Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Review: Your Voice is All I Hear by Leah Scheier

Release date: September 1st 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon 


Synopsis via Goodreads:
Everything about Jonah is unexpected. On the first day of school, he sits next to April, when he could have chosen to sit with the popular girl. He turns down an invitation to join the school team and declares he'd rather paint. He encourages April to develop her musical talent and shrugs off the bullies that torment them.

April isn't surprised to find herself falling for Jonah. The unexpected part is when he falls for her too.

But the giddy happiness of their first romance begins to fade when Jonah's unpredictability begins to take a darker turn. April understands that her boyfriend is haunted by a painful memory, but his sudden mood swings worry her. She can't explain his growing fear of cellphones, electric keyboards, and of sounds that no one else can hear. Still, no matter what happens, April is sure that she'll always stand by him.

Until Jonah finally breaks and is committed to a psychiatric ward.

Until schizophrenia changes everything.

Though everyone urges her to let him go, April stays true to Jonah. But as the boy she adores begins to disappear in front of her, she has to face her worst fear: that her love may not be enough to save him.

*Approved by the publisher on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.





Wow! This story definitely did a number on my emotions. I've never read a book with schizophrenia being a main part of the plot, so it was certainly an eye-opener and I feel after reading Your Voice is All I Hear, I now have a better understanding of the illness and how it impacts everyone involved. 

I wasn't sure at first if I'd like the story because in the beginning, I just couldn't warm up to the main characters. Their attraction just seemed too instant and too intense, and I feared that would cause a disconnect on my part. But once I started getting to know April and catching hints that something was definitely up with Jonah, my curiosity level heightened and I only wanted to move forward to learn more. Also, I had to keep in mind that these were teenagers and they're drawn together for a reason. 

There are so many aspects of the story that make it great. The writing is superb, the unraveling of the characters and their home life, and the sweet yet sad love between April and Jonah. Schizophrenia can drive people away, and I like that the author included a moment in the story where April tried to help her classmates understand what Jonah was going through. She gave them some clarity and they realized that it was nothing to joke about. I honestly don't know how she had the strength to hang on to her relationship. I kept trying to put myself in her shoes and wondered if I would have done the same. Hmm...I don't know. I mean, Jonah's struggles shook me up so much that it scared me a lot. I suspected that he'd do what he did, and I was relieved when April caught him in time. My gosh. I just commend her on being so strong and supportive. She's quite an admirable character. 

It's so hard to talk about the book without giving too much away, all I can is this story will tug at your heartstrings and you may end up in tears by the end, if not before. Again, the writing is wonderful and alluring. If you never understood the illness prior to reading Your Voice is All I Hear, you'll probably get an awakening afterwards. This is by far one of the best books I've read this year. I'm a new fan of this talented author and I'm so happy she wrote this story. It can be helpful for those who know someone with the illness or if you'd like to learn about it. 



Leah Scheier

About the Author
Leah Scheier was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. As a child, she was inspired by her favorite authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lloyd Alexander, and C.S. Lewis to dream up tales of adventure and romance. Now grown up with daughters of her own, Leah works as a pediatrician and continues to create new stories. 




8 comments:

  1. I'm definitely going to read this... I'm just honestly a little scared to! I know it's going to be intense and I'm overly emotional and tend to feel so much for characters I read that stories like this really get to me. It's intimidating, that's for sure. But it sounds like it's really worth the read. :)

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    1. I felt the same way but I couldn't resist. Books like these are necessary and need to be read :)

      Thanks for coming over, Lisa. Hope you give it a try.

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  2. This book sounds amazing! Gorgeous title. It fits the content and I imagine it is nothing less than heartbreaking. Oh and Leah and I share favorite authors. When I was a child, my favorite authors would certainly have been Lewis, Alexander and Doyle.

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    1. It is heartbreaking, especially at the end. Hope you read it.

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  3. Sounds like an emotional story. I'm not real informed when it comes schizophrenia but it sounds like this author portrayed it realistically. Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. Wonderful review, Shane! :)

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