I love a good end of the world novel. I love a good horror novel. I really love monsters. Throw them all together in a blender. Hit the high octane button and you have The Silence. Right now I would read anything Tim Lebbon writes. He has been on a roll for me. I don't think anyone is pushing the creepy meter quite as effectively as he is.

Coming off of writing one of my favorite zombie novels with Coldbrook, Lebbon turns in one of my favorite apocalypse stories. When the discovery of a cave system releases some nasty monsters into our ecosystem they sweep across Europe and Asia killing everything in their path.

The story follows Ally and her family as they flee across the U.K. seeking a safe place from the flying bundles of death. Early on the world realizes sound is deadly. Any noise attracts the vesps (the flying carnivorous death machines). For Ally who has lost her hearing years earlier in a deadly car crash the world of silence is nothing new but she must help her family adjust before they become a meal for the flying plague.

The story moves at a brisk pace and is full of horror and creepiness. In the end what makes the story a winner for me is Ally. I love her and her family. Their love for each other and their desire to make sure they survive this new quiet world keeps me invested in the story all the way through. Lebbon doesn't waste a word. He weaves them together beautifully. It has been a long time since a book both creeped me out and made me tear up (The tears came in one of the most horrifying and human moments of the book. It happened in the car. That's all I am giving you. I don't want to ruin the moment).

If you like your horror mixed with a large dose of love and humanity than this book is for you. If you have never read Tim Lebbon before, this is a good place to start. After you love this book go out and buy Coldbrook, you won't regret it. ( )

Vesps, part reptile, part bird from the dawn of time are released when an ancient cave system is penetrated. They fly, they are blind but have heightened senses and can detect motion from the slightest noise. When they attack they are a killing machine and spawn new creatures in the bloodied bodies of the dead and butchered. The silence is about survival, about family,about the love that binds us together when all hope is lost. The first novel I have read by Tim Lebbon, an enjoyable read and I look forward to the movie tie-in ( )

If you were disappointed with A Quiet Place (like I was), read this book instead. ( )

There was a surreal feeling to reading an apocalyptic book during a pandemic. The two worlds kind of blurred together. I wasn't expecting the characters to social distance (although they did in a few scenes) nor did I expect vesps (the creatures in THE SILENCE) to attack me when I went outside. However, the emotions from both built on each other; I immediately identified with the new world in the book and then was more paranoid than usual in real life. The result was a very enjoyable reading experience.

The story alternates between the point of view of Hugh and Ally Andrews. Hugh is the dad, wanting to protect his wife, kids, and mother-in-law and to get them somewhere safe. Ally is his daughter, struck deaf in a car accident years before. The previously mentioned vesps are blind, bat-like creatures the size of cats and with tentacles and razor teeth that have escaped from a cave in Moldova and who hunt by sound. Hugh and his family are in the United Kingdom and trying to escape to the family home in Scotland.

There are a ton of elements that makes the story and characters incredibly real. Lifestyles that have been sacrificed for the kids. Neighbors in denial about the threat. The imperfections of every character. One thing which I thought was great was the way Ally continually got news updates from the Internet and social media. It's exactly what so many people would do in real life. It also heightened the pressure and tension significantly. The family wasn't just running away from a threat but they were constantly finding out how dangerous and deadly the threat was. Figuratively, the vesps were in the rear-view mirror, always getting closer until they finally overtook them. At that point, the novel adds the tension of monsters constantly around, waiting to strike at any moment. About the only negative thing that I can say is that the book seemed to end rather quickly. I wasn't upset about how it ended because realistically there are only a few ways an end-of-the-world book can end. I was more disappointed because I could have easily gone another 200-300 pages. I wanted more! I suppose that is the best way to end a review: I want more. ( )

This copy is signed by both Tim Lebbon and Brian Keene.