A Quiet Kind of Thunder Paperback – 10 January 2017

4.25⭐️Totally adored this cute romantic and insightful story.It’s intense how anxiety can limit your life so much, it made me wonder about my teen years when I stopped talking to anyone that wasn’t close to me, I would also choose different paths if I saw anyone that might know me and anyone that was remotely in my age range. So, I felt very close to the issues of our main character. , Steffi. Imagine when the explanation to your muteness if psychological, can it get worse than that? Fortunately, because of it she ends up learning some sign language and when a new deaf student, Rhys, comes to join her school she’s the perfect one to walk him around. And, she needs the company since her bestie has just left to experience a new school and is getting up in a rushed burning relationship.Of course it has romance, a sweet and adorable one, a realistic one, and also the kind that is one sided and breaks our hearts, and with our protagonists well it’s not the usual one, they are not usual teens, or better they’re more than the usual teens, besides the anxiety of new relationships, the tension of approval and acceptance, they have their own demons and traumas caused by their limitations.This is a book about family, love, loss, and acceptance, it’s a story to open your mind to privilege of being able to communicate, to hear, without a limitation, and also to recognise that in truth we all have our limitations and they manifest in various ways.The narrative is addictive and the writing easy to follow, I love how each chapter starts with the sign language for the number and how much info there is about it throughout the book.I’m glad I picked it up and I’m curious to read more from the author.

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!!!!

Steffi is selectively mute. Rhys is deaf.I think if that much intrigues you, you should definitely pick up this book.The protagonist Steffi has severe social anxiety and suffers occasional panic attacks. Most of the book follows her struggles as she steps out of her comfort zone and tries to communicate with strangers (something which is very hard for her). Steffi wants to attend college after she graduates school but her parents think that it would be to much for her and try to dissuade her from doing so. She loves her job at an animal rescue shelter and hopes to be a trainer or a veterinarian someday.Through all of this, Steffi and Rhys start liking each other and it works for her as she doesn't need to speak out loud to him and it works for him cause she knows a little of Sign Language.I do want to point out that this book is more on about their romance rather than them dealing with their disabilities, so I would suggest reading this only if you're into romance. Even though the disability thing is tackled well, romance is still a bigger theme.In conclusion, the book was worth reading. The writing got better as I read on.

A beautiful and tender story, with a realistic and not romanticized view on anxiety disorders and deafness. I loved Steffi and Rhys, so sweet together, and Tem and basically everyone else.I do not tend to like, nor love, contemporary books. But this is my personal exception, this book warmed my heart and yes, I loved it to pieces.

I absolutely loved this book. I would have read it a lot faster, if life hadn't kept interrupting me xDThe characters were adorable and the love story increadibly sweet. I absolutely recommend it!