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The Loudness
"The Loudness is perfect for Hunger Games and Divergent fans." - VOYA
"I absolutely loved this book!” - Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals
Henry Long doesn’t have a heart. He doesn’t go to school. He doesn’t have a girlfriend. He doesn’t have a clue. Two of those things are about to change.
Since the Tragedies, Henry Long doesn't have much: just an annoying low-watt buzz from his makeshift heart transplant, skinny arms, and a dusty library attic from which he charts the reconstruction of the Green Zone, the last habitable neighborhood of his ruined coastal city. While his parents work on making the Green Zone independent from a federal government that appears to have abandoned them, Henry's feels similarly abandoned—that is, until he discovers a refugee artists' colony called the Other Side. When the federales don't take kindly to the Green Zone's attempts at secession and kidnap Henry's parents, Henry and his new renegade friends—including one very courageous girl with whom he’s shared one truly shocking kiss—are forced from the colorful streets and underground rock clubs of the Other Side to an overcrowded capital city on the verge of collapse.
As Henry uncovers more about the conflicting forces that run his world, he realizes that not everyone is who they seem to be—including himself. In The Loudness readers will be propelled into an electrifying world where superheroes emerge from the unlikeliest people.
“The Loudness has all the necessary ingredients for a great read—fast pace, compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message that you don’t need super powers to be a super hero. I absolutely loved this book!”
- Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals
"I was recently persuaded by one who knows, that blurbs or cover quotes do no good, and I should not write them. So I will not be saying that The Loudness is a meticulously crafted and admirable book. Others may say it - I wouldn't be surprised - but I say buy a copy, take it home and read it, and make up your own mind. What am I, a guru?"
- Daniel Pinkwater
"I loved The Loudness. The voice, the story, the characterization, the writing... just, wow."
- Carol Lynch Williams, author of The Chosen One and Signed, Skye Harper
"I absolutely loved this book!” - Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals
Henry Long doesn’t have a heart. He doesn’t go to school. He doesn’t have a girlfriend. He doesn’t have a clue. Two of those things are about to change.
Since the Tragedies, Henry Long doesn't have much: just an annoying low-watt buzz from his makeshift heart transplant, skinny arms, and a dusty library attic from which he charts the reconstruction of the Green Zone, the last habitable neighborhood of his ruined coastal city. While his parents work on making the Green Zone independent from a federal government that appears to have abandoned them, Henry's feels similarly abandoned—that is, until he discovers a refugee artists' colony called the Other Side. When the federales don't take kindly to the Green Zone's attempts at secession and kidnap Henry's parents, Henry and his new renegade friends—including one very courageous girl with whom he’s shared one truly shocking kiss—are forced from the colorful streets and underground rock clubs of the Other Side to an overcrowded capital city on the verge of collapse.
As Henry uncovers more about the conflicting forces that run his world, he realizes that not everyone is who they seem to be—including himself. In The Loudness readers will be propelled into an electrifying world where superheroes emerge from the unlikeliest people.
“The Loudness has all the necessary ingredients for a great read—fast pace, compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message that you don’t need super powers to be a super hero. I absolutely loved this book!”
- Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals
"I was recently persuaded by one who knows, that blurbs or cover quotes do no good, and I should not write them. So I will not be saying that The Loudness is a meticulously crafted and admirable book. Others may say it - I wouldn't be surprised - but I say buy a copy, take it home and read it, and make up your own mind. What am I, a guru?"
- Daniel Pinkwater
"I loved The Loudness. The voice, the story, the characterization, the writing... just, wow."
- Carol Lynch Williams, author of The Chosen One and Signed, Skye Harper
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2015
13 people are currently reading
971 people want to read
About the author
Nick Courage
3 books192 followersNick Courage is a New Orleans-born writer who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife (the Young Adult novelist and literary agent Rachel Ekstrom Courage) and their dog, Chaely. His work has recently appeared in The Paris Review Daily, Scholastic’s Storyworks Magazine, The Rumpus, Story, and Writer’s Digest. His website updates autofeed to this page, but he's not really active on Goodreads. For more about Nick—and for free teaching resources, contact, and school visit information!—visit his website: www.nickcourage.com.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 4, 2015
After a series of crazy storms that devastated the world, most people have moved to the cities. The Long family and some others are trying to revitalize part of New Orleans and make it self-sustaining so they can get a charter to be independent of the Federation. Henry (aka Hank) is the son of the mayor of what they call the Green (the revitalized part). He's a pretty average young teenage boy, except that he has a metal contraption instead of a heart to keep him alive. It's not a big deal normally, except that he and electronics don't usually get along well. When Henry's mom and dad go to the capitol to apply for their charter, Henry is initially enjoying the free time to go hang out in the Other Side where all the artists and nomads have started to set up just outside the Green. But when things go wrong in the city, Henry's world is turned upside down.
I was really excited when I first heard about this book. Students have an insatiable appetite for dystopia books right now, and there aren't all that many aimed at the middle grade crowd. But as I read this I was severely disappointed. I don't think any of the students I know will be able to get through it. It was just...boring. Nick Courage's writing is something that college literature professors would love. He approaches the dystopia novel in a very unique way. Imagine if Suzanne Collins had let you spend half of the book with Katniss in normal daily activities for one week, and then introduced the rumblings halfway through, but still kept things pretty quiet and normal until the last chapter and pretty much stopped the book as soon as Katniss volunteered as tribute. Courage focuses a lot on establishing what Henry's ordinary life is like. He infuses the book with subtle Southern flavor. There's no rush, things move slowly as they do on hot humid days, and we spend a lot of time just observing the average and ordinary. Even when a crisis finally arises halfway through the book, he doesn't jump into action, instead there's meetings and a description of a night of sleep and then a long car ride...and then at the very, very end the storm hits and there's some excitement. All that to say, the writing isn't bad, it is just...boring. If Nick Courage had wanted to have this be a high-selling hit, I would have advised him to summarize the first 240ish pages in about 3 pages (easily done), start with Henry's arrival at the city and add those 240 pages after that. Henry's just discovering how his unique heart has enabled him to do some special things, and bang, book is done. That's right where you actually hooked all the middle grade readers finally. They love that kind of stuff. A superhero in a dystopia book?! That's a huge recipe for popularity, but unfortunately it is drowned in hundreds of soporific pages so most kids won't even make it there. So this book will win with the lit professors and those who like unique spins on genres, but missed the boat with the majority of the intended audience. I had one other problem with the plot and that was all the cars. At one point a character mentions that the only fuel left is coal. Ok, so the cars must be electric, right? But then why does Henry have NO problems with any of the cars he's in (his heart interferes with the radio, but not the engine)? And how in the world does the truck drive through the night without refuelling in any way??? Another little thing, but there was so much other attention to little details that this oversight was a bit jarring to me. Unless...the cars have changed supernaturally too and they'll be Henry's superhero sidekicks in the world to come. Ok, now that makes sense.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content beyond a small kiss. Shooting is mentioned and two people who have names are shot, but no gory details and most of the book has no violence at all.
I was really excited when I first heard about this book. Students have an insatiable appetite for dystopia books right now, and there aren't all that many aimed at the middle grade crowd. But as I read this I was severely disappointed. I don't think any of the students I know will be able to get through it. It was just...boring. Nick Courage's writing is something that college literature professors would love. He approaches the dystopia novel in a very unique way. Imagine if Suzanne Collins had let you spend half of the book with Katniss in normal daily activities for one week, and then introduced the rumblings halfway through, but still kept things pretty quiet and normal until the last chapter and pretty much stopped the book as soon as Katniss volunteered as tribute. Courage focuses a lot on establishing what Henry's ordinary life is like. He infuses the book with subtle Southern flavor. There's no rush, things move slowly as they do on hot humid days, and we spend a lot of time just observing the average and ordinary. Even when a crisis finally arises halfway through the book, he doesn't jump into action, instead there's meetings and a description of a night of sleep and then a long car ride...and then at the very, very end the storm hits and there's some excitement. All that to say, the writing isn't bad, it is just...boring. If Nick Courage had wanted to have this be a high-selling hit, I would have advised him to summarize the first 240ish pages in about 3 pages (easily done), start with Henry's arrival at the city and add those 240 pages after that. Henry's just discovering how his unique heart has enabled him to do some special things, and bang, book is done. That's right where you actually hooked all the middle grade readers finally. They love that kind of stuff. A superhero in a dystopia book?! That's a huge recipe for popularity, but unfortunately it is drowned in hundreds of soporific pages so most kids won't even make it there. So this book will win with the lit professors and those who like unique spins on genres, but missed the boat with the majority of the intended audience. I had one other problem with the plot and that was all the cars. At one point a character mentions that the only fuel left is coal. Ok, so the cars must be electric, right? But then why does Henry have NO problems with any of the cars he's in (his heart interferes with the radio, but not the engine)? And how in the world does the truck drive through the night without refuelling in any way??? Another little thing, but there was so much other attention to little details that this oversight was a bit jarring to me. Unless...the cars have changed supernaturally too and they'll be Henry's superhero sidekicks in the world to come. Ok, now that makes sense.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content beyond a small kiss. Shooting is mentioned and two people who have names are shot, but no gory details and most of the book has no violence at all.
August 21, 2016
This read a lot more slowly than I was expecting a middle grade novel to read. In fact, I was only 60% of the was through when I got to book club where it was being discussed. It was in sore need of an aggressive editor to trim the exposition, revise inconsistencies, and help get the plot to the surface. I'm choosing not to finish it.
May 22, 2015
Disclosure: This author is a friend of mine.
I did not expect anything about The Loudness. Every time I thought I knew what this book is about, it twisted, or added something to the pot, or changed Henry's perspective and all of a sudden it was a brand new book. Above all, this is a bildungsroman, charting Henry's growth from a semi-schoolkid in a city struggling to recover from natural disaster, to his discovery of music and art and girls, to his discovery that the world is much better than he ever thought it was, and that isn't always a good thing.
The Loudness doesn't tie up neatly at the end, making me wonder if there are going to be sequels. But as much as I would enjoy them, I would be okay if there weren't, because the book ends with Henry realizing who his community really is, and knowing that whatever happens they are in it together. It isn't going to be easy or pretty, but he has found his place and is willing to defend it.
Also he's a freaking superhero.
Also, I loved Ben's recurring "you have got to be kidding me." Applicable in so many situations.
I did not expect anything about The Loudness. Every time I thought I knew what this book is about, it twisted, or added something to the pot, or changed Henry's perspective and all of a sudden it was a brand new book. Above all, this is a bildungsroman, charting Henry's growth from a semi-schoolkid in a city struggling to recover from natural disaster, to his discovery of music and art and girls, to his discovery that the world is much better than he ever thought it was, and that isn't always a good thing.
The Loudness doesn't tie up neatly at the end, making me wonder if there are going to be sequels. But as much as I would enjoy them, I would be okay if there weren't, because the book ends with Henry realizing who his community really is, and knowing that whatever happens they are in it together. It isn't going to be easy or pretty, but he has found his place and is willing to defend it.
Also he's a freaking superhero.
Also, I loved Ben's recurring "you have got to be kidding me." Applicable in so many situations.
May 22, 2015
It's not often that the dystopian world inside a novel turns out to be a place that I actually want to visit. That's the power of the world building in The Loudness. I can't help loving all of it--the homesteaders in the green zone, the "school" in an old library that has no teachers and lets you do whatever you want all day, the artsy "other side" with music, dancing, and free food. Excellent food.
The story itself is also delicious. The fiercely independent green zone homesteaders and the outsider artists living beyond the grey zone, form a joyfully imperfect Garden of Eden when seen through Henry's eyes. The perfect backdrop for a story that explores the meaning of freedom, power, loyalty, and friendship.
The story itself is also delicious. The fiercely independent green zone homesteaders and the outsider artists living beyond the grey zone, form a joyfully imperfect Garden of Eden when seen through Henry's eyes. The perfect backdrop for a story that explores the meaning of freedom, power, loyalty, and friendship.
July 31, 2015
I really loved this book. World building is incredibly important (perhaps the most important element to fiction) to me and I was very impressed with how credible Courage's dystopian society was, and yet even when there were terrible things happening (or that had happened) there was always a thread of hope that you could latch on to.
The Loudness also spoke directly to two of my most passionate beliefs: 1) That music can save lives (see "thread of hope" above) and 2) libraries are the best sanctuaries (Not one but two libraries served that role in this book!).
Well done, Mr. Courage. As a favorite fictional politician once said, I "will watch your career with great interest."
The Loudness also spoke directly to two of my most passionate beliefs: 1) That music can save lives (see "thread of hope" above) and 2) libraries are the best sanctuaries (Not one but two libraries served that role in this book!).
Well done, Mr. Courage. As a favorite fictional politician once said, I "will watch your career with great interest."
Want to read
April 1, 2015Super excited to read this for many reasons, not least of which is that I know the author! Scotty got first dibs, so I'm just going to have to wait . . .
June 15, 2015
Absolutely fantastic! I can't wait to share this with my daughter and school librarian.
September 12, 2019
Perhaps I’m getting too old to read books intended for middle schoolers, but this book specifically was so hard to finish. The only thing that motivated me to finish was the thought of writing a review. If you truly love Divergent or the Hunger Games, you will not love this book. The only thing it has in common with those two is the dystopian plot.
The Loudness is awfully slow, with boring long descriptions that I thought were irrelevant to the plot. Even the dramatic action scenes were tough to read through. It was difficult to get attached to or empathize with the characters, so naturally I didn’t feel any excitement or fear for them. Even when he *spoiler alert* gets super powers. It’s almost as if Henry Long truly has no heart.
The whole book is just build up after build up to no avail. Although finishing the book doesn’t really tell you how it ends, I wouldn’t look forward to a sequel. The idea of Henry Long was great, just poorly executed. I think it’s safe to say, this book was far from loud.
The Loudness is awfully slow, with boring long descriptions that I thought were irrelevant to the plot. Even the dramatic action scenes were tough to read through. It was difficult to get attached to or empathize with the characters, so naturally I didn’t feel any excitement or fear for them. Even when he *spoiler alert* gets super powers. It’s almost as if Henry Long truly has no heart.
The whole book is just build up after build up to no avail. Although finishing the book doesn’t really tell you how it ends, I wouldn’t look forward to a sequel. The idea of Henry Long was great, just poorly executed. I think it’s safe to say, this book was far from loud.
April 5, 2019
The concept of this book was great, I just felt that the pace of this book was really slow sometimes. The relationship between Ava and Hank kind of felt forced to me, their relationship throughout the book was them just being lovey dovey and cute, there was no getting to know each other. I also felt that Nick Courage did not really talk in depth about what the tragedy was, because honestly I was really confused as to what it was. I did not like how the book left off on a cliffhanger, especially because there was no second book and honestly it kind of felt rushed. I love the main character, Hank. I liked a lot of the other characters too, especially Hank’s parents.
July 14, 2021
This book was a good read, I liked the characters a lot. My faves probably were Conor and Ava. There were a lot of plot twists but honestly the story was slow. I didn’t like how the ending was a cliffhanger because honestly it leaves too much to the imagination for me but I like the character arc Henry goes on. If there is a sequel I would definitely read.
Henry and freckles forever!! Their relationship developing throughout the book was so cute. Especially with the scene of them sitting on Rachel and Tom’s porch AHHHH!
Henry and freckles forever!! Their relationship developing throughout the book was so cute. Especially with the scene of them sitting on Rachel and Tom’s porch AHHHH!
May 30, 2017
Middle School Level - The dystonia takes a different twist than the other books I have read. This is what makes it very interesting. Younger readers could identify with the different characters.
December 14, 2017
Not what I expected, hard to read, boring...
March 5, 2020
It might have just been me, but I got confused multiple times. Otherwise, it was great!
Read
January 28, 2023Read for middle school book club/author visit.
November 6, 2015
Disclosure: I won a free giveaway of the audiobook version of this book on Audible and I'm a fan of the narrator, Maxwell Glick.
I always like getting the opportunity to read something different from my usual tastes, particularly from independent publishers. In this case, THE LOUDNESS is a science fiction novel for middle school-aged children. Hooray! Start them early! What kind of sci-fi books were out when I was growing up? Okay, the ANIMORPHS and MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN series were pretty formative for me. But I guess I can't actually come up with any non-alien sci-fi books. Actually, what middle school sci-fi books are out now, other than those licensed by Marvel or DC Comics? I'm struggling to think of a book that isn't more like a fantasy novel or more YA than middle school. So yes, THE LOUDNESS is filling that niche genre of futuristic science fiction that isn't about aliens.
The main character, Henry Long, has a disability: he has a battery-powered heart, which causes all sorts of problems. He's in and out of hospitals all the time, he can't use electronics, and he can accidentally shock people who touch him. In his quest to live like any other normal kid, he worries constantly about others finding out about his weirdness. Growing up in a small community like the Green Zone, apart from the rest of the world, fuels his isolation. One day he stumbles upon the artist colony called the Other Side, and in their art and music he doesn't feel as lonely anymore. However, his parents end up kidnapped by the federal government that isn't willing to grant the Green Zone independence, and his once-peaceful world is thrown into jeopardy. But what can Henry do? In THE LOUDNESS, Henry finds that in his weaknesses he has the strength to do more than he can imagine.
At its core, THE LOUDNESS is a superhero origin story, but a better description of the novel is that it's also about discovery. Henry discovers a new community in the Other Side, he discovers the world of art, he discovers the world outside of his home in the Green Zone, he discovers injustice and pain and war, but also food and music and girls and how special home can be. And on top of that, at the very end, he discovers his powers. As a kid, we learn to grow up in a small sheltered-like world, but this book is about the moment when your world changes into something much bigger and different than you've always been used to. Which I think is a great way for kids to relate to this book.
Of course, the trade-off is that the really exciting part of the book is when Henry has these really cool powers, and the book ends. I'm guessing there will be a sequel -- hope the kids won't have to wait too long.
I always like getting the opportunity to read something different from my usual tastes, particularly from independent publishers. In this case, THE LOUDNESS is a science fiction novel for middle school-aged children. Hooray! Start them early! What kind of sci-fi books were out when I was growing up? Okay, the ANIMORPHS and MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN series were pretty formative for me. But I guess I can't actually come up with any non-alien sci-fi books. Actually, what middle school sci-fi books are out now, other than those licensed by Marvel or DC Comics? I'm struggling to think of a book that isn't more like a fantasy novel or more YA than middle school. So yes, THE LOUDNESS is filling that niche genre of futuristic science fiction that isn't about aliens.
The main character, Henry Long, has a disability: he has a battery-powered heart, which causes all sorts of problems. He's in and out of hospitals all the time, he can't use electronics, and he can accidentally shock people who touch him. In his quest to live like any other normal kid, he worries constantly about others finding out about his weirdness. Growing up in a small community like the Green Zone, apart from the rest of the world, fuels his isolation. One day he stumbles upon the artist colony called the Other Side, and in their art and music he doesn't feel as lonely anymore. However, his parents end up kidnapped by the federal government that isn't willing to grant the Green Zone independence, and his once-peaceful world is thrown into jeopardy. But what can Henry do? In THE LOUDNESS, Henry finds that in his weaknesses he has the strength to do more than he can imagine.
At its core, THE LOUDNESS is a superhero origin story, but a better description of the novel is that it's also about discovery. Henry discovers a new community in the Other Side, he discovers the world of art, he discovers the world outside of his home in the Green Zone, he discovers injustice and pain and war, but also food and music and girls and how special home can be. And on top of that, at the very end, he discovers his powers. As a kid, we learn to grow up in a small sheltered-like world, but this book is about the moment when your world changes into something much bigger and different than you've always been used to. Which I think is a great way for kids to relate to this book.
Of course, the trade-off is that the really exciting part of the book is when Henry has these really cool powers, and the book ends. I'm guessing there will be a sequel -- hope the kids won't have to wait too long.
February 19, 2017
Good dystopian. It had a slow start but lots of action toward the end. The abrupt ending left me wanting something a little more.
October 19, 2015
The Loudness is a fascinating read that builds up to an awesome climax that left me wanting more. The world Nick created just felt so real and the story always kept me on my toes. At various points I'd think I know where it was going and then it would totally change directions. At times I thought it was about to fall into some cliché or some aspect of the story was completely unbelievable but nope, something would happen or be explained and then I'd be sucked right back into the story. This was the case right up to the end which has an amazing cliffhanger just as the main character, Henry, seems to reach his full potential. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes dystopian novels or really to anyone because who doesn't love a great future dystopian novel?
November 25, 2015
I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. It was well-written, and was about New Orleans or some similar city, but I never really engaged with the story or the characters.
July 11, 2015
Slow, but well worth the read. Waiting on a sequel..
November 27, 2016
3.75/5 stars.
February 24, 2016
good middle school book
Not my cup of tea
Not my cup of tea
Read
May 9, 2018Dnf the book is just not doing anything for me
December 9, 2018
The book really didn’t get interesting to me until about the last third of the book. I almost gave up. But it ends well. Not my favorite, but not the worst.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews