Book of the Month

September 2020 - The Melody of Silence

The Melody of Silence

By lptvorik

Review by ESHurricane

Ever feel like you need a nice, emotionally visceral read that forces you to go through an entire box of tissues and clutch a teddy bear while eating ten lbs of chocolate? I hope it's not just me.

Anyway, if that's your jam, then you need lptvorik's The Melody of Silence in your life. While the story begins with the main characters as teenagers, this is a story for adults, best told from the very beginning, when the protagonists are twelve years old. There are many dark and difficult themes to unpack here, and best viewed from a mature standpoint. Neither of these characters have it easy, not by a long shot.

"This isn't a romance. It's a love story."

This piece, from the summary of the novel, holds true. Melody is a trilogy, told in three parts, and while the characters fall in love, these books are not a romance. They don't hit the standard romance beats, aside from a happily ever after-which is not a spoiler, don't worry. Knowing that these characters end up together does not make this journey any easier.

If anything, it makes it even harder. And this journey is hard.

This isn't to say, however, that the story isn't romantic. There were equally as many times that this book brought me to tears of happiness as sadness because it is so damn romantic. Alex and Nate are the epitome of star-crossed lovers, but done in a realistic way. It's a wonderful slow burn that shows a friendship that grows and evolves into deep trust and love.

But of course, nothing is ever that easy, is it? And nothing is easy for these two. They face such hardship, from all sides and from each other, and it's portrayed in such a heartbreakingly raw and relatable way. 

The little details here are what make Melody so powerful for me. The story is told in alternating chapters between the two main characters, in first-person point of view. Normally with long sweeping epics like this I prefer third person, but here it works so beautifully because the characters are written as if they're looking back on these days from the present. A lot of the time I forget, because I'm so in-the-moment, but little details noticed by the POV character will round out a scene and remind me that we're looking back fondly (or not-so-fondly) on a memory. It gives this incredibly personal feeling, like they're sharing their deepest darkest secrets with only me.

The writing here is next level. Each scene fulfils every sense, sucking me wholly into the moment. I feel like I'm standing there, holding my breath, or screaming at them, or crying with them. Every sentence has a purpose, every word has a purpose, and there is such care and craft here that I often can't comment anything but emoji's to convey what I want to convey. (Side note... why do you think it took til the last day of the month to get this review done? Because my brain turns to mush being overwhelmed by how I can possibly properly review this book!)

If you're a fan of emotionally-charged character-driven stories, you need this story. If you're a fan of romance that features real, deep connections that doesn't just happen but is cultivated and difficult, you need this story. If you're a fan of realistic adult relationships that are built on years of experience and trust, you need this story. If you're a fan of stories that tackle difficult subjects and not only do them justice but don't downplay the horror or romanticize abuse, then you need this story.

You catching what I'm putting down here? Head on over to our Interview book to meet the author of The Melody of Silence, and then go read all three parts. Don't forget the tissues and comfort food.