By Megan Amato
Samantha Garner’s debut novel The Quiet is Loud is an intriguing, grounded sci-fi that develops through poignant moments in the past, dream sequences, and present first-person narrative to unveil a story that transcends the pages and takes you on a tour across Canada as you play connect-the-dots with the protagonist’s life.
After ten-year-old Freya Tanangco’s dream of her mother’s death comes true, she discovers that she is one of the rare people with extra mental abilities. Blaming herself for her mother’s death, she keeps her secret to herself, especially from her prejudiced father. As an adult, Freya works hard to keep her head down in a world cruel to those like her, but when her visions start to bleed into her waking life, she is forced to seek help from a “paradextrous” support group. Just as she starts to find her footing with her abilities, her trust in the wrong person threatens to expose her ability to the world—and to her notorious father, whose refusal to consider the feelings of a family member has already torn a hole in their family.
This story is subtle. When I first started reading, I thought it would be one of those books that I would stop and start as I worked my way through the plot, but I should have had more faith in the author. Rather deftly, Garner layers and weaves details throughout the book that draw you in through the moments of the past that shaped Freya’s fear, to the present, where she must overcome that fear to save someone she loves and free herself from the threat of discovery looming over her.
It was hard not to empathize with Freya as she grew, learned lessons about the people in her life and the world, and withdrew from a society she feared and that feared her in return. She is supported by endearing characters, including a cousin who may not understand her but will do anything to support her; a brainy support group leader who would make those even with eidetic memories jealous; and an inherently kind paradextrous man who proves that different genders can be friends and remarkable ones at that. However, my favourite character was Freya’s fastidious aunt, who has purposely pushed those she loved away due to her own trauma but steps up when people need her the most.
The only character who I thought was slightly underdeveloped was the antagonist. I felt like their relationship with the protagonist developed too quickly and deteriorated just as fast. However, part of me wonders if this was done purposely to show how those with charisma and self-righteousness draw bees like honey but can be just as quick to use that power to destroy real people’s lives for the “greater good.”
I believe that every story teaches you something, be it a recipe for a dessert or a valued life lesson from an elder. In The Quiet is Loud, I learned more about tarot readings and how they can be deciphered, about Norse and Filipino mythology, and that people who try to change the world without consulting those they’re trying to help can do more harm than good. However, the main message is clear: our stories are ours to tell, and how they are told can be more important than the telling itself.
You can pick up a copy of Samantha Garner’s The Quiet is Loud from Canadian indie publisher Invisible Publishing. It’s definitely worth the read.