Till Human Voices Wake Us

The Violet Hour Trilogy #1

by Rebecca Roque

Black Mirror meets A Good Girl‘s Guide to Murder when a teenage girl's relentless investigation into her best friend's death plunges her deep into a dangerous underground society where every secret has a price. Seventeen-year-old Cia lived in a house of secrets until she was five, when her father literally burned it all down. The price of his clandestine operation? Cia's entire family, and her leg. So, when her best friend Alice says she has a secret too, Cia wants nothing to do with it--even if it could shed light on her family's dark past. But Alice doesn't let go so easily, especially when her search for answers might help find Noah, the boy who broke her heart before going missing two months ago. But then the police find Alice's body floating in the quarry. Now Cia would give anything to know Alice's secrets. Because Alice would never have jumped, no matter what the cops think. Desperate to figure out what happened to her friend, Cia picks up the threads of Alice's investigation, plunging deep into a shadow world of augmented reality. As she untangles one web of lies after another, Cia finds herself pursued by an enemy that will pay any price to keep their secrets buried. But the girl who already lost everything isn't about to back down now. Her only chance to avenge Alice lies in exposing an underground society preying on those they think no one will miss--but danger lies closer to home than she imagined.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction

412 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2024

About the author

Rebecca Roque comes from a long line of proudly ungovernable women. After graduating from Rush University, she hit the ground running as a critical care nurse, often finding herself at the crossroads of the most fascinating human stories. When she isn’t annoying her neighbors by luring everything feathered, furred, and feral to her backyard, Rebecca enjoys true crime podcasts and hiking in places true crime podcasters would probably advise against. Till Human Voices Wake Us is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Rogue's debut novel is nothing short of a literary rollercoaster, delivering an eccentric and slightly chaotic narrative that resonates with a powerful and rhythmic quality. It's a tale that can be likened to a fusion of Black Mirror's mind-bending storytelling and the intriguing mystery elements found in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Within the pages of this novel lies a small town riddled with its own idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, concealing a tangled web of deceit and an abundance of skeletons in the closet. It is a place where the town's most ardent secrets are buried deep, and the only one brave enough to unearth them is a young girl who has already suffered through a series of traumatic events. With unwavering determination, she embarks on a perilous journey to reveal the hidden truths, even if it means risking her own life in the process.

At the heart of the story is seventeen-year-old Cia, the lone survivor of a devastating fire, which was ignited by her own father. The mystery deepens when her best friend, Alice, is believed to have taken her own life while investigating her ex-boyfriend, Noah. However, Cia refuses to accept the tragic fate that has befallen her friend. Instead, she becomes resolute in her quest to uncover the real story behind Alice's actions. In her pursuit of the truth, Cia encounters a town filled with people willing to go to great lengths to safeguard their dark secrets. Yet, she understands that when a person has nothing left to lose, they become fearless, ready to confront the sinister reality lurking beneath the surface.

In conclusion, this debut novel by Rebecca Rogue is an unputdownable and addictive read that caters to the cravings of fans of true crime and psychological thrillers. The author excels in creating well-defined and relatable characters, ensuring that readers become deeply invested in their fates. The pacing of the narrative is nothing short of riveting, maintaining an atmosphere of tension and intrigue that grips readers from the very beginning. As the story unfolds and the revelations start pouring in, readers are left in awe of the unexpected twists and turns. Rebecca Rogue's fresh literary voice shines through in this work, leaving readers eager to explore her future creations.

I extend my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for generously providing me with a digital review copy of this heart-pounding book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

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[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic YA debut thriller that sees a teen girl with a prosthetic leg determined to prove her best friend didn't commit suicide. Full of twists, betrayals and amazing suspense. I loved this and couldn't put it down. Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of Veronica Mars. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait to see what's next in this series.

[Patty (IheartYA311) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover gives off a fantasy vibe but the story is not fantasy. I very much liked the writing style but I found the story and characters to be a bit dull.

[Dogsandbooksanddogsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all the NA fans out there, there is a new author in town. Check this out.

Till Human Voices Wake Us introduces the reader to a kickass (literally) female protagonist in Cia, short for Silencia. Cia has survived a fire that took the lives of her entire family and left her with burn scars and a prosthetic leg. She has since been adopted by the fireman that was there at the time of the fire and his husband. Book One in the Violet Hour Trilogy doesn't shy away from the modern life in which younger people are living.

The town in which Cia lives has a high count of missing youth, written off as suicides, drug overdoses, and victims of random fires. When Cia's best friend, Alice, begins to research into those missing kids and into Cia's own devastating brush with fire, she turns up dead. The authorities write it off as yet another suicide which leads Cia and her friend, Will, to take matters into their own hands.

The is a lot going on in Till Human Voices Wake Us with big Pharma Conspiracy theories, religious extremism (be sure to watch for characters names), teen pregnancy, expendable people, and dysfunctional families to name a few. Ok, so that is real life! But then we get to the kickass part. Who was Alice talking to on the dark web? Who is threatening Cia now. What is happening underground both figuratively and literally? Who can be trusted? I was hooked and wanted to know. As the book nears its conclusion, you know you're going to get a resolution and also feel the set up for the next book in the trilogy. I love that.

This is a great debut into the New Adult genre that leaves the reader wanting more Cia and Will and other things that would just be a spoiler to mention.

Mark this one down as it's coming March 2024.

Thank you to the author for providing an early copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark and twisted thriller, this was a rollercoaster of a read.

Although I figured out the ‘bad guy’ early on, at no point did I know where the story was going to take me and boy did it take me everywhere. Roque chucked everything at this book (maybe too much at times?) but, for the most part, it worked. While this could be read as a standalone (which I kind of wish it had been) the ending leaves the reader with unanswered questions and the set up for an equally jam-packed sequel.

All in all, this was incredibly addictive and action packed read, and definitely one for fans of Truly Devious and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

[Jess Twibey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be on everyone’s tbr list! We follow Cia, as she is thrown into a world her best friend has kept hidden, until it slowly unravels as she turns up dead and no one will believe it was murder. No one but Cia, her friend will and an unlikely ally. From her besties murder to her traumatic past before her adoption that led to the loss of her leg (A+ for disabled rep) to the disappearance of too many young teen for coincidence, nothing is as it seems. YA murder mystery has never been so intriguing and like Alice warns, you can’t trust anyone.

[Merrin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, per se, it was just aggressively not for me. It was a slog to get through, it was pretty predictable, and I yelled at Cia more than once while listening. But it wasn't written for me, it was written for a young adult, so that's probably fine. I don't care about what comes next though, so this was a one and done for me, even though it ends on a cliffhanger.

ALSO it has a way cooler title than it deserves.

[Mallory Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. This book kept me on my toes. While I did end up figuring out pretty early that Remy wasn’t to be trusted, there were definitely other aspects of the story I did not see coming. I wish the other book was out now because I would immediately start to read it. Four stars instead of five because I hate when the dogs get hurt and it reminded me a lot of AGGGTM.

[Karyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary YA murder mystery from Rebecca Roque. I can’t reccomend this highly enough.

Cia a high school senior has more than had her share of tragic and distressing events - a fire caused by her father of which she is the sole survivor, her best friend Alice is found drowned in the quarry - when she decides to investigate the disappearance of so many young people from her town essentially to avenge Alice life gets even more distressing.

A fast paced detective story, which I never wanted to put down.


Thanks to NeGalley and Blackstone publishing for the ARC.

[OllieObsessed · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I NEED BOOK TWO RIGHT MEOW! There’s going to be one right, right?! This was an amazing book and I cannot wait to find out more. Holy cliffhanger.

[Margeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful YA mystery and thriller. Very much looking forward to next installment.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really write reviews, but I knew I had to for this book. The story is gripping and pulls you in right away. Seriously: you only have about 3 chapters to appreciate Roque's captivating and potent writing style before Cia is off on her hero's journey.

But let's pause a minute to appreciate the skill in which Roque builds these amazing tapestries of woven prose that make you stop for a second to reflect and drink in what you just read. There were numerous times I noticed the different ways words were strung together in a unique manner that made me stop, re-read, and take in the artistry behind it. It's like being able to pause and appreciate a sunset in the same sky you're underneath every day. You're looking towards the same constant west, like you might do on any given day. And it's the same sun you've seen for your whole life. But, the timing is right, the atmosphere has just the right amount of dust, and you're looking at just the right angle, and boom: unexpected and soul-striking beauty. You take a moment to appreciate it and then back to your routine. Roque does the same thing by taking words you've seen in all sorts of situations and somehow linking them together in a new, unique way that is beautiful; and then pulls you back into the story.

And what a story. You get just enough to keep you guessing about what's going on, just like Cia The way Roque integrates social media and texting into the story telling is genius too. I pretty much finished this in one go because: A) I had a bunch of free time and, B) the story moves at such a great pace. The characters are built with a great deal of depth and the world she has built is fascinating. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that Roque is an excellent story teller and I can't WAIT for the next book to be released!

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about as complex and intriguing as a first novel could be. Cia’s seventeen and lives with her two dads who adopted her after her father set fire (or did he?) to their home, killing her three sisters and her mother. She barely survived, having sustained severe burns to her extremities. She lost one leg, but has adapted well enough to be a champion runner.
Shortly after an argument with her best friend Alice. Said friend is found floating in a local quarry. The official story is suicide by drowning, but Cia knows Alice would never have killed herself. As she looks more carefully at the situation, she discovers that a scarily high number of other teens disappeared, many later turning up dead with sketchy death certificates. Add in a suspicious clinic, a drug known as bone dust, plus more secrets than you can imagine. I could go on for a long time about how much the author packed into this book. There are people who are seemingly good, but are not, and the reverse is true. If you want a dandy page-turner that will continue in at least one more book, this one is for you.

[Anneliese Grassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sucked me in right from the very beginning. It is young adult, but it is written so well, fluid, and descriptive that it kept me engaged and thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it.

It is about a town where kids are going missing, committing suicide, or turning up dead. It is when a best friend “commits suicide” that Cia steps in to start to put pieces together and get to the bottom of it.

This is where I started to have a problem with it. 1) why is a child investigating something that the cops should be; 2) why are the cops not taking her more seriously; 3) a very weird and unrealistic turn takes place towards the end that made me drop a star and lose interest in the book, which was a huge disappointment. I am going to leave it there because I don’t want to spoil anything and others may not agree with me.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style and storytelling of this book. The subject was intriguing and held my interest. I just wish it would have remained throughout the book.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Rebecca Roque for gifting me this ARC. Till Human Voices Wake Us is a mind-breaking ya murder mystery where we follow seven-teen-year-old Cia. She is the only one in her family who survived a fire in her house created by her controlling cult-ish father. Cia now lives with her fathers and her cute dog in a house, all safe and sound (or so she thinks) Cia and her best friend Alice get into an argument one day about Alice's investigation of her fire that might be linked to other mysterious missing teen cases. Not shortly after, Alice's body is found floating in the quarry. Cia knows something is up and goes to investigate this whole situation. Further and further in the investigation, Cia doesn't know who to trust and discovers more and more secrets about the people she thought they knew best.

If you like murder mysteries, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Black Mirror, mysterious small-town vibes and a secret society, then you should definitely read this book!

[A.J. Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me of why I love YA. Roque does a great job of writing teenagers in a realistic way while still giving them the heroic starring role. I also appreciated how delicately but firmly she moved around the subject of trauma, both physical and mental, and it was very nice to read a book where the main character had a disability.

My only complaint is that I guessed who the villain was within the first 3 chapters - very predictable to my writer mind, but maybe not so to people who aren’t in the writing craft - however, she made up for it with other twists that I definitely did not expect. Altogether, a very good YA thriller!

[Sara]

This was probably the best YA Mystery book I have read since A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER and TRULY DEVIOUS. That should be enough to get you to read it!

TILL HUMAN VOICES WAKE US is twisty, dark, and I pretty much guarantee you will enjoy following Cia along on her quest to find out what happened to her best friend, Alice, and the rest of the teens who have died or disappeared without a trace. I'm so happy this is going to be a trilogy! I can't wait to read the sequel.

READ THIS AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

[Calamity Ayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, but I liked it!
Cia sets out to solve her best friend’s murder, and digs into her own traumatic past. The characters’ personalities were really well developed- the author made you feel like you understood each one. Smart, hard to put down, and a bit nerve wracking- perfect for true crime junkies. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Put on a Face
Drinking Buddy: The Dripping Blood Our Only Drink
MPAA Rating: R (extreme violence, murder, drug use, child abuse, suicide)
Talky Talk: Fear Death by Water
Bonus Factors: Coverup, Disabled Protagonist
Bromance Status: Not With a Bang…

Read the full book report here.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Till Human Voices Wake Us is full of betrayal, suspense, and twists! This is one of those books you get hooked on and unable to turn the pages fast enough! Cia is a fantastic main character! Her bravery and determination are something to admire! The ending brings everything together nicely and sets us up for the next book! Honestly, it's a fantastic story! Thank you, Bibliolifestyle, Rebecca Roque, and Blackstone Publishing, for sharing this fantastic story with me!

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Till Human Voices Wake Us is a prime example of a great idea, but poor execution. This one starts off fast and quick, but as I got further into the plot it kept losing me piece by piece. From secret societies to a conspiracy within the town, it wasn't almost too much thrown in at once on top of the normal teen angst. This is the first book in the trilogy and I'll likely read the next because I do need to know how it finishes.

Thank you to Blackstone for the gifted copy to review.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mildly interesting til she was falling for several helpers/suspects at the same time, the conspiracy suddenly got city- and decade-spanningly broad, and a random new character popped outta nowhere to send a chauffeur to bring her to a secret hidden club where everyone wears VR goggles to hide their identities?? Too muchness.

[Jordan Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a book gets announced at the very beginning as a trilogy…. I know that there will be plot development problems and stagnation. This book presented that for me.

However toward the end it did pick up with a Sci-Fi dystopian twist and an inclusion of augmented reality. This little twist kept it interesting. Hopefully the next books can be quicker paced and fewer internal diatribes.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Well-paced thriller with a compelling MC. The introduction of a secret society of information brokers felt like an unnecessary addition that took away from the main mystery.

[Brittany S.]

DNF quick stop 7/26/24 | I was interested in the mystery but the writing isn’t my style. Very flowery and I just don’t get along with that so I’ll politely pass here and let those who mesh with that style enjoy it!!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intense topic for YA, loved the author's note at the end. TRIGGER WARNING harm against dogs

FMC really had time to make bad choices in reference to love interests. Silencia, first of all very cool name and she has one leg! Basically a bunch of mysterious fires, kids going missing or OD'ing and everything is connected to this healthcare clinic. The way this story went I had zero clue what to expect.

She second guessed her gut a lot which created a fun plot line, but it was also kind of annoying how she always got things a bit wrong. Then again it was her close friends and even family, so then I see why she wouldn't want to think it could be them who murdered her besty.

Omg when Pancakes got hurt, I was ready to throw the book at the wall. I actually cracked up when she got her vengeance for Pancake (i really hope that was the dog's name or else this whole review is meaningless! lol jk but no fr the dog was like keeping me going).

[Senan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was in no way what I thought it was, which can be fine. This one is just to YA for me. Leans, to me, much more preteen. I know some teens are nieve but the MC can't be so smart yet so gullible.

might be a better fit for someone else, just not for me.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pace moves along and I did want to know what was behind everything so I kept turning the page, but some aspects yanked me out of the story, like confusion about who the characters are and their sub-plots, and the stuff with the dog was too much for me. Good premise though.

[Erin Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC from Edelweiss

Wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did! But I really enjoyed it! Will recommend.

[Laura Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut novel this was pretty good. I didn’t expect some of the twists at the end. It’s hard to surprise me but the ending really did.