New Review! Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner 5 Cranky Stars

Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Cranky Stars


First of all, I have to say that this book should have trigger warnings for readers. The book deals with several sensitive subjects, including sexual abuse of a minor girl, rape, torment, and physical abuse.


Melody Fisher is a young woman who has suffered a lot in her sixteen years. Her father was a snake handler in Appalachia and her Mama was killed by one of his snakes. Then, her father disappeared. Thus begins Melody's trip through a flawed foster care system. She has been shifted from home to home, each more horrific than the one before. As the book begins, Melody is spending every afternoon with psychologist Dr. Roger Kane because she hasn't spoken a word in over two years.


As the story unfolds, the author leads the reader through Melody's life, with flashbacks filling in the blanks of the present. Dr. Kane uses a unique approach to try to communicate with Melody by utilizing her love of music. Since Melody won't talk, he asks her to tell him what she is feeling/thinking through music she has downloaded on a MP3 player. I found this to be a very different, intriguing and effective way for two people to communicate.


I found myself highlighting many of the lyrics that Melody used to tell her tale. At the end of the book, I learned that many of these lyrics were written specifically for this book by Lucas Astor. I hope that someday he will be able to bring those songs to life and share them with the world. The emotions that they evoked were truly heart wrenching.


Melody has suffered a lot at the hands of those who were supposed to protect her. The reader eventually learns of some of the horrors that have led to her uncommunicative state. "The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow. For every challenge encountered, there is an opportunity for growth."

In the end, Melody finally finds peace and friendship with several people who truly care about her. As her favorite Foster Mother Quatie Raincrow tells her, "May the stars carry your sadness away, may the flowers fill your heart with beauty, may hope forever wipe away your tears, and, above all, may silence make you strong."

All in all, this book was well-written and I found myself feeling Melody's emotions as she struggled with telling her story. In fact, it took me several days to process what I had read and to be able to write a review. This is the type of book that will stay with me for a long, long time.

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