Sara Barnard (1)

There are some young adult relationship books which are too saccharine. These are the kind which idealize every aspect of first love and often describe the type of behavior you would scorn in real life. Then there are other stories that get it just right. These are the ones that capture the awkwardness, the doubts and myriad questions, the goofiness, the sheer joy, and the absurdity of it all. These stories are the ones that put a smile on your face and have you looking at your old yearbooks show more to reminisce about past relationships. Sara Barnard‘s A Quiet Kind of Thunder is one of the good ones.

It is not just Steffi’s and Rhys’ relationship with makes A Quiet Kind of Thunder so good though. If anything, that is icing on the cake. It is Steffi herself that makes the story special. Her honesty about her mental health issues, her frustrations at the arbitrariness and cruelty of anxiety, her desperation to get better and prove that she can live out her dreams – all of this contributes to this special story.

It would be so easy to make Steffi a caricature, a symbol for all teens suffering from anxiety. Instead, Ms. Barnard takes this fragile character and makes her unique. Instead of being a trope, she is her own person. Ms. Barnard takes care to develop her to the point where she stops being a fictional character and becomes real. Everything about her, from her insecurities about her appearance to her severe anxiety to her love of animals creates a character who is more than just words on a screen. In doing so, we are drawn in to her story. We become active in support of her, urging her towards certain decisions and groaning when she makes a poor choice. We are vested in her success, whether that is with Rhys or with overcoming the challenges set in place by her parents and her anxiety, and the story shines as a result.

The other thing to love about A Quiet Kind of Thunder is the honesty with which Steffi explains her anxiety. She does not just cover the clinical definitions of what is occurring in her brain, nor does she focus on how it makes her feel. We get to know the nuances of anxiety, from her selective muteness to panic attacks to general worry. We understand what causes her to be silent and what allows her voice to flow. Most importantly, for any reader who also suffers from anxiety, we learn we are not alone. Steffi’s feelings are your feelings, and her struggles are your struggles. As such, it is the type of novel I want everyone with anxiety to read because those feelings of loneliness can be crippling in their own right.

As for Steffi’s and Rhys’ relationship, Ms. Barnard portrays it just right. She affords it the right amount of happiness and rainbows that all first loves should have, but she also keeps it real. She shows the awkwardness, the should-I-or-shouldn’t-I doubts, the compromises required. She explores the importance of communication in all relationships, especially ones that you want to last. She also mentions the need to keep your identity, to be yourself, and remain independent while also part of a couple. It is a fabulous template for any relationship made all the more poignant because it is also that very special first love.

A Quiet Kind of Thunder made me laugh and most definitely made me cry. Most important of all is that it made me smile, a goofy grin that I could not erase while reading. Even now, while thinking about the story, I find myself smiling with fondness because it is such a sweet story but one that has heart and honesty at its core. There is nothing false or saccharine about any of it. When you are feeling low, when the news has you questioning whether there is any good left in the world, A Quiet Kind of Thunder is the perfect reminder that good still exists. show less

What a great book! Gosh, I loved these characters. Steffi and Reese just grow on you right away. I completely related to Steffi with her anxiety and her selective mutism, and the way it was portrayed. I loved the way the author contrasted how it was handled between her parents, and how this both supported and hindered her. Reese was absolutely a sweetheart. I liked the inclusion of little details like hearing speakers forgetting to turn towards the Deaf person so they could read lips, how show more frustrating it can be when medical personnel (and other people in public) address the caregiver or partner instead of the person with the disability. And overall, I just loved how he and Steffi had to work to find ways to communicate, not just literally, but in a couple-y sense. This was a great combination of a sweet romance and a book that was inclusive.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

Like the title, this story is quietly satisfying. You have two main characters who struggle with communication, but from different directions. Steffi is slowly finding her way out of selective mutism, while Rhys is deaf and trying to become more integrated with the 'normal' world. When they're thrown together after he starts at her school, it's at first terrifying for her, but the longer they're interacting, the more she comes out of her own shell. The process is painful, exhilarating at show more times, and accompanied by great descriptions of her panic attacks and insights.
Their budding romance is filled with pitfalls, some resulting from frustration, others from the challenges of communication between them. It's an extremely satisfying tale. show less

I want to talk about everything which happens in this book, but I also just want to shout ‘READ IT’ to everyone! The characters are so well written and developed.. I could relate to so many aspects of Caddy, even though I am now a long way from 16! She’s the quiet one, who wants something a little more from her life.. in particular she wants to experience a Significant Life Event… something special she can talk to people about.

Into her life steps Suzanne.. beautiful, confident, but show more also complicated and damaged by her past. Their developing friendship changes them both; as their lives, and Suzanne’s past, intertwine.

Rosie is also an important part of the book, as she watches two of her friendships change before her. She brings a different viewpoint, and the way she sticks by Caddy is lovely.

It’s so wonderful to see a YA book focusing on the amazing relationship which friendship can bring, with it’s highs, and it’s lows. The subjects raised within the book are beautifully handled, and events towards the end made me cry – and only one other book has ever done that!

It’s hard to believe that this is a debut book – it grabbed me from the moment I started reading, and didn’t let up at any point. Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne are characters who have a special place in my heart, and the story will most definitely stay with me. Please, pre-order it, then as soon as you have it, READ IT! :-D show less