A young Syrian refugee, traumatised by her recent life in Syria, the loss of contact with her boyfriend and her family, and by her journey of horror to relative safety in the UK is an elective mute. From her tower block sanctuary she observes the lives of her neighbours in their homes. As 'The Voiceless', she writes magazine articles trying to explain and make sense of her experiences. Gradually, silently, she begins to venture out, and discovers, through visiting the local mosque, a bookstore and the local corner shop whose owner becomes the victim of a racist murder, that she in becoming inexorably connected to her community. This book engagingly explores what it means to be a refugee and to need asylum, and how fundamental human connection is to survival. ( )

This was a powerfully written book about a girl who was a refugee from Syria who is now in the UK, all by herself. From trauma she wasn’t able to speak anymore, and she enjoyed people watching her neighbors. She also wrote about her experiences to a local paper with the name “voiceless”. With eloquent prose, this was an emotional read regarding the girls journey and her ability to realize human connection is what she needed the most.

Not typically a genre i read, but it kept me captivated. Although, in some spots it was a little intense. ( )

An introspective and informative piece that will affect you in ways that you didn’t think were possible while reading a book. I find that I learn about what’s going on around the world best when I read it in the pages of a novel. Even if it’s fiction, I can still get a personal sense of what’s going on, and then I’m inspired to read more into the truth and history. This is the type of book that makes me want to delve more into what was happening on the ground, not from my vantage point of viewing media coverage.

What first drew me in was the immediate observations and people watching done by the main character of her surrounding neighbors. This type of voyeurism is always fascinating and thrilling even if it’s borderline creepy or invasive, but her careful and constant monitoring of the other tenants in and around her building are often the catalysts in this story. Different characters from around the world are all residing in these apartment buildings and it is intriguing to watch their different lives play out.

However, watching the main character grow and develop, sort through trauma and pain, adapt and overcome, is the main attraction. Stretching herself slowly and steadily testing the boundaries of what she finds safe and comfortable is what drives this story forward to its almost conclusion, because it never really ends, even when the last page is turned. Instead, you are offered a glimpse of hope into a future where she continues to heal and cope and live despite her past struggles, whilst never forgetting her true roots and heritage.

Reading this was an absolute privilege and I am thankful to Algonquin for granting me an advanced copy. ( )

2.5 rounded up to be honest-- I liked the first few chapters but I had so much trouble connecting to any of the characters-- they had no depth and the narrative was extremely disjointed. I thought it was an interesting idea but executed poorly, and I also feel like it tried to be educational but didn't offer much. ( )

Distressing, yet enlightening read. I don’t see how anyone could possibly look at immigrants the same way after they read this powerful book. It should be required reading for all. The references to Poe’s work were so appropriate for this tale of a woman who has lost her voice due to extreme trauma. Most highly recommended. ( )