Book Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

AUTHOR: Richelle Mead
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
PAGES: 272
STAND ALONE/SERIES: Series
SOURCE: Bought
OUTLINE:
In a village without sound…

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.

One girl hears a call to action…

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…

And unlocks a power that will save her people. 

MY THOUGHTS
This is VERY different then Richelle's other books. If you get one thing from this review, it's this don't go into this thinking it will be a typical Mead book. IT'S NOT! I can't stress this enough. I love how Mead portrayed the soundless-ness of the village in the book by letting us know when they were talking. I loved the concept of the idea, and I believe up until the end it was an interesting idea. I would of loved if this was maybe a duolgy or something because we're left with some many un-answered questions I think.

SETTING
I love that this takes place someplace very different then most books I read. I love the tiny village feel, and how everyone knows everyone. Mead did a good job at this setting and place she created.

CHARACTERS
I really loved Fei. I think Mead does an excellent job with her main characters, and making them enjoyable and kick-ass. I know that Fei and Rose are WAY different, and they come from VERY different backgrounds but they have a lot of the same qualities I love when reading. I love that these girls can be kick-ass and yet still have this heart of gold. The family connection between Fei and her sister is one of the qualities I loved. Fei would do anything for her sister and it shows through show much in this story. Fei tries to keep her sister from becoming something less.
Then we have Li Wei, who is a miner and going by their social standing is at the bottom of the chain. He was Fei's friend when they were little, and you could tell that they has chemistry from the start, but Fei kept denying her feelings because she was promised to someone else, but we all know how stories change, and once both them were in situations that they could be killed things change. I'm pretty happy that this was one of those stories where we know the love situation. Sometimes it better to have one love than many. :)

ENDING
It was way to easily tied up with a bow, and just seemed to quick and thrown together. There isn't much I can say without giving away the ending, but something about it kinda says cheesy. I kind of wish it had another story coming because I would have loved to see what happens with the characters more.