"The Girl Without a Voice" tells the fascinating yet heart breaking story of Alice, a girl born mute & trapped in a life shaped by silence, fear & isolation. This isn’t just any thriller — it’s a psychological & emotional rollercoaster.

Alice immediately struck me as vulnerable & helpless, someone who could shatter instantly if you so much as brush against her. I just wanted to wrap her in a blanket & hug her tight. Reading about her living in complete isolation, convinced that danger waits behind every door, was incredibly painful. Her muteness is a symbol of how toned down she has become, how small & powerless her parents intended to make her feel her entire life.

Alice's father plays a huge part in enhancing the suffocating & controlling atmosphere. He’s the puppet master, controlling everything behind the scenes, even when he’s not physically there. The dread of his return from work, the inability to move freely in their own home... You can feel how it slowly eats away at both Alice & her mother from the inside.

But hey, in comes Hailey — Alice’s new neighbour & the first person in her life to ever truly see her. Alice doesn’t go to school, has no friends & never leaves the house. Hailey is her very first, very real human connection. The fascination & hunger to get to know other people is so strong that their friendship evolves fast until eventually, Hailey becomes her lifeline.

The pacing of the book reflects Alice’s journey to a T. In the beginning, the story seems rather slow-paced as we get to know her & her family more. After that, the speed picks up like lightning, with one surprise leading into another.

When Alice & Hailey decide to retrace her father’s old sales routes, the emotional weight of the story takes a massive turn. It’s not just a search for answers — it’s reopening all old wounds from Alice's childhood. You can clearly tell that she hopes to be wrong, until all the evidence stares her dead in the face, unable to be denied or ignored any longer.

The emotional balance in this novel is amazing. One minute I wanted to either scream or cry, the next I was chewing my nails from the lingering tension. Add to that the psychological thriller elements & you have an amazing story. This is something Sandra J. Paul excels at. She’s one of my favourite Flemish authors for a reason — she always delivers.

And then — that reveal! I didn’t see it coming at all! The way all the dots were connected in the end? I was reeling. Plot twist after plot twist. I could barely keep up & at times, I found myself holding my breath for so long, I’d come out of a chapter gasping. That’s how intense it got!

The ending left me absolutely gobsmacked. I closed the book with a million questions still swirling in my head. What will happen next? What will unfold in Alice’s life? Where will she go from here? I’m just absolutely dying to know!