Ethan's Voice

by Rachel Carter (Contributor)

How do you begin to tell your story when you can't speak? Ethan lives on the canal. He likes it there. He can go to the pond and catch newts and minnows. He can learn everything he needs to know from books and from his mum. No one there laughs at him because he doesn't talk. Ethan can't remember exactly when he stopped talking or why. It is only when he meets Polly, a girl who has recently moved to the canal, that he begins to wish things were different.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Childrens, Drama, Middle Grade

199 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My name is Ethan. I am 11 years old. I do not talk. I used to once, but stopped when I was 7. I can't remember why. It's a mystery.

I live on a houseboat with my Mum and Dad. I don't go to school. I am scared of it. Everyone teases and bullies me because I don't speak.
Mum teaches me now.

I don't like being around people much. I am uncomfortable. So I try not to be noticed. I spend most of my time on my own.

I didn't think I was lonely. Until I met Polly. Ahh...Polly. She is fun and exciting. She likes the same things I do. She doesn't care if I don't speak. She likes me as I am. She likes me for me.

Only...I so wish I could talk to Polly. I am having nightmares. Bad ones. Involving my Dad and me. I want to tell Polly about these. I want her to know how I feel.

She gives me a notebook and pen. She tells me to "speak" my thoughts.
And I try.
I want things to be different.
I want her to hear me.
So I show, and Polly "listens".

I start to remember when I was 7. Dad and me. The memories.
Then the nightmares.
All rolling in to one.
I don't know what is real or imagined. I'm confused.
But it has something to do with why I stopped talking.
Polly helps me. Together we uncover clues to my mystery.
I can't tell you what they are. They will spoil it for you.

People have read my story.
They say it is "uplifting" and "tender". "Simply told" but "compelling".
I don't know what these words mean.
To me, my story is about friendship.

It is also a reminder. We may be kids. But we hurt. We get scared. We doubt ourselves. We have emotions. Our feelings are real. Just like you.



I hope you like my story.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully engaging, sensitively written novel by first time author Rachel Carter. Through the viewpoint of 11-12 year old Ethan the author tells a story of friendship, inner strength and joy.

Using simple language and a convincing child’s voice- that recall the likes of Mark Haddon or John Boyne- Carter explores the world of family miscommunications and the trials of healing.

Drawn to the colourful existence of a newcomer on the canal, Ethan’s debilitating fears are challenged by patience, friendship and a joint quest.

Prepare to be heart-warmed, charmed and inspired to be brave. A perfect cathartic short-read for adults and a magical and uplifting book for children.

[Hannah stressedreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely story. I read it within a day.
I loved the writing and characters but not much actually happens throughout.

The last two chapters were great.

Really good heart warming story.

[Saloni (earnestlyeccentric) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan hasn’t spoken for years and he can’t seem to make himself talk again. It’s too frightening. Then Polly moves into the canal with her mother. Ethan’s urge to speak becomes stronger than ever. As their friendship blossoms, Ethan learns the truth about his lost voice.

Spoilers ahead.

Plot and Pacing: The story was short, simple and sweet—a very quick read—and well-paced. In the beginning, Ethan is home-schooled but his parents and another woman named Mary (who’s a social worker, I think) wants him to go to school. The problem is Ethan can’t speak. He doesn’t know why, he doesn’t know when he stopped. Just that right here, right now, he can’t.

The plot moves on to introduce Polly, a bubbly and cheerful girl, who wants to be friends with Ethan. Together, the pair work on finding Ethan’s voice. Their friendship was a wonderful part of the book mostly because they were contrasting characters. Their differences became much more apparent during their interactions (more on this in the “characters” portion).

The nightmare about the treehouse was a nice touch. It was even better when Polly and Ethan put the pieces together and realised that a boy was hurt on the day Ethan lost his voice. Then Ethan finds out that his father actually saved a boy from death.

The author, at first, focused a lot on the importance of friendship. However, towards the end, she showed the importance of family too. I’m glad of this because good friends are quite hard to come by, much harder than parents who love you.

I felt the plot was a bit predictable. I knew Polly and her mother would move back with her father. I also knew that Ethan would choose to go to school and say his first words there. That’s why I gave the book a 4/5. It did make for a bittersweet ending though.

Characters: Ethan was definitely a dynamic character, but not in the usual sense. At the start and end of the book, he was timid and shy. What changed was his confidence in himself and the people around him. This, in turn, affected his ability to speak (which he was able to do at the end of the book).

Polly was the complete opposite. She was talkative and very confident, yet sensitive and sympathetic. I loved her personality mainly because she encouraged Ethan to be friends with her. I also loved her quirky family traditions.

The two characters started off as very different but by the end of the book, it’s easy to tell that they learnt a lot from each other. I think Polly learnt that words and communicating are very important. I guess that’s why she agrees to go back to her father. Over a phone call, she learns he’s been miserable ever since his family left. I think Ethan learnt that everyone has an innate ability to communicate. One just has to find it. And it may not be the most conventional way but that doesn’t really matter when you can share your thoughts and feelings.

Writing Style: Carter didn’t write any fluff. The story was to the point without any useless descriptions and plot twists. She focused all her writing on Ethan’s inability to speak. I was glad of this because a lot of other authors would have included a love triangle or a romantic relationship between Polly and Ethan when their friendship was perfect the way it was.

Carter’s straightforward writing style makes for a powerful book. There are no distractions from the messages.

Ethan’s Voice is a quick read, perfect if you don’t want to invest in a complicated sci-fi or fantasy series.

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ethan’s Voice is a lovely, sweet and unusual tale of a young boy who is a selective mute. After a traumatic event Ethan has stopped talking altogether. His parents have tried everything to get him talking again but to no avail. It is controlling his life so much that Ethan is now home schooled. He is alone and has no friends.

Along comes Polly, a girl of a similar age to Ethan. She quickly understands the situation and doesn’t pressurise Ethan into speaking but she does provide him with some much needed companionship. It is this friendship which makes Ethan’s Voice such a beautiful read.

The book isn’t over dramatic, some of the things that happen within the narrative are simple and lovely and I think it is this that sets it apart from a lot of YA fiction. It is not dark or harsh or depressing; it has a hopeful quality that a lot of modern day stories often lack due to our jaded MTV culture. It is an impressive debut novel from Rachel Carter and I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us all.

Ethan’s Voice by Rachel Carter is available now.

[Jo Bennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan has stopped speaking. Living on his parents narrowboat Deity he doesn't go to school either, home schooled after being bullied but his parents and Mary from the council want him to return. Then a girl arrives moored on a shiny boat near his. Polly doesn't seem to mind that he doesn't talk, tentatively he begins to show her his world, the riverbank, the den that his father built for him. And Ethan begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could want to speak again and face the hidden fears that made him mute.

Carter's skill is that she writes so eloquently from Ethan's point of view and in his voice, despite his voicelessness we hear the sadness and isolation of a young boy who doesn't fit and share with him his journey in this little tale. Loved it.

[D.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book as a pre-publication proof copy and read it with my Patron of Reading hat on. I enjoyed this book despite the embarrassment of welling up with tears several times sitting poolside at our (very busy) local swimming pool complex. This books deals with the complexities of miscommunication and adult / child communication. It is being added to my term two recommended reading list.

[Amberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started and finished date – 27.11.25 to 30.11.25.
My rating – Three Stars.
This book was okay but be better and I think this book needed to be longer also I think people who like the Scar by Olivier Tallec or the rabbit listened by Cori Doerrfeld may like is book. The cover of the book was okay, and I think the colour palette at was used on the cover of book was fine. The writing was okay, and the writing was easy to follow also the ending of book was fine. I think both the setting of the book and the atmosphere was okay, but it was bit blend. I think author did a good at both exploring and describing someone with selective mute and I really like parts of book with the canal boat. The plot was okay, but it needed to be flash out. I found the paced in the book was very rushed and the paced was unsteadied. The characters were okay, but they needed to be flash out bit more.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful story about a boy called Ethan who struggles with selective mutism. Ethan makes an unexpected friend in Polly, and he starts to try to figure out why he stopped talking, and if he will ever be able to talk again.

It's an uplifting yet, at times, heartbreaking tale, covering topics such as bullying, repressed memories, families, friendship and more.

Rachel Carter does an amazing job of keeping the story flowing - I ended up reading this book in one sitting because I just had to know what happened. I was surprised to learn this was her first book, and I'd like to look out for more of her work.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a child at the school I work at. I was very flattered. I began reading this and immediately loved the premise of the story. Ethan is a boy who lives on a canal boat with his parents. Several years earlier, Ethan stopped talking. it bewildered everyone, most of all Ethan. Ethan and his parents fall into an equilibrium of nods and head shakes. Everything was going along, that was until Ethan met Polly and they become best friends. both trying to help each other.

This is a story of friendship, perseverance and being brave and would recommend to any child aged between 9-11.

[Samara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. Its about a small boy named Ethan who loses his ability to speak due to trauma.The book follows Ethan on his journey to speaking again. I read this book for my teacher as she wanted an honest opinion on it. The book was just okay. There was nothing really exciting that happened at all. The ending was fitting but it felt somewhat underwhelming. The book was written really well but i could have stopped reading at anytime and not cared what happened next. Im glad i decided not to dnf it. I most likely would have enjoyed it more if i was a younger reader.

[Richard Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book based on the blurb to read to my class of Year 5 children. Since then I've read it to two Y4 classes as part of story time. ( Yes there are still some teachers out there who read stories to children!)
Every class has loved it, every review they wrote said, 'It's brilliant.' A beautiful book about difference, tolerance and understanding. I have to steel myself near the end, even in front of 30 children. Be warned ;)

[Leo Margetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is amazing. I have many reasons to justify my answer. My first reason is that I really liked how the whole story is based on a canal. It also teaches the reader about how tricky it is to live without being able to have a voice. I also really liked how the boy (Ethan) is mistaken to think that his father committed a crime.

[Cassey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy read, I read it in two days when I was home due to sick leave. I almost cried in the last part of the book. Yes children can read this. Adults may like this as well, if they just want to chill and relax,do not need to think much.

[Hannah Costas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It made me realize that sometimes, we just need to overcome our fears to help us be more confident in what we do. I love this kind of stories. Thank you to the author that made me feel to reminisce my 11 year old self.

[Fatin Nabila ⚡️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is amazing! A very simple yet great story. Finished it in just a couple of hours! Highly recommended 🌸

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read loved every part of it, would definitely read again

[Nicolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Elias Ferros · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely heartwarming and comforting book i loved it if u liked it I recommend how to find a lost dog and a seven letter word

[Riley P.G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book as it was quite a suspense type of book. The characters were all so different and had their own special type of uniqueness.

[G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Minou⁷ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely and simple book, although the sentences are quite short and not much description throughout the book (read it in a day). However, I would recommend this poignant story!

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

How do I read this book

[Ewa Marcinek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice!

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very boring even with somewhat of a plot twist :/

[keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the ending was so sweet and how he believed in himself and Polly was his little life saver

[Abendstern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Geschichte war richtig süß aber auch dramatisch. Die Protagonisten sind etwas jünger als ich anfangs dachte. Es ist also mehr ein Kinderbuch.

[Bethan Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

worth the reading to get to the later chapters.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish i hadve read this when i was younger. it’s such a sweet wholesome book. cried at the last page

[Nurul Amira Amira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this long time ago. Only now I have the opportunity to share my thoughts about this book. I love genre like this. Ethan is a boy who unable to talk. His parents really care about him and tried hard to let Ethan speak. There was one accident happened to be a reason why he cant talk from that day. Then Ethan met Polly, seems to be his bff after their first encounter. Can't remember well the lessons from this book. I just remember that I like the storyline, however it's might be not special for some people.

P/s: thinking about to re-read the book, but don't know when lol