This was such a unique, intriguing read with a slow burn romance and a twist that I never saw coming. It takes a bit to get into it because Eerie is a very closed of narrator, even in her own head, and the premise is so unique that it takes time to learn the rules of this world, but once it gets going you won't be able to put it down. History, dark magic, political intrigue and rebellion, a love story, and learning to forgive ourselves and others.

I cannot wait for the next book - while parts of this felt like full resolutions to smaller plots, the door was blown off the hinges for what could come next.

Imagine a world where, when you die, all your deepest, darkest secrets become manifest in the form of a person who mystically appears at the moment of your death. That’s the intriguing premise of The Hushed, a novel which takes its title from the name given to these supernatural creatures treated by most of humanity as shameful aberrations.

In appearance, the Hushed look like any ordinary human being. They always appear as adults and never seem to age. But a terrible compulsion drives each of them, even the ones trying to blend in with mortal society:

QUOTE
She smiled too much. Tucked the dark hair behind her ear and tilted her head, like if she tried hard enough, the world would forget she wasn’t human. But I knew that underneath all her warmth, it had already started. She wanted to tell. To utter the words that would erase her from the world. We’re secrets wound into human skin, after all. Telling secrets is what we were created to do. Once the thought starts, it grows. A sickness of syllables that plants an itch somewhere deep in the chest. From the tightness on her face, I could see that the sentence was starting to spin together like a ball of sparks in her mouth.
END QUOTE

Once a Hushed tells their secret to the person it affects the most – commonly referred to as their Wounded – the Hushed dies. Given that relatively few Hushed are suicidal, and that most humans would rather not hear the secrets that could upend their entire lives, you’d think that they’d work up a happy medium to keep Hushed and Wounded away from one another. Instead, most of humanity has adopted a grudging tolerance to the Hushed, registering them through a program called the Internment in an effort to provide them with basic humanitarian needs, even as an extreme faction calling themselves Gravediggers calls for their extermination.

Eerie Ashwood is a Hushed who’s trying to keep a low profile while attending community college classes and working at a small town diner. Unlike most Hushed, neither she nor her brother Fabian knows what their secrets are. All they know is that their secrets have something to do with nearby Ironbark Prison, where they both came to life one terrible night three years ago.

Fabian wants to figure out what his secret is so he can grapple with it head on, whereas Eerie wants to take the first chance she can get to spirit them far, far away from anyone who might trigger their deaths. But everything changes when she meets Logan Winsteade, the rebellious son of one of the prisoners who died at Ironbark on the night that birthed her. Their attraction is instant and, at least on her end, unwanted. Relationships between Hushed and humans are doomed to failure, even without the constant threat of lynch mobs looming over Eerie and her small community of fellow Hushed:

QUOTE
The sound of the chant wafted in, and Officer Waybourne finally turned, like it just dawned on her that she might be in danger too.

Eva and Seph ran down the stairs, rucksacks over their shoulders. Eva shoved past Officer Waybourne, and Seph and I followed. I handed Seph the bag I’d packed.

The chat sounded like a roar coming up the street. Once we cleared the high hedges at the end of the driveway, my heart clenched in my throat.

I’d thought there were a dozen, but there were at least fifty, with Jason Bell learning the group. I saw the hatred in his eyes, the rage etched on his features as he shouted the words. No deed nor look should crawl back up and sure as hell should never talk.
END QUOTE

As Eerie tries to survive both murderous humans and the possibility of finding the secret that could undo her entirely, she’ll have to contend with an ancient organization of Hushed who are determined to meet humanity’s violence with their own. Will she be able to protect both Fabian and Logan from the forces that imperil them, or will she be compelled to choose between her family and the man she’s growing to love?

I always enjoy reading about entirely original paranormal creations, and the Hushed are by far the most unique I’ve encountered in a while. This fast-paced urban fantasy novel raises interesting questions about guilt, culpability and how we treat minorities. Twists abound but there’s still plenty of room for more world-building and answered questions as this novel sets up for what’s sure to be an explosive sequel.

This book is absolutely fantastic. The mechanic behind the Hushed explores the universal human experience of wanting to be fully known and yet terrified of the consequences in a unique way. The writing is beautiful, the characters memorable and relatable (I will fight anyone who comes for Reed), and the plot is twisty. It feels cozy and thrilling all at the same time. If I could give a 10/10 I would, 5/5 will have to suffice. I can’t wait to read more!

The Hushed is such a fun and different premise: it's basically some kind of cabbage patch teens/adults who pop up whenever someone dies with a big ol' secret. And the Hushed's role is to... well, I don't know if they're supposed to tell or keep the secret, but if they let it slip, they vanish back into Xavier's Cabbage Patch or whatever. Problem is, they feel a pull to tell their secret, so... they often don't have long and prosperous "lives". I really enjoyed the main crux of the story, with Eerie's found Hushed family, the whole dynamic of being a Hushed, and of course, what secrets may lurk! And adding to the fun, Eerie does not feel the pull of her secret, because guess what? Our girl has no idea what it is! I loved that- added another fun layer to the Hushed lore and Eerie's story.

I had a few minor qualms, and they're as follows: One, the storytelling was sometimes nonlinear, which is usually not a problem for me. But sometimes, Eerie would tell things like we were supposed to know (we didn't), and then reveal the thing, like five pages later. Which admittedly was a little confusing. Then there are some "past dreamworld" parts and those I didn't super love either. Neither of these are dealbreakers, as I really dug the rest of the story, but worth mentioning.

So the characters were a win, and the plot was very engaging, especially all the contemporary current era stuff. The atmosphere was also incredibly on point, and the treatment of the Hushed folks provided a lot of very relevant real world commentary. Seems like this is meant to be a series, and I for one will definitely be picking up the next installment!

Bottom Line: High stakes not just for the Hushed, this book was atmospheric and full of secrets and a definite win for me!

This novel was difficult to follow. I was confused a number of times. While it became interesting it fell flat for me. I did not feel a thrill. It is not a convenientonal paranormal plot and I think that is a reach to label it as so. It may be for some but it was just not for me.

I enjoyed the unique concept of a person dying and their secrets materializing in the form of human-like beings called The Hushed. The Hushed feel the pull to disclose their secret to the living person it affects. The problem is if they confess said secret they will immediately die. The plotting kept me glued to the page with a great cast of characters led by Eerie Ashwood. I'm guessing from the unresolved issues by the end that there will be a second book and I'm eager to find out what will happen next.

What a unique premise and world! K. R. Blair’s latest noel, The Hushed, is a moving and atmospheric paranormal thriller combined with a forbidden romance. Eerie Ashwood attends the local community college and works part-time at a diner in Rearden Falls, North Carolina. However, she’s not a typical college student. She’s a Hushed, a living secret created by the death of a human who had something to hide. While they look human, they are compelled to tell their secret to the one that it would hurt the most. However, if the do, the Hushed will die immediately afterwards.

However, Eerie and her brother Fabian aren’t like most Hushed. They can’t remember their secrets. They just know they’re connected to a local prison fire. Everything starts changing when Eerie meets Logan Winspeare, the son of one of the inmate fire victims. But as Eerie starts remembering things, the history of the Hushed starts to play a role in the plot.

The main characters have depth and experience growth over the course of the tale making them more dynamic and relatable. Readers get to see Eerie’s near-photographic memory in action as well as feel how frightened she is. Logan is strong and believes his mother was innocent and wrongly convicted of murder. There’s a vulnerability about him that makes him feel realistic and elicits empathy. However, I wanted more character depth for the secondary characters.

The plot is multi-layered and complex with some original world-building concepts. The premise is intriguing. Additionally, the first sentence grabs your attention and the story line keeps you engaged. The narrative gives insight into how people who are different are often bullied, segregated, and treated badly, even if there are laws protecting them. Being afraid of someone different leads to different actions from the tertiary characters.

The story is somewhat strange, twisty and atmospheric, as well as filled with suspense, danger, and action. It’s heartbreaking at times, and riveting throughout. However, the pacing felt off at times and the ending was a little too abrupt. Threads of fear, power, panic, hatred, trust, love, friendship, complex relationships, and found family run throughout the novel.

Overall, this was an intense, engaging, and emotional paranormal thriller with a science fiction vibe that was filled with surprises and twists. If you enjoy original thrillers, then I recommend that you check out this one. I am looking forward to finding out this author writes next. Will there be a sequel?

Blackstone Publishing and K. R, Blair provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for October 01, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Please do not think that this is in any way similar to A Flicker in the Dark. This is a strange story that is basically YA and very likely the start of a series about The Hushed.

The Hushed are a group of people who are created by the death of someone with a secret. The Hushed look like humans and live day to day lives, however, they know if they spill the secret, they will die instantly.

Eerie and Fabian do not remember their secrets, they just know they are somehow connected to Ironbark Prison and it's infamous fire. Eerie meets and falls for Logan, who is the son of one of the victims of the fire and who is also searching for the truth.

While she grows closer to Logan and to her secret, Eerie realizes that The Hushed are part of something greater, something older, something more sinister. And the truth just might kill her.
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This needs some work. It's fairly juvenile and I found myself slogging to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book

First off, thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay overall-nothing terrible, but nothing extraordinary either. Although it’s marketed as a paranormal thriller, I would categorize it more as science fiction due to its unconventional elements. I enjoyed the story, but I often found it challenging to follow. The Hushed is my first book by this author, and while it didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I’m still interested in exploring more of their work. I would definitely give the author another chance with a different book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a good book. I liked the story behind it. It was hard to follow along with and there were so many typos that it was hard to get through. I do feel that it should have been labeled as a ya fiction rather than it be labeled as adult because it did feel pretty juvenile in the writing.

I was so excited when I was approved for The Hushed! I ended up enjoying it but did find it a bit confusing and hard to follow at times.

The Hushed are a group of people who harbor a secret(s) of the human’s body they possess. They are pulled to share that secret, and if they share that secret with someone that isn’t Hushed, they immediately die. Not a lot if known about the Hushed and like many things - when they’re unknown, people fear them. The Government creates a federal group (The Internment) to track the Hushed. Being a tracked Hushed means you get free education, a job, and a place to live (with other Hushed), but it also means you are fundamentally advertising that you are Hushed.

eerie finds herself escaped from a burned down prison, as a Hushed. She has been battered and bruised by her escape and Fabian (who she now refers to as her brother), saves her. The two cross country on small change and luck, meeting others like them in their travels.

When they’ve settled down in a home with other Hushed, eerie and Rory are headed to work at the diner one morning and get pulled over by a police officer who is anti-Hushed. It’s a freezing cold morning and the officer has the girls out of the car and against the fence. A human passerby, Logan, intervenes, and everyone ends up in lockup at the local police facility. eerie is upset with Logan for intervening, but doesn’t know what might of transpired if he had not. No charges are filed and everyone is let go.

eerie and Logan cross paths a few more times in town and the two start to develop a friendly relationship. However, eerie quickly puts together that she was in prison with Logan’s mother, and he is investigating her death.

Will Logan’s investigation of Madeline’s death reveal some of eerie’s secrets or will eerie learn more about her past during Logan’s investigation?

This definitely should be labeled as science fiction. It was really out there and pretty hard to follow along with.