Recent Reads - Hushed by Kelley York

Hushed, by Kelley York

  5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Young Adult, Dark Thriller

Pages: 260

Publication: 12/06/2011, Entangled Publishing

Why I Chose It:  I received an ARC as part of the Hushed blog tour.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

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.

My Review:  Everyone lets you down, it's a fact of life, Marissa told him once. The key is to know when they're doing it because they don't care enough to try not to.

I love this line from Kelley York's debut novel, Hushed. The truth within it is undeniable. Add to it this passage--

He remembered back to several weeks ago, when Vivian stood silhouetted by the light against the windows of her apartment...

This was different. Evan was different. The light didn't wrap around him like it did with Vivian. He dominated the place it wanted to occupy, and it crowded against the outline of him, envious of his brightness.

Archer's skin prickled. His body ached to move closer. He was no better than the moonlight, wanting so desperately to share space in any way that he could.

And it's easy to see why this is one of my favorite books of the year. Can you say SWOON?

Kelley York is a brilliant writer. In Hushed she's brought to life characters so flawed, so conflicted, so human, I have trouble believing they're fictional. It's these kinds of characters, these kinds of stories that leave me giddy when I've turned the final page.

Archer and Vivian were the best of friends, but time and circumstance have turned their once innocent friendship into a toxic relationship. Vivian is selfish and manipulative and I found myself screaming at her throughout the book. Yet, everything that Vivian did to Archer that I despised, Archer did to Evan. Still, I found him to be the more likeable of the two.

It's incredible to believe a story can make you root for a murderer--as Evan tells Archer at one point, there's nothing noble about taking a life--but this one did. I found myself praying the entire time that he wouldn't be caught. I didn't want to imagine a world where Evan's love wouldn't be enough to make Archer change. I needed them to end up together. I needed love to be enough.

Hushed is dark and disturbing and definitely for an older, more mature YA audience, but it's also amazing and honest and brutal. At it's heart it's a story about friendship, loyalty, love, and redemption. It explores how far we're willing to go to save another and just how hard it is to save ourselves.


Interested in reading this one? It's on sale now. Buy a copy for yourself.