I do not thin it was my time to read this book: I put it away for now and I will be coming back to this once in the mood for that genre.

With this being described as a coming-of-age verse novel I think I was expecting a bunch of poems but what followed took me by surprise and I’ve never listened to or read anything like The Silver Chain before. The voice of the narrator (which I loved) flowed seamlessly through the text and truly brought the story to life, making it all feel real. The audiobook shone a light on so many important topics and I was amazed by how everything just fit and was portrayed perfectly. This was my first “verse” novel and it certainly set the bar high I’ll tell you that!

It was a beautiful book that pulled me in and took me as the reader on a long and winding journey through Azadeh’s life. Not once was I disappointed by how the story was told and I couldn’t at all predict where it was going next which I liked. I would for sure read/listen to more books like this where it felt like poetry to my ears. I found myself smiling when it all came to a close because the ending was so lovely and I very much enjoyed listening to the audiobook in the morning, it was nice to wake up to and get lost in. I’d highly recommend it!

The audiobook flowed really well and I enjoyed the narrator. I felt that it’s a really to show the impact parental mental health can have in small ways in their child’s friendships although it doesn’t go deep it just taps at the surface

Great audiobook, really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Wow, I was really surprised at how good this book is. It blew me away. The book is a novel which is written poetically, and it is an amazing piece of literature, which is very deep and emotional.

Azadeh is a young girl whose voice we hear throughout the book, and it is her story that we are focusing on. She plays the violin, and throughout the audiobook, we hear violin music, which is really beautiful. Azadeh has problems at home, as her Mum has mental health problems, and to cope with her stress, she uses her music. She finds it hard to talk to people, but she has wonderful friends who help her through her stress. I loved her a lot, and I enjoyed reading about her journey.

The narrator of the book was fantastic. I really loved the whole book, and I highly recommend it, as I found it heartwarming, inspiring and touching, and it is a book that I will always remember. It is one of my favourite books of this year. If you get the chance to read the ebook or listen to the audiobook, please go for it, as you will not be disappointed!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

YA free verse about mental health? Sign me up.
Azadeh is trying to navigate being in a school on a scholarship with other children that are much richer than her, whilst also struggling with home life as her mums mental health spirals.
Azadeh was a great character and I loved how music was intertwined with the story.
The daily battle of dealing with her mum and the struggle with a new person in her friendship group changing the dynamic was really well done.
I love free verse novels and this one was set nicely against some amazing illustrations.

Azadeh has gained a scholarship for a private education due to her talent. In this verse form YA she has to navigate her feelings of being the least affluent of her friends and her mother's deteriorating mental health. The story although dealing with sensitive themes is uplifting rather than harrowing.

The narration by Aijaz Awad not only suits the form but realistically captures the teenage Azadeh.

Thank you Netgallery for the opportunity to listen to this title.

#TheSilverChain by #jionsheibani is a beautiful book written in verse. Narrated by #Aijazawad themes include teenage career, multiculturalism, parental mental health. Thanks to #netgalley for gifting me a advance #audiobook in exchange for an honest review

This audio book was fantastic, I love listening to poetry in this way. I have been eyeing this book up on our shelves for a few weeks and i couldn't resist delving into the audio sensation! Beautifully narrated and a spectacular story.

I absolutely loved the way this book was written and the music that accompanied the audiobook was fantastic. Really different to anything I had read before. On a more serious note, this book deals with the topic of mental health in a sensitive and relatable way for teenagers. A really important book for any comprehensive classroom.

3.5 stars

Headlines:
Told in verse
Parental mental illness
Poles apart friendships

There was a lot to unpack in this story told in verse. I really enjoyed the format where some sections were more lyrical than others, and some more straight narrative. Azadeh was something of a prodigious violinist, having a scholarship at a private school. In fact, Azadeh's family were from humble means setting her apart financially from her peers but also in term of her heritage. Azadeh had a Persian father and I think an English mother although I wasn't certain. Azadeh had some longings towards her origins that seemed unfulfilled.

Azadeh sought solice in her music, her violin, the notes, the message of the music. When things went wrong at home however, she lost her connection to music for some time. That seemed to untether her own mental wellbeing.

There were some slightly toxic friendships in this book, some lack of cultural understanding from friends and racist microagressions. Azadeh found this hard to navigate and it was uncomfortable to witness.

There was a strong storyline of mental illness and while that was good representation, I didn't always feel that it was fully unpacked. It felt a little unfinished in the end from that perspective.

The most enjoyable aspect of this book was in it's narrative style of verse. I found it very easy to read and listen to. The narration was really good, with single narration but excellent dialogue tonation.

Thank you to Hot Key Books for the early review copy.

This novel written in verse addresses some serious issues, particularly mental health. Azadeh is a scholarship student at a private school, her background not like that of her friends. As well as being from a working class family, her dad is also Iranian. Her mum is suffering from severe mental health problems and Azadeh uses her violin and music as a form of escape from the stresses she faces. She is afraid to speak about her home life with her friends who are from more privileged backgrounds as she thinks they will judge her and not understand.

I was very moved by this story as I had similar experiences as a young person. When I was growing up mental health was a taboo topic. My mum had serious mental health issues but I didn’t feel there was anyone I could talk to. Books like this are so important to introduce the subject and show people they’re not alone. I wish there had been books like this when I was a teenager. I really liked the inclusion of music and art therapy as things that can help people to cope and bring people together.

I’m not sure the poetic nature of the writing always came across in the audiobook and I would be interested to see how it is formatted in text. I did really like the inclusion of the musical piece that Azadeh is practising and performing throughout the book though, this was a great touch.

The narrator did a good job but the voices she put on for some of the main characters friends didn’t always quite work for me.

The audio version of this book was so soothing to listen to and each chapter lyrically flowed to the next. The themes and dialogue were authentic and the music at the end was a real treat!

**Listened to the audio book**

I'm a big fan of books in verse, but I have never actually listened to one on audio before. I have to say, after reading this, i wouldn't want to listen to a verse novel again. I prefer reading hard copy.

This book had lots of subplots and themes, and for me, it was too many! There was too much going on and therefore I didn't feel attached to the book. Just as I was getting into it, there would be a new subplot.

Because it was in verse, when listening, it felt very bitty and broken. That being said, I really loved the narrator. She played all the characters in the book brilliantly, and was very engaging.

I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it instead of listening.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #jionsheibani #forthcoming #bonnetuk for a audiobook copy for honest review.
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Mixed emotions on this book . fast paced and easily understands the plot . I enjoy the plot with strong emotions but in brutal honesty I’m not a fan . This book will be good for young adults.
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❤️Shaye.reads

Azadeh's home and school lives are poles apart. At her expensive private school that she attends thanks to a scholarship, she has a few friends, all of them wealthy and happy, but spends most of her time practising the violin. At home, her Persian father works hard to make ends meet and her mother is becoming more unwell, losing control of her mental state. Feeling alone as her friendships fall away, she finds solace in her music.

Sheibani's novel is written in verse, using many short chapters to explore an expansive story at pace. It touches upon family, health, friendship and growing up with an honest and raw approach. Throughout, there is nice character progression and development, one that is respectful to the reality of the situations Azadeh and other characters find themselves in. These issues are not neatly solved; they take time to improve and, even then, encounter setbacks.

Awad's narration of the novel incorporates an array of accents and voices to suit the wide cast of characters, bringing each of them to life from the page. As a combination of Awad's voice and the verse style of the writing, the narration does come across as an enthusiastic actress performing a Shakespeare speech; it's good but the voice lacks the tonal variation to emphasise the depth of the story, making the end product feel less impactful.

This is a good coming-of-age novel and one that will be ideal for a YA audience, specifically one that identifies with regular '#hashtag' mentions.