The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves is a beautifully written story about an ordinary family dealing with painful experiences. The author’s technique of telling the story in two parts from the perspectives of the two main characters is particularly effective and so well done.

However, it is just too sad and for me and, although I never considered abandoning it, I kept hoping it would become more uplifting as I read on.

My thanks to Netgalley and Century part of Penguin Random House publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

An interesting read, with a non-linear structure, allowing for heart-breaking and dramatic moments, designed to pull at the heartstrings.
That said, I feel like I was unable to fully engage with the plot as it felt like we were dealing with tragedy after tragedy to a numbing extent. I also wasn't drawn in to the narrative style, as the narrators lacked distinctive voices. Overall, this read wasn't for me, but I expect many others to find it deeply moving.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is going to be a very difficult review to write without giving too much away but I shall try my best.

Let’s start with the characters Frank and Maggie. Frank, quiet, reserved, a man of few words, all the common traits of an academic.

Maggie, outgoing, vivacious, almost the complete opposite of Frank. Together they were invincible, close knit and totally and utterly in love until that is they stopped talking for 6 months.

Why? That was something we didn’t find out until the end as Greaves delved into their back story, their meeting, their marriage and all the ups and downs that came with it. Their connection was so close but it wasn’t until a traumatic event that threatened to rip them apart that you realised that actually, they were fathoms apart, their true feelings hidden beneath a secret.

Greaves used Frank as her main voice and what a voice it was. A man who examined every part of his life, his regrets, but also the joy, and the sheer deep love he felt for Maggie. Greaves beautifully captured those emotions, from their first meeting, a hurried marriage to the tragic events that followed. Here was a man adrift, unable to verbalise his feelings, to communicate with his wife, almost alienating himself from her and the rest of the world.

You could sense his desperation, his total despair, as he truly believed he had lost everything he ever had, but it was that desperation, the intervention of a stranger that finally nudged him to open up. As his story unfolded you felt empathy and frustrations, not only with Frank, but also Maggie, as they each made assumptions of the other, scared to almost open up, afraid of what might happen if they did.

When Maggie’s voice finally broke through, Greaves gave you an alternative view, a woman who dearly loved her husband, but had regrets, hid her own secrets. You wanted to bash their heads together, open up, to communicate, make it right and get back to living rather than just existing.

As the story unfolded, Greaves’s narrative became more urgent, time appeared to be running out. A picture emerged of the void within their lives, of the hurt and tragedy they had to live with , before finally, their secret emerged. It wasn’t earth shattering, and I don’t think that was the point to Greaves’s story, it was a tool to show the complexities we often face within relationships, the damage silence could play in tearing people apart, no matter how old you are.

Would they find their way back to one another or would all be lost?

The Silent Treatment was filled with emotion and tenderness, of love and grief , the writing outstanding and so hard to believe this was Abbie Greaves’s debut novel.

Enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and kept me guessing. Certainly helped pass time during lockdown!

This story broke my heart so many times and stayed with me for weeks after finishing. I loved Frank and Maggie and knowing their story. Their care and love for one another. This book reminded me of reading David Nicholls One Day. It’s beautifully written and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. I sobbed at the end.

Well, this was quite some book! Very different from the sort of thing I would normally pick up but that was one of the reasons for signing up to Net Galley. Very much a love story, though not in the conventional sense of the word and very moving. I was hooked from the very beginning, desperate to understand the reason behind Frank's silence and exactly what had triggered it. I have to say that I was almost getting frustrated at not finding out, especially when I could see I still had a long way to go in the book, but when the story switched to being told from Maggie viewpoint, I understood why I still had a lot to read. This was not a bad thing - it just kept me turning the pages! Indeed, I lost count of the number of nights my husband asked when exactly I was going to stop reading & put my Kindle down due to the time....!

If you are up for an emotional rollercoaster, a novel that really draws you in where you can't wait to find out what happens (but at the same time, don't want it to end!), I would highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review, which is truly what I have given here.

Really enjoyed this book - very easy reading and if it wasnt lockdown it would be great on a beach. Not too taxing so nice and light reading

The Silent Treatment was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a breakdown of a marriage and/or a relationship between Maggie and Frank, but what I got was far more than that. It was a breakdown of their relationship of shorts where both parties have been keeping secrets from each other.

Frank hasn't spoken to Maggie for six months, and Maggie has utterly had enough, so much so that she takes and overdose and ends up in a coma. This actually forces Frank to talk to her at the instance of Maggie's nurse Daisy, who says it will do him good to talk to her to let her know he is there. 

What we get from this story is told in two parts 'His Silence' and 'Her Silence' and each weaves the forty year love story that they shared together as well as the eventual navigation of parenthood. This story is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, and it will tug at your heartstrings, I have to admit I shed a tear the last few chapters.

A brilliant debut from Abbie Greaves!

4 stars

Wow, this really blew me away. Right from the start I was hooked, and keen to know what has driven this couple apart. It was pretty devastating, but told with such a light touch that it was so compelling and easy to read, and it hit harder. I would recommend, and I need to check out Abbie Greaves' other books!

Really easy read, that reminded me of a Marian Keyes book!
I would recommend it if looking for something light, but that explores deep themes.

A beautifully written book based on a marriage where Frank hasn’t spoken to his wife in six months- giving her the literal silent treatment. This book is a real eye opener on mental health, I feel like everyone should read it for that alone, but then add in the beautiful prose and the story that swept me along and you have a real winner.

Such a lovely book! Touching and heartfelt. Could benefit from rereading as I whizzed through to find out the big reveal

‘The Silent Treatment’ is the latest book by Abbie Greaves.

Frank hasn’t spoken to his wife Maggie for six months. For weeks they have lived under the same roof, slept in the same bed and eaten at the same table – all without words. Maggie has plenty of ideas as to why her husband has gone quiet, but it will take another heartbreaking turn of events before Frank finally starts to unravel the secrets that have silenced him. Is this where their story ends? Or is it where it begins?

I’ve seen much talk about this book on social media and I was dying to get reading and once I started, I found it impossible to put the love story of Frank and Maggie down.

The story is primarily seen through the narrative of Frank as he sits by his wife’s bedside and he chats to her regaling tales of their first meeting to falling in love. The story is a nostalgic tale and makes for tender and bittersweet reading as Frank reveals stories of hardship with their only daughter Eleanor as well as reasons why he has not spoke for 6 months.

It’s a beautifully written story and Frank is a lovely narrator, his love and devotion for Maggie leaps from the pages and his frustration for the situation that they are in is evident.

I completely fell in love with ‘The Silent Treatment’ with its intriguing plot line and relatable characters, this poignant debut is about love and relationships and the importance of communication.

You can buy ‘The Silent Treatment’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Wow what an emotional book. This book shows how 2 people in the same situations see things differently but at the same time they both feel the same feelings. A great read and the ending is as happy as it could be.

In my role as English Teacher, I love being able to spend time reviewing books for our school library which I use to help the students make great picks when they visit us as well as running a library junior and senior book group where we meet every week and share the books we love and talk about what makes a great read. This is certainly a book that I'd be happy to display at the front as one of my monthly 'top picks' which often transform into 'most borrowed' between students and staff. It's a great read and ties in with my ethos of wishing to assemble a diverse, modern and thought-provoking range of books that will inspire and deepen a love of reading in our students of all ages. This book answers this brief in spade! It has s fresh and original voice and asks the readers to think whilst hooking them with a compelling storyline and strong characters It is certainly a book that I've thought about a lot after finishing it and I've also considered how we could use some of its paragraphs in supporting and inspiring creative writing in the school through the writers' circle that we run. This is a book that I shall certainly recommend we purchase and look forward to hearing how much the staff and students enjoy this memorable and thought-provoking read.

This book centres around a husband and wife who have been married for 40 years.

At the beginning of the book, Maggie makes a heartbreaking decision and whilst she is in hospital, Frank tells her the thing he has kept secret for six months.

The story is in two parts, the first part is from Frank’s point of view and he documents his life with Maggie and eventually tells her the reason he hasn’t spoken to her for six months.
The second part is Maggie’s point of view, which has been taken from her diary. In the week leading up to her hospitalisation, she has been writing her diary for Frank to read.

I liked the first part of the story as I liked Frank’s character. A man of few words he’s totally devoted to his wife and their only daughter. I found his social awkwardness and trusting nature very endearing.
After this, the second part seemed to drag a bit for me in places and I’m not sure why. I didn’t like Maggie’s character so much but she turned out to be a complicated woman who portrayed such a happy personality.

What the couple go through is sad and as parents they try to do the best for their daughter.

The concept behind this story is interesting and shows the need for communication. It’s easy to read and you do feel sorry for Frank and Maggie.

It’s a good debut novel and I would read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an advance copy of this book for review.

From the blurb alone I knew that The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves was going to be a book I would love, but nothing could have prepared me for the stunning and heartfelt debut it turned out to be.

The story begins with Maggie as she attempts to take her own life. Told from the point of view of her husband Frank, we soon come to learn that, for reasons as yet unknown, he hasn’t spoken to his wife for six long months. They have continued to live under the same roof, slept in the same bed and eaten at the same table – but all without words. And now Frank is full of regrets as Maggie lies in a hospital bed fighting for her life.

The first half of the book is Frank’s story as he tries to come to terms with what Maggie has done, his devastation and guilt palpable as he sits by Maggie’s bed and, on the advice of her nurse, begins to talk about the life they’ve shared together. From their first tentative meeting to their blossoming romance, Frank describes how he fell in love with this beautiful woman who he couldn’t quite believe had fallen in love with him too. With each hospital visit we learn more and more about their life together, but still the reason behind Frank’s silence remains an unspoken secret.

For the second half of the book the focus switches to Maggie as Frank discovers the diary that she has left for him to read. And it is within the pages of this most personal of items that the truth finally begins to emerge as Maggie pours out her innermost secrets, with some shocking and heartbreaking revelations for Frank as he reads the heartfelt words his wife has written.

The Silent Treatment moved me beyond words, rendering me speechless at times with the beauty and poignancy held within its pages. Abbie Greaves has written a stunning debut that captivated me from the very first page and didn’t let go until the final page had been turned, with Maggie and Frank’s story taking me on a memorable journey of love, loss, heartbreak and second chances.

Devastatingly poignant, The Silent Treatment is a special book that will stay with me for a long time to come and I honestly can’t recommend this stunning debut highly enough.

This emotional and tender love story pulled me in from the start and kept me captivated throughout. Frank and Maggie feel so real and relatable. Their story is of the successes and failures of marriage and family and is both sad yet heartwarming. One of those rare books which tears you apart and then stiches you back together.

This is such an assured, brilliant debut. It is a wonderful, insightful, heartfelt look at communication and relationships through time.

I wasn't expecting this book to be as hard-hitting as it was. This story really got under my skin and I felt very emotional when reading it! The pacing was excellent - the perfect amount of suspense throughout and towards the end I was racing to find out what would happen.