In When We Were Silent, Fiona McPhillips takes on a journey of privilege, exploitation, and retribution. While the subject matter is important, we felt the story fell a little flat for us.
The story follows Louise Manson, a new student at Highfield Manor, who befriends the wealthy Shauna Power. As Lou gets further into her school year, she is exposed to the school’s dark secrets.
McPhillips uses a dual timeline structure, using both past and present timelines, to add depth to the narrative. This allows the reader to explore the past events to see how their repercussions are felt in present day. However, we found ourselves only wanting to stay in the dark atmosphere of the past timeline but were forced into the present.
While the book initially had us hooked with its dark academia vibes and compelling premise, we lost interest as the story progressed. The pacing was slow at times, and certain plot points felt predictable. Additionally, the ending left us underwhelmed. Despite these drawbacks, When We Were Silent raises important themes of exploitation and privilege that could potentially spark meaningful conversations in the future.
When We Were Silent is thought-provoking and sheds light on some important social issues, but overall we felt like the story was just not for us. For those looking for a store with a tough subject matter this might be worth grabbing and taking a chance on this novel.
When We Were Silent hits bookstores everywhere on May 21, 2024. Check out the audiobook narrated by India Mullen on Libro.fm!
