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What I Couldn't Tell You
When love turns to jealousy, when jealousy turns to rage, when rage turns to destruction...
Laura was head over heels in love with Joe. But now Laura lies in a coma and Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her?
Laura's sister Tessie is selectively mute. She can't talk but she can listen. And as people tell her their secrets, she thinks she's getting close to understanding what happened on that fateful night.
Laura was head over heels in love with Joe. But now Laura lies in a coma and Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her?
Laura's sister Tessie is selectively mute. She can't talk but she can listen. And as people tell her their secrets, she thinks she's getting close to understanding what happened on that fateful night.
488 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2016
32 people are currently reading
851 people want to read
About the author
Faye Bird
3 books69 followersFaye writes fiction for young adults. Before becoming a writer she worked as a literary agent representing screenwriters in film and TV. She studied Philosophy and Literature at Warwick University, but has otherwise always lived in London, and still does now. Her second novel, What I Couldn’t Tell You, will be published on 1 May 2016.
http://www.fayebirdauthor.com
http://www.fayebirdauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 10, 2016
“You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself.”
----Margaret Atwood
Faye Bird, an English author, pens her intriguing young adult thriller story in her new book, What I Couldn't Tell You that narrates the story of a young teenage girl suffering from Selective Mutism, whose elder sister is under coma after an attack on her head when she was with her boyfriend, and following her attack, the boyfriend goes missing but it is only the selectively mute sister who listens to those who are spilling their secrets about her sister's attack.
Synopsis:
When love turns to jealousy, when jealousy turns to rage, when rage turns to destruction...
Laura was head over heels in love with Joe. But now Laura lies in a coma and Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her?
Laura's sister Tessie is selectively mute. She can't talk but she can listen. And as people tell her their secrets, she thinks she's getting close to understanding what happened on that fateful night.
Tessie suffers from selective mutism since her childhood. Its not that she is too shy, but she cannot form the words in the crowd, and she can only talk to the people she knows when the front door is "PROPERLY SHUT". Tessie's elder sister, Laura, is under coma for a very long time, due to an attack that she suffered on her head and the prime suspect is Laura's boyfriend, Joe, who is missing since the day of the attack. Taking the advantage of Tessie's selectively mutism condition, there are people who are willing to spilling their darkest secrets about Laura's missing boyfriend, Joe and about the day of the attack. And soon Tessie finds herself entangled in a web of lies that becomes life threatening for her as she trusts the only person who is believed to understand her. And will finally Tessie open her mouth to put justice to her sister's attack?
I haven't read anything by this author before and after reading this book, I must certainly say that she is a really talented writer who has penned a gripping and mystifying story about love and jealousy. The author's writing style is excellent and articulate and is layered with deep emotions and suspense. The story is appealing from the very first page itself and is bound to pull the readers into the core of this twisting story. The narrative is charming and free-flowing and has power to keep the readers glued till the very end. The pacing is really fast as the story moves swiftly in Tessie's pov after her sister's attack.
The mystery is certainly unraveling and is depicted under layers of suspense that will keep the readers anticipating and looking for the identity of the attacker. The mystery is not only gripping but also quite emotional as the story line captures the young love and the rage and hate among youngsters. The love between Joe and Laura is sweet, passionate will definitely move the readers for these two young lovers. The author captures the feelings of first love diligently with her words into this story that will make the readers nostalgic about their first time love story.
The author has captured the voice of a selectively mute teenage so vividly into her book. Before reading this book, I had no idea that there is a condition like Selective Mutism. The author has done her research well as the author makes her readers contemplate with her central character, Tessie, so easily. Tessie is a brave, intelligent and a good listener who loves her sister dearly and would go at any lengths to put her attackers behind the bars. She might me shy and meek, but she is an epitome for all those who are subjected to bullying as Tessie shows how to handle bullies and insults among her peers. There is a bit of love triangle between Tessie and two boys and it is depicted sweetly yet there is something dangerous about it.
The supporting characters are equally well-developed from Tessie's elder brother, Jake to Laura's best friend, Ella, to Tessie's parents to her friends to Laura's boyfriend. The character are highly inspired from reality and their honest and authentic demeanor will make the readers fall for them. In a nutshell, this book is highly compelling and there is an underlying message in the story that demands to be read by all the young readers out there.
Verdict: An engrossing young adult thriller that deals with quite a lot of social issues.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Faye Bird's publicist for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
----Margaret Atwood
Faye Bird, an English author, pens her intriguing young adult thriller story in her new book, What I Couldn't Tell You that narrates the story of a young teenage girl suffering from Selective Mutism, whose elder sister is under coma after an attack on her head when she was with her boyfriend, and following her attack, the boyfriend goes missing but it is only the selectively mute sister who listens to those who are spilling their secrets about her sister's attack.
Synopsis:
When love turns to jealousy, when jealousy turns to rage, when rage turns to destruction...
Laura was head over heels in love with Joe. But now Laura lies in a coma and Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her?
Laura's sister Tessie is selectively mute. She can't talk but she can listen. And as people tell her their secrets, she thinks she's getting close to understanding what happened on that fateful night.
Tessie suffers from selective mutism since her childhood. Its not that she is too shy, but she cannot form the words in the crowd, and she can only talk to the people she knows when the front door is "PROPERLY SHUT". Tessie's elder sister, Laura, is under coma for a very long time, due to an attack that she suffered on her head and the prime suspect is Laura's boyfriend, Joe, who is missing since the day of the attack. Taking the advantage of Tessie's selectively mutism condition, there are people who are willing to spilling their darkest secrets about Laura's missing boyfriend, Joe and about the day of the attack. And soon Tessie finds herself entangled in a web of lies that becomes life threatening for her as she trusts the only person who is believed to understand her. And will finally Tessie open her mouth to put justice to her sister's attack?
I haven't read anything by this author before and after reading this book, I must certainly say that she is a really talented writer who has penned a gripping and mystifying story about love and jealousy. The author's writing style is excellent and articulate and is layered with deep emotions and suspense. The story is appealing from the very first page itself and is bound to pull the readers into the core of this twisting story. The narrative is charming and free-flowing and has power to keep the readers glued till the very end. The pacing is really fast as the story moves swiftly in Tessie's pov after her sister's attack.
The mystery is certainly unraveling and is depicted under layers of suspense that will keep the readers anticipating and looking for the identity of the attacker. The mystery is not only gripping but also quite emotional as the story line captures the young love and the rage and hate among youngsters. The love between Joe and Laura is sweet, passionate will definitely move the readers for these two young lovers. The author captures the feelings of first love diligently with her words into this story that will make the readers nostalgic about their first time love story.
The author has captured the voice of a selectively mute teenage so vividly into her book. Before reading this book, I had no idea that there is a condition like Selective Mutism. The author has done her research well as the author makes her readers contemplate with her central character, Tessie, so easily. Tessie is a brave, intelligent and a good listener who loves her sister dearly and would go at any lengths to put her attackers behind the bars. She might me shy and meek, but she is an epitome for all those who are subjected to bullying as Tessie shows how to handle bullies and insults among her peers. There is a bit of love triangle between Tessie and two boys and it is depicted sweetly yet there is something dangerous about it.
The supporting characters are equally well-developed from Tessie's elder brother, Jake to Laura's best friend, Ella, to Tessie's parents to her friends to Laura's boyfriend. The character are highly inspired from reality and their honest and authentic demeanor will make the readers fall for them. In a nutshell, this book is highly compelling and there is an underlying message in the story that demands to be read by all the young readers out there.
Verdict: An engrossing young adult thriller that deals with quite a lot of social issues.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Faye Bird's publicist for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 14, 2016
I wanted to like this book but long story short, I didn't. First up I found the characters decisions and thoughts extremely unbelievable and stupid. Even though we could see what Tessie, the main character, was thinking I couldn't understand why she thought and did what she did. She liked Billie even though As for the other characters actions
The six months later part was not well done. I didn't like the format of having a paragraph for each character and how it lazily described what happened to them, not good storytelling.
This book was exasperating. I just didn't get why stuff was happening. Every time I thought it couldn't get any worse, that Tessie couldn't think anything stupider than what she just said I was surprised by something else.
It was good to see a character with something I knew little about. I learnt about SM from this book but in the end I didn't understand the story and the motives of the characters and so I couldn't enjoy it.
The six months later part was not well done. I didn't like the format of having a paragraph for each character and how it lazily described what happened to them, not good storytelling.
This book was exasperating. I just didn't get why stuff was happening. Every time I thought it couldn't get any worse, that Tessie couldn't think anything stupider than what she just said I was surprised by something else.
It was good to see a character with something I knew little about. I learnt about SM from this book but in the end I didn't understand the story and the motives of the characters and so I couldn't enjoy it.
June 18, 2016
This review also appears on my blog
I dived into this book without knowing anything except the fact that I read what’s written at the back of the book. That’s it. I didn’t read much from Goodreads because I didn’t want to spoil myself nor read others’ reviews and whatnot.
Here are some reasons why I gave this 5 f**king stars:
I thought that the story would just evolve in Laura’s life, but hecK NO! It revealed a lot of things. Good things. Bad things. Unexpected things.
Family relationship? Friendship circle? Everything was amazingly written. Every page left me astonished as f*ck. Four words. OH MY EFFING GOSH & IT WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
It was my first time reading something about being SELECTIVELY MUTE. It was such an eye-opening book. Plus point for that!
Characters were uniquely crafted. Each one had a unique side.
The ending blew me away. I think I just said “sh*t”.
What I Couldn’t Tell You was a book that everyone should read. It’s underrated, but it deserves the spotlight. Trust me when I give a 5-star rating to a book. It’s an honor to be the first one to give a rating for this book in goodreads. It was such a phenomenal read, folks. Go read it. Go. Go. GO!
I dived into this book without knowing anything except the fact that I read what’s written at the back of the book. That’s it. I didn’t read much from Goodreads because I didn’t want to spoil myself nor read others’ reviews and whatnot.
Here are some reasons why I gave this 5 f**king stars:
I thought that the story would just evolve in Laura’s life, but hecK NO! It revealed a lot of things. Good things. Bad things. Unexpected things.
Family relationship? Friendship circle? Everything was amazingly written. Every page left me astonished as f*ck. Four words. OH MY EFFING GOSH & IT WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
It was my first time reading something about being SELECTIVELY MUTE. It was such an eye-opening book. Plus point for that!
Characters were uniquely crafted. Each one had a unique side.
The ending blew me away. I think I just said “sh*t”.
What I Couldn’t Tell You was a book that everyone should read. It’s underrated, but it deserves the spotlight. Trust me when I give a 5-star rating to a book. It’s an honor to be the first one to give a rating for this book in goodreads. It was such a phenomenal read, folks. Go read it. Go. Go. GO!
July 13, 2019
I don’t normally rate books 1 star (like ever) but this just had nothing for me. Normally, at least I like the characters but no.
The actual story is pretty boring - I saw the Bill/Billy thing from the start. I will admit that it was a twist that he did it but that was the only really surprising thing.
Also, the whole Ella in the phone thing at the beginning? Irrelevant apparently & never really explained. Also, why would Laura think Joe & Ella weren’t close enough to call each other when Ella introduced Laura in the first place!
Tessie - omg Tessie. She was SO annoying, self-cantered and just held herself as so much better than everyone else “And if Billy doesn’t have that [Tessie being Billy’s one good thing], the memory at least of that, then she wonders, what does he have?” UM EXCUSE ME?! I cannot even express how self-important this is AND THIS IS THE CLOSING LINE OF THE BOOK!
I hated all the other characters too & if I didn’t then they got spoiled towards the end anyway (Jake & Max were fine until the end)
This book just annoyed & endlessly frustrated me.
The actual story is pretty boring - I saw the Bill/Billy thing from the start. I will admit that it was a twist that he did it but that was the only really surprising thing.
Also, the whole Ella in the phone thing at the beginning? Irrelevant apparently & never really explained. Also, why would Laura think Joe & Ella weren’t close enough to call each other when Ella introduced Laura in the first place!
Tessie - omg Tessie. She was SO annoying, self-cantered and just held herself as so much better than everyone else “And if Billy doesn’t have that [Tessie being Billy’s one good thing], the memory at least of that, then she wonders, what does he have?” UM EXCUSE ME?! I cannot even express how self-important this is AND THIS IS THE CLOSING LINE OF THE BOOK!
I hated all the other characters too & if I didn’t then they got spoiled towards the end anyway (Jake & Max were fine until the end)
This book just annoyed & endlessly frustrated me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
May 10, 2016I thought this wasn't out until next month!
January 7, 2021
First book of 2021! And what a way to start - this was amazing.
I'm not the biggest fan of crime mysteries as they usually take quite a while to unfold, but the whole time I was guessing and intrigued - it was as if the book was stuck to my hands! Also, I thought the book did a really good job at representing SM as I was quite unaware of it before.
Overall, brilliant book - one of those where I'd love to reread it without knowing the ending just to experience this all over again.
I'm not the biggest fan of crime mysteries as they usually take quite a while to unfold, but the whole time I was guessing and intrigued - it was as if the book was stuck to my hands! Also, I thought the book did a really good job at representing SM as I was quite unaware of it before.
Overall, brilliant book - one of those where I'd love to reread it without knowing the ending just to experience this all over again.
July 26, 2018
A must buy must read. What I couldn't Tell You is 100% brilliant. I was unable to stop reading. The story will remain with me for a long time. The plot, characters and with the amazing dialogue, I have to recommend it to every reader out there. I can honestly say that Faye Bird is a very talented author indeed, and a big credit Usborne books company. The story of What I couldn't Tell You has crime scenes by a rage of jealousy. Young Laura and Joe are madly in love with each other. Hand in hand Joe takes Laura to a special place that he knows about. Laura is knocked unconscious and is in a coma. Did Joe attack Laura? Tessie Laura's sister has a distressing condition of Selective/ Situational Mutism this means Tessie can not speak to her sister while she is in a coma. Everyone seems to be telling Tessie their secrets. Violent crimes have been committed throughout this tense story which makes this thriller a perfect page turner.
September 22, 2025
5⭐️😭😭😭Just finished it but I want to reread all over again without knowing the end🥹My new favorite book I think🥹🥹🥹🥹MOST UNDERRATED MYSTERY BOOK OF ALL TIME🥹🥹🥹🥹This book was soooo good, I couldn’t stop reading it and I kept thinking about it. There were a few things that were a bit stupid like some of Tessie’s thoughts. BUUUUUUUT OMG MAX AND TESSIE WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER NOOOOOO😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭So sad that they didn’t end up together🥺I loved the story and the plot and the characters and everythingggggg about this book🥹I lovedddd the writing and the pov change and ahhhhhh I loved everything😭I kinda new who was the person who did it but the end still kind of surprised me!I’d recommend this book to everyone, seriously ❤️ it!!
August 29, 2017
Review to come...
July 19, 2022
Good story.
I felt so sorry for Tessie, haven't ever heard of and illness like this before.
I felt so sorry for Tessie, haven't ever heard of and illness like this before.
July 1, 2023
I loved this it was insane.
October 24, 2017
This book, it has really gotten me mixed feelings. Writing this review is really difficult, so there I'm going to keep it short.
The plot itself was brilliant form start to finish. Ok, maybe not exactly the ending, it's just for me, it seems a bit short. Laura waking up was good, it was done correctly (in terms of science and also in terms of the story (correct moment in the plot)) but what followed after was, honestly, disappointing, I would've wished to see more of a breakdown of what happened, to her sister and to Billy.
The characters themselves were brilliant, I have, for once, nothing to say about them apart from that they were flawless, without them the story would not have been what it was. The plot was boosted so much by the character development. Absolutely flawless.
The plot itself was brilliant form start to finish. Ok, maybe not exactly the ending, it's just for me, it seems a bit short. Laura waking up was good, it was done correctly (in terms of science and also in terms of the story (correct moment in the plot)) but what followed after was, honestly, disappointing, I would've wished to see more of a breakdown of what happened, to her sister and to Billy.
The characters themselves were brilliant, I have, for once, nothing to say about them apart from that they were flawless, without them the story would not have been what it was. The plot was boosted so much by the character development. Absolutely flawless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2017
this is a great YA thriller!
May 26, 2017
read what I thought about this book on my blog :
https://zoeymusesaboutbooks.wordpress...
https://zoeymusesaboutbooks.wordpress...
June 12, 2016
Read more of this review at Beatrice Learns To Read.
3.5 stars
What I Couldn't Tell You is as straightforward as its synopsis when it comes to telling what you're about to read when you pick up this book. From love to jealousy that turned into rage that eventually lead to destruction, What I Couldn't Tell You is a book that will keep you turning the pages with its magnetic storytelling.
The book immediately jumps in to the night of Laura's attack. Although the chapters for Laura and Joe were kept short, it was already enough to create a build up for where the story will be heading. Then the story follows through with Tessie, Laura's sister who is selectively mute.
Tessie's disorder is what made me interested in reading this book. Aside from the fact that it's a mystery/thriller story, I've never read anything where a character is selectively mute and to have that play a big part in the story made everything a lot more gripping.
The mystery was depicted effectively making sure that it's readers won't put the book down until you reach the end but personally, I was expecting a lot more with the reveal. I already saw it coming so it wasn't mind blowing for me but it's still surprising in a way since it's not really about the who did what but more of the "why" it happened. But aside from the mystery, What I Couldn't Tell You is a lot of many things. It's about coping and the struggle of having to live normally at a time of crisis. It also dealt with bullying. Tessie is an easy target, with her condition, she's put into a place where it's difficult to stand up for herself.
It also talked a lot more about "love" or the characters perception of it. I just don't get Tessie's feelings for Billy. It strike me as "insta-love" and blind love. I can't say much but I'm really not buying whatever Tessie feels for him. #sorrynotsorry But all in all, What I Couldn't Tell You is an effective thriller book that will keep you on your toes and a definite pick-me-up book for those who are looking for a quick, intense read.
3.5 stars
What I Couldn't Tell You is as straightforward as its synopsis when it comes to telling what you're about to read when you pick up this book. From love to jealousy that turned into rage that eventually lead to destruction, What I Couldn't Tell You is a book that will keep you turning the pages with its magnetic storytelling.
The book immediately jumps in to the night of Laura's attack. Although the chapters for Laura and Joe were kept short, it was already enough to create a build up for where the story will be heading. Then the story follows through with Tessie, Laura's sister who is selectively mute.
Tessie's disorder is what made me interested in reading this book. Aside from the fact that it's a mystery/thriller story, I've never read anything where a character is selectively mute and to have that play a big part in the story made everything a lot more gripping.
The mystery was depicted effectively making sure that it's readers won't put the book down until you reach the end but personally, I was expecting a lot more with the reveal. I already saw it coming so it wasn't mind blowing for me but it's still surprising in a way since it's not really about the who did what but more of the "why" it happened. But aside from the mystery, What I Couldn't Tell You is a lot of many things. It's about coping and the struggle of having to live normally at a time of crisis. It also dealt with bullying. Tessie is an easy target, with her condition, she's put into a place where it's difficult to stand up for herself.
It also talked a lot more about "love" or the characters perception of it. I just don't get Tessie's feelings for Billy. It strike me as "insta-love" and blind love. I can't say much but I'm really not buying whatever Tessie feels for him. #sorrynotsorry But all in all, What I Couldn't Tell You is an effective thriller book that will keep you on your toes and a definite pick-me-up book for those who are looking for a quick, intense read.
January 28, 2023
Honestly, every decision made by every single character made literally no sense. First of all we have Tessie, the protagonist who struggles with selective mutism, falling madly in love with some guy who just shows up out of the blue. This happens over a period of, at the maximum, a week. Oh, and he also threatens, and then later brutally hospitalizes, her best friend. But no biggie, who needs friends anyway. This guy also tried to murder her sister, but again who needs family right? Tessie was supposed to be a sympathetic character, but she was insufferable.
Next up is Ella, Laura's best friend, and the only character who continues to progress the plot. She's the one who initiates everything and gets the protagonist moving. It was as though, though Ella, all of the major events were happening off screen and Tessie was just being told about them all later through dialog.
The only character who made any sensible decisions was Laura, Tessie's sister, and that's because she was in a coma.
Even the Author couldn't be bothered to properly finish the novel, and instead just added a 'Six Months Later' chapter with a brief summery of the characters.
Next up is Ella, Laura's best friend, and the only character who continues to progress the plot. She's the one who initiates everything and gets the protagonist moving. It was as though, though Ella, all of the major events were happening off screen and Tessie was just being told about them all later through dialog.
The only character who made any sensible decisions was Laura, Tessie's sister, and that's because she was in a coma.
Even the Author couldn't be bothered to properly finish the novel, and instead just added a 'Six Months Later' chapter with a brief summery of the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2016
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway! Thank you so much for sending me a copy!
I loved this book, the mistery has you gripped from the beginning. What I loved it's that it wasn't all about Laura's, that Tessie's story takes a big part in this book too.
I loved Tessie's inner voice. I would really recommend this book!
I loved this book, the mistery has you gripped from the beginning. What I loved it's that it wasn't all about Laura's, that Tessie's story takes a big part in this book too.
I loved Tessie's inner voice. I would really recommend this book!
June 21, 2025
Amazing!
I realized that Billy was the one who hurt Laura and that he is Joe's brother. I would like to see Laura back together with Joe, because he didn't do anything wrong, only with his young brother because he wasn't there for him when he needed it the most. Joe was really good with Laura and he deserves a second chance.
Overall, this book was really good.
I realized that Billy was the one who hurt Laura and that he is Joe's brother. I would like to see Laura back together with Joe, because he didn't do anything wrong, only with his young brother because he wasn't there for him when he needed it the most. Joe was really good with Laura and he deserves a second chance.
Overall, this book was really good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 25, 2016My eyes raced along the pages to find what happens next.A connection that had been metioned once had a huge impact to the story.This book made me realise to snatch the chance while you still can.
March 15, 2020
Wow.
That novel kept me on edge and guessing till the end!
Had an inkling for who was behind it as the novel progressed, though!
That novel kept me on edge and guessing till the end!
Had an inkling for who was behind it as the novel progressed, though!
October 2, 2018
Good storyline, kept you guessing, well written.
July 9, 2016
Didn't quite work for me. Issues with passive protagonist and the last chapter.
October 8, 2023
i’m trying to compose myself as i right this. i usually don’t leave reviews after finishing a book, but this book was probably one of the worst books i have read in the 16 years of my life. i’m not even big on reading either, i just had to choose a book to read for my english class and i came across this in my school library. i chose it because it was short, and the blurb was actually really intriguing. i was still able to recognize how absolutely terrible this book was to the point i’m scared that my teacher will consider reading it and be put through the agonizing boredom of this book.
1. the writing is the WORST thing you can imagine. ever single aspect about it. i felt like i was reading at children’s book. i swear she just repeated the same exact sentences throughout the entire book. it got so exhausting to read because i felt like i was basically reading the same thing over and over.
2. which brings me to my next point, it is so repetitive. she does the same thing over and over. for no apparent reason. she’d repeat how she got no sleep during the night, she was in pain, tired, etc. she kept skipping school to go meet this old lady who she knew in her past life, even though the lady basically mentally abused her every single time. but she just “had” to go because it “felt right”.
3. don’t expect to have any kind of connection to any character in this book. the only characters who actually have some human decency/ humanity are not even main characters. she’s 15 and has never hugged her mom a day in her life, or better yet, even called her “mum”??? because she feels so connected to her mom from her past life, i guess.
4. still on the topic of characters, none of them are described at all except for the wrinkles on some faces. good luck using your imagination. also, she has “friends” but they are talked about in the book probably once. the only one they really talk about is jamie. which is supposed to be her little crush, but is such an unnecessary character overall. he just shows up out of no where to make her blush after she’s gone through a crisis.
5. so predictable. i was hoping the book maybe had a nice plot twist at the end to put an end to my misery but no. it ended up being just as boring and dreadful as the rest of the book.
like i mentioned in the beginning of this review, i don’t normally even write reviews. but trust me, the best thing about the book is the blurb/ potential. seems like the author wrote something to get us hooked and then completely gave up on the rest of the book. i am warning anybody who is ever considering to reading this, please save yourself the time, annoyance, boredom, depression, and misery.
i overall give this book a big fat ZERO and i hope that this author either learns how to write or finds a completely different career.
1. the writing is the WORST thing you can imagine. ever single aspect about it. i felt like i was reading at children’s book. i swear she just repeated the same exact sentences throughout the entire book. it got so exhausting to read because i felt like i was basically reading the same thing over and over.
2. which brings me to my next point, it is so repetitive. she does the same thing over and over. for no apparent reason. she’d repeat how she got no sleep during the night, she was in pain, tired, etc. she kept skipping school to go meet this old lady who she knew in her past life, even though the lady basically mentally abused her every single time. but she just “had” to go because it “felt right”.
3. don’t expect to have any kind of connection to any character in this book. the only characters who actually have some human decency/ humanity are not even main characters. she’s 15 and has never hugged her mom a day in her life, or better yet, even called her “mum”??? because she feels so connected to her mom from her past life, i guess.
4. still on the topic of characters, none of them are described at all except for the wrinkles on some faces. good luck using your imagination. also, she has “friends” but they are talked about in the book probably once. the only one they really talk about is jamie. which is supposed to be her little crush, but is such an unnecessary character overall. he just shows up out of no where to make her blush after she’s gone through a crisis.
5. so predictable. i was hoping the book maybe had a nice plot twist at the end to put an end to my misery but no. it ended up being just as boring and dreadful as the rest of the book.
like i mentioned in the beginning of this review, i don’t normally even write reviews. but trust me, the best thing about the book is the blurb/ potential. seems like the author wrote something to get us hooked and then completely gave up on the rest of the book. i am warning anybody who is ever considering to reading this, please save yourself the time, annoyance, boredom, depression, and misery.
i overall give this book a big fat ZERO and i hope that this author either learns how to write or finds a completely different career.
August 1, 2019
'What I Couldn't Tell You' by Faye Bird is an interesting crime and love story for young adults about a selectively mute girl called Tessie. Her sister Laura is in a coma after an attack and her sister's boyfriend Joe is missing. Because of her anxiety about speaking, Tessie can only talk at home with a few selected people such as her parents, siblings and close friends and only with the front door PROPER SHUT. She cannot talk outside of her home but everybody seems to tell her secrets and she slowly starts to figure out what might have happened. Tessie is being bullied at school and has only one friend, her neighbour Max. But there is this new boy at school, Billy, and she falls in love with him. However, she does not know that Billy is Joe's brother. Tessie's mother is depressed and her father works a lot. She has to visit her unconscious sister at the hospital nearly every day. But will Laura wake up again and tell everyone what happened?
The book is well written and contains great dialogue. Its special focus is on the relatively unknown and rare condition of Selective or Situational Mutism (SM). The author was inspired by a real case and describes the issues Tessie experiences very well.
I would recommend the book. It is a good read. Thanks.
The book is well written and contains great dialogue. Its special focus is on the relatively unknown and rare condition of Selective or Situational Mutism (SM). The author was inspired by a real case and describes the issues Tessie experiences very well.
I would recommend the book. It is a good read. Thanks.
June 4, 2020
I read this as part of the new book club that I have joined. It looked good, right up my street. It moved very quickly, I was surprised at just how quick the attack came within the book; but it worked. It really was a page turner and it must be the first book I've ever read so fast, within four days!
I agree with some other reviews regarding the feelings that Tessie feels she has for Billy, however, I feel we need to remember her age, and her current circumstances...her home and school life haven't been particularly full of fun, laughter and love. For me it was easy to believe, even if we didn't understand ourselves, how she thought she felt about him; feelings can become overwhelming and all consuming in given situations.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, there was one thing nagging right from the beginning, why on earth did the family and police seem to think they would find both mobiles? Joe was the main suspect, who was missing, what made them believe that he wouldn't still have his phone? And most likely Laura's too, given the evidence the had up to that point? It did confuse me somewhat. I was expecting it to make sense once I read the book, sadly there was no explanation for it.
I would definitely recommend this book, a great read.
I agree with some other reviews regarding the feelings that Tessie feels she has for Billy, however, I feel we need to remember her age, and her current circumstances...her home and school life haven't been particularly full of fun, laughter and love. For me it was easy to believe, even if we didn't understand ourselves, how she thought she felt about him; feelings can become overwhelming and all consuming in given situations.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, there was one thing nagging right from the beginning, why on earth did the family and police seem to think they would find both mobiles? Joe was the main suspect, who was missing, what made them believe that he wouldn't still have his phone? And most likely Laura's too, given the evidence the had up to that point? It did confuse me somewhat. I was expecting it to make sense once I read the book, sadly there was no explanation for it.
I would definitely recommend this book, a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
this book has some really good representation & I enjoyed the plot. this definitely is a good mystery, especially for younger teen audiences as the message it conveys is important.
so what was good?
- it was fast paced and the mystery element (although guessable) was executed well.
- I really liked tessie as a protagonist and understood her reasons for not talking and not feeling safe.
- I think it was nice to have the first part of the book from laura & joe’s POV. it worked well in building the atmosphere for the book without tessie telling us what had happened.
I hated the ending though. I liked that billy was caught and I thought faye did a good job of showing his erratic behaviour but I wanted to read about all those characters from tessie not just a list of what happened next. it ruined the story for me.
I also think the writing was average. although I think faye has a talent for story telling, this book is definitely written for audiences 13-17 and if I was back in that age demographic, I might have liked the writing more!!
overall a decent book with a good amount of mystery.
3.5 stars.
so what was good?
- it was fast paced and the mystery element (although guessable) was executed well.
- I really liked tessie as a protagonist and understood her reasons for not talking and not feeling safe.
- I think it was nice to have the first part of the book from laura & joe’s POV. it worked well in building the atmosphere for the book without tessie telling us what had happened.
I hated the ending though. I liked that billy was caught and I thought faye did a good job of showing his erratic behaviour but I wanted to read about all those characters from tessie not just a list of what happened next. it ruined the story for me.
I also think the writing was average. although I think faye has a talent for story telling, this book is definitely written for audiences 13-17 and if I was back in that age demographic, I might have liked the writing more!!
overall a decent book with a good amount of mystery.
3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2018
Written by Faye Bird, also the author of ‘My second life’. It narrates a story about a girl (Tessie) who has selective mutism (SM), however something happened to her sister Laura and she is now lying in coma. Laura’s boyfriend Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her? Tessie is now trying to uncover the truth.
Positive points:
Dialogue enriched the story;
The story immediately starts and the description of the characters flows as the story is told;
Selective Mutism was researched and discussed with professionals making the book more realistic;
Negative points:
At the end of the book we are left with a small paragraph of each character, six month later.
To be aware:
Contains strong language not for some young readers.
Amount of pages: 406
Positive points:
Dialogue enriched the story;
The story immediately starts and the description of the characters flows as the story is told;
Selective Mutism was researched and discussed with professionals making the book more realistic;
Negative points:
At the end of the book we are left with a small paragraph of each character, six month later.
To be aware:
Contains strong language not for some young readers.
Amount of pages: 406
January 16, 2024
I’m not sure I have the words for how naive and stupid the main character is in this book.
I’m assuming we are supposed to feel sorry for her due to her disability of selective mutism but she is still old enough not to make the decisions she made.
I hated the Insta love between Tessie and Billy and the way Billy acted especially after Max. I literally wanted to shake some sense into her throughout the book.
I just wanted to find out who harmed Laura and the story behind that was ok which is why it’s not rated 1 star.
I’m assuming we are supposed to feel sorry for her due to her disability of selective mutism but she is still old enough not to make the decisions she made.
I hated the Insta love between Tessie and Billy and the way Billy acted especially after Max. I literally wanted to shake some sense into her throughout the book.
I just wanted to find out who harmed Laura and the story behind that was ok which is why it’s not rated 1 star.
July 20, 2017
Another DNF. The blurb made this book sound right up my street but I only lasted about 40 pages. I felt the section at the beginning with Laura and Joe was far too long - it should have been a brief teaser to introduce the mystery and add tension, but instead it came across as rambley and gave me very little sense of place or character. Maybe it's just the writing style, but I didn't feel any impetus to carry on.
March 5, 2018
I loved the first novel by Faye bird .. but this one i was like hummm...a good read but annoying!!
I just wanted to strangle Tessie and yell speak girl speak ! It was so frustrating but very intriguing at the same time! Mixed thoughts on this one but I have passed it to a friend :) be interesting to hear her thoughts on it!!
I just wanted to strangle Tessie and yell speak girl speak ! It was so frustrating but very intriguing at the same time! Mixed thoughts on this one but I have passed it to a friend :) be interesting to hear her thoughts on it!!
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