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When We Were Silent
10 hours, 28 minutes
An outsider threatens to expose the secrets at an elite private school in this suspenseful debut novel for fans of My Dark Vanessa and Dare Me
Louise Manson is the newest student at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. It seems nearly perfect: the high arched window alcoves and tall granite pillars, the overspill of lilac at the front gate and the immaculate playing fields, the giggling students, the dusty, oak-lined library, and the dark, festering secret she has come to expose.
At first, Lou’s working-class status makes her the consummate outsider, though all that changes when she is befriended by the beautiful and wealthy Shauna Power. But Lou finds out that even Shauna is caught up in Highfield’s web, and her time there ends with a lifeless body sprawled at her feet.
Thirty years later, Lou has rebuilt her life after the harrowing events of the so-called “Highfield Affair,” when she gets a shocking phone call. Ronan Power, Shauna’s brother, is a high-profile lawyer bringing a lawsuit against the school. And he needs Lou to testify.
Now with a daughter and career to protect, the last thing Lou wants is for Highfield Manor to be back in her life. But to finally free herself and others, she has to confront her past, go to battle once more, and discover, for once and for all, what really happened at Highfield. Powerful and compelling, When We Were Silent is a binge-worthy, thrilling story of exploitation, privilege, and retribution.
An outsider threatens to expose the secrets at an elite private school in this suspenseful debut novel for fans of My Dark Vanessa and Dare Me
Louise Manson is the newest student at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. It seems nearly perfect: the high arched window alcoves and tall granite pillars, the overspill of lilac at the front gate and the immaculate playing fields, the giggling students, the dusty, oak-lined library, and the dark, festering secret she has come to expose.
At first, Lou’s working-class status makes her the consummate outsider, though all that changes when she is befriended by the beautiful and wealthy Shauna Power. But Lou finds out that even Shauna is caught up in Highfield’s web, and her time there ends with a lifeless body sprawled at her feet.
Thirty years later, Lou has rebuilt her life after the harrowing events of the so-called “Highfield Affair,” when she gets a shocking phone call. Ronan Power, Shauna’s brother, is a high-profile lawyer bringing a lawsuit against the school. And he needs Lou to testify.
Now with a daughter and career to protect, the last thing Lou wants is for Highfield Manor to be back in her life. But to finally free herself and others, she has to confront her past, go to battle once more, and discover, for once and for all, what really happened at Highfield. Powerful and compelling, When We Were Silent is a binge-worthy, thrilling story of exploitation, privilege, and retribution.
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First published May 2, 2024
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About the author
Fiona McPhillips
5 books196 followersFiona McPhillips is an Irish journalist, author and screenwriter, and an editor at The Forge literary magazine. Fiona's debut novel, When We Were Silent, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, runner-up for the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger and named as one of the Irish Times' crime books of the year. The Party in the Woods is her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,023 reviews
October 5, 2025
You know, sometimes when you finish a book, you feel like the earth moves beneath your feet. You keep feeling shaken to your core, your head spinning, and your eyes filled with tears. When you try to put your feelings into words, you find yourself choked up, your voice cracking, unable to express the profound impact the author has had on you. That’s how powerful this author’s work is, and that’s how deeply affected you are by the brilliance of their literature. This book is undoubtedly one of those exceptional reads.
I had read comments about this dark academia novel that would captivate numerous readers, plunging them into a thrilling, earth-shattering, and profoundly thought-provoking story set in Dublin’s most exclusive private school, Highfield Manor. Don’t be deceived by the tall granite pillars, the overflow of lilac at the front gate, the immaculate playing fields, the cheerful students, or the dusty, oak-lined library of the manor. Appearances are always deceiving, and nothing is as it seems. Dark, hidden secrets around the poolside may be exposed, altering the lives of the young female athletes.
Louise Manson is a new scholarship student at the manor, an outsider with a working-class background among privileged and wealthy students who have given her the cold shoulder since her first day at the academy. Unlike Shauna, who can brighten her day with her genuine smile.
Louise harbors a secret agenda related to her best friend, Tina, a highly accomplished swimmer at the academy who took her own life after a troubling incident with a teacher. Louise believes her friend was pregnant before she died and was abused by one of the teachers. She is determined to seek justice for her friend, even if it means putting herself at risk against the most dangerous predator.
The story alternates between Louise’s past at the manor, which culminated in a tragic event that changed her life, and the present, where she is happily married, working as a literature instructor in college, and raising her troubled teenage daughter, who keeps secrets of her own. When Shauna’s brother, Ronan Power, connects her to testify in another abuse case related to the manor, she fears that the past she has hidden may resurface and ruin everything she has worked for. She struggles to connect with Shauna, who holds the key to the truth about the fateful night that haunts Louise’s nightmares.
Will she face the consequences of revealing her past to protect students from another dangerous predator?
This is an intense, thought-provoking, and dark read, addressing feminism, #MeToo empowerment, abuse, mental health, class disparities, and the dangers that lurk in everyday life from a young woman’s perspective. It left me breathless. Some chapters are difficult to digest, but the honest, brutally honest writing, well-developed characters, and intriguing mystery will keep you engaged from start to finish. I wholeheartedly give it five stars and eagerly anticipate future works by this author.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this thrilling read in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I had read comments about this dark academia novel that would captivate numerous readers, plunging them into a thrilling, earth-shattering, and profoundly thought-provoking story set in Dublin’s most exclusive private school, Highfield Manor. Don’t be deceived by the tall granite pillars, the overflow of lilac at the front gate, the immaculate playing fields, the cheerful students, or the dusty, oak-lined library of the manor. Appearances are always deceiving, and nothing is as it seems. Dark, hidden secrets around the poolside may be exposed, altering the lives of the young female athletes.
Louise Manson is a new scholarship student at the manor, an outsider with a working-class background among privileged and wealthy students who have given her the cold shoulder since her first day at the academy. Unlike Shauna, who can brighten her day with her genuine smile.
Louise harbors a secret agenda related to her best friend, Tina, a highly accomplished swimmer at the academy who took her own life after a troubling incident with a teacher. Louise believes her friend was pregnant before she died and was abused by one of the teachers. She is determined to seek justice for her friend, even if it means putting herself at risk against the most dangerous predator.
The story alternates between Louise’s past at the manor, which culminated in a tragic event that changed her life, and the present, where she is happily married, working as a literature instructor in college, and raising her troubled teenage daughter, who keeps secrets of her own. When Shauna’s brother, Ronan Power, connects her to testify in another abuse case related to the manor, she fears that the past she has hidden may resurface and ruin everything she has worked for. She struggles to connect with Shauna, who holds the key to the truth about the fateful night that haunts Louise’s nightmares.
Will she face the consequences of revealing her past to protect students from another dangerous predator?
This is an intense, thought-provoking, and dark read, addressing feminism, #MeToo empowerment, abuse, mental health, class disparities, and the dangers that lurk in everyday life from a young woman’s perspective. It left me breathless. Some chapters are difficult to digest, but the honest, brutally honest writing, well-developed characters, and intriguing mystery will keep you engaged from start to finish. I wholeheartedly give it five stars and eagerly anticipate future works by this author.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this thrilling read in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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July 25, 2024
I think I'm going with 2.75 stars for now.
╰┈➤ 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
In the late 80's our FMC Lou gets a scholarship to attend a very prestigious all girls school in a posh area of Ireland, Highfield Manor.
At first she finds herself having difficulty fitting in but it quickly turns around for her as she befriends the most popular girl in school and in town, Shauna, as she's from one of the most prominent families in the area- as well as the star swimmer in a town where swimming is one of the most prolific sports.
Quickly, Lou starts going to work on trying to find out information on the well known swimming coach at Highfield, who she believes is the reason her best friend committed suicide.
Lou believes her friend was pregnant before she died and was abused by one of the teachers. She is determined to seek justice for her friend, even if it means putting herself at risk against the most dangerous predator.
In the present time, Lou is now married with a young teenage girl who she is struggling to connect with. Shauna's brother contacts her about a case that has found it's way to his desk that is related to another teacher at Highfield and needs her help to provide a statement or worst case, testify.
Lou struggles with how to deal with this - all of the dark secrets long buried in her past coming to light which no one in her present life is privy to. Along with wanting to reconnect with Shauna again to get all of the answers to the night that has been haunting her nightmares for 20 years.
╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
What can I really say? This started so good but at around 50% I kept wanting the timeline to revert back to the past. The present timeline was a slog and I found it boring with just breadcrumbs when it came to details connecting the story. I had to really push myself through those chapters, and the way that the author has written it- the past is a huge chunk of chapters and so is the present. It's not alternating every chapter or every other.
The past part of the story is very atmospheric and haunting. I ate those chapters up. I loved the story coming from a dark academia/mystery/thriller aspect as well as the characters from that timeline. I love a good mysterious story at an all girls prestigious private school.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ Ultimately, I lost interest and had to force myself through about 40% of the book. I also found the ending really underwhelming.
🖤 Many thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Fiona McPhillips for my complementary digital copy in exchange for an honest review. 🖤
╰┈➤ 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
In the late 80's our FMC Lou gets a scholarship to attend a very prestigious all girls school in a posh area of Ireland, Highfield Manor.
At first she finds herself having difficulty fitting in but it quickly turns around for her as she befriends the most popular girl in school and in town, Shauna, as she's from one of the most prominent families in the area- as well as the star swimmer in a town where swimming is one of the most prolific sports.
Quickly, Lou starts going to work on trying to find out information on the well known swimming coach at Highfield, who she believes is the reason her best friend committed suicide.
Lou believes her friend was pregnant before she died and was abused by one of the teachers. She is determined to seek justice for her friend, even if it means putting herself at risk against the most dangerous predator.
In the present time, Lou is now married with a young teenage girl who she is struggling to connect with. Shauna's brother contacts her about a case that has found it's way to his desk that is related to another teacher at Highfield and needs her help to provide a statement or worst case, testify.
Lou struggles with how to deal with this - all of the dark secrets long buried in her past coming to light which no one in her present life is privy to. Along with wanting to reconnect with Shauna again to get all of the answers to the night that has been haunting her nightmares for 20 years.
╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
What can I really say? This started so good but at around 50% I kept wanting the timeline to revert back to the past. The present timeline was a slog and I found it boring with just breadcrumbs when it came to details connecting the story. I had to really push myself through those chapters, and the way that the author has written it- the past is a huge chunk of chapters and so is the present. It's not alternating every chapter or every other.
The past part of the story is very atmospheric and haunting. I ate those chapters up. I loved the story coming from a dark academia/mystery/thriller aspect as well as the characters from that timeline. I love a good mysterious story at an all girls prestigious private school.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ Ultimately, I lost interest and had to force myself through about 40% of the book. I also found the ending really underwhelming.
🖤 Many thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Fiona McPhillips for my complementary digital copy in exchange for an honest review. 🖤
October 31, 2023
The novel starts in the present day with Louise Manson remaining forever haunted by her memories of her time at the exclusive Highfield Manor School in Dublin. She has buried secrets, lived with half-truths, which she has tried so hard to suppress over the years. However, it’s happened again, there’s a lawsuit and a lawyer wants her testimony, a corroboration, focusing on her friendship with Shauna Power in the 1980s. Lou‘s head pounds as her memories take her back to the 6th of December 1986, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The story alternates between her time at Highfield Manor, and in the present day where she’s tried to build a happy life from the ashes of the of the past, Then, in 1986, she is the sixth form scholarship girl, an outsider, an outcast amongst the elite and the entitled. However, Lou has an agenda, and a deep-seated reason to be there……
Oh my word – what a book. It really packs a punch and makes you feel something as it’s so well written and powerful. It’s dark that’s for sure and very intense throughout most of the book as it not only encompasses the trauma and impact of the abuse of #MeToo but it also looks at mental health as well as class divisions. It’s a gripping rollercoaster emotional read with revenge at its core.
The novel unsettles me from the beginning, there are characters, one especially, that gives you the creeps, making your flesh crawl. There’s toxicity in the 1980s in several areas and also in the present day, though that comes principally from social media. Both timelines demonstrate just how hard it is to get justice with the unfairness breaking your heart with the victim blaming, lack of belief or of ranks closing. There are so many lies. It’s almost hard to keep track of them all. However, there are some lovely moments too especially the friendships and the deep love.
In addition, the author really captures the 1980s in a multitude of ways, such as through the music and television, giving excellent context to the storytelling.
The novel builds, situations escalate, it’s totally immersive and a very hard book to set aside as I become desperate to know the outcome and what Lou and the others will do. The twists keep on coming, parts of the ending makes you gasp in shock and the rest makes you sigh in relief.
Overall, what an amazing debut. Fiona McPhillips is clearly very talented as the strength of her prose demonstrates. Despite the fact she’s telling a tough story, she does so very sensitively . This is a terrific book in my opinion.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Oh my word – what a book. It really packs a punch and makes you feel something as it’s so well written and powerful. It’s dark that’s for sure and very intense throughout most of the book as it not only encompasses the trauma and impact of the abuse of #MeToo but it also looks at mental health as well as class divisions. It’s a gripping rollercoaster emotional read with revenge at its core.
The novel unsettles me from the beginning, there are characters, one especially, that gives you the creeps, making your flesh crawl. There’s toxicity in the 1980s in several areas and also in the present day, though that comes principally from social media. Both timelines demonstrate just how hard it is to get justice with the unfairness breaking your heart with the victim blaming, lack of belief or of ranks closing. There are so many lies. It’s almost hard to keep track of them all. However, there are some lovely moments too especially the friendships and the deep love.
In addition, the author really captures the 1980s in a multitude of ways, such as through the music and television, giving excellent context to the storytelling.
The novel builds, situations escalate, it’s totally immersive and a very hard book to set aside as I become desperate to know the outcome and what Lou and the others will do. The twists keep on coming, parts of the ending makes you gasp in shock and the rest makes you sigh in relief.
Overall, what an amazing debut. Fiona McPhillips is clearly very talented as the strength of her prose demonstrates. Despite the fact she’s telling a tough story, she does so very sensitively . This is a terrific book in my opinion.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
May 24, 2024
A thriller told in two timelines, this tale is made better on audio due to the narrator's lilting Irish accent. While thrillers are hit or miss for me, this one leans toward Irish noir and crime procedurals, which I enjoy just a bit more. While I unabashedly love Nordic noir, as someone that grew up in the strict confines of Catholicism, there is something about books set in modern day Ireland that hit different than other Catholic majority countries, e.g. France, Portugal, or even Spain.
In the past, Lou attends Highfield Manor, a very exclusive private school. The swim team, along with the entire school, has many secrets to keep. Keep these secrets in mind. They still play out in the modern day storyline.
Decades later, the crime that occurred at Highfield still has yet to see the light of day. Although accusations were made, and fingers pointed, no one was ever convicted. Lou deigns to change this. As she sifts through her waning memories of that night, she begins to reach out to former classmates and enemies in order to get their testimonies straight.
While I wasn't shocked, and that's fine, as I hate the genre "twists" that occur out of nowhere nowadays, I will say I am pleased with the outcome. Exploitation and privilege occur everywhere, but there is just something more sinister when it deals with underage schoolgirls and the ever looming backdrop of Catholicism.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
In the past, Lou attends Highfield Manor, a very exclusive private school. The swim team, along with the entire school, has many secrets to keep. Keep these secrets in mind. They still play out in the modern day storyline.
Decades later, the crime that occurred at Highfield still has yet to see the light of day. Although accusations were made, and fingers pointed, no one was ever convicted. Lou deigns to change this. As she sifts through her waning memories of that night, she begins to reach out to former classmates and enemies in order to get their testimonies straight.
While I wasn't shocked, and that's fine, as I hate the genre "twists" that occur out of nowhere nowadays, I will say I am pleased with the outcome. Exploitation and privilege occur everywhere, but there is just something more sinister when it deals with underage schoolgirls and the ever looming backdrop of Catholicism.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
April 10, 2025
Not for me too many triggers I don’t care 🤷♀️ for a prestigious private school hold secrets that it doesn’t want revealed this trope has been done ✅ time & time again.
This book has differing reviews but this was not for me.
This book has differing reviews but this was not for me.
March 24, 2024
I do not like referring to other books that are similar or to quote them. For this one I am making an exception as Lolita was referenced several times. This book had similar vibes of grooming and sexual abuse. Not as disturbing but still left me with mixed feelings about it.
The story line was very captivating alternating between Louise's past and present, hinting at a past that could change everything. With a really good run up and intensely structured, I could look past the horrible acts and still feel captivated enough to carry on. We are reminded of how fickle the legal system can be. I think it takes a lot for an author to delve into such hard topics and Fiona really pulled it off. My dark mind enjoyed this story and it will stay on my mind for a couple of days.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this Audiobook.
The story line was very captivating alternating between Louise's past and present, hinting at a past that could change everything. With a really good run up and intensely structured, I could look past the horrible acts and still feel captivated enough to carry on. We are reminded of how fickle the legal system can be. I think it takes a lot for an author to delve into such hard topics and Fiona really pulled it off. My dark mind enjoyed this story and it will stay on my mind for a couple of days.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this Audiobook.
July 14, 2024
4.5 stars, rounded up
When We Were Silent is a dual timeline mystery concerning the sexual abuse of students. It’s an intense plot about how institutions are all too often more interested in their reputations than protecting the at-risk students in their care. In the present day, Louise is a literature instructor at a local college and the mother of a teenage daughter. She has never confided to her daughter about her time in high school, which culminated with someone dead. But now, a lawyer wants to sue the school over a current incident and is asking for Louise to provide testimony about her time there to provide evidence of a pattern of coverups. The premise kept taking me back to the Penn State Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Louise came to the exclusive Highfield Manor as a scholarship student. She struggled to fit in with the rich girls. A friend of hers who previously attended the school and was a star swimmer has committed suicide. Louise desperately wanted answers about why and is willing to put herself at risk to do so.
It was heartbreaking to watch teenage Louise get in so far over her head and how not a single adult chose to believe her. The fear factor was so real, so palpable. In the present timeline, the reader sees how her past continues to haunt not just her, but her wife and daughter. Various institutions punish them even though she was the victim.
All the characters were nuanced and realistic. Barton does an excellent job of showing the pressure on the girls, especially Shauna.
The story gets off to a slow start, but stick with it. It quickly grabbed me and I kept finding reasons to listen to “just one more chapter”.
I listened to this and India Mullins did a good job as the narrator, but I will admit to sometimes struggling to understand a word or two.
When We Were Silent is a dual timeline mystery concerning the sexual abuse of students. It’s an intense plot about how institutions are all too often more interested in their reputations than protecting the at-risk students in their care. In the present day, Louise is a literature instructor at a local college and the mother of a teenage daughter. She has never confided to her daughter about her time in high school, which culminated with someone dead. But now, a lawyer wants to sue the school over a current incident and is asking for Louise to provide testimony about her time there to provide evidence of a pattern of coverups. The premise kept taking me back to the Penn State Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Louise came to the exclusive Highfield Manor as a scholarship student. She struggled to fit in with the rich girls. A friend of hers who previously attended the school and was a star swimmer has committed suicide. Louise desperately wanted answers about why and is willing to put herself at risk to do so.
It was heartbreaking to watch teenage Louise get in so far over her head and how not a single adult chose to believe her. The fear factor was so real, so palpable. In the present timeline, the reader sees how her past continues to haunt not just her, but her wife and daughter. Various institutions punish them even though she was the victim.
All the characters were nuanced and realistic. Barton does an excellent job of showing the pressure on the girls, especially Shauna.
The story gets off to a slow start, but stick with it. It quickly grabbed me and I kept finding reasons to listen to “just one more chapter”.
I listened to this and India Mullins did a good job as the narrator, but I will admit to sometimes struggling to understand a word or two.
April 2, 2024
Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc. All thoughts are my own.
Lou has rebuilt her life after the events that occurred in high school nearly ruined her. So when she gets a phone call from her old best friends lawyer to testify, she is worried.
When she was in high school, she thought the dead body would end her. But now she has a daughter to protect, and she has to move past what happened.
This is a hard book to review, because it deals with very important and tough topics, but it was a hard book for me to read, and not because of the topic. I found the writing hard for me to get into and horribly slow. I found my mind drifting, and I had trouble focusing on the story. When the story was focused on the present, I found myself getting frustrated because it didn’t have a clear point. I also found the twists to be lacking and fairly predictable. I think that had the pacing been faster I would have been able to get into the story more, and enjoyed it. I do think that this book has an important message, and it one that needs to be told, I just struggled.
Lou has rebuilt her life after the events that occurred in high school nearly ruined her. So when she gets a phone call from her old best friends lawyer to testify, she is worried.
When she was in high school, she thought the dead body would end her. But now she has a daughter to protect, and she has to move past what happened.
This is a hard book to review, because it deals with very important and tough topics, but it was a hard book for me to read, and not because of the topic. I found the writing hard for me to get into and horribly slow. I found my mind drifting, and I had trouble focusing on the story. When the story was focused on the present, I found myself getting frustrated because it didn’t have a clear point. I also found the twists to be lacking and fairly predictable. I think that had the pacing been faster I would have been able to get into the story more, and enjoyed it. I do think that this book has an important message, and it one that needs to be told, I just struggled.
March 23, 2024
WHAT A BOOK! Be forewarned, this book covers some very heavy topics. However, I think it is so important that these things are discussed. I was so impressed with how this was written. It didn't have the perfect cookie-cutter ending I was secretly hoping for, but that just made it all the more realistic.
The emotions, the courage, the fight for justice...I was so moved by all of it. I will recommend this book to absolutely everyone.
The emotions, the courage, the fight for justice...I was so moved by all of it. I will recommend this book to absolutely everyone.
May 12, 2024
I listened to the audiobook for this one and the narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I liked this book a lot, but I didn’t find it to be much of a mystery or thriller, I found it to be an emotional train wreck with some coming of age and a whole lot of trauma. I came close to or shed tears multiple times and I have to say it was hard to listen to at times because the realistic way it was told was so easy to believe and it was infuriating the systemic abuse. There should be huge trigger warnings for this one for sexual abuse (of minors by adults), alcoholism, and suicide. Lou lives on the wrong side of town, but after her best friend commits suicide she decides to go to the prep school her friend had attended. Some of the girls befriend her but when she tries to bring some of the dark secrets of the school to light they all turn on her. This book is told in two timelines which goes to show that the trauma you survive never totally leaves you as it’s still haunting Lou more than two decades later. This was a powerful book, a wonderful book, but go into expecting a punch to the emotions more than a thriller.
May 15, 2024
When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips is a thriller novel that deals with a tough topic that may be a trigger to some. The story in When We Were Silent is one that is told in a dual timeline fashion with the present and from thirty years before.
Louise Manson is happily married, works at a college and is raising a teenage daughter. When Louise is contacted by a lawyer asking her to testify in another case of abuse she is thrown back in the past to remembering the trauma that she went through thirty years ago and is worried those past secrets will come surfacing into her present.
Thirty years ago Louise became the new girl at Highfield Manor, an elite private school in Dublin. Louise had gotten a scholarship but had an agenda in attending the institute and that was to defend her friend’s memory and bring a shocking secret at the school to light putting herself at risk of being the next victim.
Looking around at other’s thoughts when finishing When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips I see that this one falls into the case of being an outlier in my feelings for this one. Most folks seemed to have loved When We Were Silent but for me I just felt this one didn’t draw me in at all and with the tough topics I found myself rolling my eyes a few times as it seemed for lack of a better way of describing it a bit over the top to me and for the most part a lot of the book just seemed to be dragging on to me. At the end I just thought this was underwhelming to me overall and rated it at two and a half stars but while it wasn’t my cup of tea others do seem to be enjoying it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Louise Manson is happily married, works at a college and is raising a teenage daughter. When Louise is contacted by a lawyer asking her to testify in another case of abuse she is thrown back in the past to remembering the trauma that she went through thirty years ago and is worried those past secrets will come surfacing into her present.
Thirty years ago Louise became the new girl at Highfield Manor, an elite private school in Dublin. Louise had gotten a scholarship but had an agenda in attending the institute and that was to defend her friend’s memory and bring a shocking secret at the school to light putting herself at risk of being the next victim.
Looking around at other’s thoughts when finishing When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips I see that this one falls into the case of being an outlier in my feelings for this one. Most folks seemed to have loved When We Were Silent but for me I just felt this one didn’t draw me in at all and with the tough topics I found myself rolling my eyes a few times as it seemed for lack of a better way of describing it a bit over the top to me and for the most part a lot of the book just seemed to be dragging on to me. At the end I just thought this was underwhelming to me overall and rated it at two and a half stars but while it wasn’t my cup of tea others do seem to be enjoying it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 10, 2024
This book has good intentions in its scathing indictment of the systems that enable sexual abuse, but the execution is muddled. Character motivations are unclear, pacing is uneven, details are withheld for shock value that are easily discernible, and certain plot points stretch credulity. Ultimately this just has a lot of common pitfalls of a debut novel, so I can’t fault it too harshly, but my petty annoyances kept adding up to the point where they were clouding the reading experience.
July 8, 2024
I wrestled with my rating of this book and feel that it deserves an explanation.
The author did a fine job of covering a very important and difficult topic. The narrative flowed smoothly, and the characters were well thought out and evoked feelings of sympathy or disgust.
However, I blame myself for going into this novel blind. I should have spent some time reading more ratings and reviews before I read it. I simply find it hard to stomach a story about sexual predators and the grooming of young naive women that set them up for sexual assault.
If you like a dark suspenseful book set in academia, then I would definitely encourage you to check out other reviews that may see this story differently. It may work better for you.
The author did a fine job of covering a very important and difficult topic. The narrative flowed smoothly, and the characters were well thought out and evoked feelings of sympathy or disgust.
However, I blame myself for going into this novel blind. I should have spent some time reading more ratings and reviews before I read it. I simply find it hard to stomach a story about sexual predators and the grooming of young naive women that set them up for sexual assault.
If you like a dark suspenseful book set in academia, then I would definitely encourage you to check out other reviews that may see this story differently. It may work better for you.
Read
April 30, 2024Wow!! Review to come
August 18, 2024
I started this book, read about halfway through and set it back down several months ago. I was not wanting anything this dark for summer reading. Now that we’re headed into fall I am so glad I picked it back up. This was just WOW. What an intense book. It packed quite a powerful punch but I want to give everyone a heads up that there are ⚠️triggers of trauma and abuse that were difficult to read about. This is dark and does go there.
Fiona McPhillips is masterful at foolery as appearances are very deceiving in this. With insights into predatory behavior, morales, mental health.. secret agenda’s and revenge.. you think it’s all cut and dry, that you have it all figured out.. but nothing is as it seems here, and IS NOT your typical academic mystery-thriller. That’s one of the things I liked most about this book, it kept me on my toes and chomping at the bit to find out how it would end. I still can’t believe this is a debut. If you have a sweet spot for dark academia (again, this does have trigger warnings) pick this up to satisfy that craving. 4.5 stars — Pub. 5/21/24
Fiona McPhillips is masterful at foolery as appearances are very deceiving in this. With insights into predatory behavior, morales, mental health.. secret agenda’s and revenge.. you think it’s all cut and dry, that you have it all figured out.. but nothing is as it seems here, and IS NOT your typical academic mystery-thriller. That’s one of the things I liked most about this book, it kept me on my toes and chomping at the bit to find out how it would end. I still can’t believe this is a debut. If you have a sweet spot for dark academia (again, this does have trigger warnings) pick this up to satisfy that craving. 4.5 stars — Pub. 5/21/24
March 22, 2024
Dark academia is so hit or miss with me, but I was really excited to read Fiona McPhillips' upcoming release, WHEN WE WERE SILENT. I mean, look at this cover alone!! The story focuses on Louise (Lou) Manson at her new school, Highfield Manor. Lou comes from a working-class background, which makes her feeling distant from her other, upper class peers. However, (without going into details) Lou has secrets of her own that could affect the prestige of Highfield Manor, specifically secrets that could bring everything crashing down.
This is a mini review, but I had fun with this book, even though it wasn't very unique for a book in the #MeToo era. It's a bit slow and took awhile for me to really get invested. I listened to the audio and the narrator was hauntingly telling the story, so I think that helped me going. If you liked My Dark Vanessa and enjoy Irish mysteries, WHEN WE WERE SILENT will be a winner for you!
This is a mini review, but I had fun with this book, even though it wasn't very unique for a book in the #MeToo era. It's a bit slow and took awhile for me to really get invested. I listened to the audio and the narrator was hauntingly telling the story, so I think that helped me going. If you liked My Dark Vanessa and enjoy Irish mysteries, WHEN WE WERE SILENT will be a winner for you!
April 22, 2024
This book was HEAVY. But, such a fantastic read. Dark academia is honestly my favorite lately - and boy. This was dark. It was so frustrating reading about what was happening and no one of authority would listen. It was really eye opening. This was so well written, the short chapters and the past and present timelines had me completely hooked. Add this to your tbr! TW: assault, r@pe
June 1, 2024
امسال تا اینجا، سال ناامیدی از کتابا بوده.
من انتظار خیلی بالایی از این کتاب داشتم و فکر میکردم به خاطر موضوع مهمش و لوکیشنش که معمولا کتابای خیلی جالبی توش نوشته میشه قراره خیلی خوب باشه.
نمیگم بد بود چون اصلا بد نبود. هنوزم میتونم بگم موضوعی که تمرکز روش بود موضوع مهمی بود و خوب هم بهش پرداخته شده بود.
شخصیت اصلی، شخصیت دوست داشتنیای بود و به یه سری مشکلات مهم پرداخته شده بود ولی پلات اصلی به جالبیای که باید نبود.
خیلی جاها حوصلم سر رفت و فقط میخوندمش که بتونم برسم به تهش و تیک بزنم و بگم خب این کتابو خوندم.
و واسه این ژانر...همین به نظرم کافیه برای اینکه کتاب خوب نباشه.
واقعا دلم برای خوندن تریلرهای خوب تنگ شده و امیدوار بودم این کتاب اون حس جذاب تریلر توی مدرسه رو بده ولی ناامیدم کرد:)
من انتظار خیلی بالایی از این کتاب داشتم و فکر میکردم به خاطر موضوع مهمش و لوکیشنش که معمولا کتابای خیلی جالبی توش نوشته میشه قراره خیلی خوب باشه.
نمیگم بد بود چون اصلا بد نبود. هنوزم میتونم بگم موضوعی که تمرکز روش بود موضوع مهمی بود و خوب هم بهش پرداخته شده بود.
شخصیت اصلی، شخصیت دوست داشتنیای بود و به یه سری مشکلات مهم پرداخته شده بود ولی پلات اصلی به جالبیای که باید نبود.
خیلی جاها حوصلم سر رفت و فقط میخوندمش که بتونم برسم به تهش و تیک بزنم و بگم خب این کتابو خوندم.
و واسه این ژانر...همین به نظرم کافیه برای اینکه کتاب خوب نباشه.
واقعا دلم برای خوندن تریلرهای خوب تنگ شده و امیدوار بودم این کتاب اون حس جذاب تریلر توی مدرسه رو بده ولی ناامیدم کرد:)
May 9, 2024
This is a debut dark academia thriller and it is definitely DARK. Lots of triggers in this one. This one grabbed me from the start. It was suspenseful, gripping and mysterious. Louise, who is from a blue collar family, and is enrolled at an elite High School in Ireland, Highfield Manor. Louise has secrets of things that went on at this school. Then her friend Tina commits suicide after an incident with a teacher. Loose is ready and willing to expose what went down. The story alternates from the past, at the school , to present, where Louise is married and dealing with her troubled teenage daughter. She is contacted by an attorney who wants her to help him and tell her story. But can she rehash the past to help future students?!
This book was haunting and important. Dealing with the #MeToo movement, it's emotional, heartbreaking and well developed. A really great debut novel that I'd definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book was haunting and important. Dealing with the #MeToo movement, it's emotional, heartbreaking and well developed. A really great debut novel that I'd definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 22, 2024
This book deals with very important, yet difficult, topics and subjects, and I recommend every read or listen to this one. It's a story that needs to be told.
With that being said, it is difficult to review this one, not because of the subject matter. It was difficult to relate to the writing. This book was very slow to me. I wish the pacing would've been faster, which may have been accomplished by leaving out parts of the present story. I predicted most of the twists, and found my mind drifting while listening, which never happens for me. I did have to rewind multiple times to catch what I missed while my mind was drifting. The narrator did a great job bringing the emotions to life and differentiating between characters with different voices. This is such an important story, but sadly, this wasn't the book for me.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
With that being said, it is difficult to review this one, not because of the subject matter. It was difficult to relate to the writing. This book was very slow to me. I wish the pacing would've been faster, which may have been accomplished by leaving out parts of the present story. I predicted most of the twists, and found my mind drifting while listening, which never happens for me. I did have to rewind multiple times to catch what I missed while my mind was drifting. The narrator did a great job bringing the emotions to life and differentiating between characters with different voices. This is such an important story, but sadly, this wasn't the book for me.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
October 24, 2023
Whilst in parts this book was a hard read due to the sensitivity of the story, it was truly gripping and I couldn’t put it down. Lou starts her final year at Highfield Manor, where she has gone to get revenge to expose a deep secret. I’d highly recommend this book, it’s honestly an amazing read
May 29, 2024
TW/CW: Language, drinking, smoking, cutting, teenage pregnancy, abortion (mention), sexual assault, cheating, loss of sibling, bullying, family drama, toxic family relationships, alcoholism, poverty, classism, eating disorder
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Louise Manson is the newest student at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. Behind its granite walls are high-arched alcoves, an oak-lined library...and the dark secret Lou has come to expose.
Lou’s working-class status makes her the consummate outsider, until she is befriended by some of her beautiful and wealthy classmates. But after Lou attempts to bring the school’s secret to light, her time at Highfield ends with a lifeless body sprawled at her feet.
Thirty years later, Lou gets a shocking phone call. A high-profile lawyer is bringing a lawsuit against the school—and he needs Lou to testify.
Release Date: May 2nd, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style
2. Healthy queer relationship
3. The actions of the school are believable
4. The characters
5. 80s setting
What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts dragged on
2. Story lost its motivation in the middle of the book
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
I just finished Being Lolita with mentions Lolita so many times and then this book mentions it.
I just didn't understand all she would go to the headmistress and tell her what happened with the teacher but she never mentioned it to her own mother? I just found that really weird. Just because you would have to be super Brave to approach the headmistress by yourself so wouldn't it be easier to already talk to your mother? And I would have told my mother at that point when she was going on a date with him. I do know it's super hard to tell someone you love that you're being abused but like I said she already went to the Head Mistress of
Okay so she finally decides to tell her mother that he was raping women, but then her mother ends up siding with him because her daughter just doesn't want her to be happy. Seriously her mother is garbage.
There are some heavy stuff happening. Not only is Sasha being sexually abused but she is also dealing with an eating disorder. It makes sense because it's the only thing she feels she has control of in her life.
Lou is a better person than me to forgive Melissa. Melissa is the one that really set in motion all this crossed lines stuff. I kept thinking she must be in love with Sasha do bé this jealous of Lou.
When Lou finally has the change to meet up with Sasha she is dying from long term effects of her eating disorder. It's kind of this sad moment but gives Lou the closure she needs.
Omg and then we find out that Lou wasn't the one that actually killed him it was really Sasha who did that. This whole time I 100% believed Lou did kill him. Imagine carrying that secret for 30 years.
Final Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I feel like it was a great story that described perfectly how a school would deal with this subject matter. The fact that the whole school pretty much turned a blind eye to the teachers behavior all while telling the students that they where wrong is so believable. It happens every day.
I did find my attention kind of dropping off as we were in the middle of the book. There's a lot of repetitive things that happen that drew my attention away. It did make up for it at the ending.
Instagram |Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this advanced ebook. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Louise Manson is the newest student at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. Behind its granite walls are high-arched alcoves, an oak-lined library...and the dark secret Lou has come to expose.
Lou’s working-class status makes her the consummate outsider, until she is befriended by some of her beautiful and wealthy classmates. But after Lou attempts to bring the school’s secret to light, her time at Highfield ends with a lifeless body sprawled at her feet.
Thirty years later, Lou gets a shocking phone call. A high-profile lawyer is bringing a lawsuit against the school—and he needs Lou to testify.
Release Date: May 2nd, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style
2. Healthy queer relationship
3. The actions of the school are believable
4. The characters
5. 80s setting
What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts dragged on
2. Story lost its motivation in the middle of the book
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
I just finished Being Lolita with mentions Lolita so many times and then this book mentions it.
I just didn't understand all she would go to the headmistress and tell her what happened with the teacher but she never mentioned it to her own mother? I just found that really weird. Just because you would have to be super Brave to approach the headmistress by yourself so wouldn't it be easier to already talk to your mother? And I would have told my mother at that point when she was going on a date with him. I do know it's super hard to tell someone you love that you're being abused but like I said she already went to the Head Mistress of
Okay so she finally decides to tell her mother that he was raping women, but then her mother ends up siding with him because her daughter just doesn't want her to be happy. Seriously her mother is garbage.
There are some heavy stuff happening. Not only is Sasha being sexually abused but she is also dealing with an eating disorder. It makes sense because it's the only thing she feels she has control of in her life.
Lou is a better person than me to forgive Melissa. Melissa is the one that really set in motion all this crossed lines stuff. I kept thinking she must be in love with Sasha do bé this jealous of Lou.
When Lou finally has the change to meet up with Sasha she is dying from long term effects of her eating disorder. It's kind of this sad moment but gives Lou the closure she needs.
Omg and then we find out that Lou wasn't the one that actually killed him it was really Sasha who did that. This whole time I 100% believed Lou did kill him. Imagine carrying that secret for 30 years.
Final Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I feel like it was a great story that described perfectly how a school would deal with this subject matter. The fact that the whole school pretty much turned a blind eye to the teachers behavior all while telling the students that they where wrong is so believable. It happens every day.
I did find my attention kind of dropping off as we were in the middle of the book. There's a lot of repetitive things that happen that drew my attention away. It did make up for it at the ending.
Instagram |Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this advanced ebook. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 24, 2024
Man was this was a heavy one. When We Were Silent is a dark story that had me holding my breath a lot of the time.
As a whole, it’s an emotional coming-of-age story that was a traumatic train wreck for the characters. Told in dual timelines, as I read, I found myself not only experiencing the trauma as it happens, but also the effects 30 years later. Those future effects were huge, and I appreciated how the author brought the reality of being a survivor and still dealing with past traumas to life.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Dark Academia
Dual Timelines
Hidden Past
Mental Health
Abuse
Feminism
MeToo
Not so much a thriller as noir
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I really enjoyed how India Mullen brought this dark and atmospheric story to life. She really amplified the tension and kept it going till the end.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Very slow burn, and this caused me to really not enjoy or be able to get into the story.
You will also want to check the trigger warnings for this book.
Thank you, Flat Iron for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
As a whole, it’s an emotional coming-of-age story that was a traumatic train wreck for the characters. Told in dual timelines, as I read, I found myself not only experiencing the trauma as it happens, but also the effects 30 years later. Those future effects were huge, and I appreciated how the author brought the reality of being a survivor and still dealing with past traumas to life.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Dark Academia
Dual Timelines
Hidden Past
Mental Health
Abuse
Feminism
MeToo
Not so much a thriller as noir
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I really enjoyed how India Mullen brought this dark and atmospheric story to life. She really amplified the tension and kept it going till the end.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Very slow burn, and this caused me to really not enjoy or be able to get into the story.
You will also want to check the trigger warnings for this book.
Thank you, Flat Iron for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
June 8, 2024
Not anything specifically terrible about it, but I feel like we’ve read versions of this so many times before, and there’s not enough outstanding writing or characters to differentiate it from other books.
Also very much not a thriller (mostly drama and a lot more court case than expected), if you thought so as I did, but nevertheless, still predictable and lacking in tension. And since it’s not a thriller, I think this is even less satisfying in what it sets out to achieve.
It takes awhile for the MC to catch on to a number of things that seem a bit obvious, too. Meh. Considering the subject of the central issue, I should have felt a lot more than I did.
2.5 stars
Audio Notes: I liked the narrator’s Irish accents and her delivery, though. I nearly DNFd multiple times and it’s thanks to her that I kept going.
Also very much not a thriller (mostly drama and a lot more court case than expected), if you thought so as I did, but nevertheless, still predictable and lacking in tension. And since it’s not a thriller, I think this is even less satisfying in what it sets out to achieve.
It takes awhile for the MC to catch on to a number of things that seem a bit obvious, too. Meh. Considering the subject of the central issue, I should have felt a lot more than I did.
2.5 stars
Audio Notes: I liked the narrator’s Irish accents and her delivery, though. I nearly DNFd multiple times and it’s thanks to her that I kept going.
May 1, 2024
This started as an academic mystery full of suspense and dual timelines. The more information that was given, the bigger the plot became.
Sadly I had to DNF at chapter 20. The details of intense actions were far too much for me. It’s a large trigger for a lot of people but it doesn’t even hint to it in the synopsis. If I had known, I would not have grabbed this one. It really will grab those that love a deep-rooted mystery with the hunt for resolution in a private school setting. Message me for more details if you’re curious!
Thank you to @Macmillan for the copy!
Sadly I had to DNF at chapter 20. The details of intense actions were far too much for me. It’s a large trigger for a lot of people but it doesn’t even hint to it in the synopsis. If I had known, I would not have grabbed this one. It really will grab those that love a deep-rooted mystery with the hunt for resolution in a private school setting. Message me for more details if you’re curious!
Thank you to @Macmillan for the copy!
July 15, 2024
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.
I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with this one, and overall I liked it. It started off strong but went a little long for me and the dual timelines were a bit hard to follow solely via audio, so I do recommend having a physical copy when reading this one. I thought the tough subjects in here were covered well, and for that alone it is worth the read, I just think this gets lost a bit in trying to wrap it all up and could have been a bit more crisp. It is a debut novel and I'm looking forward to seeing what McPhillips writes next.
I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with this one, and overall I liked it. It started off strong but went a little long for me and the dual timelines were a bit hard to follow solely via audio, so I do recommend having a physical copy when reading this one. I thought the tough subjects in here were covered well, and for that alone it is worth the read, I just think this gets lost a bit in trying to wrap it all up and could have been a bit more crisp. It is a debut novel and I'm looking forward to seeing what McPhillips writes next.
June 15, 2024
I finished this a few days ago but wanted to mull it over for a while. The characters keep coming back to haunt my thoughts, which is a good thing; this is a thoughtful read despite the difficult subject matter. I liked the protagonist, Lou Mason, who comes of age in Dublin at about the same time that I was a teenager in the United States. We listened to the same bands and liked the same styles, which makes the book a nostalgic exercise for me in the flashback portions; the author did a fantastic job with these details that beautifully set the time and place.
McPhillips also gives us a thorough understanding of the repression that went on back then in terms of sweeping sexual abuse under the carpet and protecting abusers rather than victims, in the name of protecting and preserving traditional institutions (in this case, an exclusive girls' private school in Dublin, which Lou attends as a working-class outsider - in the view of the rich and powerful, her class is another strike against her). When a lawyer brings a lawsuit against the school thirty years on and needs her to testify about the perpetrators and patterns of abuse that occurred, everything that transpired with Lou and her friends is gradually revealed, and the reader feels some sense of justice although maybe not complete closure. After all, can we ever completely be free from the past, particularly when dark and disturbing things lurk there?
I will give a trigger warning for sexual abuse here; although this is not as graphic as other novels that I've read, I'm certain that it's not for everyone. The book was nominated for the CWA's Debut Dagger award, and it deserves the accolade for a compelling story, believable characters that you feel for, and the thought-provoking subject matter.
McPhillips also gives us a thorough understanding of the repression that went on back then in terms of sweeping sexual abuse under the carpet and protecting abusers rather than victims, in the name of protecting and preserving traditional institutions (in this case, an exclusive girls' private school in Dublin, which Lou attends as a working-class outsider - in the view of the rich and powerful, her class is another strike against her). When a lawyer brings a lawsuit against the school thirty years on and needs her to testify about the perpetrators and patterns of abuse that occurred, everything that transpired with Lou and her friends is gradually revealed, and the reader feels some sense of justice although maybe not complete closure. After all, can we ever completely be free from the past, particularly when dark and disturbing things lurk there?
I will give a trigger warning for sexual abuse here; although this is not as graphic as other novels that I've read, I'm certain that it's not for everyone. The book was nominated for the CWA's Debut Dagger award, and it deserves the accolade for a compelling story, believable characters that you feel for, and the thought-provoking subject matter.
May 6, 2024
High school student Louise infiltrates an elite private school in order to expose the terrible secrets their hiding. Alternating time periods reveal both Louise’s past and present situations and what she is doing to seek justice. The characters are strong and the writing is good.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Flatiron Books and Fiona McPhillips for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Flatiron Books and Fiona McPhillips for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 20, 2024
In the 1980s, Lou Manson is a new student at the prestigious Highfield Manor. She actively pursues admission to this school even though her upbringing and family social status is not well aligned with the other students there. She has her reasons for wanting to attend. During Lou’s time at Highfield Manor she is the victim of SA at the hands of a school coach. What happens to her during this time affects the trajectory of her life.
Thirty years later, Lou is brought back into the world of Highfield Manor after new allegations surrounding the school surface.
This book deals with extremely heavy topics, including, but not limited to, #MeToo. It is well written, but readers should know that the nature of the subject can make some parts difficult to read. The alternating timelines helped pull me in and I wanted to find out what happened all those years ago.
Thank you Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Publishing May 21, 2024
Thirty years later, Lou is brought back into the world of Highfield Manor after new allegations surrounding the school surface.
This book deals with extremely heavy topics, including, but not limited to, #MeToo. It is well written, but readers should know that the nature of the subject can make some parts difficult to read. The alternating timelines helped pull me in and I wanted to find out what happened all those years ago.
Thank you Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Publishing May 21, 2024
May 3, 2024
In When We Were Silent (published yesterday), Fiona McPhillips has written a barnstorming novel about secrets, lies, privilege and the vile abuse of power by a swimming coach at a private Catholic school in Dublin.
What makes the book so compelling and interesting isn't just the excellent writing and gripping plot, but the fact that so much of what McPhillips writes about is mirrored in Irish society.
Many of you will be familiar with Derry O'Rourke, George Gibney and Frank McCann, Irish swimming coaches who groomed and abused teenage girls in the 1980s, the latter conceiving a child with one of them and hiding it from his wife and daughter by murdering them in their own home. O'Rourke served time for his crimes. George Gibney was indicted on 27 counts of abuse but charges were dropped following a controversial ruling by the Supreme Court and he left for the US where he continues to be protected by the Catholic Church.
Combine the rampant sexual abuse in Irish swimming with the prolific sexual abuse by members of the clergy of the Catholic Church in Irish private day and boarding schools (Blackrock College, Belvedere College, Castleknock College to name but a few) and the State inquiry into that abuse, and you have all the ingredients of an explosive story which McPhillips has fictionalised.
It's Dublin in the 1980s and Lou Manson is a working-class girl on a scholarship to Highfield Manor, a posh, Catholic all-girls boarding school in South Dublin. Her best friend Tina recently took her own life following a confession to Lou that Tina had been sexually abused by the swimming coach McQueen at Highfield. Determined to get to the truth of what happened to Tina, Lou sets out to entrap McQueen but faces more than she bargained for. Fast forward to the present, when a new scandal concerning Highfield is about to emerge and Lou feels justice was never served. Can she bring about the truth this time?
I was completely absorbed in this book from the beginning. McPhillips captures the zeitgeist of the 1980s very well, with music and cultural references from the time. The picture she paints of privilege and the discomfort that abuse causes in those who revere the schools they were educated in is noteworthy - it's as though the legacy of the school is more important than exposing the crimes that destroyed so many of those who passed through it. I think that's a notion that persists to this day in how we as a society have failed to confront some of these truths head-on.
Only one small issue with the plot for me - McQueen was so slippery that I felt he probably would have been at Tina's funeral and would have heard Lou mouthing off as we are told she did, and so would have been more cautious about targeting her I think, although having said that perhaps the arrogance and narcissism of the man meant he knew he was invincible.
Excellent thriller that I would highly recommend. Irish book clubs will love this one. 4/5 ⭐️
*Thanks to @penguinrandomhouse Transworld Publishers for the arc via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What makes the book so compelling and interesting isn't just the excellent writing and gripping plot, but the fact that so much of what McPhillips writes about is mirrored in Irish society.
Many of you will be familiar with Derry O'Rourke, George Gibney and Frank McCann, Irish swimming coaches who groomed and abused teenage girls in the 1980s, the latter conceiving a child with one of them and hiding it from his wife and daughter by murdering them in their own home. O'Rourke served time for his crimes. George Gibney was indicted on 27 counts of abuse but charges were dropped following a controversial ruling by the Supreme Court and he left for the US where he continues to be protected by the Catholic Church.
Combine the rampant sexual abuse in Irish swimming with the prolific sexual abuse by members of the clergy of the Catholic Church in Irish private day and boarding schools (Blackrock College, Belvedere College, Castleknock College to name but a few) and the State inquiry into that abuse, and you have all the ingredients of an explosive story which McPhillips has fictionalised.
It's Dublin in the 1980s and Lou Manson is a working-class girl on a scholarship to Highfield Manor, a posh, Catholic all-girls boarding school in South Dublin. Her best friend Tina recently took her own life following a confession to Lou that Tina had been sexually abused by the swimming coach McQueen at Highfield. Determined to get to the truth of what happened to Tina, Lou sets out to entrap McQueen but faces more than she bargained for. Fast forward to the present, when a new scandal concerning Highfield is about to emerge and Lou feels justice was never served. Can she bring about the truth this time?
I was completely absorbed in this book from the beginning. McPhillips captures the zeitgeist of the 1980s very well, with music and cultural references from the time. The picture she paints of privilege and the discomfort that abuse causes in those who revere the schools they were educated in is noteworthy - it's as though the legacy of the school is more important than exposing the crimes that destroyed so many of those who passed through it. I think that's a notion that persists to this day in how we as a society have failed to confront some of these truths head-on.
Only one small issue with the plot for me - McQueen was so slippery that I felt he probably would have been at Tina's funeral and would have heard Lou mouthing off as we are told she did, and so would have been more cautious about targeting her I think, although having said that perhaps the arrogance and narcissism of the man meant he knew he was invincible.
Excellent thriller that I would highly recommend. Irish book clubs will love this one. 4/5 ⭐️
*Thanks to @penguinrandomhouse Transworld Publishers for the arc via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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