Helena Fox, The Quiet and the Loud, Pan Macmillan Australia, March 2022, 380 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760983024
The Quiet and the Loud is an evocative, emotional novel with complex characters and a messy yet relatable and challenging storyline. Fox looks at the rocky beginnings of young adulthood. She openly confronts various mental health issues that appear in society while also depicting the typical struggles of new school graduates finding their feet and discovering their places in the world. This novel is not an easy read but one worth your while.
Recent high school graduate George has got her hands full. Her best friend Tess has made a rash decision and now the pair are neck-deep in internet articles and baby books preparing for the small child growing inside Tess. And there’s Laz. A true pessimist. Laz is distressed by the climate crisis and is dragging anyone who will listen down the grief road. Add in George’s mums who are a little overbearing with their constant fuss and need to talk through everything and life is feeling pretty full on.
But then Calliope cartwheels into the scene. She’s a breath of fresh air in George’s loud and chaotic life. She’s an escape. She’s like the time George spends on the water in her kayak, peaceful and accepting. Of course, this small relief can only last so long. Catastrophic fires tear through the nearby Australian towns destroying everything in their path and a thick blanket of suffocating smoke has settled over Sydney. Tensions are high. Tess’s due date is fast approaching, Laz is feeling helpless, Calliope is withdrawn, and George is battling with a heavy secret.
The Quiet and the Loud by Australian author Helena Fox is a moving story in which Fox explores various themes including trauma, mental health, love, family, and friendship. This novel is recommended for readers fourteen years and older due to some strong language and themes such as emotional abuse, domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety.
Reviewed by India Boon
