In her psychologically riveting novel, Silence, Natasha Preston writes the story about a girl, Oakley Farrell, who suddenly stops talking at the age of five.
Generalizing the idea of family, it is considered to be the closest and most supportive thing a person can have. Even though the concept of family should bring a sense of warmth and even purity, it inflicts emotional, mental, and even physical pain onto many people; that is the harsh reality to which many fall victim. Silence is a novel that sheds light on the dark side of family.
From a very young age, Oakley Farrell has been living with the trauma of being sexually abused by her father’s friend, Frank. What worsens the situation is that Oakley’s father allowed the abuse to happen, manipulating Oakley into thinking that no one would believe her if she spoke up about it. Thus, Oakley decided to stop talking at all.
Besides using her voice, Oakley navigates her life via her body language, facial expressions, and her best friend-turned-lover, Cole Benson. Cole and Oakley knew each other since birth and started off as best friends until they realized they were meant to be more than that. The beauty of their evolving relationship lies in the fact that Cole does not need words to understand Oakley; she is comfortable being herself and expressing herself through her methods of expression, in which Cole is the only one that would completely understand her and her thoughts.
That being said, the chapter within the novel alternates between Oakley and Cole’s perspectives, allowing the reader to interpret the story from an insider perspective (Oakley) and an outsider’s perspective (Cole), of Oakley’s situation. It is important to note that until the end of the book, Oakley’s family and Cole do not know why Oakley stopped talking, but rather witness Oakley’s character development and come to the understanding that her voice has power and justice.
Witnessing Oakley’s character development took a toll on her family and Cole. After Oakley stopped talking, her relationship with her mother worsened and divided them. Cole assumed the position of being Oakley’s protector, especially since Oakley was bullied at school for not talking. The little world Oakley built for herself was solid until it started to shatter at the touch of her father.
For Oakley, the tables turn when her father insists she goes on a fishing trip with him, where she sees Frank 13 years after being assaulted by him. Oakley runs away, and calls Cole, where she uses her voice for the first time since the age of five (being 18 at the time). Justice is served after Oakley realizes her voice is what saved her.
Silence is the first novel of an entire series, serving as a catalyst for the journey of self-realization in the war between power versus morale. This novel sheds light specifically on situations that seem normal on the outside, but in reality, have much depth and pain that the average eye cannot see.
