Hushed by Kelley York

Title:  Hushed 

Author:  Kelley York

Genre:  Young Adult Thriller

Publisher:  Entangled Publishing

Format/Pages:  NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date:  December 6, 2011

Archer and Vivian have been friends forever. But when Archer couldn’t protect Vivian from being hurt when they were kids, he does whatever it takes to protect her from everything else as they get older. So while Vivian hops from bad relationship to bad relationship, Archer waits in the wings—always there, always forgotten.  Then Evan shows up. Evan is the first person to ever care about Archer with no strings attached. The closer Archer gets to Evan, the more he realizes just how messed up Vivian is. But Archer can’t break free of Vivian, and after she discovers just what Archer has done to protect her, she threatens to turn him in, unless she gets what she wants. And what she wants is Evan gone and Archer at her beck and call. But will Archer give up his last chance at redemption to save Vivian one last time or will he realize what he really needs?

Hushed is a very intense, very disturbing novel about the dark and twisted things love can make you do. How would you feel if you spent your entire life being there for someone and they couldn’t see what was right in front of them? This is Archer’s life; always there for Vivian, doing anything and everything she wants, protecting her from anything and everything that might hurt her, even killing for her. Archer’s entire world begins and ends with Vivian. Needless to say, Viv doesn’t feel the same way about Archer. She only needs him when her latest relationship goes south or she needs a shoulder to cry on. Not exactly what Archer is looking for. Then Evan comes along. He accepts Archer for who, and what, he is. No questions, no strings. And that doesn’t make Vivian happy. From the very beginning, this book gives you a sense that nothing is going to end well for anyone. Despite what Archer has done, you can’t help but like him. He longs to be loved, heck, even liked. And then there is Vivian. I honestly can’t say anything nice about her. At first I wanted to blame life’s circumstances on her flaws and her behavior. But Evan put it very well: “…no one can turn you into a bad person, just like no one can turn you into a good one. We’re all dealt our hands in life, and how we choose to react is entirely up to us. That’s free will.” I love Evan! He is understanding and calming; he lets Archer be himself and he is so good for Archer. Their relationship is sweet and innocent and quite frankly, perfect. I cheered for those two the entire book. I wanted something in Archer’s life to go well, and I wanted that something to be Evan.

Hushed is an amazing book. York writes the flawed protagonist better than any author I have recently read. In one breath, you are horrified by what Archer is doing, but in the next breath, you are cheering for Archer. York pulls your emotions in so many directions at once that your head starts to spin. But it’s a good spin. It’s the subtle nuances of the story that really play with your emotions and pull you into the story—the character’s expressions, the unexpressed feelings, Vivian’s descent into madness, Evan’s feelings for Archer. These things build as the story progresses and they build well. It’s great to read an author who knows what she is doing and does it oh-so-well.

Hushed is a book that needs to be read, it would be a shame to put it aside and let it gather dust. Grab it off of the shelf and give it your full attention. But, it is a dark and disturbing novel. It is not for the ultra-sensitive, like those who might be offended by a relationship between two males, those offended by the use of the f-word or those offended by descriptions of murder. I would recommend this book for older teens or very mature teens. I will recommend it to my daughters; I think they would like it.

My grade for Hushed: