Fantastic read for historical fiction readers. This book brings something new to the genre which is always refreshing for WW2 HF books

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upn my honest opinion.

While I have absolutely loved all of this author's books, this one failed to connect with me I found it really hard to get into. The science aspect was too involved for me and took away frm the overall story, and the overall story was lovely.

Although this was not my favourite book from this author, I look forward to reading more of her works in the future.

Deaf after contracting measles as a child, Mina is a brilliant student but is thrown out of school due to the Nazi rules about disabilities. Luckily she can lipread and is able to get into university, keeping her deafness a secret. But her scientific brain is recognised by the government and she is whisked away to Berlin to work on the German atomic bomb...
When The World Went Silent is an historical book set in Austria and Germany during WW2. There is some basis in fact but Mina's character is completely fictional.
Mina won't let her deafness get in the way of achieving her dream. Luckily she became deaf as a child so is able to talk normally and she is proficient at lipreading so others don't immediately realise she has a disability. However, she is also in danger from the Nazi ideology about perfect Aryans and the threat of sterilisation and euthanasia are mentioned to coerce her into working for their atomic project.
I loved Mina's character and her determination to succeed. Her passion for science radiates from the pages as does her desperate hope for humanity. The latter leads her to sabotage the German atomic project to prevent the Nazis creating a weapon of mass destruction. The science behind the story was fascinating and I also enjoyed the medical side to the radiation plot.
I really loved this book despite not understanding most of the science! The best and worst of humanity are depicted with authenticity. The historical side of the book has been well researched. I felt immersed in the history and geography portrayed in the book. The supporting characters are a mix of real people and fictional but all add depth to Mina's character through their relationships.  My only quibbles were that the prologue and epilogue by 'Mother' weren't really necessary and I felt the ending was a little rushed.
When The World Went Silent is a wonderful historical book about bravery and overcoming adversity.

An interesting read a lot of the physics did go over my head, however I still really enjoyed it. The characters had a great connection. When the World Went Silent is a gripping, heart-warming WW2 historical novel of a strong, inspiration, young hero, determined to help save the world and new friends that will help her to do so. It’s evident that Ellie Midwood did an incredible amount of research to give the readers some understanding of the race to the atomic bomb and the devastation Hiroshima became.
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#WhentheWorldWentSilent #NetGalley

I enjoyed this story of Mina, a very intelligent young deaf woman forced to participate in the development of the atom bomb in WWII Germany. Overall I felt the challenges Mona faced were realistic and focused but could have been covered in more depth and with even more tension. The story also outlined the difficulties Mina experienced with communication due to her deafness but made her speech reading (lip reading) skills seem much more easy and effective than they would be in real life. In spite of those notes, the book was a quick, good read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.

In this fascinating and morally complex historical fiction novel, readers embark on the nuclear arms race of World War II as the Germans discover nuclear fission. Deaf Austrian nuclear physics prodigy Mina fought for a place at the university in Linz, but others took notice of her skills and recruited her to work for the German Reich and develop nuclear weapons and the atomic bomb. Horrified by the reality of her work and what it might do, Mina tries to do what she can to protect others, and former college classmate, current Abwehr codebreaker, and perhaps more-than-a-friend Siggy wants to be by her side as the war unfolds. With so much at stake, readers will love seeing the German arms race unfold through Mina’s eyes, and her character development over the novel, particularly in her awareness of the horrors of the Nazis, is interesting to watch. Her relationships with other characters like Siggy and her parents, as well as other physicists, are interesting because she is so young and different from the other characters. She really stands out from the rest of the cast with her complex character arc and backstory, and historical fiction fans will definitely enjoy exploring her story in Midwood’s latest book.

Mina has been deaf since the age of five but she doesn't let this stop her. She is a courageous, daring and strong woman. She has a Brilliant mind and is determined to go to university to put it to good use. However, her brilliant mind is soon recruited to Berlin where she is set to help create the atomic bomb during world war two.

This book is full of great characters, they slowly develop and blossom as the book goes on. I was really rooting for a few of the characters in particular. I love historical fiction and the plot to this one was so interesting, it's a gripping read that's for sure!

The ending is superb. In a book that deals with a difficult topic, love and goodness still manages to shine through and reach a wholesome ending in certain ways.

Very enjoyable read and will definitely look out for more from this author.

Wow. This is such an engaging story!

I was so intrigued by the synopsis, I knew I had to check this one out.

It did not miss for me! The fear in the Nazi party, the uncertainty around the atomic bomb....everything was just so well done.

I need to read more by this author!

This novel is stunning. Absolutely stunning

Mina is deaf, a disability which has a high risk of internment in a concentration camp in Hitler's germany where disability and differences meant dehumanising and sady, very often, death.

Mina was taken from her home by the SS. Initially terrified that it was due to her disability (which she has always hidden) but in fact it was her brain as she was a genius in Physics and they wanted someone to help them to build an atomic bomb and secure victory over Europe in WWII

Mina meets a fellow student, Siggy and Midwood writes a beautiful dynamic between these two that was so reflective of the time and temperaments during the war. The pair bravely decide to surreptitiously sabotage the project and save the allies, but will they prevail?

I adore this book, because it tells of a different side of the war, especially in respect of how people with disabilities were treated and all people became seen as their utility as opposed to their humanity. This was my first book from Ellie Midwood and will not be my last

Thank you to Bookouture and Ellie Midwood for this incrediable ARC and huge apologies for being delayed in my stop on the tour! My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This is a heartbreaking historical fiction novel set in World War Two. I immediately loved Mina, with her bravery, resilience, and strength. She didn’t let her loss of hearing impact her life at a time when being deaf was viewed as a defect and could have deadly consequences for her. Instead, she hid it and used her incredible mind. When this leads to being recruited to develop the atomic bomb, she’s in an impossible situation, yet determined to save millions of lives. Moving and fascinating, #WhentheWorldWentSilent is a book that will stay with you and give you all the feels.
Thank you, Ellie Midwood, Bookouture, & Netgalley for my early copy! All opinions are my own.

This is the first book that I have read by Ellie Midwood but it certainly won't be the last.
I absolutely fell in love with Mina. She was such a well developed character and it felt like I watched her grow up as the story evolved.
What a clever, brave woman she was.
The other characters, Mina's parents, Siggy, her handler and fellow scientists were also thoroughly believable and well rounded.
Whilst there was a lot of technical detail throughout the story, I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. It made sense for it to be included.
I must admit, without giving anything away, that I absolutely loved the ending.
I will most certainly be adding Ellie's other books to my TBR pile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'When The World Went Silent' by Ellie Midwood.

Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon. Firstly I must congratulate Ellie Midwood for yet another extraordinary novel that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure would be best selling!!!

One thing I love about Ellie and her books, well several things really but to name a few. Firstly, I can guarantee whichever one of her amazing books you pick up you are guaranteed to go on an emotional rollercoaster ride of emotions and not finish with dry eyes. Secondly, I absolutely love that each and every time I pick up one of her extraordinary books I discover a new hero that deserve their stories to be told to the world and Ellie does exactly this each and every time with this book being no exception!! This book is very powerful and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heart-breaking and beautiful at the same time. The storyline of this book is fiction but the actual historical events are all based on facts and history which is another thing that drew me to read it. It is absolutely rammed with emotions that will make you smile, cry and laugh on the roller-coaster ride to hell that is World War 2, Auschwitz , Birkenau and the persecution and murder of the Jews and many others. Nothing is left out and Ellie has done an immense amount of research and brings Mina and Siggy to life along with the rest of the characters we meet throughout this page turner. In this gripping story we meet Mina who lives in Berlin and has been deaf since she was just 5 years old. When the SS come to take her away Mina is petrified it is because her deafness has been discovered and her family are in pieces. However rather than wanting her dead the SS want to use her brilliant mind to help them to build an atomic bomb that will help the Germans to win. Mina is in a lose, lose situation as if she refuses to help she will be killed but if she does help millions will die because of what she has been told to build. Thankfully she has a friend in Siggy who she met an her Austrian university and they do everything they can do sabotage the project. One of the things that stood out for me in this amazing book is the fact that our main protagonist Mina is deaf which is not something I have come across in a book before so not only does Ellie manage to bring hero's and heroines from the past back to life but she also gives the reader unique characters and storylines to go with them. This storyline involves a lot of physics and science but Ellie manages to include the perfect amount of information and in layman's terms as not to bore and/or confuse readers. This story is unique for me as I (embarrassingly) had never heard of the Uranium Club before so yet again thank you so much Ellie for educating myself and many others. My heart broke but at the same time soared at the end of this beautiful story filled with romance, passion, war, love, bravery, determination, spirit, hope, horror, suspense, tension, hate and just absolutely everything you could ask for in an emotional rollercoaster page turning historical novel. As always Ellie I cannot wait to read your next guaranteed success.

Grab the tissues, clear your schedules and get lost in history with an extremely talented author and a beautiful heart-breaking and educational read!!

As always with Ellie's books, this book did not disappoint. Some people believe that these stories should not be written but I am a strong believer that these victims and hero's have earned the right for their stories to be told and to not be forgotten and this book does just that. I loved discovering not just Mina (Dr. Werner Heisenberg) story but those who surrounded her also. It is absolutely disgraceful and heart-breaking what these people went through because of everything that happened in Germany and all over the world. Mina is put in a petrifying and awful position and even when her life is in danger courageously tries to sabotage the Uranium Club's plans along with Siggy. Ellie does an amazing job building up each of these truly amazing characters and her fantastic evocative writing skills brings each and every one of them to life. Thanks to Ellie this amazing group of people who supported and lifted each other up during these dark times and helping them see the light will never be forgotten. This book was very hard to read as a whole but there were certain parts that will stay with me for a very long time and that we're soul destroying. What the German's did to these innocent people makes me absolutely sick to my soul. However, during this darkness comes light of love, friendship and even some laughter. Most importantly it ensures these amazing people are never, ever forgotten. Each of these amazing people will stay in my mind for a long time and my heart absolutely broke with tears streaming down my face for so many of them. I can't say more than that though as I don't want to give anything away so you will just have to pick up a copy and see what I mean. Ellie always piques my interest with her amazing books and I always find myself wanting to know more and more about these people that changed history. Regardless of whether you love or hate the characters one thing is certain and that is that Ellie has the talent to bring them out of the pages so you feel you are surrounded by them as you walk along next to them all in this beautiful book.

Again congratulations Ellie Midwood on all your research and for writing this amazing story of "Mina" and the heroes and victims of World War 2. As always I was intrigued to read your letter at the end (please keep reading to read Ellie's notes). I love the fact that your wonderful stories brings so much information about these unknown victims and heroes and what they went through into the world. They all deserve to have their stories told in a way that did them justice and you have done that. I would say this book is on par with the likes of 'The' diary of Anne Frank' which left me with the same feelings your novel has of not even more emotional.

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and the first chapter of Ellie's absolutely gorgeous 'The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz' which is another page turner and one I have read myself and would highly recommend!!

Overall yet another unputdownable, heart wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story from an amazingly talented author.

#WhenTheWorldWentSilent #EllieMidwood #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous #BookoutureBookClub

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"When the World Went Silent" is a captivating and thought-provoking read that masterfully explores the depths of human resilience and connection. Ellie Midwood's vivid storytelling and rich character development draw you in from the very first page. As someone who is a sucker for books set during WWII, this novel did not disappoint. Each chapter is beautifully crafted, making it impossible to put down. This book is a must-read for anyone looking for a moving read.

This is a fascinating read.
WWII enlisted so many types of people, racing against the clock to stay one up on other countries.
This story speaks of those who were brilliant biologists, mathematicians, and chemists. The weight of the world settles on those working on the atomic bomb. Such destruction would follow.
In a time when you could trust no one, still some fought against Germany from high places.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I loved this book. I’ve never really thought about the scientists that worked on nuclear weapons. Especially in the countries of our enemies. I loved that this book highlighted women in STEM, all during a time when it was almost unheard of for women to be doing scientific things. Mina was an impressive woman. She overcame her unfortunate disability and she was lucky she was such a genius or she easily could have become a victim of the German mentality of sterilization and euthanasia of disabled persons. It definitely made me curious about how many scientists escaped to the US and other allied countries and used their knowledge to help us create our nuclear weapons or work in the space race.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

Mina is a brilliant and gifted student who was able to assimilate amongst her peers despite being deaf; a disability she desperately wanted to keep hidden from the Nazis. I loved her resolve and determination to defy the horrifying task she’s assigned to complete. I can only imagine the absolute terror she must have felt during this horrific era in world history. I was enthralled by this view of WW2 and appreciated the author’s research that went into this novel.

Another fantastic, heart-breaking book from Ellie Midwood, who is one of my favourite authors of Nazi Germany fiction books. Rooted firmly in fact and based on real people, Ellie's books also have some wonderful fictional characters and events.

I really loved Mina. I'm not totally sold that a deaf girl in her position would have been brave enough to speak out about Einstein in the way she did, but I like to believe that such bravery existed. Mina was a fascinating character, so close to being seen as "defective" by the Nazi regime but saved by her brilliant mind. I wonder how many other brilliant minds were destroyed by their small mindedness. I loved Siggy too, and the relationship between him and Mina was lovely.

I have to confess that I have never read H.G Wells' "The World Set Free", but this book has inspired me to do so.

When the World Went Silent is easily the best book that Ellie Midwood has written in some time. I flew through it in two sittings so completely engrossed and gripped was I by the story that was unfolding. Who’d have thought science and physics would have held my attention and have me reading the pages as quickly as possible to see what was going to happen next? But that’s exactly what happened. Although this is a work of fiction it’s based on true facts and the story that developed was fascinating with a female heroine who had such unwavering resolve, an unbroken spirit and such a gutsy attitude. Mina became a character whom I couldn’t get enough of as she is sucked deeper and deeper into the German’s world as they race to create an atomic bomb which could change the face of the world forever if they succeeded.

A shocking, hard hitting and very descriptive and visual prologue has the reader sitting up and paying attention instantly and from this point on my interest never wavered. As the story progressed this prologue connected back very well to the work that Mina was under taking highlighting the consequences of said work if they could make it come to fruition. Nuclear physics and its role in the war was not a topic I had given any previous thought to whilst reading historical fiction but here it was stimulating and thought provoking and really broadened my horizons and opinions when it came to World War Two and how it was won.

There was a danger that the book could have become bogged down in scientific terms and explanations and to be honest I initially thought this is way too complicated for my liking and that the majority of it would go over my head. Thankfully this didn’t turn out to be the case at all and that’s some feat from the author. Clearly she had undertaken meticulous research and to write said information is a way that was accessible to the reader was a great achievement. I feel as if I have had a challenging and exhilarating science lesson but instead of sitting in a classroom I was taken right to the heart of the German research and in doing so I discovered an competent and impressive young woman who ‘in a world gone mad, the pursuit of truth, the defence of the defenceless, is the greatest act of rebellion’.

It was so refreshing to have a female character so different from the norm. For Mina was only five when complications from the measles left her deaf. She is extremely clever and bright and obsessed with maths and the sciences and has long excelled at school resulting in her being given work to do beyond her age level. But now her beloved home country of Austria has been overtaken by the Germans and Mina is viewed as a undesirable and a scourge on society. ’The Germans came and she turned into an undesirable overnight, a handicapped girl, the dark stain on the immaculate genetical imprint of the Ayran race’. She can no longer attend school and must be home-schooled. She wants to prove that she is more than just a deaf girl and she does this time and time again showing how gutsy, spunky and talented she is.

There is a small subplot near to the beginning of the book which at the time of reading I thought was this necessary to have included it in the story? But upon reflection it was essential and paved the way for what was to come. It also taught Mina an important lesson regarding how Jews were treated during the war and it fuelled her fire even further. Mina can’t hear things but she feels them and sees them with her eyes. She is highly principled and quietly obstinate and these qualities see her enrolled in university where she keeps her disability a secret. Here is where her talents are observed by the Germans. She meets Siggy a fellow student and they strike up a friendship. I loved how this aspect of the storyline was completely downplayed and very much understated. It needed to be as this was not the kind of book given over to gushing moments or a will they won’t they scenario as there were far more important issues and problems to deal with. Yet still it was subtly there in the background and I appreciated it’s inclusion.

Such brilliance and a quick and sharp mind when it comes to maths and physic means Mina is taken from her university in Austria and brought to Berlin to work with The Uranium Club. She is very much a women in the midst of a man’s world but this doesn’t stop her in her tracks at all. Instead, it’s like she has come home and is doing what she had always wanted to do and that is to be a scientist. But things take on a different meaning when she discovers what the scientists are actually working towards. They are attempting to build the atomic bomb that will ultimately help Germany win the war. The more Mina researches and the deeper into the experimentation the club delve the more Mina understands that if this bomb were to be created the effects would be deadly and horrific. ‘The die is cast, and with each new discovery, they’re approaching something that shall forever change the very life on earth’.

Here is where the tension really ramps up as there is a desperate race to hinder the progress of the reactor prototype. Mina is astute she knows that the Americans are hard at work probably creating their own bomb but if she can stall the Germans in their tracks she feels she will have done something to help humanity. For humanity is whom Mina is always thinking of and through her research and observations she knows that the consequences will be catastrophic if the Germans build the bomb first. ’Science has been turned into a tool of annihilation instead of hope’. Huge responsibilities lie on her shoulders but my admiration for Mina just grew and grew the further I read and you completely forget that she even had a disability so strong was she in her beliefs and actions. ‘They may not be in the physical trenches, but their invisible war, is no less dangerous and, perhaps even more detrimental to the fate of mankind’.

To use the word enjoyable for When the World Went Silent would be wrong but that’s what I am going to say. I didn’t feel like leaving when the story ended and I was completely consumed by it. This was such an important topic to write about and as you read it you are aware of the eventual outcome in terms of world history and also thinking this is still very much relevant to today and perhaps even more so. Mina is an outstanding character full of grit, resilience and courage who takes you on an exhilarating and dangerous journey exploring a riveting time in history. Ellie Midwood has done herself proud with this book and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Mina has been deaf since 5, but brilliant in Math and Science. She heads to an Austrian University to study physics at the start of WWII, hiding her disability so that she can pursue her studies. She ends up being recruited to do research in Berlin. They are researching how to build the atomic bomb, but can she prevent this from happening?


This was a fascinating, page-turner of a story. There was a lot of scientific information on building the atomic bomb and the effects of radiation on others. However, I loved Mina and her determination to do the right thing. She was extremely passionate about physics, and math. When she was forced to work with a group of scientists she was in awe of them, and as determined as they were that the knowledge of how to make the bomb not fall in Nazi's hands. She also met and fell in love with Siggy, a fellow student who also ended up working for the Nazis in Berlin, as a coder. It’s also a powerful statement about the dangers of the atomic bomb. I also loved that it focused on ordinary German citizens and what they went through during this time. Especially if they disagreed with the Nazis. This is the second story that I read by this author and it won’t be the last. I loved them both.


Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC

I found this such an intriguing book! At its core is Germany's program to build an atomic bomb during World War 2, and I was fascinated by the historical details and all the science that Midwood expertly incorporated into the book. But mostly, I adored Mina, a brave young heroine with a gift for physics who finds herself at the very center of a pivotal momen in history.. Terrified that the Nazis have targeted her for euthanasia because she has been deaf since age five, she ultimately learns that it's her scientific mind that has attracted them--and she is directed to participate in a project with potentially catastrophic consequences. I found Mina's story so compelling, as she manages her deafness while wrestling with nothing less than the fate of the world. Highly recommend!