I received this book as an ARC on NetGalley. I did manage to read it, but it was almost unbearable. The story was all over the place and I know that it’s an ARC and hasn’t been through final editing, but it read like it hadn’t been edited at all. I do not recommend reading this author before publishing.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really wanted to love this book but it was just too long winded and confusing. This story had too much going on and so did the dialogue.

Book: Silent Girls
Author: Linda Tincu Peno
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Rating: ☆☆

Overview: Abigail and Becca were just going about an average high-school day when suddenly they overheard something they shouldn't have. Desperate to validate the accuracy of the information, the girls head down to the depths of the school to investigate. They discover a gruesome scene, when suddenly a tragedy hits the school leaving the girls trapped. They travel along the underground path soon discovering more secrets of the town and the people who reside there. Will they make it out alive with all the secrets they know?

Review: Honestly, this isn't a bad read. The issue is there are so many stories going on in one book that I lost interest in trying to be shocked by the discoveries. I feel this book would have been a lot more enjoyable if the two stories were separate books that were part of the larger story. The ending felt disconnected to the middle story and the progression of the historical connotations just felt forced. I would have appreciated that story to be of its own..

A rally exciting book from the getgo, but I fond the dialogue a bit confusing at first when it came to who was saying what. But that didn't last long. The story was appropriate for the time it was set in but could also have been in current time.

Abigail Fairchild, a high school senior in a small Alabama town, inhabits a world shielded by her all-white school and her middle-class, conservative family, even during the turbulence of 1964. Yet, on the same day she finds the body of a murdered girl, she's confronted with the stark reality that the struggle against prejudice is a collective concern, transcending boundaries.

I see what the author was going for, but I don't think she achieved it. I don't hate that I read it, but I don't think I'd recommend it.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Silent Girls in exchange for an honest review. Set in the 1960s when racial tensions were at an all time high, a natural disaster uncovers some buried secrets.

I really enjoyed the setting of 1960's Deep South but I feel like the author could have done so much more and built the setting and characters around the social setting of the time. There were times during the book that I forgot it was set in the 1960s. So much opportunity there. On the other hand, some of the racial references were cliche and seemed a bit out of touch.

I thought the plot was a good idea but could have been executed a little better. The characters were tough to follow since there wasn't enough character development. There were a lot of characters that I couldn't recall. The plot twist was confusing and introduced very late in the book. Almost 90% when one of the main character's drops the words, "silent girls," then it's not expanded upon. Most of the book centered around the intermediate time from the initial story line and the plot twist but not a lot of story building was done during that time.

There were several editing errors noted as well. Overall, I found it entertaining and there were a few parts where I feel like the author did some excellent descriptive passages. I just wish the plot and characters were a bit more developed. The time at which the plot twist developed (87%~90% into the book)- that storyline should have been played since the beginning and expanded upon.

I am interested to see the author's development in the future.

Fantastic! Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Can’t wait to read more from this author. 5 stars

Silent Girls
by Linda Tincu Peno
Pub Date 02 Sep 2023
BooksGoSocial
Mystery & Thrillers


Netgalley and BooksGoSocial provided me with a copy of Silent Girls for review:


Even during the turbulent year of 1964, Abigail Fairchild, a high school senior in a small Alabama town, lives in a world shielded by her all-white school and conservative family.



Nevertheless, on the same day she discovers a murdered girl's body, she discovers that prejudice is a collective concern, transcending boundaries.

I give Silent Girls five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

The Silent Girls was easy to read. The mystery thriller that accompanied this book provided historical context, focusing on the period of civil rights. Rating 4/5.

Now where to begin with solent girls, it was a bit slow to begin with but it didn't stop me from continuing to read as I wanted to see where it was going to lead little me.

The characters were all picked to perfection, however, there were two a didn't like but glad they got what was coming.

Was some sad bits in this book which a didn't see coming but was all good.

The ending was also amazing also it was well written in my eyes.

Cannot wait to read more books from this amazing author, can't wait to see what else a can find.

This was a riveting, original tale set in the past when there was racial injustice. Although essentially a murder mystery novel, it is interesting to see the young adult characters begin to realise the adults have misled them about the treatment of parts of their community. I was fully drawn in to the storyline and plight of the characters for most of the book but felt let down towards the end when I felt the author fell into the trap of letting one character relate all that had happened in order to tie up loose ends.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Kept me guessing until the very end, Abi and her life and story had me gripped from the very beginning. I also discovered lots of interesting history about the Deep South of America. The things that humans do to one another in the name of race and colour. We are all the same.

This is by far the best book I have read for a very long time. It is cram pack with content. So many times I thought I had reached that bit when as a reader you think you have got it only to find there was more and then more again.

Absolutely brilliant can’t wait to see what she writes next

The intriguing cover and the short synopsis attracted me from the start.
When I started to read, I wasn't concentrated enough, and sometimes I felt a bit lost whose point of view I was reading. I felt like I wasn't ready to read the story or that it was not talking to me like they usually do.
I hope the next book written by this new author to me will take me on a wild ride with the story.

I enjoyed this for what it was. It was interesting and moved at a good pace. It had a good amount of suspense and I didn't know how it was gonna end. Overall, this was a nice mystery that I would recommend. Special Thank You to Linda Tincu Peno, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

*I would love to post my review on Goodreads but I can't find this title on Goodreads. The author or publisher is more than welcome to reach out and send me the Goodreads link for this title*

This was a great read! It was one thrill after another. It kept me hooked from the beginning! Being about to decide who do what through out the story was the best part! Great job Linda Tincu Peno!

Another great mystery read. Loved solving the mystery as I went along and finding out the answer at the end wasn't quite what I was expecting. Can't wait to read more by this author in the future.

Silent Girls promised a thrilling journey back to the turbulent year of 1964 in a small Alabama town, exploring the life of a high school senior, Abigail Fairchild, who stumbles upon a murder that forces her to confront the pervasive prejudices of her time. The premise held so much potential for a gripping tale that could not only entertain but also shed light on the challenging social issues of the era. Sadly, this novel fell far short of my expectations.


One of the novel's main issue was the use of multiple POV’s. The constant shift between perspectives left me disoriented and made it difficult to fully engage with the characters. The narrative seemed to lack a central focus, bouncing from one character's viewpoint to another, often without clear transitions.


As a result of these frequent shifts, the plot felt rushed. The murder mystery, which should have been a central point of tension and intrigue, felt like an afterthought, overshadowed by the narrative's disjointed nature.


Furthermore, the characters themselves lacked depth. Abigail, as the protagonist, had the opportunity to be a compelling figure in the fight against prejudice, but her character development was overshadowed by the novel's structural issues. Unfortunately, even in the end Abigail did not develop and still had the same views. She blamed herself for what happened to Rayland and took responsibility for taking “his best years from him” even though his and his fathers actions led to catastrophe. In the end, there was no growth. Secondary characters also suffered from a lack of meaningful development, making it difficult to connect with or care about their fates.


Even Though the stage was set in 1964 - the characters themselves did not speak or use verbiage that would’ve been common.


In conclusion, this book had the potential to be a captivating thriller set against the backdrop of a racially charged 1964 Alabama. While the book had its moments of strong imagery and visualization, its multiple points of view, disjointed narrative, and underdeveloped characters ultimately hindered its ability to deliver a satisfying and engaging story.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the copy of Silent Girls by Linda Tincu Peno. After I finished the book I realized it was a revised version of a previously-published book (Quiet Refuge). While this book started out fine when the girls were exploring, then it took a turn and it went from a murder mystery to a mishmash of plots so I wasn’t sure what I was reading. I could never connect to the writing style because the sentences didn’t flow well.
Quiet Refuge was well-reviewed, so maybe it was just my preference for great writing, characters, and story, but this book just wasn't for me.