A Heart-wrenchingly poignant must read!
Heart-wrenchingly poignant and unflinching in its emotionally raw portrayal of rape culture and toxic masculinity, The Sharpe Edge of Silence is by no means an easy read but it’s definitely a worth while one!
It follows the alternating POVs of three students (Max, Charlotte and Quinn) and their experiences at Lycroft Phelps, an Elite American boarding school.
Max, is a scholarship student who struggles with fitting in amongst the elite student body and finds himself with an opportunity of a life time when offered a chance to join the school’s rowing team—which will finally allow him to experience life as one of the popular kids. But despite the allure of popularity and camaraderie, the toxic and misogynistic environment has Max wondering if any of it is really worth it.
Charlotte, the optimistic (and rather naive) straight-A student (who happens to be the girlfriend to the school’s star rower) believes entirely in all the good the school has to offer —and is grateful for the opportunity it gives her to make her dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer a reality. At first she unwilling to see past her own rose tinted glasses but when she starts receiving anonymous notes that suggest all is not well in her world, she sets out to find the truth.
And Quinn, the sixth generation legacy trying to cope with the trauma of being sexually assaulted whilst her abuser suffers no consequences for his actions. Deciding to take things into her own hands, Quinn plots to take down the boy who raped her and with a little help, bring to light just how far the school is willing to go to protect it’s own reputation.
This was such a powerful read that I must admit, I was a little hesitant to pick up at first given the darker (and deeply emotional) subject material.
But I’m soo glad I did, as Cameron Kelly Rosenblum’s exquisitely nuanced and detailed exploration into the emotional and psychological reactions and the long term healing process for sexual assault survivors was something I had seen explored in quite soo much detail before—and it’s something that I feel will definitely highlight just how truly life changing an experience it can be.
I have to admit Quinn was definitely the most compelling character for me, her inner turmoil, rage and PTSD was such an emotionally visceral experience to witness that I cried soo much whilst reading her chapters and I wanted to see her get the support and justice she needed to finally heal.
Inspired by Rosenblum’s own experiences of sexual assault, Quinn’s compelling and utterly heartbreakingly raw emotional journey took on a whole new layer of meaning for me and made her road to recovery even more poignant. Especially when she let people in and allowed them the help her.
I did also enjoy Charlotte as a character but her active choice not to ask questions for fear of upsetting the status quo did annoy me a little. Although, her initial naïveté did work perfectly as a metaphor for society as a whole when it comes to ignoring difficult situations and social issues,for fear of discovering something that may change the idealistic perspective that’s far safer (and easier) to believe in.
Likewise, Max’s situation was really analogous to peer pressure that can evolve from toxic masculinity in which sexism and sexual harassment is downplayed or ignored to avoid public ridicule. The build up to Max’s realisation was exceptionally well written and really gives readers (especially teen readers) a clear visual of how easy it can be to succumb to such pressure.
Given the subject material it’s not going to be for everyone (and I definitely advise checking the TWs beforehand.) But with its exquisitely on point social commentary and deeply compelling characters, The Sharp Edge of Silence is perfectly placed to kick start important conversations around rape culture and toxic masculinity with young readers.
A huge thank you to readers first and Hot Key Books for the finished copy.
It follows the alternating POVs of three students (Max, Charlotte and Quinn) and their experiences at Lycroft Phelps, an Elite American boarding school.
Max, is a scholarship student who struggles with fitting in amongst the elite student body and finds himself with an opportunity of a life time when offered a chance to join the school’s rowing team—which will finally allow him to experience life as one of the popular kids. But despite the allure of popularity and camaraderie, the toxic and misogynistic environment has Max wondering if any of it is really worth it.
Charlotte, the optimistic (and rather naive) straight-A student (who happens to be the girlfriend to the school’s star rower) believes entirely in all the good the school has to offer —and is grateful for the opportunity it gives her to make her dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer a reality. At first she unwilling to see past her own rose tinted glasses but when she starts receiving anonymous notes that suggest all is not well in her world, she sets out to find the truth.
And Quinn, the sixth generation legacy trying to cope with the trauma of being sexually assaulted whilst her abuser suffers no consequences for his actions. Deciding to take things into her own hands, Quinn plots to take down the boy who raped her and with a little help, bring to light just how far the school is willing to go to protect it’s own reputation.
This was such a powerful read that I must admit, I was a little hesitant to pick up at first given the darker (and deeply emotional) subject material.
But I’m soo glad I did, as Cameron Kelly Rosenblum’s exquisitely nuanced and detailed exploration into the emotional and psychological reactions and the long term healing process for sexual assault survivors was something I had seen explored in quite soo much detail before—and it’s something that I feel will definitely highlight just how truly life changing an experience it can be.
I have to admit Quinn was definitely the most compelling character for me, her inner turmoil, rage and PTSD was such an emotionally visceral experience to witness that I cried soo much whilst reading her chapters and I wanted to see her get the support and justice she needed to finally heal.
Inspired by Rosenblum’s own experiences of sexual assault, Quinn’s compelling and utterly heartbreakingly raw emotional journey took on a whole new layer of meaning for me and made her road to recovery even more poignant. Especially when she let people in and allowed them the help her.
I did also enjoy Charlotte as a character but her active choice not to ask questions for fear of upsetting the status quo did annoy me a little. Although, her initial naïveté did work perfectly as a metaphor for society as a whole when it comes to ignoring difficult situations and social issues,for fear of discovering something that may change the idealistic perspective that’s far safer (and easier) to believe in.
Likewise, Max’s situation was really analogous to peer pressure that can evolve from toxic masculinity in which sexism and sexual harassment is downplayed or ignored to avoid public ridicule. The build up to Max’s realisation was exceptionally well written and really gives readers (especially teen readers) a clear visual of how easy it can be to succumb to such pressure.
Given the subject material it’s not going to be for everyone (and I definitely advise checking the TWs beforehand.) But with its exquisitely on point social commentary and deeply compelling characters, The Sharp Edge of Silence is perfectly placed to kick start important conversations around rape culture and toxic masculinity with young readers.
A huge thank you to readers first and Hot Key Books for the finished copy.