Quietus: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Dark and Intelligent
Review: After seeing this novel listed on ABC News as a "Recommended Summer Read", I picked up a copy at the airport. Once I started the first page, I couldn't stop reading! My only complaint is that it consumed my entire vacation. I was at first skeptical when I saw the reviews on the cover comparing Ms. Schilling to Iris Murdoch and Mary Shelley Wollenstencraft. Now I'm sold. Schilling's terrifying imagination is underscored with intelligence. My only advice -- don't take it on the plane. It starts off with a nightmarish crash!

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Read!
Review: As a lifelong resident of South Boston, I loved this book and its haunting portrayal of our city! I don't normally go for thrillers, but after my wife raved for over a month about how good it was, I had to read it. As she predicted, I couldn't put it down. Even though most of "Quietus" is set in Boston, I was annoyed to have heard nothing about it until my wife stumbled upon it. None of the local papers reviewed it, and what a loss to the residents of Boston. Ms. Schilling's characters are so vivid I could imagine passing them on the street on my way to work. My wife became so unsettled by the main antagonist of the book that she found herself taking a different route home at night. Not only does Ms. Schilling stay true to our city, her research is impeccable. An earlier review mentioned that Ms. Schilling misrepresented our stand on the death penalty. To the contrary. The last execution in Massachusetts was 1947 and Ms. Schilling gives this information in her acknowledgments. Boston is a very haunted city with an unsettling past and she captured that in every syllable. I recommend this for anyone looking for a sophisticated thriller that will HAUNT you (even if you don't live in our fine city!). Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: A bold and terrifying tale of suspense
Review: Award winning author Vivian Schilling's novel Quietus is a bold and terrifying tale of suspense as survivors of a deadly crash awaken in a hospital with untrustworthy memories and uncertain futures. As if they had somehow cheated Death, and Death stalked them, waiting to reclaim its mortal due. A tense, involving, complex, deftly written and highly recommended saga about unraveling the defenses of the human mind one by one, Quietus is aptly titled after the moment of release from life, and haunting to the very end.

Rating:
Summary: A Stunning and Insightful Novel!
Review: Considering my co-worker usually reads non-fiction or historical fiction, I was surprised when she recommended this suspense novel. I wasn't far into the story when I realized why she had chosen it and why she had been so enthralled. In this novel, which deals with death, the author gives insight to the darkest of emotions and fears. Using symbolism and allegory, she explores issues that would otherwise be unbearable to face. On the surface this is a thriller, but underneath, a deeply disturbing tale, with an understanding that earns it the title of "Fine Literature." To put it simply, the depth of this author's insight is simply astounding. My husband passed some years back. As I went through Kylie's journey, I found some of my own fear of death and grief lifting. Don't simply read it for the thrills, read it for this author's understanding of a very difficult subject. Very intelligent, very moving. And yes, very frightening!

Rating:
Summary: I agree with previous comments about the editing--
Review: for example the overuse of the word 'for'--instead of since,
because etc., but beyond that small criticism I give this
compelling drama a thumbs up. The reader is drawn into an
ethereal realm that is seemingly contained within the daily
reality of quite normal and rational people who have survived
an air disaster. It is disturbing at times, but the writer then
snaps us back to the reality we all think we know, and back
out again. Just when you think you have the ending figured
out, you don't, and the story continues to mystify right
up to the last page. This is the first book that I have
quite literally not been able to put down.

Rating:
Summary: A thriller with substance!
Review: I absolutely could not put this novel down. I found myself looking forward to my lunch breaks where I could steal a few more minutes of the characters, the plot, the suspense. Quietus is not your run-of-the-mill thriller, but a novel of substance. If you've ever been touched by death, this book will not only entertain you, but make you think. I also very much appreciated Schilling's research. As a Boston resident, I found her portrayal of the city not only extremely accurate, but insightful. A must read for not only lovers of suspense, but those who can appreciate quality literature.

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying Read !
Review: I bought this book at the airport and I devoured the book in just one day. The book is very well written and the characters are complex and multidimensional. This is a must-read; highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying Read !
Review: I bought this book at the airport and I devoured the book in just one day. The book is very well written and the characters are complex and multidimensional. This is a must-read; highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: This published by Penguin?
Review: I bought this book at the airport on the strength of the endorsements but mostly because it was published by Penguin Books. The premise is intriguing but character development is poor, the descriptions and dialogues are full of clichés, without a memorable sentence in the entire book. Quietus is also full of historical and geographical errors. Eliminating unnecessary adjectives and adverbs alone would have reduced the page count by a third... and another third should have been chopped by a good editor. The author may write screenplays, but she's not a novelist. What is happening at Penguin?

Rating:
Summary: BLAH
Review: I bought this book because the cover compared it to Anne Rice. It was neither suspensful nor a thriller. I must admit it was interesting at first, but then it just became depressing and boring. The main charachter is doomed from the start, but she takes time out to have sex with the grim reaper? That was gross and had nothing to do with the plot. A few chapters try to compare the Bible to the Book of the dead. Interesting, but BORING!