This is an intense, thought-provoking, and dark read, addressing privilege and class disparities, especially in private institutions. There is also a lot with #MeToo empowerment, sexual abuse, mental health, addiction, and the dangers that lurk in everyday life from a young woman’s perspective. Once I started I did not want to stop even though some chapters were difficult to digest, but the honest writing, well-developed characters, and intriguing mystery will keep you engaged from start to finish. She did a beautiful job of capturing the 80s in the UK and the minds of teenage girls. I really like the chapters written in the past, they were my favorite. However, there were chapters where Lou had discussions in the present with other characters and the realizations of what we miss as teenagers was handled so well, it really added another layer of healing as an adult. I felt that McPhillips did a nice job of showing the layers of protection that surround a predator through their manipulation. At times, it was astounding, and so frustrating but true and difficult to stomach. I thought this was expressed really well here. A person in a place of power that chooses to abuse, can get away with it for a long time until someone is willing to expose them, and usually at their own peril.
I loved the narration by India Mullen. I loved her Irish accent, and I know I enjoyed the novel even more than I would have if I read it in print.
Overall, I felt it was thought-provoking and brilliant. I give When We Were Silent my highest recommendation, and I’m looking forward to the author’s next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with the audiobook copy.

A solid dark academia novel that examines the impact of the “me too” movement. I appreciate how this was told with sensitivity and respect as the subject matter was tough. What did not work as well was for me was the present tense timeline. I was slightly bored with the content and found the writing slow. There were not many twists, which is fine for me in this genre, and I did like how it all resolved in the end. For the audiobook, India Mullen's narration was top notch. Her voice kept me captivated throughout, and I loved listening to the Irish accent.

Read if you like:
-Dark academia
-Past/present timelines
-Queer MC
-Ireland setting

Book is fine, nothing special. No real mystery here. I would not recommend, much better writing out there.

I was not a fan of the audio version of the and wish I had gotten the book. The story was good is was more a narrator thing.

This novel covered some pretty deep themes regarding the structure of society and the elite classes versus every one else. This was definitely a thought provoking work and one that will stay with me for a while to come. The audio productions is outstanding and well worth listening to.

I love thrillers, and the dual timeline format worked well for this story. But, ultimately I found the subject matter too disturbing. I need to steer clear of books with children or teens as the focus of abuse. While the book was well-written and beautifully narrated, this was not the right book for me.

Revisiting the biggest traumas of your life, even if for good reason. Events that have the power to ruin your reclaimed life, your relationships, and the lives of the people you love. What could possibly go wrong? Recommended.

I really loved this book! It was an incredible story about love, friendship, betrayal, and how all of the above can come from one single person, forever altering the trajectory of a life. The narrator, India Mullen, was also wonderful. I found myself wishing for a physical copy so I could just get through the story more quickly. But then I realized that if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the way India read the book. The main character, Lou, goes through so much as not only a teenager, but as an adult as well. I loved the alternate POVs between her younger and older selves. While she did go through several traumatic experiences, she found her way through in the end. This was so thought provoking, riveting, and just an all around amazing story. I got actual chills while listening to the last line of the book. Incredible! Highly recommend.

Fiona McPhillips writes such a deeply thought provoking story with When We Were Silent.
It is filled with such strong emotion throughout this heart wrenching tale. The wall of silence may be lifted, but the wounds will never fully heal for these characters.
The narrator for the audio book did an amazing job.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this eArc!

A dark, academia, me-too, uncomfortable, thought-provoking, heavy read. I'll put this in the likes of My Dark Vanessa with a psychological twist.
An elite school and elite swimming program. The haves and the have-nots all mix together in the past and the present. When a student accuses his swimming coach of abuse it brings up past accusations against the school and another coach, claims that shattered relationships and put a big cloud over the students. Looking back with a new lense everyone must come to terms with the roles they played in the past to stop the cycle of abuse from continuing.
The story flips back and forth between the past and the present. While I was more invested in the past I think it needed to have such a format to be able to look back and evaluate from an adult perspective instead of staying in a YA space with the high school setting. The narration was very well done and the narrators Irish accent contributed to building the atmosphere of the elite Ireland prep school setting.

While I really enjoyed this book do know that there is nothing light about it so be in the right mindset for a heavy, at times disturbing read.

4.5 Stars rounded up

This book was quite the mystery, including my feelings for it. I do feel like it well represented how women were not taken seriously in the time it was set, but it was just very frustrating throughout the entire book that no one believed the main character, not even her mom...? There were some good twists in here, but some of the plot also felt random and unresolved. I thought the reader of the book had good emotion, but her accent forced me to listen to the book at a slower speed. Overall, this book was ok, but I'm not sure I'll be recommending it too much. Thank you to Macmillin Audio for giving me this audio ARC to review.

TW: S*xual Abuse, Abuse of Power, R*pe

This story is told from a dual timeline, one while Louise is in high school and one 30 years later. While it’s advertised as a thriller, it’s much more of a mystery with an emphasis on building a court case in the later timeline. The pacing of this one is quite slow in both timelines, but I felt like the present timeline really slowed down the reveals and mystery of the past, especially in the last half of the book.

There weren’t really any twists or shocking reveals in this one, which was just fine – the ending was still quite strong and I liked the resolution. The atmosphere and tension of the past timeline was also incorporated well and kept me very interested in those portions of the book.

If you’re looking for a slow mystery that explores themes of exploitation, privilege, and retribution, then you may like this one. The narrator did an excellent job with this audiobook as well. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published May 21, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Louise Manson just joined the prestigious Highfield Manor in Dublin. However, Lou is not like the other girls, coming from a working class home, her social status is very different from those of her peers. As Lou works to fit in, she comes across the well-known swimming coach, who is known for producing Olympic level athletes, who represent the country following their time at Highfield. As she finds friends, she becomes entwined with a top swimmer, "Shauna". As she becomes and athlete herself, and continues to spend more time with Shauna, it becomes evident that the coach may not be as wonderful as the community believes.

Fast forward, Louise is confronted by Shauna's top lawyer brother, who has a case regarding Highfield Manor. He is asking Lou to testify in addition to his sister Shauna. However, Louise has everything to loose now, including a daughter, her partner, and her career.

This was a very gripping audiobook, with strong characters and an interesting story-line. The relationships in the present time felt somewhat difficult to me, but otherwise, I enjoyed the book. I will put a warning that there are some difficult and graphic scenes depicted in the novel, which may cause some to feel discomfort. Otherwise I found the audiobook to be enjoying, and well-produced.

Louise Manson is a teenage girl being abused by the beloved nigh school coach. She decides she's not going to take it anymore after realizing that he was going after other girls too. She works to catch him in the act and finds herself in more trouble than she ever could have imagined. I'll admit this audio was a little bit triggering for me. So, check your triggers before reading or listening. Other than that, 1 did like the story. Louise is amazingly resilient as the FMC, and her strength and character continues to grow through the whole story. Mcphillips uncovers the sad and often buried reality of high school athletic abuse with truth and dignity her characters deserve.

India Mullen was a joy to listen to for this audio reading. Her voice was pleasant and made listening to the challenging scenes a bit easier. She speaks at a good speed for 1x listeners or those that prefer to increase listening speeds.

I liked this novel and recommend you give it a read/listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC.

TW: Abuse, Rape, Sexual Assault, Eating Disorders, Alcohol Abuse, Grooming, Suicide

This read was VERY intense and VERY unsettling at times, however very captivating. I was wrapped up in this story until the very end. It touched on many, many heavy topics ; making it not for everyone. Although challenging to read at times, I find it important to read about some of these subjects from time to time as we unfortunately live in world that's not always sunshine and rainbows. The narrator did an excellent job with this book by adding the emotion and expression needed for those very heavy topics. Although I listened to this book, I could still tell how incredibly well written it was. I'd recommend this book to many.

4 stars!

When Lou was in high school, something terrible and life-changing happened to her. Lou spends the next 30 years hiding this secret, until one day she is contacted by a lawyer and asked to reveal what she knows in order to help with a case against the school. Lou's decision to help causes her to relive many painful moments and also make a shocking discovery.

This book follows two timelines, with the past being in Lou's old high school. The setting is perfect for this dark academia. The story-telling was good, however it didn't feel evenly paced throughout. It felt a bit jumpy, with many parts being very slow. The narrator, however, helped add a darkness to this dark story.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillian Audio, Fiona McPhillips, and India Mullen for this read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the AAC in exchange for my honest review. When We Were Silent was my first read with author Fiona McPhilllips, and not at all as anticipated. This novel needs come with a clear trigger warning for the unnecessarily graphic scenes, and I am uncertain if the publisher will include in the print copies, but for survivors, TRIGGER WARNING.
I enjoyed India Mullen’s audio narration; in face she was the sole reason I finished this unremarkable novel.
The plot jumps between present and past, and spends way more time in high school than necessary. I did not feel When We Were Silent does abuse victims justice by any means, and missed major opportunities in which to do so. All of the characters, including Lou, are void of likable characteristics. Lou’s questionable decisions were mind boggling, and as a reader I could not root for her when she repeatedly defies logic. Lou does not do her daughter justice, either, which frustrated me as SHE SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE SIGNS! I struggled with the lacking character development and found myself cringing more times than I could count with the disgusting Coach scenes and innocence lost. 1.5/5

I want to start off by saying that I wasn’t to sure what this audiobook was about. I wanted a mystery to listen to. This is the first book by this author that I have read/listen too. Let me give credit to the narrator who does amazing job. Yes this book to me longer. But it had nothing to who the narrator or the author writing style. The topic around this book and the mystery. We’re very heart breaking at times. That I needed a moment to adjust. Because there are things like this still happening.
I admire Louise strength to get this truth out there. No matter the cost. But what broke me is the truth and other girls affected by what is happening. Felt the need that they couldn’t speak the truth due to family representation or even the proud private/boarding school.
I do like the duel timelines, past and present. Louise held on to the pain from her past. Trying to hide from her daughter and be a good wife to Alex. But Louise trying to help someone out in the present to get their story out. Unlike her story no one believed her. When she try’s to help more of her past is coming back to haunt her. And affect her family. But she knows she needs to get to truth of what really happened that night. And only person can help Louise with that. And that person hasn’t been seen since the day in court 30 years ago.
My review is up on goodreads and anywhere else.
A hug thank to netgalley and author and publisher for trusting me to listen to this audiobook and give my honest thoughts. This book is set to released May 21,2024

When We Were Silent is a coming of age story about a private school in Dublin. Lou is a new student at an exclusive private school who enrolled in order to get revenge for her friend Tina who had committed suicide after confiding in Lou that the swim coach was abusing her. Told during her high school years and 30 years later, this story follows the outcome of Lou's quest for revenge. Future Lou is called by an attorney who wants her to testify in a case against the school. She worries that the truth of what really happened 30 years ago will come out....

This story had so many elements that I personally enjoy, suspense, mystery, and a bit of a coming of age finding yourself tied with a bit of a romance. Some parts were so difficult to get through due to the serious subject matter, but it was a story that was written well and the voice actor told it beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of My Dark Vanessa (Kate Elizabeth Russell) and They Never Learn (Layne Fargo) get this book on your radar NOW.

This is an incredibly powerful book about abusers and the systems of power that protect them. When We Were Silent should not be gone into lightly, it covers a number of difficult subjects. That being said, it also brings gorgeous Irish scenery, private school charm, and the emotional vulnerability of any great coming of age story.

I had a few small issues with the book, most notably that there was sooo much happening. Between the two main plots, the past and present, I feel that I lost some important details. After spending a lot of time in one POV I would struggle to readjust when the story would switch over, and I feel like I forgot several minor characters names in this. I also felt like there were a few too many subplots, and the story could have been more impactful had it pruned a few of these out (the money loaning guy, Lou's troubled teenage daughter, Shauna's discarded best friend). It just felt like the story was trying to do a bit too much at times.

That aside, this book really worked for me in pretty much every way. The whole time I was listening to it I was think "I need more... More... MORE". There is a very solid mystery element that is sure to keep readers hooked. McPhillips did a phenomenal job creating this dark, complex and unfortunately realistic world. I highly recommend When We Were Silent!

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a free ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.