Absolutely incredible!!!!! Story as a whole was engaging from the very beginning. I loved the representation of the disability and queer community! It was inclusive without trying to be. My one critiques is the very ending. It felt so different from the rest of the story. Almost like a different person wrote the ending. Didn't love the ending. But this author will now be on my "must read" list!

This is an emotional rollercoaster, I would check all trigger warnings before reading. I thought the book was well done, but it is very disturbing. It also got better after getting through the first third of the book. It is disturbing but it well done and listend to it in a few days. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC
4 star

I struggled with the first few hours of the audiobook of "the girl without a voice". In my opinion it took a bit too long for us to actually get to "the main part" which we knew all about from the blurb. I almost DNF'd then, but wanted to stick it out. Once we did get to that part however, I was hooked. It was an interesting story, however the read was not really dark or as much as thriller I expected.

In some moments I thought that the way Alice behaved didn't make much sense with the upbringing she had.

Towards the end we get a change of POV to a few other characters, which felt a bit out of the blue. I understand why that was done, but I'm still not so sure how I feel about it.

The ending is unexpected and fairly open, I wished I knew a bit more of how it's going to go for her, but I understand that being for the reader's imagination.

The narration of the audiobook was not my favorite sadly. It felt very robotic at times. After a while, I came up with the theory that it was whenever Alice or someone else used sign language, but after finishing the book I'm still not sure that's the case. If it is I think it would've been best to use a disclaimer at the beginning of the book to inform people about it. I also felt like the narration was very slow, I usually speed audiobooks up a bit but I had to speed this one up even more.

Overal, if you're interested in a not so dark, more mystery than thriller kind of serial killer novel, are okay with it having a long build up and like a bit of queer side story, maybe you'd like this book.

This is an honest review in exchange for an ALC. Thank you to Rantie Media, Sandra J. Paul and NetGalley for the ALC.

The concept of this was really interesting. I thought the beginning part of the book dragged a bit, I was surprised by the amount of context that was given before we got into the main part of the book but it was definitely needed and added to the story as a whole. I thought the narrator’s voice matched Alice perfectly and was done really well.
I enjoyed the twists that unfolded throughout the story and they kept me interested. I do think this should have started with a trigger warning as there are some dark parts to this book and I definitely would have appreciated prior notice of some things.
I was actually really annoyed by the ending. Haley stuck by Alice the whole time and then for her to walk away right at the end made me think what was the point?
Overall an interesting story that I did enjoy but one that I had some issues with.

You know a book is 5 ⭐when you finish and have to start at the wall for a while afterwards to process. This was that kind of book. The way the author wrote about trauma was well done. The plot twist at the end caught me off guard and the ending had my jaw on the floor.

The story was fantastic. It was haunting and intriguing. I just wanted to find out more. I wanted more of the romance between Hayley and Alice at the beginning.

I loved the story but struggled with the narration at regular speed. Normally I listen to audiobooks at regular speed when I plan to review it so that I don't miss any inflection. This audiobook was spoken so slowly that I was not able to listen without speeding it up. I did enjoy the audiobook once it was sped up. I like the voices that were used for each character.

This was a heartbreaking short read. (I got the audio book version and the voice acting was well done). Most of the plot was pretty predictable but still going through Alice's life was heartbreaking and even though you know its coming its still terrible what Alice had to go through. some parts felt a little far fetched like the situation with Haley. overall an enjoyable read.

I really liked the idea of the book. It was really moving to see what Alice went through. I did think her relationship with Hayley was a bit… fake? Like it was all going way too fast for someone who never talked to anyone in years except her mum and dad. I did think Alice was younger too, but then trauma can do that. I loved the subjects broached in this book.
I liked a bit less the narration, thought it was robotic.
I give it a 3.5!

Really loved the premise of this. But the execution fell short. It was a very slow build, and I found the characters difficult to like. One of the twists managed to surprise me, so some points for that. But it was mostly predictable. The narration on the audio sounded very robotic.

Alice is a young woman in her twenties who is unable to speak. She's kept hidden away in her parents' house, unable to leave or talk to other people. Her father is gone for days at a time on business trips, and when he's home, he's anything but kind. Her mother is a cold, unloving alcoholic who shows no affection for her daughter. Alice cannot remember her ever touching her at all, much less hugging her or showing her any kind of physical affection that mothers should show their children. Why?

When a young woman around Alice's age moves in next door, they become friends using written language and sign language. This friendship leads to Alice uncovering a lot of secrets about her past and her parents' past. Are they who they say they are? Why don't they seem to love her.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I think that the ending was a bit abrupt for me, but I enjoyed this read a lot.

The Girl Without a Voice by Sandra J Paul
*eBook ARC via NetGalley*

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Alice has been locked away by her controlling parents, mute and isolated from the world. Despite her silence and confinement, she refuses to be trapped in ignorance, and pushes beyond the walls of her childhood to find answers.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
Obsessed with the book cover and premise and so glad I didn’t read the summary and blurb which I think revealed way too much of the plot!

Since Alice doesn’t speak, the audiobook was a unique listen - her voice literally doesn’t exist! Once I got over that, I noticed the narrator sounded older than I imagined. Alice is so naive, I expected her voice to reflect that more. But, it was a really strong performance overall.

The vibe is suspenseful and emotionally tense, but there’s a lightness. It’s character‑driven, bingeable and no popcorn melodrama.

Alice’s parents were horrendous, and it’s their behavior that really propels the story. Alice was such a unique character - I loved her quiet strength and felt her loneliness. Hailey was the light she needed, but I did find her a bit questionable… maybe I’m just naturally suspicious!

The story reads almost in two parts. The first half is slow suspense, and then things pick up with Alice and Hailey playing detective. But as things unfolded, nothing really surprised me.

It’s an emotional unraveling rather than a twisty “whodunnit.” I was hoping for one huge wow or twist, but apart from the ambiguous ending, it didn’t come.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
The light eerie vibe was addictive and the suspense at the start grabbed me. Go in for the atmosphere, not the twists. Just don’t read the blurb!

Thank you Datura, Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this #gifted ARC.

🎧 Narrated by Eve Passeltiner
📖 Publishes 08•19•25 | 432 pages | 11h 8m

This was a mystery from a different perspective. I really enjoyed this unique take on discovering a serial killer. This book centers on Alice. A mute woman who grew up with her parents as the only people she ever saw. This book really gives you her perspective and how she loves them and it really helps you feel what she is feeling. I loved going along for this ride and i really hope to read more from this author! Also that ending!!! I really loved it in an entirely unsatisfying way. Sometimes the most unsatisfying endings are the best ones!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m not normally a person who really enjoys lots of thrillers because I tend to spoil the twist for myself by guessing too quickly or for the fact that often, I can find them a bit underwhelming in comparison to other more intense genres that I read.

I am so happy to say that I LOVED this one! There is information that is given to you straight up, which for some can indicate that the plot is given away to easily, but for this one, that’s not actually what the twist is and while I sort of suspected something along the lines of what happened, the truth behind the story was so much more sinister than what I initially anticipated. This author is becoming an auto read author for me I have loved all three of her books because of their unique nature and I find that her writing keeps me gripped from the very first page.

I did the audio version of this book and the author did a fantastic job at representing the character and her emotions throughout this story, and really telling it in a way that didn’t leave me wishing for more from the experience.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC

Such a fantastic read. I completed this in less than a day. I love the mysterious aspect of everything especially the details that were revealed towards the end of the book. I also loved that Hailey stuck with Alice regardless of what happened to her own mom. I will absolutely recommend this book to anyone.

The book’s description immediately piqued my interest — it promised emotional depth and a story shaped by significant past events. That sense of hidden layers and history behind the characters and their circumstances was indeed present and well conveyed. The premise was intriguing and had great potential.

I listened to the audiobook version, and while the narration was clear, the pacing felt quite slow. At times, I was tempted to speed up the playback just to keep myself engaged. This might have impacted my experience somewhat, but I believe the feeling of slowness was also due to the structure of the story itself.

Part 1 begins after the introduction, and here we follow the main character more closely. However, I quickly found that there was a lot of repetition in this section — thoughts and situations seemed to circle back too often without real progression. This made it harder for me to stay emotionally connected, and my interest began to fade.

Later in the book, the story does expand, offering glimpses into the past, moments of personal development, and a broader look at the world the character inhabits. These elements added some depth, and I appreciated the attempt to provide insight into how past experiences shaped the present. However, I still struggled to fully engage with the narrative, as it didn’t resonate with me personally. I found it difficult to connect with the character’s journey on an emotional level or to fully believe in the world that was being portrayed.

In the end, despite the book’s promising concept and moments of thoughtful reflection, it didn’t quite land for me. The overall execution felt flat, and I was left with a somewhat negative impression. Based on my experience, I would give this book 2.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This shocking story follows Alice, a mute woman who has grown up confined to walls of her home with a distant mother, and a traveling salesman for a father who is only home on the weekends. With only books and tv characters to keep her company, Alice has never known any one else— that is until the strange family gets a new neighbor.
Haley, whose window mirrors Alice’s, begins to learn sign language in order to befriend Alice. As their friendship blossoms into something more, Alice’s father returns home for a final weekend, announcing that his cancer (an illness that was kept secret from Alice) is finally taking over.
On his death bed, he says things to Alice that lead her to believe that her father may have done unspeakable things during his travels for the last twenty-some years. When he dies, and Alice’s mother is arrested for suspicion of having aided in his death, Alice seeks help from the only person she has left.
Together, the two women set out on a roadtrip to seek evidence of Alice’s worst fear… her father was a serial killer.
The relationship written between Alice and her parents— especially her mother— is wildly complex and tragic. Alice carries a lot of loyalty to her parents, and has been trained to obey them, and do as she’s told. So, when her basic morality kicks in, encouraging her to do the right thing, Alice is torn with shame.
Her blossoming connection with Haley sits in a vibrant contrast of first love, and innocence. With the subtle fear of what it meant to be openly queer in the Eighties, and her inexperience in relationships all together, Alice is lost in navigating her feelings. But Haley is kind, and supportive of Alice the whole way.
The pacing, layered clues, and unique perspective of the voiceless main character, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings for this one, but if you can stomach it, it’s definitely worth the read!

To be published 19 August 2025

Alice, who is mute, has always been kept away from the world by her family, so much so that no one even knows she exists. It is only until Hailey shows up next door that she even tries to communicate with another person.
When Alice's father returns from his job as a traveling salesman with terminal cancer, her whole world unravels after he confesses on his deathbed to murdering several women.
Alice goes searching for answers and there are twists upon twists throughout this book, how much did Alice's mum know? Has she always been mute or did something happen to her? What other secrets was her father hiding?
I enjoyed how Alice was initially portrayed as helpless and really comes into her own as she uncovers more and more of her fathers story.
The Girl Without a Voice was a really good psychological thriller that kept me guessing what was going to happen next.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early ARC.

By the end of the first chapter Sandra J Paul had me totally immersed in Alice’s story. A mute woman who is confined to her home with her negligent parents, Alice’s knowledge of the outside world comes from tv and books and what her parents choose to tell her. On her father’s deathbed Alice finds out her dad may be responsible for a number of murders and that her mutism may not be exactly what she has been led to believe. With the help of Hailey, a neighbour that she has been communicating with in secret, Alice finally leaves the confines of her home to find out the truth about her father and in turn, herself.
I thought this was a great story with strong characters and plot. I did think however, it was a bit unrealistic that Alice would manage to cope so well so quickly in the outside world considering she had never set foot outside her home (except to be in her backyard) 🤔 The twists were good and kept me guessing right until the end. Speaking of the end, I was very happy with where and how the story finishes and that it wasn’t a regular happily ever after.
The narration was great with Eve Passeltiner making it sound like she was actually doing sign language whilst speaking during the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the audiobook arc for review.

This story is engaging at first. I was definitely pulled in wondering where it was going. However, it surprised me with how slowly it built up to the meat of the mystery and how quickly the romance progressed. I was also really dissatisfied with the ending and I don't like the implications of the very last lines. I think it's an okay read if you like the idea of a murder mystery from the perspective of a very traumatized girl. I don't think this one was for me really though.
When listening to the audiobook I was not very fond of the narrators choice of voice for the main character. I found myself forgetting that she was in her twenties because it felt like the tone was more young. Then some secondary characters felt like they spoke extremely slowly and I'm not sure why because the words of the text didn't seem to imply that they spoke slower than other characters.

I could not get into this one at all. I was intrigued by the premise, but the storytelling style didn't work for me and from the opening pages/minutes I found I didn't care for the narration or the story - it just didn't resonate. This one wasn't for me...