From the back of the book: When Jake and Zoe are buried under a flash avalanche while skiing in the French Pyrenees, they miraculously dig their way out from under the snow—only to discover the world they knew has been overtaken by an eerie and absolute silence. With their phones cut off, and the village evacuated of every living soul, the young married couple begin to witness strange, unsettling events neither one can ignore. And as the days wear on, they are forced to confront frightening possibilities as they attempt to survive and escape the silent land they now inhabit.
.....................................................................
A lot of people look at me like I have three heads when I say that I think Stephen King is one of the best writers of our generation. I know why--his writing is graphic, and sometimes it's hard to get past that graphic horror. BUT. The man can write. If you haven't already read 11/22/63, please read it. It's one of a very small handful of books that I can read over and over. But back to the point--I respect Stephen King as an author and a literary critic, and he's recommended several Graham Joyce novels. So, when I saw that our local library actually had several Graham Joyce novels (the stock at my local library is abysmal), I decided to give The Silent Land a try first, only because I liked the cover best. I totally love a good book cover design, and this is one of the best I've seen in awhile. Yep, I went there...I judge books by their covers.
Anyway, it took me a bit to really get into the book--I felt like I was stuck on the first chapter for days. But once I did get into it, it was a quick read that I really enjoyed. I hadn't read anything about The Silent Land prior to reading it, but I think that it's probably been marketed as a supernatural thriller, which I would say is not exactly correct. I figured out the "twist" easily, and I think a good portion of readers will be able to do the same. Although there are elements of suspense and drama, it's really about Jake and Zoe, and their relationship--the secrets, the special moments, the frustration, and the love between them in the midst of a very Twilight Zone esque situation. And it was that relationship part that I really loved the most. It was that part that made me still enjoy every minute of the book even after I figured out the twist.
Also? There's an appropriate conclusion. Hallelujah on toast! Overall? Best book I've read in 2013 so far:
