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Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: The Sharp Edge of Silence
Author: Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: There is a sexual assault that is graphically described.
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: The reviews of this book were excellent, and it did not disappoint. I had been reading rom coms and needed a change of genre. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: "Who will you be at Lycroff Phelps?" Find out how Quinn, Charlotte, and Max answer this question as they navigate the waters at this private boarding school that is steeped in tradition and male toxicity.
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Review:
The novel starts with three acceptance letters to a private/exclusive boarding school, Lycroft Phelps School. The narrative is told in alternating voices, and we follow three students, Charlotte, Quinn, and Max, through a year that is fraught with struggles, decisions, and secrets. Lycroft is steeped in tradition, and male toxicity. The spring before Quinn is sexually assaulted by a star athlete (rower) and "big man" on campus. She did not report the crime and goes home for the summer shattered. Her family rallies around her and gives her support, however, getting back on campus is painful, her rage and need for revenge consume her. We follow her through the novel as she struggles to deal with pain, and plots to kill her abuser. Charlotte, a gifted dancer is dating Sebastian, the start of the rowing team, and struggling not to lose herself in the relationship, is Quinn's "Big." She is supposed to look out for Quinn. Max is a scholarship student and self-proclaimed science nerd who is on campus to make the school look good while trying to fit in. He has a crush on Quinn's roommate. These three main characters are strongly developed, and their lives intersect and connect throughout the novel. There are a series of secondary characters, also well-developed, who lend much depth and richness to the story. I found myself drawn to Quinn's struggle to persevere in the aftermath of her abuse, I rooted for her to rise above revenge and to trust in her friends. Overall, this is a story about trying to do the right thing and to effect change in a male dominated society that is privileged and entitled. And above else it is beautifully written. There are lines that were so poignant and powerful that I found myself stopping to re-read a particularly beautiful line or thought. Her descriptive language is incredible. The author does an amazing job helping the reader visualize and actualize the situation these characters experience and navigate. The characters are relatable and real! One of my favorites of the year.
I think this would be a great book to pair with Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. And, there could be merits in using it in the health curriculum when dealing with emotional/physical abuse. Quinn's struggles are real and the help she gets, and yet still needs, are authentically represented.
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