I honestly didn’t know much about this book before starting it, only that it had a cool cover and looked intriguing. <i>Hush</i> is Dylan Farrow’s debut fantasy novel, and has a surprising amount of real-world context. In her Author’s Note, Farrow describes a time in which her family was being blackmailed and made to terrible, and that this book is her way of showcasing what gaslighting and manipulation looks like. While I didn’t necessarily see this at first, after reading about the author’s experience, I suddenly realized just how much manipulation I had missed. The writing is by no means perfect, but this was a highly engaging and suspenseful fantasy story that I’d love to read more of in the future.

<i>Hush</i> follows the story of 17-year-old Shae, who has spent her entire life being ostracized by the other inhabitants of the small town of Aster. When Shae was young, a vicious plague known as the Blot wiped out countless numbers of people, including her younger brother. Because of this, Shae’s mother has taken a vow of silence, and the rest of the town avoids the two as if they might be infected simply through association. Her only solace is her mother; her childhood friend Fiona; and Mads, a boy desperately seeking her affection. Everything changes for Shae when the Bards - powerful sorcerers with the ability to help those in need - come to her town, and her mother winds up dead. Devastated, Shae desperately seeks the truth, but is dismissed as crazy by everyone she turns to. Undeterred, Shae travels to the High House, the legendary home of the Bards, to seek the truth that nobody else dares question.

This book felt particularly poignant in today’s climate simply because it is centered around a deadly plague. Unlike our own plague, however, this one centers around ink, paper, and forbidden words, which immediately gives it a really cool premise. It feels a lot like <i>Fahrenheit 451</i> or other such dystopian works, as the people of this world are forbidden from speaking certain words and learning how to read and write. In a world filled with fake news available to us at the touch of a button, this story has the potential to really resonate with young audiences, especially when we learn that the Blot may not come from paper and ink at all, but from the very ruler entrusted to protect everyone.

Another poignant subject this book deals with is gaslighting and emotional manipulation. From the very beginning, Shae encounters a number of characters who either refuse to believe her, or downright lie to her to make her question her own reality. This is textbook gaslighting, and I only wish there had been actual mention of this term in the book, as it’s crucially important for young people to recognize when someone is gaslighting them. This theme continues when Shae encounters Cathal, the enigmatic ruler who initially treats her with kindness and later turns out to be a master manipulator. Though I saw this coming a mile away, I imagine a teenager unused to this sort of manipulation might be blind-sided by the twist, and I think that’s an important lesson for young readers.

This book also handles the idea of prevalent sexism. In this universe, women are rarely gifted with the abilities of a Bard, and are seen to succeed less often because they are “simply too emotional” to handle the job and eventually go crazy. I liked that Shae and Kennan flipped this idea onto its head, as both are incredibly powerful and strong-willed, representing strong female characters in different ways. Where Shae is open and vulnerable, Kennan is closed off and cold, and yet both combat the notion that women are fragile and easily broken by their own emotions. I’m really hoping they team up and become friends in later books, as I am a huge fan of female friendships and think they’d make a pretty kick-ass duo.

My only real gripe is that the romance felt very forced to me. While it has not yet been reciprocated (I sense Farrow is trying for a slow burn), Shae seems entirely too infatuated with Ravod from the very beginning. She initially comes to High House demanding answers for her mother’s murder, but keeps getting distracted by Ravod, nearly swooning every time she sees him. For a strong character who initially rejected the proposal of her first love because he wasn’t being supportive enough, this just felt out of place. While I hope this romance develops more in the future, I just wasn’t quite sold on it in this particular book, especially since Ravod seems very much like the stereotypical brooding YA love interest. It’d be much more interesting if Shae had a thing for Kennan, but I won’t hold my breath on that one.

Despite my issues with the romance, I actually genuinely enjoyed this book, especially for a debut fantasy novel. It seems as though almost everything has been done to death at this point, but this concept and world still felt very refreshing to me. I liked the strong female heroine fighting for her mother, and I especially liked the messages about gaslighting and a system designed to keep the lower classes in poverty. There’s a lot of good stuff happening in a relatively short book, and I found myself saying “Just one more chapter,” each time I was left on a cliffhanger. Based on the loose ends left during the Epilogue, I sense that this is going to be a series, and I’m definitely intrigued enough to give the second book a chance whenever it releases. I would recommend this to teen fans of fantasy, as I think it has a lot of potential to be a great series.

I enjoyed this book, the premise sounded incredibly interesting and I liked Shae as the main character. I found the plot a bit predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. I kind of wished the ending hadn't felt so rushed, though, because I was at 80% of the book and felt so much still needed to happen for it to have a nice conclusion. I was afraid of a big cliffhanger and having to wait for the sequel to come out - but I have to say it was a good ending. I am still anticipating the sequel though because there were some reveals I really need to know more about. Overall, Hush was a good book and I am hopeful for the sequel which comes out this year, I believe. 3.5 Stars.

**3.5 Stars**

Shea and her mother are shunned by the town since her brother died from the blot, a mysterious illness that strikes those who are not rule followers. When the Bards come to either bless or ignore her town (depending of the quality of the offering provided by the town), Shea takes it upon herself to discuss her concerns with the Bards. Little did Shea know that her life was about to be toppled.

I will admit that I basically went into this book blind, having no idea what the story was actually about, but I kept seeing it pop up everywhere which piqued my curiosity (and I am a cover snob and I really like the cover). I was super surprised to find that this is the first book in a YA epic fantasy series, full of dark truths, conspiracies, murder, lies, magic and a tiny hint of magic. At times the story was a little confusing (for both Shea and me) and I had a hard time following what was going on/real, but in general it was a cool yet dangerous world the author created.

I really liked the setting and the plot, Hush was almost like a magical mystery who-done-it which I appreciated. The one thing I struggled with was the main character Shae. I have no real reason why, I can't put my finger on what bothered me most, but I really struggled to connect/empathize with her. I get most of her reasons for her behavior, but I think she was more a surface character without a ton of depth and sometimes her actions just made no sense to me. Also, she had no concept for other people's well-being, her actions almost always impacted those close to her in a negative way- and she suffered from instalove (that was not really reciprocated and super awkward!). I did really like how embroidery was Shea's tool of choice to express herself and as a hobby, a very feminine skill/talent for a fairly unfeminine character.

Overall this was an interesting and unique fantasy story, perfect for anyone who likes independent characters, a muder mystery with tons of suspects and a magic system full of all kinds of powers.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher one exchange for an honest review.*

Although the world of this book was initially a bit confusing, at some point I realized that I understood it. Farrow managed to explain everything (Bards, Telling, the Blot, etc.) without stopping the story to dump a bunch of info on the reader. Like I said, it some point it it just made sense. That is, as far as I assume it is supposed to at this point; there are still unanswered questions and plenty left for the second book (which I look forward to reading).

Overall, Shae (17) is likable. She is caring, intelligent, and determined. But, as her friend Fiona points out to her, she tends to rush into things without thinking first. I'll also point out that she is somewhat gullible, though perhaps I say that simply because I am the reader and could develop my own theories as an outside observer. Regardless, I did like her as a character, and I want things to turn out well for her. She had good friends, Fiona (?) and Mads (?), even though events early on in the story complicate her relationships with each of them. It was a bit heartbreaking to see things so strained when Shae left, particularly because she had nobody else. I keep trying to figure out why Ravod (?) constantly kept Shae at a distance; I have a theory, but we'll see how it pans out. I do like him, though I feel like there's a lot of room to develop his character more.

Although I marked this as having a love story, it's really just barely a hint of one. More like it has some feelings that I hope are explored more in the next book. There is a person in love who gets rejected, and there is a person who "deeply cares" and also gets rejected. Maybe I should say this has a rejection story--ha! Both potential love interests are characters I like, despite their flaws.

I have to hand it to Farrow for messing with Shae's mind because she also messed with my mind. It got to the point that any time Shae was unsure if she was experiencing real events or going mad, I kind of wondered the same thing. (Okay, I didn't think I was going mad--but I couldn't figure out if she was.) Well done. There were a couple of twists that were rather predictable, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story.

Note: There might have been a little swearing, but I don't remember it.

I was really excited to read this book and whilst I wasn't disappointed it did not completely live up to what I expected. Don't get me wrong it's still a very good book and has a lot of potential in turning into a compelling series.
The world-building is quite creative and the characters are well-developed. The story-telling is unique as well.

One of my mini grouses was that this book describes a magic system involving language and the silencing of many voices which is great, however, I found that the execution didn't quite meet today's YA fantasy standards. And we have many fantastic books in this genre. There isn't much explanation of how the magic system works. I think knowing how this works gives the reader a clearer picture.

This is a solid debut. The story is a page-turner and as I mentioned earlier it has the potential of turning into a great series. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a Digital Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted so badly to like Hush. It's a compelling concept--an illness spread by ink, where telling stories and speaking certain words is forbidden. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get hooked no matter how many times I tried to pick it up. I'm a big proponent for finishing all the books I start. I don't often DNF. So I finished Hush, but it took me over 4 months. Here's a bit of a rude thought I had... sometimes when I read a book written by a celebrity, I wonder if they got published because of true talent or because of connection. Jury's out on this one.

As I mentioned, the book doesn't lack conceptually, but in execution. It took 150 pages for anything resembling a plot to set in, and didn't even make up for it with worldbuilding. I don't really understand the magic, the history of the world, or anything else that could be considered notable and original. So much got crammed into the last half of the book--there's something to be said for the reader being in the narrator's mentality, but my word, do we really have to go through it *all* with them? Shae has to learn all about the Bards and we go through that with her for most of the book. Not having any background information until she learns it means that the story's stakes rely on readers being invested in Shae herself.

I didn't view Shae as an especially interesting narrator either, but that might just be me holding her to a heightened standard. The moment her training montage started, around 40% through the book, was the beginning of the plot and her intrigue as a narrator. Unfortunately, that was also the beginning of her misplaced insta-love romance. Authors, I love you, but readers do have appreciation for platonic friendships and books with no romance! Not all fantasy novels need a tall-dark-and-handsome love interest.

Hush is fairly appropriate for younger teens, despite seeming kind of dark at the outset. There's brief depictions of "madness" and some violence, but not that many graphic images.

I wouldn't call Hush an especially sparkling novel... it just didn't speak to me. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't pick it up! This could just be me wanting an inciting incident to actually incite something instead of having to wait 50 pages. I think Hush could also be considered a coming of age novel, which is something I typically dislike mixed into my high fantasy books. Shae leaves her village and learns the truth about her world. On the basis of "it's not you, it's me," I'm giving Hush 3/5 stars.

Hush by Dylan Farrow really took me by surprise, in the best way. I don't typically read books that focus on diseases or plagues, but I'm so glad I didn't pass this one up. The main character takes you on a journey of relationships, learning how to stand up for yourself, and that words really do have power. The magic system was something I've never seen anybody else come close to, and the message behind it all gives it that much more substance. I'm not sure I've ever wanted a character to 'win' and get what they desired as much as with this book and characters.

Wasn't really feeling this one.

Following Shea after the death of her brother from Indigo death; a blue rash that takes life :Sounds an awful like Cress. That is thought to be brought on by ink. So writing and books even stories are forbidden.

After her brother dies her family is shunned out of town and her mother never speaks again and she takes up embroidery which has an odd habit of bringing what she sows to life.

When she starts thinking the curse is leaking into her she goes to the Bards to ask them to heal her.

The Bards are the "godly" idols. The poor towns bring tributes in hope that they will bless their land with rain and bountiful harvest but if it is not enough they will leave the town in drought and ruin.

After the murder of Shea's mother she ventures off to High Place home of the Bards. To where she hopes to find answers.

We get a brief glimpse of the trip to get there... which Other than a lot of walking and a fire. ...seemed pretty easy.... then when she get to high place....she just kind of still has it easy.

Spoilers alert.
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My problem! how does she get into a strong hold OF TRAINED GUARDS! easily. She sneaks around the castle easily. She isn't trained she's a farm girl. Plus, the training she does she's like subpar, but when she thinks she's destroyed something and runs away she ALL the sudden has control over said powers?

And also Mads is literally the sweetest thing.

Loved the premise of this book . I started reading it and kept on getting a little bored with it at times; however, I did enjoy the book enough to finish it. I think I will attempt to read this book again now that life has calmed down a little. The author did a good job of creating a riveting world it just takes a little bit to see it.

A very good start, unfortunately I didn't have time to finish it. I really liked what I read, though!

A refreshing change from the standard fantasy fare. It kept me up all night, interacting with the complex characters..

I began reading this book very excited about the story. There's certainly some very interesting concepts and ideas, like the disease of the Blot, the banning of reading and certain words, the mysterious High House. The pacing and construction of the story however is a bit questionable, and I found myself a bit confused at times as well. I think that the story has so much potential if there was more details and just overall a more immersive experience, but unfortunately the characters are quite two-dimensional even by the end of the story. I might still pick up the next book to see if there's more character development, but at this point, not holding my breath.

This novel is an interesting beginning to a series. The heroine is not self assured or confident and at times comes across as whiny and self pitying but throughout the novel her determination and desire for truth endear her to the readers. Some of the characters are very one dimensional and the plot sometimes gets muddled but overall the story is interesting and the ending is satisfying.

It was a good start for a debut author. What confused me was the backstory. I needed more information about the Blot. How did it start and where did it come from? It was confusing and how it was related to the Bards magic system. Other than that I enjoyed it, and I’m interested to see how Shae’s magic progresses.

Hush is the excellent first novel in a new series by Dylan Farrow. I was honored to read an ARC from NetGalley and these opinions are my own. Shae is a young woman of seventeen. She leads a simple, quiet life with friends and family. All this changes when her mother is murdered. Shae discovers that what she thought were dreams, are reality and a group of elite magic-users called Bards are using language based magic to alter reality. In the midst of all this Shae has to deal with disease and quarantine, making this a timely read. Fortunately there is so much magic and mayhem that Hush makes for a welcome escape. Young adults and anyone who is a fan of dystopian fantasy will enjoy this fascinating novel by a first-time author.

The description of this book is so intriguing. And the cover is gorgeous. Shae lives in a world where reading and storytelling is the cause of a sickness referred to as the Blot and poverty. Her village relies on a Telling from the bards. Usually, a Telling is granted when the village has gathered enough of an offering for High House (where the bards live) or if they have done something to gain the approval of High House.

When her mother is murdered, no one believes Shae. In fact, the word "murdered" is forbidden because of the meaning behind it. You must be careful with what you say in this world. Everyone believes a narrative that has been spun that her mother died due to a landslide. So Shae decides to follow the bards to High House in order to seek their assistance in finding her mother's murderer.

One thing I really liked in this book was Shae's abilities manifesting within her embroidery. To me, it's a form of storytelling, so it provides a voice for her she didn't know she had.

I loved the idea the author conveyed of the power of words and language, or storytelling.

There are some issues I had with the book, though. For example, her immediate attraction to one of the bards when she had a good guy at home. Seriously? And the obvious bad guy in Cathal. For me, I didn't understand what made Shae so special that he believed she could get the Book of Days for him. "Only an incredibly gifted Bard can navigate through the spells of protection, to its heart." Honestly, to me, Shae didn't do enough to prove herself, and this made Cathal extremely suspect for me from the get-go.

My copy of this ebook seems to have been removed from my Kindle account so I am unable to provide a review. Sincere apologies.

The magic system was confusing and not really explained very well. This is the first book in a series though, so maybe the second book will be better.

Great story and loved the slight romance. Really enjoyed the characters and how the plot moved and how the characters changed throughout the book. I would read this author again.

This is a YA fantasy that features a great, strong female protagonist whose inner monologue is extremely relatable. The world-building is stellar, as well, but I found the narrative confusing at times.