A heartbreaking story with a roller coaster of emotions throughout. Really sensitively and well written about a very difficult topic.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This book really had me on the edge of my seat for all sorts of reasons. It’s a great thriller but the heart of the story’s theme got to me in a different way. I felt angry and incensed at how female members of the school were treated and as it transpires, down the years not just in present times. It’s quite a powerful story and one I’m sure that will stir up strong feeling in a lot of readers. I wasn’t surprised that it came with the usual warning to those who may not be able to manage the story subject.
I think the story is excellently portrayed and I only wish Q’s violator had suffered far more than he did for what he put her through.

CW: Rape, misogyny

The Sharp Edge of Silence is the story of Quinn 'Q' Walsh, a student at an elite New Hampshire boarding school, who has returned for her second year a shadow of her former self after being raped by one of the stars of the school's revered varsity rowing team in the spring. It is also the story of Charlotte, a talented ballet dancer who is buckling under the pressure to be enough for her boyfriend, another rowing god. Finally it is the story of Max, a self-proclaimed nerd who has convinced himself that he is above craving the acceptance of the jocks who rule the school, until he has a chance to become one of them.

The author makes it clear from her foreword that she intended this book, her second, to be one which tells the story of a girl being sexually assaulted and gradually coming to a point where the trauma begins to recede, to no longer define her every waking moment, her past, present and future. Knowing that this is where the story is heading from the outset was an interesting choice, and one that made some of the darkest moments of the book somewhat easier to bear. The author details her own 'but nothing happened' story in the foreword, and I know many readers will have their own variations. I hope that seeing the main character vindicated was cathartic for the author and for any readers who can relate to Q.

We first meet Q as she stalks the campus at night, plotting to channel all her pain into taking revenge on her attacker, having realised that the criminal justice system won't hold him to account. Her struggles are carefully, realistically portrayed, so that even when her behaviour is reckless or self-destructive, the reader can understand her actions. The author also uses references to music to eloquently reflect Q's emotions, as well as to provide more detail about her family background. It was an interesting choice to make Q a wealthy legacy student herself, as the power dynamic in these stories - and in real life - is often exacerbated by the perpetrator being of higher social staus than the victim; we see shades of the story that could have been in one of the rowers, whose motivation for protecting the omerta is that he can't afford to lose his scholarship. In this case, Q is clearly rich, privileged and attractive herself, allowing the story to hone in on the power disparity caused solely by the perpetrator's sex and everything that comes along with that.

Charlotte and Max are both likeable and frustrating in very human, recognisably teenage, ways. Their parts of the narrative feel slow at times in contrast to Q's, and I know some reviewers resented the deviation from the main storyline, but their stories are vital for contextualising Q's attack so we understand that it is not an isolated incident perpetrated by a uniquely evil character, but rather one manifestation of an insidious problem. The secondary narratives illuminate how the undercurrent of male privilege and toxic masculinity at Lycroft Phelps affects everyone in different ways.

Max is horrified when he learns the extent of the contempt with which his peers view the girls at their school, but (until his hand is forced) not horrified enough to speak out about it, lest he should jeopardise his newfound status, popularity and privilege. Max lets us see the truth of a statement made towards the end of the book - “There are many great, respectful, fun guys here. That said, the fact that a pocket of toxic masculinity managed to thrive is really disturbing and indicates a big problem." The issue is that many of the aforementioned great guys are complicit in allowing the problem to continue when they don't challenge or report behaviour they know is morally reprehensible, or when they laugh along with it even when it makes them feel uncomfortable. We see a different side of the rowing team from Max's perspective, underlining the fact that most boys are not utterly monstrous. However, even those who undoubtedly see themselves as 'good guys' enable some of them to behave in monstrous ways - dehumanising, defiling and debasing their female classmates just because society, and particularly the micro society of their elite prep school, has told them that it's okay, even expected.

Charlotte, whom we can see is accomplished, compassionate and beautiful, is obsessed with conforming to the idealised version of femininity - 'the perfect girlfriend' whom she is convinced her boyfriend, Seb, wants. She won't even allow herself to feel her own feelings, carefully calculating how he would want her to react to every situation, regardless of how justified she is in feeling wronged.

I loved that the perpetrator's voice is largely absent - he never gets the opportunity to try to justify or minimise his actions, either to Q or to the reader - as this was a gratifying subversion of what often happens. There's not even much of a suggestion that Colin's sporting talent could preclude him from being held accountable, another well-worn story. (On this subject, I highly recommend Chanel Miller's unflinchingly honest memoir 'Know My Name'. When sweeping Q's assault under the rug is put forward as an option, it is swiftly shot down by a collection of strong women who have had enough, and the comeuppance of one particular adult male character was very satisfying.

Writing a book on these issues for a young audience is truly a responsibility, and the author should be proud that she has created a hopeful, empowering survival story, which will resonate with many readers, and a relevant, topical novel which should be recommended reading in all high schools. Hopefully Q's story will give young women the strength to focus blame where it belongs and to move forward in whatever way they can. Hopefully it will motivate young men to challenge rape culture in all its forms, however innocuous a comment or joke might seem to them. Hopefully things will be different for the post #metoo generation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A phenomenally sensitively written book covering controversial and often ignored subjects.
The book takes you to an elite private school in America, where although girls and women are admitted the traditions of male only schooling are still pursued by many male staff and students.
Told from the viewpoint of multiple narrators the story centres around the rape of Q by one of the most popular, richest and most conceited of the young men and how she is struggling to cope when even after speaking out to her family she has no glimmer of justice being served on the perpetrator.
The setting of the book is familiar from television and movie sets, the privilege of the masses and feeling of the scholarship few are well described and the tentatively forming teenage relationships are very true to life with the paranoia, jealousy and lack of self confidence expressed by many of the characters.
The pain suffered by Q really speaks out and the bystander guilt of her friends and mentors is very real.
The story culminates with a hopeful ending, needed after the horrifying things Q endures to reach that point.

A really important book. On the one hand, it’s a well written, well characterised high school drama told from the perspective of three students at an elite boarding school. What I wasn't expecting - and found surprisingly thought provoking and gripping - was a nuanced, authentic and modern look at the power of the clique (the lure, benefits and risks that come with social relevance), consent, toxic masculinity, and privilege. Nor did I expect such a subtle, powerful handling of of sexual assault and I appreciate that the characters are not consistently good, or bad, or easily categorised. All teenagers - but especially those with money and opportunities - should read this. It might pretend to be a coming of age/ revenge drama, but it’s a lot more than that.

The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum deals with the dark subjects of rape, toxic masculinity and coverups.
The story is told from the point of view of 3 different characters, Quinn, Charlotte and Max.
As the story opens Quinn (Q) is seeking revenge on the option who raped her, Charlotte and Max played the roles of being complicit by remaining silent. As the truth unfolds, the language and attitudes of rape culture and toxic masculinity come to the forefront and the storyline becomes tragically reminiscent of the headlines that we see so frequently.
I did struggle to understand the behaviour of the characters at times but I think this probably comes down to a lack of understanding re the fraternity culture in the US - to me it seems bizarre that a club could elicit should loyalty from its members, but for a reader in the US, this could make more sense.

WOW. I can't not recommend this enough. The plot, the characters and elements involved are all five stars. I loved that there's multiple POV's and everything occurs in a closed setting of a private school adding to the suspense and fear of being in a suffocated setting with your perpetrator. The writing skilfully deals with dark subjects, mostly sexual assault and toxic masculinity and I loved seeing how it was viewed and dealt with from different classes (e.g. students/teachers) and the different situations the students were in. I honestly think this is a must read and really highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I have given it 4 stars as I really enjoyed it. The book deals with rape culture and it was upsetting to read at times so please be aware of this before starting the book. I feel the author has done a very good job with a tough subject and I would definitely recommend this book.

This book is one of the best I’ve read which tackles sexual assault in the confines of an institution like a boarding school. The way the author handles the boys who are clearly not bad, but equally don’t intervene is perfect, and the ending is masterful.

I had high hopes for this book but I really struggled with it, the writing style is confusing to say the least moving scene to scene or character to character without any cues. I appreciate the important issues the author is raising but I think the book could have been much sorter and still made an impact on the reader. I admit I am a more mature reader and as this book is targeted at the YA market so that could be where the problem lies. There are some fabulous reviews for this book so I think it’s me rather than the book!

A dark and intense book with acknowledgment of Rape culture and masculinity, this book is based in an elite boarding school setting and the discovery of first loves, not an easy read with certain topics that are within the book

I found this book's structure rather immature. The author had interesting points, but I lost my interest as the chapters were disconnected and the descriptions were lack of depth. This book might be interesting for YA who wants to try reading a book from a thriller genre, but needs a gentle and simple introduction to it.

his is a YA novel that on the surface is about Quinn's (Q's) need to get revenge on the boy who raped her. However, it goes much deeper and takes on toxic masculinity and rape culture. Set in an elite boarding school, we have three POVs - those of Q, Max and Charlotte - and in the beginning it is not clear why these POVs seem to be so unrelated. This is a school that used to be boys only, but in recent years allowed girls to attend even though there were and still are objections. In this arena we have the elite athletes, the rowers, those that all the girls want to be with - or so they like to believe. And - with their status, they believe that they have the right to treat girls exactly as they wish. Q is a brilliant character and her anger is brutal, her need to keep her attack within her own body, her shame at her attack and her inability to fight back, defend herself - her shame at freezing. As a reader you are angry on her behalf. Through Q we get to know the 'boys', these elite athletes who think they are untouchable. And gradually, we learn of the role that charlotte and Max will play. This is a brutal read at times, but it is not a novel devoid of hope.

A poignant addition to YA shelves. One to certainly check the content warnings on with some very dark themes and certainly in the more mature territory of the YA genre.

I have to admit that while the blurb absolutely pulled me in and this was a pretty anticipated read, in the end it didn’t completely hit the mark for me. There is so much that is great about this book - I absolutely loved the boarding school setting and the legacy that is rooted in the dark practices revealed. I think the author explores the themes of sexual assault and misogyny excellently - I think in particular Q’s characters has so much depth and her narrative is really what keeps you reading this story.

I did however find this one quite slow paced to get into - there are 3 povs driving this narrative that in the beginning feel quite detached - I never mind that with thrillers, I think part of the ride is watching them all come together and click, but in this case I didn’t find myself driven to keep reading Max and Charlotte’s chapters in the beginning. I wasn’t loving the rowing, that’s a me problem, not a book problem, but there was so much content to this story that at times it felt so weighty and sluggish.

I think the main reason I didn’t love this one was because it didn’t take the route I thought it would until almost 3/4s of the way through the story - I think I expected the “revenge plot” to see more action much earlier. It all just took a bit too long to come together for me.

Overall though, a decent enough read - there was lots to like here and lots of the character development that I thought was done really well. The pacing and focus held this one back for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

A book about toxic masculinity set in high school from three POV. It was a very good book and an important read into the toxic masculinity that can be seen today. It did take me longer than normal to read. I found the writing sometimes jumped around. In one sentence we’d be in a room and without mentioning or signalling I’d realise a page later that I was now at the lake. Trigger warning.
#netgalley

A hard-hitting novel about toxic masculinity and the long-term effects on victims. Difficult topics are handled, but there is an emphasis on the importance of accessing psychological support. A brave book, but one which resonates in today’s society. Highly recommended.

An interesting read that makes you think. I think it loses a bit of its impact by being set in an elite school, but perhaps that is where a more entitled, get away with anything attitude is more likely to exist.
I liked that there were three different viewpoints in the story, it gave a wider perspective on the other characters. You could see how people get pulled into something toxic, even though they know it/ someone is wrong.
The revenge plot line worked well. It was concerning at first but ended up being so much more satisfying with the ending.

This novel was absolutely absorbing from the very first page and utterly gripping until the very last.

A story of strong women versus toxic masculinity, The Sharp Edge of Silence tackles rape culture using a group dynamic of compelling, authentic characters - it is brilliant and dark and so so real.

So difficult to put down, the setting works well around the story being told and it has many thought provoking themes aside from the obvious one and a satisfying and emotionally resonant solution.

I loved it because it didn't pull punches and it left me with all the feels.

Highly Recommended.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 - 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗺

Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
There are multiple trigger warnings for this book and I would advise to check these before purchase.

This was a fictitious story from the POV of three students in a very prestigious boarding school in New England. These three main POVs stand to highlight a different issue surrounding misogyny and rape culture in this specific setting. The first narrative shows the direct effects of a sexual assault on a student through Quinn “Q” Walsh and the turmoil she face while deciding whether or not to report her abuser. It also delves into the grief that follows her assault and the “helplessness” of the situation in that she feel that reporting would have no good outcome for her in the long run. I felt this was very realistic and didn’t fall into the cycle of the “why didn’t you report it” mentality that many victims already struggle to deal with.

Our second and third narrators are Charlotte and Max and although at the start I felt like their views may have taken away from the story and at times I was confused when it came to their roles, on reflection of the book they stood to make some good points. Their silence made them complicit in more ways than one. The three viewpoints tied together very well and the prose for each varied giving it a good reading flow.

The ending was very authentic and somehow still very hopeful. This was written to a standard where it was very easy to forget that it’s fiction as the story itself is so real and raw for so many women and girls. If feminist literature is your thing then I would definitely recommend this book.

I would like to thank @netgalley, @bonnierbooks_uk and @ckellyrosebooks for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Sharp Edge of Silence will be available to purchase from the 11th April 2023.

This story is so current in today’s society, where no should be NO, toxic masculinity and the stupidity of giving in to peer pressure.
It highlights the potential damage heinous actions can have on a victim and the implications and consequences for a much wider circle.
It really is a terrifying and haunting story but written impeccably.
An array of characters, described so well you could give them faces without being bored by the overuse of descriptive narratives.
This is certainly a story, though fictional it feels like it is completely real and it is.
Written with realism, compassion and fluidity it is a book for everyone,
A MUST read one can attest to. I was so engrossed by this that it only took me a day yet will stay in my mind for decades to come.
Highlighting the worst of society and simultaneously showing the love and empathy of humanity, of friendship.
I cannot say much more, as I do not want to give anything away but I will say that I write this review in the hope that I can encourage you, not only to read it yourself, but to recommend it to others, friends, sons, daughters, family, teenagers…. Well, let’s not get carried away but EVERYONE of age .
I will never forget this, for the bad, the sad but most of all, the good.
Unforgettable and powerful.