Today I’m delving into The House of Quiet by Kiersten White, whose work I have previously enjoyed. The premise of this was fantastic and I was so excited to see how the story panned out.
This review originally appeared on The Nerd Daily.
In the middle of a deadly bog sits the House of Quiet. It’s a place for children whose Procedure triggered powers too terrible to be lived with—their last hope for treatment. No one knows how they’re healed or where they go afterward.
Birdie has begged, bargained, and blackmailed her way inside as a maid, determined to find her missing sister, Magpie. But what she discovers is more mysteries. Instead of the destitute children who undergo the Procedure in hopes of social advancement, the house brims with aristocratic teens wielding strange powers they never should have been burdened with.
Though Birdie wants to ignore them, she can’t help being drawn to stoic and silent Forest, charmed by clever River, and concerned for the youngest residents. And with fellow maid Minnow keeping tabs on everything Birdie does, danger is everywhere.
In her desperate search for Magpie, Birdie unearths terrifying threats and devastating truths, forcing her to confront just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save her own sister. Because in the House of Quiet, if you find what’s lurking beneath . . . you lose everything.
Publication Date: 9th September
CW: death, murder, violence, torture, classism, imprisonment, manipulation
My Thoughts:
The House of Quiet lives up its name in a disquieting story about systemic abuses of power in this dystopian world where darkness lurks around every corner.
Right from the opening, White puts you straight into the deep end. You have this intense sense of foreboding even as the characters are first introduced to you. It is a startling opening that leaves you with plenty of questions, which will not be answered easily. I really enjoy the ambiguity and dripfeeding style White often employs in her work. There is a slightly bizarre and jarring quality to this story where you are not easily orientated, but perfectly mimics the way these characters’ powers informs how they navigate the world. They are not able to be fully rooted so the reader cannot be either. White doubles down on this with the use of multiple narrative perspectives. Initially, this is a little disorientating as you are confronted with a multitude of voices, but as they eventually start to come together and show the bigger picture, it is fantastic. The destination is well worth the journey. These different perspectives also help you to understand each character and their motivations, especially with the influence of their backgrounds and the way their powers may have fundamentally changed them.
This is a fantastic and imaginative story with great twists and turns. It is fragmented and tricksy, not giving you everything as you may expect it to. This is the type of book where you will have to go down the dark corridors if you want the truth. There is a hunger that permeates every page and White ensures that you must mimic this in your desire for the secrets of this house and the people within. It is an extremely dark story at times, cantering around systemic child abuse, power and class. The world these characters inhabit has plenty of parallels to our own and you can see the historical references (and current) White has pulled on within this. The adage of those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it rings true within these pages. For me, it was a great example of using a fantastical space to tackle issues within our world. You can recognise the inferences but also White is screaming in rage – the messages cannot be missed.
The world-building in this book is sublime. It is fascinating and often subtle, allowing you to be pulled into this story and then have the world unfold around you. Even within the first few pages, learning that your class is indicated by the species from which your name is drawn is a wonderful and intriguing touch. As a reader, you have plenty of questions and that’s before we even get into the bones of the story. The powers are so interesting and varied, but also have genuine consequences. These are devastating and add another layer to the story. It was very reminiscent of an even darker, Gothic take on the X-Men, but with White’s unique touch. This is no family, this is a ragtag bunch of misfits ostracised from society and brought to this house for unknown reasons. The house itself is an isolated and eerie setting that is truly its own character from the start. White brings the setting to life with vividly imagined descriptions of these dark corridors, forbidden rooms and secrets beneath the floorboards. There is an inherent darkness that starts to come to light as the pages flow.
The House of Quiet is an all-consuming story that will stay with you longer after the final page. White proves once again that her brand of darkly entrancing horror sends shivers down your spine as the pieces start to come together.
A Short Book Lover 
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