 Angels of the Silences is a novella about youth and mortality. The story stars Emily, our narrator, and Biff, her best friend. They are two typical teenage girls - part of the local goth/mosher subculture (why, yes, now you mention it, I am a million years old, thanks for noticing), they live a life that revolves around waiting for 6th form college classes to end so they can hang out with their gang of mates, drink, listen to loud music, and hopefully get off with pretty boys. They are also, as we learn on page one, dead. As hooks go, it’s a pretty inventive one, and the way Bestwick weaves the revelations of what that means into the unfolding narrative in the first quarter of the book is skillful and impressive. What I particularly enjoyed was how much he chose to leave unexplained - there’s enough metaphysics to get your teeth into, and for the young women in the story to respond to and learn to deal with, that the narrative feels compelling and thought through, but there are also enough unexplained details to allow the reader some autonomy when it comes to interpretation. The narrative itself is fun and well-paced - this is a novella that is very economically written, which is a huge strength - but for me, the stand out elements were the characters, and the voice. There’s a very fine line to be trod with writing teenagers in general, and striking the balance between honest portrayal and cliche is a real challenge. Bestwick negotiates this with great skill and care, producing two leads that are compelling, honest, and well rounded. The interactions between Emily and Biff are the emotional core of the story, and Bestwick draws a brilliantly realised portrait of teenage friendship that rings with authenticity. The book is also a reflection on mortality, both in absolute terms and also in the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the twilight zone between the two states that teenage life represents. Seeing Emily coming to terms with the consequences of not ageing while her peers do is poignant, and the tensions that, and the mortality of others, brings to the friendship between the two young women gives the tale considerable emotional depth, as well as leading to a lovely coda following the main narrative climax. Angels of the Silences is a cracking novella, with a strong narrative voice, compelling, believable characters, and a dark edge that sits alongside some brilliantly observed dialogue and humour. I thoroughly enjoyed it. KP 13/1/19 PS - If you’re already a fan of Simon Bestwicks work, he’s recently started a Patreon, with perk including access to his serial publication of his new novel as it’s written. For more details, including free access to the opening chapter, do check out https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2887829 ABOUT ANGELS OF THE SILENCES BY SIMON BESTWICK Emily and Biff are seventeen and best friends. They have been dead for nine months...   Comments are closed.
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