Review Hushed by Kelley York
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another. Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants…
And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
It isn’t often I comment on a cover, but damn. It only hints at the darkness, the terror, the twists the pain thats contained in its pages, and then you remember that this is supposed to be a YA novel.
Archer has been avenging Viv’s rape since she was raped at the age of 12. He’s been killing to protect her, working through his own guilt ever since and becoming her crutch, her right hand, her excuse and her justification for everything. We’re all ready covering some super dark topics, murder, vengeance, justice, rape, overwhelming guilt and we’re not even into the story yet. Viv’s been getting into super unhealthy relationships, mainly because she never had to deal with the aftermath of her rape she’s been becoming a manipulative snot and Archer keeps getting her out of trouble.
I think the best way to describe their very unhealthy relationship is to say he is her pet, and her get out of jail free card, her German sheppard, the doberman she locks in a cage when she doesn’t need him. Then he meets Evan and realizes that Viv has been using him, that she’s doing this on purpose. But Viv has other cards to play, namely she knew about the murders and will tell the police everything she knows, unless Archer kills Evan.
I simply loved this book as it chilled me. Because of the way it was written, in the 3rd person, we got every aspect of everything Archer had to say, think, do, so we got to know him intimately as a character. But we also occasionally got glimpses into Evan with his brightness, and Viv’s turbulence, her darkness, her true demonism, and you saw it deepen as the book continued.
This might be the most chilling book Ive read. Ever. I can’t say too much more without giving away the entire book but its just. Wow. just wow. Disturbing, dark, terrifying, you get every aspect of the characters involved because Ms. York knows how to write dialogue so that it clearly shows who and how her characters are.
Do yourself a favor, buy the damn book.
Overall Rating: A+
