Saving Silence

Two narrators, Imogen and Sam, both under threat. Secrecy and betrayal close-woven into a narrative which spins its labyrinthine way through a hectically paced storyline, heavily laced with unexpected moments. This novel held my attention throughout and entertained and shocked in equal measure.

Sam is the archetypal loner: a northerner on alien southern turf, concealing a life-threatening secret which he must share with Imogen,  the popular, unflappable Head Girl – if both their lives are to be saved. As he tries to tell her what she must know an attempt is made on his life. She intervenes and the attempt fails, but when she is stalked by two men and receives mysterious texts on her phone, she starts to worry. The raid on her friend Nadina’s family’s shop consolidates her feeling that something is badly wrong and there are connections which she is failing to see.

Saving Silence is not just a tautly-written thriller, though it is certainly that. It is also an exploration of self-image, public duty, trust and betrayal. Blaxhill’s portrayal of teenage lifestyles is utterly convincing – she has captured the cadences of speech and the intricacies of friendships, romance and the delicate balancing act needed to stay on the right side of the law without betraying those you love.

The end of the book brings clarity for Imogen, justice for the wrong-doers – and, at last, a brighter future for Sam, a feeling of belonging for the first time in his life. There are no over-neat happy endings here, instead, a feeling of optimism for the future and a sense that justice has been done.