Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me, I heard of some very problematic content and although I didn't get to that, it had a very slow start and I was unable to get into the book.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy.

I was looking forward to a story of loss, struggle, family, hope, mental introspection and secrets.... I got what felt like an ongoing monologue of paranoid ramblings with minimal reader engagement and a VERY slow moving plot.

I ended up putting this down after MULTIPLE attempts.

This book was really hard to stay engaged with. Sometimes I was very drawn in, and other times I just wanted to put it down and walk away. There was a lot happening during any given point in time and it was difficult to differentiate whether Cass was hallucinating, speaking with Doc, or just reflecting.

I had to put it down unfortunately.

When I came across They Fly Silent by author Barb Lanell on NetGalleys Read Now section I thought it sounded like a book I would enjoy reading. I’m sorry to say, it was not. I have tried several times to get into the story but just can’t seem to do it. It seems like a lot of jibberish to me. I know that it’s about a girl who suffered a tragic childhood and then marries young and is cheated on and abused by her husband. Other than that, I was really confused and lost by it all. I’m 41% into the book and have decided not to finish reading it. It was just too much of a struggle for me and I believe that I would much rather spend my time reading books that I truly enjoy. Perhaps I will try again another time. I do believe that not every book is for every reader and just because I don’t care for this story, there is someone out there that will enjoy it a lot. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc. I wasn’t sure since I didn’t finish the book if I should leave a review but I wanted to explain how I felt. I’m hoping for the authors sake that other readers find the book enjoyable. It just wasn’t for me.

This book was just very hard for me to get into. I was confused, and sadly, I ended up skimming my way through it. I just didn't connect to it and it was very character driven. Sorry to say that I just didn't enjoy this one.

The synopsis for this one was a bit vague, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book and was really impressed with the writing itself. The author has a great ability to build atmosphere with her descriptive writing. There is a bit of mystery in the novel with a character who is accused of setting a fire though she doesn't remember the fire at all, and a story told by the main character's grandmother of a curse that plagues the family.

The real focus, though, is on the character of Cass, her history and trauma and her mental health. It feels quite authentic in the way the writing portrays the mental health issues Cass is experiencing with a bit of choppiness and a lot of changes in direction. This sometimes left me a little confused along the way, but overall I thought it was a good portrayal.

TW: Rape, abuse, etc. (there is an author's note at the end discussing these)

This book was part of a book tour. Some references were made towards a particular population that I found too challenging to read. The author was contacted about it and I applaud how swiftly the author took care of the issue and prepared a new book edition removing those references. This is not that edition. 5 stars for the author’s grace and diligence in addressing the matter.

This one was very hard to get into and I had to DNF it. It was all over the place and I found it confusing. I know the main character has a mental illness and this is probably why it was so disjointed but I just couldn’t stay with it unfortunately. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc for an honest review.

CW: mental illness, animal death, trauma, grief, sexual assault

First I want to say how important it is to read the authors note at the end as she addresses some of the content warning topics!

They Fly Silent is a very character driven story about Cass who is trying to get some of her memories back. I liked to read about her character development and see her growth.

I had a hard time in the beginning because I thought Cass was difficult and gave everyone a hard time for no reason which I found frustrating. BUT her growth throughout the novel is inspiring. I’m a big advocate for mental health wellness and I loved that she used therapy as a tool.

This book isn’t for everyone but if you enjoy character driven stories, character growth, and a touch of lore I think you would enjoy this!

I had trouble getting into this one from the start. I appreciate the storyline, and love a good Southern gothic or Southern noir-type tale, but the writing style was slightly difficult to follow. There are partial sentences. Filling up every paragraph. And it’s. Very Distracting. There are also SO many unnecessary metaphors. I’m all for the literary device and appreciate the imagery and emotions they can evoke, but I feel like it’s too much here. I do appreciate the author’s response in changing content many of us felt was inappropriate. I’m willing to give this one three stars (rounded up!) especially in support of an indie author.) Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing a digital review copy.

After reading the synopsis, I thought this was going to be more of a mystery. I struggled with the length and detailed descriptions in this book. Unfortunately, I skimmed most of this book. It would’ve been a DNF for me if it wasn’t for the book tour / buddy read discussion group I was in.

Although this seemed like a very promising premise, I wasn't able to get past the writing style to get into the story at all. At the 25% mark I felt like I was just reading the same paragraph over and over again.

This is about a woman trying to pick up the pieces after trauma.

It was cheesy and frankly, kind of over done.

DNF.

I gave this book a few chapters but I really couldn't get into it. There's something involving murders but the writing felt superfluous so I couldn't concentrate.
DNF

For this one, I had to DNF. The writing was very confusing and choppy. I know a lot of that is due to the story being told from the main characters POV, but I just could not get in to it. I also was quite shocked at the numerous times the author referred to characters as "Indian banshees" or things like that. I would think in 2021 an author and publisher would be less inclined to have such inappropriate and demeaning language in a book.

This one was hard for me to stay engaged with. It was hard to follow and felt like it was jumping around a lot. Lots of choppy sentences which were due to the feel of being inside the main characters mind. The story moves from memories to therapy and some news clips which also got confusing. Overall the structure was just hard for me read but it sounds like the way the book was structured was key to the story. The book is very unique though with a lot of interesting characters.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Cassandra Cleopatra Collard finds herself in the tabloids of the local gossip column, accused of starting a strange, freakish fire."

Mental health issues, what can I say? This book was hard for me to stay interested in. It jumped around using short, static conversation - which I thought aptly mimicked someone's jumbled thoughts - but made it difficult to follow the story.

2.5☆

It took me ages to get into this book, longer than I thought, however, it was well written. The book itself, though it portrays as a mystery, I'd say its more of a psychological fiction, though, I don't often read those sorts of books, I did find it interesting, the characters seemed to have real depth and I found myself drawn to them and likeable, the author certainly is able to create a world where it reflects everyday life.

There was a lot of jumping around and I didn't feel that really worked for me and also I was expecting the book to be fantasy / magical rather than psychological but it was worth read.

Thanks to the author Barb Lanell, publishers and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book for an honest opinion.

If you are a fan of character-driven novels with lots of introspection, then this is the book for you!

I enjoyed Cass's growth throughout the book, as she struggled to retrieve memories that would help her explain her actions. She learns to open up to her therapist instead of covering her pain with sarcasm, and it's clear how much therapy helps her throughout the book. I found the clashing themes of christianity and tribal worship to be extremely interesting, especially as Cass struggled to reconcile her beliefs between the two.

This book seems like it would give hope to anyone who is struggling with reconciling with their past. I liked Cass a lot as a character--she was snarky in the beginning, but also definitely willing to grow.

I took a chance on this southern gothic novel as this genre is outside of my normal wheelhouse, and unfortunately it wasn't for me. I'm more of a plot-driven kind of girl, but this one was VERY character-driven. I think some of the finer points of the character analysis may have gone over my head.

TW: mental illness, rape, dysfunctional relationships, emotional abuse, family dynamics

They Fly Silent is a southern story about a dysfunctional family. Growing up Cassandra listened to stories her great grandmother MawSue told about mystical and cursed bloodlines, about the Seventh Tribe, spiritual beliefs, and the power of magic, and "seekers". Now twenty five year old Cassandra's life is currently full of madness and chaos. Divorced and accused of starting a mysterious fire that she doesn't remember setting, she is having to face memories during therapy sessions with a psychiatrist. I don't read much psychological fiction, but this book was interesting. Thanks to the author Barb Lanell, Parliament Press Publications, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest opinion.