Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.75/5)

The Girl Without a Voice starts with a compelling hook and a deeply atmospheric setup. Sandra J. Paul draws us into the life of Alice, a twenty-two-year-old woman born mute and isolated by her controlling parents. From the beginning, the story promises a gripping psychological mystery with emotional weight — and for the most part, it delivers.

The audiobook performance by Eve Passeltiner is truly a standout. Her narration is top-tier, elevating the entire experience. She brings nuance and life to Alice’s world, making it easy to follow the complex emotional shifts in the plot. Narrators can make or break an audiobook, and Passeltiner absolutely makes it. Her portrayal of both the quiet intensity and tender moments gives the story extra depth.

The early chapters are fantastic — tense, mysterious, and emotionally resonant. Alice’s bond with her only friend Hailey is tender and well-drawn, and the shocking confession from her dying father sets the stage for a chilling journey. I was convinced I was heading into a five-star read.

However, the momentum starts to lag in the middle. The pacing slows significantly, and the narrative leans more heavily into romance than I had anticipated. While the relationship between Alice and Hailey is sweet and heartwarming, I found myself wanting the thriller elements to maintain more of the focus. That said, their love story adds emotional stakes that are meaningful — even if it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

As the mystery unfolds, the story regains its tension, culminating in an unsettling truth about Alice’s past and the true horror at the center of her silence. Paul weaves these revelations with care, offering a haunting reflection on trauma and identity.

Overall, The Girl Without a Voice is a dark, emotionally charged listen that blends psychological suspense with romance and personal healing. While the pacing dips in the middle, the strong narration and powerful themes make it worth the journey.

The synopsis is a little misleading; Alice is not her father's caregiver at the end of his life. I know that seems like a small detail, but it's so different that it really makes the book something else completely. Not in a bad way! I just wish it had been a little more vague but also a little more specific? As if that makes any sense.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Not because I wasn't expecting to, just because I really didn't have any expectations at all. It's a bit of a slow build up, but once I was into it, I couldn't put it down. There were so many twists that I didn't see coming, and anything that annoyed me ended up making sense by the end. I can't say much else without spoilers, but in the beginning it was a little too far fetched for me and I'm so glad it didn't end that way.

Speaking of the ending.. LOVED. Some people may feel differently, but I think it was perfect.

There was one thing that was really hard for me, but it was because I was listening to the audiobook. The narrator was fine, except for the voice she used for Hailey. I don't know what it was about it, but it drove me absolutely insane all the way to the end of the book. Even just hearing it in my head makes me mad.

Release: August 19, 2025
Author: Sandra J. Paul
Publisher: Datura

Rating: 4 ★ 

Set in the fall of 1980, this story follows Alice, a 22-year-old woman who was born mute and has lived an extremely sheltered and isolated life under the control of her cold, manipulative mother and her strict, intimidating father. Her only connection to the outside world is through her neighbor and best friend, Hailey, who knows sign language and offers Alice a rare sense of comfort and trust.
When Alice’s father falls gravely ill with terminal cancer, she is tasked with taking care of him. During his final days, as he drifts in and out of consciousness under heavy medication, he starts revealing chilling secrets—specifically, that he may have murdered multiple women. At first, Alice doesn’t know what to believe, but the weight of the revelation pushes her to confide in Hailey.
The two set out to retrace the paths her father once traveled as a salesman, and what they uncover suggests a disturbing pattern that links him to several missing women. As they dig deeper, the truth starts to unravel not just about his crimes, but about Alice herself—especially why she lost her voice in the first place, and how her own past is more connected to her father’s dark secrets than she ever realized.
This is a tense and emotional psychological mystery that blends true-crime elements with a coming-of-age reckoning, perfect for readers who enjoy deeply layered characters and slow-burning suspense like Bright Young Women.
This book completely pulled me in! I had a hard time putting it down once I started. The story follows Alice, a young woman who was born mute and has been hidden away from the world by her controlling parents. She’s been told that if anyone ever found out about her, she’d be locked up. So she’s grown up in total isolation—until a new neighbor, Hailey, moves in next door. Slowly, a quiet friendship forms between them, and when Alice’s father dies and makes a shocking confession, the two girls set out to uncover the truth about his past.
The pacing is fast and steady—it never felt like it dragged—and the relationship between Alice and Hailey is the emotional heart of the book. There’s suspense, mystery, and some truly surprising moments, especially toward the end. At times it did feel a bit like a young adult mystery (think Nancy Drew with darker twists), and there were moments where I had to suspend a bit of disbelief, especially about how quickly Alice jumps into investigating. But overall, it was such a compelling read that I didn’t mind.
If you’re into emotional thrillers with strong characters and a touch of coming-of-age, this one’s worth picking up. It’s a story about secrets, friendship, and finding your voice—even when you can’t speak.

Favorite quote:
"Kept from the outside world by her cruel mother and overbearing father, her only friend is her neighbor Hailey with whom she communicates through sign language."

Alice lives a very sheltered live at 22. All that starts to change when her father confesses to murdering several women and she makes a friend next door named Hailey. This novel was very slow to start for me and about half way through it picked up and I was really into it. I did like that Alice started to come out of her shell throughout the story too after her rough life. The story does seem a little YA at times especially the beginning. There are several really good twists I didn't see coming and the ending was so perfect. If you are looking for a book with a bit of romance and a serial killer as a father this one's for you.
Thank you Tantor Audio for the audio.