A Quiet Kind of Thunder

Steffie Brons has battled severe anxiety her whole life. Manifesting itself in selective mutism, she is often quiet, unable to speak normally around strangers or in large groups. As a way to help her communicate, she has learned British Sign Language which is why when new boy Rhys, who is deaf, joins her school, she is asked to buddy with him and help him acclimate to the new environmentIt doesn't to take long for Steffie and Rhys to bond and soon they create a bubble all their own, learning how to communicate with each other. Rhys makes Steffie feel brave and understood, helping her find her voice and live the life that she wants. Eventually becoming more than friends, Steffie and Rhys have to now navigate not only the trials of being teenagers with special circumstances, but navigating a first relationship and what it means to truly allow someone else in their bubble.Though I myself am not a part of the Deaf community, nor can I speak to the representation of selective mutism, I felt that Barnard was respectful of both circumstances and thoroughly represented the struggles and questions that follow them.I will say that this is definitely a character driven narrative, so there is not a great deal of plot. It is all about Steffi and her relationships with Rhys, her best friend. and her family,and how they are all affected and cope with Steffi's anxiety and how Steffi struggles to do what normal people take for granted so she can have her own agency.Though I did think the story was sweet, I found myself annoyed by the main characters at certain points, possibly because I could not relate to their difficulties. It also felt a bit too "insta-love" for me. Though Rhys and Steffi knew eachother for a couple of months before they became a couple, the book doesn't necessarily portray that.Also, the narration of this story made it feel as though Rhys and Steffi were younger than they are. They are 18 and 17 in the story, yet I kept picturing them as 14 or 15. I am not entirely sure why.Overall though I definitely felt this was a solid contemporary and would recommend.

Wow this book was INCREDIBLE. I think I read it at the exact right time in the right amount of speed to enjoy it the most. What I really needed right now was a contemporary, and this one totally delivered.First of all, this COVER. Second, this book is ultimately a British book!!! So the characters use BSL (British Sign Language) instead of ASL. I thought that was really interesting! Plus, I loved reading all of the British lingo and words that we don’t use here in the states!The characters were AMAZING and so diverse!!! Our main character, Steffi, was a selective mute and had social anxiety, both of which are very underrepresented in the YA book community. Steffi also has a black best friend who’s an incredible runner. And the other main character, Rhys, is Deaf.I LOVED Steffi and Rhys together. They were so cute oh my gosh. Their romance was played out so well over the book. Tem and Steffi’s friendship was another amazing part! Also, I loved Steffi’s parents (especially her dad) and how supportive her stepdad and stepmom were of her. It was a complicated but nice family dynamic and very realistic.My favorite thing was the BSL and the Deaf culture!! I’m very interested in studying ASL and I love reading books featuring a Deaf character!! I also enjoyed reading about Steffi’s selective mutism, something I knew nothing about before this book. And it was so cool how she and Rhys bonded because she didn’t speak and he wouldn’t be able to hear her even if she did speak. Like i said, their relationship was AMAZING and I NEED it in my life.This was really a story about Steffi finding herself and finding her voice - both figuratively and literally. It’s about how she and Rhys fall in love, despite the communication problems they often have.So I LOVED this book. With all my heart!!!!! Definitely one of my new favorites!!!!

"Little victories are everything in a world where worst-case scenarios are on an endless loop in your head."Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life—she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.3.5 stars. This book was adorable. When I first read the synopsis, I was reminded of how I liked the interaction between the MCs of Eliza and Her Monsters, though this book centers a lot more on their interactions.It's not complex, it doesn't have a lot of plot, and it doesn't move quickly but the great friendships, both wonderful sets of parents, and the dorky, adorable romance made this. There was plenty of anxiety on Steffi's part but it was well-balanced to keep the book from being a complete downer.With lightning, you're never really sure if that's what it was; it's just a flash. Thunder, you know. You feel it."The only thing I didn't like about the book is that Rhys had some sort of sexism problem that came out in the latter chapters to create some tension for the finish. I'm not sure how I would have handled it if I were the author but I'm not a fan of sexism, especially when the whole book Steffi is trying to break out of the expectations she and her parents have bound her in.Recommended for those who would like a slow and sweet teen romance. (Warning: it does have some sexual situations but omgoodness it was awkward and cute. Just like first times.)

I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.I really enjoyed Sara Barnard's debut title Beautiful Broken Things, and so when I heard she was releasing a new book, I jumped on it. And to my delight, it was even better than her first book. A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a love story about a selective mute girl called Steffi and a deaf boy named Rhys, and it is sweet and painful and delightful and heartbreaking all at once. It's very raw, and very honest in its portrayal of a various number of topics - anxiety, grief, first love, sex, friendship - but this is all balanced out with a gratuitous helping of pure, adorable fluffiness.If you liked Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, enjoyed Sara Barnard's debut novel, or just wanted to read a realistic yet sweet romance, you should definitely pick this one up.

This book changed a lot in me. Steffi’s story is absolutely brilliant and inspiring. We’re all afraid of something, so what do we do when there’s only us we can rely on? What do we do when the one person you’ve been relying on needs to rely on you? Steffi and Rhys are one of my all time favourite duos: I dare you not to just adore them.As a reader, I fall deeper in love with Sara Barnard every book she writes. As a teacher, it inspired me to go out and teach my children some sign language too!

I still have so many feels about this book, even though it’s been over a month since I read it, I simply don’t know how to put my thoughts into words.I devoured this 300+ page book in a little under 5 hours and, as I got closer and closer to the last page, I found myself hoping and praying that it wouldn’t come to an end. Not only is the love story so cute, and you find yourself cheering for Steffi and Rhys, but Barnard’s writing makes you feel and believe what the characters are going through.I fell in love with the characters from the first chapter, and I cannot wait to see just what other stories and/or characters Barnard has hidden away in her head.

My youngest daughter struggles with anxiety, she read this and is amazed on how similar her and steffi (the main character) is, they both know advanced sign language, there is no reason for my daughter knowing it she just does. They run through every scenario that could happen twicw. good brain & bad brain, what if scenarios. all whilst being a lovely lovely person. must read absolutely amazing wow. one of my faves for sure

I liked this but it didn't hit all the right notes for me. It seemed a little too deep for what I wanted and it took me a while to get through this. Don't get me wrong, I liked the gentle romance between our two characters but all the inner turmoil and anxiety related things just made it too heavy for me. And then the ending was a little abrupt to me.