Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a perfect book to recommend to my students who are into the fantasy genre. To start the characters were intriguing and Shae was easy to get to know and follow. I could emphasize with her and loved the magic and plot behind it. The end did leave me still holding onto a lot of questions, but I am hoping that was left for a follow-up book. Adding to my library now!

This little wonderful book brought me such an entertaining experience. I loved it. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

This book deserves so much hype and is absolutely amazing!!! I loved it so much from the world to the characters to the writing everything fit what I want in a fantasy novel. I will deff be picking up a physical copy as well as if a sequel comes out picking that up too! Such a wonderful surprise.

I admittedly wanted to read this book because I want to support Dylan Farrow. I think her bravery for coming forward about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and her work as an activist is really commendable. Luckily, her book is written well enough that it can stand on its own, aside from that part of her life. This YA fantasy, however, does contain a lot of elements that relate to Farrow's own personal strengths: a strong, feminist hero, secrets within a family, and a society that discounts and disbelieves everything the main character says. It's not hard to draw the parallels between real life and Farrow's fictional story.

I think world-building is a really difficult aspect of fantasy writing, and Farrow does a wonderful job with it. It's easy to follow the 'rules' of the story and her imagination knows no bounds. This definitely had a Harry Potter-esque magical vibe throughout - this made it easy to visualize some of the magic that takes place. I loved how fully fleshed-out the side characters were (not one unnecessary character in the bunch) and thought the pacing was done really well. Although there were a few twists that I predicted ahead of time, the story is still interesting to read.

There was an abrupt ending that left a lot of loose ends, but it does seem like Farrow will write a follow-up, which I'll look forward to reading.

3.5 stars This was fun and a quick read for me. It was engaging and the characters were awesome. Overall, enjoyable. But it did not wow me.

Starting this book I honestly thought my rating was going to be lower because I am not in love with the time period it is set in. Especially with the setting of the world in the beginning, but the setting gets better when Shae starts going to going to a school for Bards. And once we are in this new setting everything gets better. But, with getting further into the story it starts to get very predictive. Everything that happens after Shae leaves her hometown is not surprising because it has a similar plot line and outcome as other books I’ve read. Even though this book was very predictable, it was still gripping and enjoyable to read. The characters it started with only the main character being likable or enjoyable to see. And the relationship that starts to grow in this book, has a funny start to show that a romance is going to start. Overall, even though this was very predictable and it took a while for me to get into the story, I thought this was a fun read

Dylan Farrow's Hush begins with a bang and an intriguing, timely premise. I wish the rest of the book was half as good. It isn't. What we get is a sadly generic fantasy about greed, murder, magic, secrets, and lies all set in a dystopian world. While I understand that the author needs to leave room for a sequel, I do think she has a responsibility to bring the first novel to a satisfying conclusion. She didn't. She left so many basic questions left unanswered. What actually redeemed the time I spent reading Hush was Dylan Farrow's Afterwords at the end of the book. It touches on many themes in the book, specifically the power and abuse of information and, worse, disinformation; and the power of words and the power of lies - repeated over and over again.

I read Hush courtest of Net Galley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. I

The premise is that a young girl, Shae, lives in a poor village beset by a plague-like disease called the Blot which is spread by ink, books, and taboo words. The Blot slowly (and painfully) covers the body until death. The townspeople are so afraid of the Blot that they burn down the family's house and usually slaughter the remaining family members. The only ones who can prevent it are the Bards, who travel from town collecting tithes for their ruler. When Shae returns home one day she finds her mother murdered and her house destroyed. She sets out to discover why her mom was murdered and who was responsible. She discovers more than she ever imagined. Sadly, the reader doesn't get a lot of answers.

I tried to make sense of the plot but got nowhere. Why didn't the Bards use magic to stop the Blot and restore the devastated land? There seems to be Magic all over the place but why, and how?

The plot moves along ordinary lines, with no surprises, and too many cliches. Hush is supposedly the beginning of a series. I have no plans to read the sequel.

i was little sceptical going into this, as i am with most books written by notable people - i constantly have to ask ‘was this published because of their name or because its actually a decent story?’ i think this book is a combination of both.

this is definitely an interesting concept and there is some groundwork laid, but its very bare bones. i didnt feel like the magic system was explored enough, the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and the pacing/flow is off at times. and i couldnt shake the feeling that i was constantly missing something to really connect all the dots throughout.

i think there is enough content to build upon and improve as the series progresses, but the jury is still out as to whether i am interested enough to continue reading the books.

Gripping and immersive - I enjoyed the interesting take on a magic system, and the compelling voice of the protagonist.

Words are powerful in this world. Wielded by the Bards, they can be used to create powerful spells. Though when a mysterious illness called the Blot begins killing people, discoloring their veins, and spreading through ink, writing becomes banned. When Shae’s brother died 5 years ago from the Blot, she becomes a pariah in her small village. Intrigue abounds when her mother is also killed, by a weapon very much like the ones the Bards use to protect their people. Desperate to find answers to her mother’s death Shae sets out on a path that’ll lead her to powerful and dangerous people. A path where she’ll find she’s more than she appears.

Overall Hush was a decent YA fantasy debut. The plot was a little formulaic, as it follows established YA tropes, which isn’t a bad thing. There’s a lot to enjoy in this one.

I thought that this was an interesting, if a bit bland, of a debut with an interesting world and concept but maybe just a bit of a lackluster execution?

The concept of the Blot - the disease that spreads through ink and illegal stories was really interesting, but I found the MC just so-so. The pacing was a bit odd as well.

So this was...weird? I wanted to like this but the whole time I just felt a kind of disconnect from the story and the characters. I was also confused for some of it. And also I'm forgetting a lot of it? This was both strange and unmemorable to me.

This book just did not work for me. The characters felt flat, the plot felt jerky and strange, and the prose just wasn't for me.

While this one sounded right up my alley and the world felt lush and like it truly changed throughout the course of the story, unfortunately, this one just felt short for me.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I honestly didn’t know much about this book before starting it, only that it had a cool cover and looked intriguing. <i>Hush</i> is Dylan Farrow’s debut fantasy novel, and has a surprising amount of real-world context. In her Author’s Note, Farrow describes a time in which her family was being blackmailed and made to terrible, and that this book is her way of showcasing what gaslighting and manipulation looks like. While I didn’t necessarily see this at first, after reading about the author’s experience, I suddenly realized just how much manipulation I had missed. The writing is by no means perfect, but this was a highly engaging and suspenseful fantasy story that I’d love to read more of in the future.

<i>Hush</i> follows the story of 17-year-old Shae, who has spent her entire life being ostracized by the other inhabitants of the small town of Aster. When Shae was young, a vicious plague known as the Blot wiped out countless numbers of people, including her younger brother. Because of this, Shae’s mother has taken a vow of silence, and the rest of the town avoids the two as if they might be infected simply through association. Her only solace is her mother; her childhood friend Fiona; and Mads, a boy desperately seeking her affection. Everything changes for Shae when the Bards - powerful sorcerers with the ability to help those in need - come to her town, and her mother winds up dead. Devastated, Shae desperately seeks the truth, but is dismissed as crazy by everyone she turns to. Undeterred, Shae travels to the High House, the legendary home of the Bards, to seek the truth that nobody else dares question.

This book felt particularly poignant in today’s climate simply because it is centered around a deadly plague. Unlike our own plague, however, this one centers around ink, paper, and forbidden words, which immediately gives it a really cool premise. It feels a lot like <i>Fahrenheit 451</i> or other such dystopian works, as the people of this world are forbidden from speaking certain words and learning how to read and write. In a world filled with fake news available to us at the touch of a button, this story has the potential to really resonate with young audiences, especially when we learn that the Blot may not come from paper and ink at all, but from the very ruler entrusted to protect everyone.

Another poignant subject this book deals with is gaslighting and emotional manipulation. From the very beginning, Shae encounters a number of characters who either refuse to believe her, or downright lie to her to make her question her own reality. This is textbook gaslighting, and I only wish there had been actual mention of this term in the book, as it’s crucially important for young people to recognize when someone is gaslighting them. This theme continues when Shae encounters Cathal, the enigmatic ruler who initially treats her with kindness and later turns out to be a master manipulator. Though I saw this coming a mile away, I imagine a teenager unused to this sort of manipulation might be blind-sided by the twist, and I think that’s an important lesson for young readers.

This book also handles the idea of prevalent sexism. In this universe, women are rarely gifted with the abilities of a Bard, and are seen to succeed less often because they are “simply too emotional” to handle the job and eventually go crazy. I liked that Shae and Kennan flipped this idea onto its head, as both are incredibly powerful and strong-willed, representing strong female characters in different ways. Where Shae is open and vulnerable, Kennan is closed off and cold, and yet both combat the notion that women are fragile and easily broken by their own emotions. I’m really hoping they team up and become friends in later books, as I am a huge fan of female friendships and think they’d make a pretty kick-ass duo.

My only real gripe is that the romance felt very forced to me. While it has not yet been reciprocated (I sense Farrow is trying for a slow burn), Shae seems entirely too infatuated with Ravod from the very beginning. She initially comes to High House demanding answers for her mother’s murder, but keeps getting distracted by Ravod, nearly swooning every time she sees him. For a strong character who initially rejected the proposal of her first love because he wasn’t being supportive enough, this just felt out of place. While I hope this romance develops more in the future, I just wasn’t quite sold on it in this particular book, especially since Ravod seems very much like the stereotypical brooding YA love interest. It’d be much more interesting if Shae had a thing for Kennan, but I won’t hold my breath on that one.

Despite my issues with the romance, I actually genuinely enjoyed this book, especially for a debut fantasy novel. It seems as though almost everything has been done to death at this point, but this concept and world still felt very refreshing to me. I liked the strong female heroine fighting for her mother, and I especially liked the messages about gaslighting and a system designed to keep the lower classes in poverty. There’s a lot of good stuff happening in a relatively short book, and I found myself saying “Just one more chapter,” each time I was left on a cliffhanger. Based on the loose ends left during the Epilogue, I sense that this is going to be a series, and I’m definitely intrigued enough to give the second book a chance whenever it releases. I would recommend this to teen fans of fantasy, as I think it has a lot of potential to be a great series.

I enjoyed this book, the premise sounded incredibly interesting and I liked Shae as the main character. I found the plot a bit predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. I kind of wished the ending hadn't felt so rushed, though, because I was at 80% of the book and felt so much still needed to happen for it to have a nice conclusion. I was afraid of a big cliffhanger and having to wait for the sequel to come out - but I have to say it was a good ending. I am still anticipating the sequel though because there were some reveals I really need to know more about. Overall, Hush was a good book and I am hopeful for the sequel which comes out this year, I believe. 3.5 Stars.

**3.5 Stars**

Shea and her mother are shunned by the town since her brother died from the blot, a mysterious illness that strikes those who are not rule followers. When the Bards come to either bless or ignore her town (depending of the quality of the offering provided by the town), Shea takes it upon herself to discuss her concerns with the Bards. Little did Shea know that her life was about to be toppled.

I will admit that I basically went into this book blind, having no idea what the story was actually about, but I kept seeing it pop up everywhere which piqued my curiosity (and I am a cover snob and I really like the cover). I was super surprised to find that this is the first book in a YA epic fantasy series, full of dark truths, conspiracies, murder, lies, magic and a tiny hint of magic. At times the story was a little confusing (for both Shea and me) and I had a hard time following what was going on/real, but in general it was a cool yet dangerous world the author created.

I really liked the setting and the plot, Hush was almost like a magical mystery who-done-it which I appreciated. The one thing I struggled with was the main character Shae. I have no real reason why, I can't put my finger on what bothered me most, but I really struggled to connect/empathize with her. I get most of her reasons for her behavior, but I think she was more a surface character without a ton of depth and sometimes her actions just made no sense to me. Also, she had no concept for other people's well-being, her actions almost always impacted those close to her in a negative way- and she suffered from instalove (that was not really reciprocated and super awkward!). I did really like how embroidery was Shea's tool of choice to express herself and as a hobby, a very feminine skill/talent for a fairly unfeminine character.

Overall this was an interesting and unique fantasy story, perfect for anyone who likes independent characters, a muder mystery with tons of suspects and a magic system full of all kinds of powers.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher one exchange for an honest review.*

Although the world of this book was initially a bit confusing, at some point I realized that I understood it. Farrow managed to explain everything (Bards, Telling, the Blot, etc.) without stopping the story to dump a bunch of info on the reader. Like I said, it some point it it just made sense. That is, as far as I assume it is supposed to at this point; there are still unanswered questions and plenty left for the second book (which I look forward to reading).

Overall, Shae (17) is likable. She is caring, intelligent, and determined. But, as her friend Fiona points out to her, she tends to rush into things without thinking first. I'll also point out that she is somewhat gullible, though perhaps I say that simply because I am the reader and could develop my own theories as an outside observer. Regardless, I did like her as a character, and I want things to turn out well for her. She had good friends, Fiona (?) and Mads (?), even though events early on in the story complicate her relationships with each of them. It was a bit heartbreaking to see things so strained when Shae left, particularly because she had nobody else. I keep trying to figure out why Ravod (?) constantly kept Shae at a distance; I have a theory, but we'll see how it pans out. I do like him, though I feel like there's a lot of room to develop his character more.

Although I marked this as having a love story, it's really just barely a hint of one. More like it has some feelings that I hope are explored more in the next book. There is a person in love who gets rejected, and there is a person who "deeply cares" and also gets rejected. Maybe I should say this has a rejection story--ha! Both potential love interests are characters I like, despite their flaws.

I have to hand it to Farrow for messing with Shae's mind because she also messed with my mind. It got to the point that any time Shae was unsure if she was experiencing real events or going mad, I kind of wondered the same thing. (Okay, I didn't think I was going mad--but I couldn't figure out if she was.) Well done. There were a couple of twists that were rather predictable, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story.

Note: There might have been a little swearing, but I don't remember it.

I was really excited to read this book and whilst I wasn't disappointed it did not completely live up to what I expected. Don't get me wrong it's still a very good book and has a lot of potential in turning into a compelling series.
The world-building is quite creative and the characters are well-developed. The story-telling is unique as well.

One of my mini grouses was that this book describes a magic system involving language and the silencing of many voices which is great, however, I found that the execution didn't quite meet today's YA fantasy standards. And we have many fantastic books in this genre. There isn't much explanation of how the magic system works. I think knowing how this works gives the reader a clearer picture.

This is a solid debut. The story is a page-turner and as I mentioned earlier it has the potential of turning into a great series. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a Digital Arc in exchange for an honest review.