Kathryn W

Although I felt it was slow to grab my interest I did find it to be an entertaining book. It was also very thought provoking reminding us that revenge can be taken too far. I was pleasantly surprised how humorous some of the dialogue was considering the subjects of betrayal and revenge. There were enough plot twists to keep the reader interested and the ending definitely will give book clubs a lot to discuss.

I was initially excited to receive this book for review as I found the subject intriguing. Unfortunately, The Silent Period turned out to be a disappointing read. There was not a clear understanding of the character's motive behind her decision to stop talking, and because of this there seemed no point to her actions. Although I finished the book it did not hold my interest and I found it difficult to remain engaged with the character and the storyline. I do not feel that I could recommend this book to anyone I know.

Diaz writes with a fierce honesty that can be overwhelming at times as her childhood and young adult life were difficult to the extreme. While this is a memoir it almost reads like a novel in part due to the detail with which she tells her story. I also found it very interesting that she wove bits of Puerto Rican history throughout her story giving the reader a sense of who the people of Puerto Rico are. At times tragic and heartbreaking it is also a story of survival and the power of friendship.