This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Silent Dark

Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Hanako has seen strange things her entire life. Living in the town of Alamogordo, where the creeping Gloomdark envelopes the town at night, one would think seeing the strange would be normal. But Hanako has been convinced she’s insane. Until she witnesses, a young girl attacked by a being no one else can see and becomes entangled in discovering the effects of a new drug in town.

The supernatural elements of The Silent Dark are fantastic. C.J. Stilling built an entire culture to exist alongside normal society. Told through multiple viewpoints, readers have the chance to see through the eyes of believers and nonbelievers. For some, there are perfectly normal explanations for what happens, and for others, they see the truth. This created a wonderful blend of friction between the various characters searching for answers.

I will caution that this book does deal with the subject of childhood trauma at the hands of a parent. Many of Hanako’s insecurities stem from the trauma she endured at the hands of her father. For readers who are easily triggered by childhood abuse, this won’t be the book for you. Hanako’s struggle to open up about her past and overcome her trauma was intense. As Hanako learns to use her powers, she will encounter flashbacks of her abuse and by overcoming her trauma she also becomes stronger.

Hanako also struggles to maintain human connections because of her past, but that doesn’t mean she gives up trying to keep them. Throughout The Silent Dark, she isn’t just learning how to use her powers, she’s also learning how to form connections with others and how to navigate through friendships that change. The emotional connection readers form with Hanako will urge them to read on to see how she overcomes each one of the challenges presented to her.

The Silent Dark is a thrilling mystery steeped in supernatural happenings. This is the type of story that presents readers with multiple pieces of a puzzle and urges them to continue reading in order for the pieces to create a full picture. I could not put this book down. ( )