A Review of A Quiet Kind of Thunder

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a novel by Sara Barnard, the author of Beautiful Broken Things. Stefanie 'Steffi' Brons has grown up with childhood selective mutism. As Rhys Gold, a new boy at her school, is deaf, her new head of year decides to introduce them. As they communicate, they start to understand each other better than they ever thought possible.

I really liked this book. However, I was just expecting Steffi to be a little quieter than she actually was.

Steffi talks more than the description 'I don't talk' would have you believe. However, it's often with people who she is comfortable with, and as soon as there is too much pressure on her, she will clam up. When she does talk with strangers, it's a big deal and a huge victory for her. She is still dealing with the after effects of her childhood selective mutism, and her own chronic shyness and anxiety. Something that seems basic to us, like buying something from a shop, is a huge achievement for her.

She has a dream, and it's an unusual one for YA fiction! She wants to work with animals, and study Zoology with Animal Behaviour. However, she has to fight for it, since her parents are worried she won't be able to handle university. It makes sense, as she's the sort of person who does prefer talking to animals than people. And she works in an animal shelter, which is good for her, but can we have more realistic awkward jobs in YA fiction that don't relate to the protagonists interests and are barely tolerable?

Rhys has this attitude where he thinks he should always be the one to take care of Steffi and that she should depend on him. What Steffi calls 'boy bullshit.' He's also got a low self-esteem. Like dude, come on, of course Steffi isn't going to think you're a 'burden.' I don't think he was a bad character however, and I thought it was a realistic way for a teenage boy to behave.

He's also into video games and wants to design them, which makes perfect sense. Video games weren't always something where you needed to be able to hear to get the full experience. However, I have noticed that my enjoyment from video games is increasingly tied to their auditory parts. Many of my favourite games are ones with stellar soundtracks or voice acting. I even know of a few where you need to listen out for audio cues to complete a part. Some aspects of gaming, like voice chat, will be impossible for Rhys. Imagine him working on a program that transcribes what someone is saying and places it into a chatbox during gameplay.

Anyone who has read Barnard's other book will not be surprised if I mention that female friendships are a strong theme in this book, and almost as important as the romance. There is Tem, Steffi's best friend, and while they have a bumpy part, they sort it out. And there's Meg, Rhys's female friend. After the first part of being confused whether she is his girlfriend or not, they get on well, and there is no jealousy between them. It might be the first time I've ever seen this in YA fiction, and I wish she'd had a larger role.

It's also partially educational, as the front and back covers in my edition display the alphabet and numbers in BSL. There's also a list of things you shouldn't say to someone who doesn't talk, and things like keeping your head still and facing a deaf person, so they have a chance to lip-read. It also deals with a few misconceptions, like the idea that BSL is 'for' deaf people.

The book goes into how therapy can help. Steffi's therapist is good with her and understands her small steps. She's also on medication, and it mentions how medication isn't always straightforward and doesn't always help, but it can make a difference. It's important to show people how useful therapy can be, since it's from fiction that people learn what they might need. From this, people might be more likely to speak up if they feel like therapy could help them, and to say something if they find they need a different therapist or medication, for example.

Spoiler: Is it me, or did anyone else think that Steffi's parents reaction to her lying and sneaking off to Scotland to be unrealistic? My parents would never have let me get away with something like that. /spoiler

I would recommend this book for more mature teenage readers. It does contain some descriptive sex scenes, and I feel they would better be able to emphasise with Steffi's anxiety issues. It also uses a fair amount of swear words. I don't personally think swear words are a bad thing - teenagers swear, after all - but I know some people have a problem with them. Also, the sex scenes are realistic - Steffi and Rhys discuss condoms, for example, something I think more teenagers need to see normalised.