tries to ask them for help. She is refused, and the next day, her mother is murdered.

When no one wants to help her and she is thrown out of Fiona's family home, Shae decides she has no choice but to head to the High House and appeal to the powers that be herself. But she doesn't expect to be taken in by the leader, Cathal, and invited to become a Bard herself.

This is the first book in a series, and while it was slow to start for me, by the time I got to the end I was a little disgruntled that it did not come to a satisfying conclusion, but instead to a cliffhanger. If you like magic and fantasy, Hush is a good beginning to what I hope will be an engaging series.

I am a little stuck on how to voice my opinions this book. Maybe I have the Blot. (har har -- sorry) I thought that the writing was good--that is what kept me reading. The fantasy and world-building of the book was mesmerizing, to be sure. However, the concept of the mysterious Blot disease was just TOO mysterious and TOO extreme. I was just skeptical of magic vs. reality. Forbidden words and actions never sit well with me because the enforcement is so difficult and then we have our 'government' and our Bards. Added on top of all of this, there is a level of poverty on the town our MC is from. So there is really a lot to the story here!

Trigger Warnings: death, death of a parent, violence.

As I was scrolling up and down NetGalley, I came across Hush. I wasn't so sure about the cover of the novel, but I was keen on reading the book after reading the description. From Dylan Farrow comes Hush, a powerful fantasy where one girl is determined to remake the world. Say less! That is the kind of book I was to be associated with.

I don't remember if it was listed as Read Now or needed to be requested, but the thing is, I got the novel, and now I'm writing its review.

The novel started oddly. As soon as you dive into the book, there is some kind of preview entitled 'Excerpt from the High House Manifesto'. I can't describe into words how confused I was. Is there a book before Hush? I told myself that couldn't be the case because Dylan Farrow is a debut author. I buried that thought and fear and started reading. It turns out, that excerpt is important later on into the story. At first, it took me some time to get acquainted with Dylan's writing style, but as soon as that happened, I read the book without stopping!

Now, let me explain to you the plot of the book. Shae is a seventeen-year-old who spent her entire life being hated by her neighbours. Her brother contacted a dangerous disease called the Blot, which spreads through ink and books. Because of that, the towners thought Shae was cursed. The Bards were the ones who protected the people from this disease. At the start of the book, these people with powers came to Aster, Shae's town. Right after the departure of these people, Shae finds her mother dead, and she's sure these people killed Ma. She goes to Fiona (her best friend) and Mads (her love interest), but none of them believes her. She decided to get her life in her own hands and go to High House. From this point onwards, we follow Shae through her journey of finding justice.

Let’s talk a bit about the characters. Shae is the protagonist, and I liked her from the very beginning. She’s into embroidery which made me like her even more. I used to be passionate about this particular hobby, and Shae reminded me of it. Fiona was ok, but there isn’t much to say about her. Mads, on the other hand, is a good guy with good intentions. He wants to help but doesn’t know how, so he ends up doing more harm than good. Ravod (I simply love that name) is one of the Bards who help Shae. He’s a good guy, but he’s very closed into himself. Cathal was an odd man. He’s one of the few, if not the only one who shows kindness to Shae. What’s strange is the fact that he is the most powerful man at High House, and he shows empathy to a peasant girl. At first sight, he seems to be the wise man who helps Shae, but at the same time, it feels like there’s something more to him. I can’t tell you wheater Cathal is good or bad, due to spoilers. So I guess you got to find out for yourself!

Unlike many other novels that I’ve read, Hush is one of the few, which made my eyes watery. Without a doubt, Dylan has a powerful writing style. Hush reads like a fairy tale, which added a nice touch to the story. Despite the eerie feel, I didn’t get the impression that the author minimalized the impact of the underlayer. Often, people who don’t fit society’s standards are marginalized and forced to search for justice on their own. While reading, you can feel Shae’s sadness and fear, which made me love the book even more.

The book gave me a Medieval France feel, which I was all for! My suspicions were confirmed after the word fête was used around the middle of the book. It’s French and means party in English.

Some of the plot twists were predictable, some not. I’d say a 40-60 ratio. Hush was a good book, but a great one shouldn’t be as predictable, and that is why I give it four stars instead of five.

By the time I reached the end, I was amazed by a beautiful ending and a cry for help. The majority of the characters went through a visible development, and I liked that even for the side characters, it was well-defined. The book raises an important message. You should always raise your voice and speak up. Do not silence yourself because you’re scared of what people might think.

Overall, Hush was an action-packed book with important messaged to tell. The only downside of the book was how foreseeable it was. I also wish we had a little bit more of Ravod, as he was a great character to follow around. I could see myself reading the next book in the series. Dylan Farrow has great ideas and a beautiful writing style!

I will be the first to admit that fantasy is not my preferred genre, however I became captivated with this story. The character Shae is well-written and draws you into her life. A must read from a debut author.

This story- Wow! 1984 meets the magical universe. that I didn't know I'd enjoy so much. This is a book one which I didn't know at the start, and that made me happy when it ended on a cliffhanger. I read this in short bursts as the themes of a pandemic/ untrustworthy government were hitting pretty close to the vest.

So I never finished this book because it didn't hold my interest that much and I'm also not that crazy about reading books in the first person.

A mysterious illness, magical embroidery, forbidden words, and a world that's not quite what it seems? If any of this sounds intriguing, then say hello to the next book on your list! Hush by Dylan Farrow introduces us to our protagonist Shae as she tries to deal with the aftermath of the Blot killing a beloved family member. She and her family become pariahs in their small town, and Shae believes herself to be cursed.

So when the Bards come to town for their annual inspection, she pleads with one of them for answers, but to no avail. After yet another tragedy strikes her home and her local government proves untrustworthy, Shae heads for High House for more answers. The rest of the story is part murder mystery, a sprinkle of slow-burn budding romance, and a whole lot of revealed secrets.

Hush hooked me right at the beginning with the introduction of the Blot, a fatal disease caused by speaking or reading forbidden words. Then the talk of yarn and embroidery spoke to my craft-loving heart! Unfortunately, the interest I had in the beginning faded rather quickly as I got to the middle third of the book.

Shae spends much of the book questioning her own reality, and these whirlwind scenes where she spirals left me just as confused as Shae. This could be an intentional choice on the author's part, but the confusion took me out of the story. 
Shae and Ravod were compelling characters, but I would have liked to see more interaction and the development of their relationship. I felt like the side characters could also use a little character building as they came off two dimensional and the villain(s) felt like storybook villains.

Overall I think the idea behind this book was interesting, and I hope the sequels delve deeper into how the magic system works, and why reading and writing became illegal in the first place. I would give this book 4/5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hush is a feminist fantasy tale that fell a bit flat for me. The pacing felt off and the characters were somewhat one-dimensional. The world is full of YA Fantasy and this did little to make itself stand out. In fact, it was pretty cookie cutter and lacked a creative story arc. I was hoping for more. That being said, the world shows some promise and I hope that Dylan Farrow continues to find her voice.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

This was absolutely intense to read, in such a good way! I felt myself getting lost in the story, to the point where I actually felt like I was going mad alongside Shae. The world building and detail in this is amazing, and I would 100% recommend to anyone!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Thank you so much, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday books, for the chance to read and review Hush.

I had to admit I've fallen in love with the cover of this book and the plot and I was so excited to have the chance to read it.

Shae has always led a quiet life, with her best friend Fiona, chatting with Mads, the boy in her neighborhood who is able to make her smile. But she also kept her secrets close and her fears at bay, about her brother's death and his disease, about her dreams, about the justice seekers. But when her mother is murdered, she's more than ready to stop pretending.
In a world where Shae doesn't know who to trust, where magic is real and dangerous, she starts a journey to discover the truth about everything, finding enemies, a brooding boy and untold powers.

Hush is the amazing fantasy debut by Dylan Farrow and I absolutely loved the author's imagination and writing style. The plot is gripping, Shae is a wonderful main character and I loved reading about her strength and determination. She's unique and brilliant. Hush has everything a fantasy could hope for: curses, labyrinths, secrets, magic, a strong heroine, mysteries and so much more in an intense and captivating book.

Hush was an adventure! I loved Dylan's descriptive writing, it takes you on a visual adventure. This one ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final book in this duology. This is a perfect murder mystery/fantasy for October.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (3.5 stars)

“But that’s the thing about words. Once you’ve said them, there’s no going back.”

Hush, a YA dystopian fantasy novel, tells the story of Shae, a 17-year-old girl who lives along with her mother in a small farmhouse outside a poor village. The village itself on the skirts of a barren, wasteland where ink and all forms of reading and writing have been banned due to the ill fate, aptly titled the “Indigo Death,” or more common, simply the “Blot,” that befalls anyone who participates in such activities.

In a world where any form of documentation is prohibited, collective consciousness rules. But because of the constant fear surrounding everyone's existence – worried that even one small thought or misplaced comment will cause illness to befall them – what is considered “the truth” is often a warped view on reality. And with no documentation to prove as much, people’s opinions are easily swayed.

Shae finds herself at the crux of this conundrum when her mother is murdered in the middle of the night, with the evidence pointing to the killer being a Bard, the magical peacekeepers of the land. Despite her urges for justice to be served, the authorities of her village are convinced the murder was merely a tragic accident; all evidence suggestive of fowl-play gone suspiciously missing.

So Shae sets out to uncover the real truth, once and for all, and in the process stumbles upon even greater conspiracies at play.

Overall, I found the world-building of the grim land of Montane, and the lore behind the mysterious art of Telling, creatively unique and interesting. Given that Shae, the main character, has spent her whole life up until the start of the novel sheltered from the outside world, the reader gets to learn of these harsh realities alongside her; making Shae’s heartbreak at finding out all the glorious things she had been promised all her life were nothing but delusional lies a visceral sensation.

Outside of this however, I found the most of the characters held little interest for me, with the main character herself quite dull and gullible, which didn’t endear me to her very much. Farrow manages to create a truly intriguing dystopian fantasy world, but she litters it with so many unlikeable characters that it becomes hard to know who to root for.

Nevertheless, with a vision as strong as this one, especially for a debut novel, I can’t help but be intrigued to see where the story goes from here.

An epic new favorite! I absolutely loved it!
New fantasy stories are always hard for me to get into, but I had no problem with this one. It's that good!