A Quiet Kind of Thunder

Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.
Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.
Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.

The stunning follow up to Beautiful Broken Things is a love story about the times when a whisper is as good as a shout.

Praise for Beautiful Broken Things:

'Beautiful Broken Things is the book I've been waiting for. It made me want to go and rugby-tackle my best friends and give them a giant hug. It's a beautiful tale of the power and complexities of female friendship' -- Holly Bourne, author of Am I Normal Yet?
'Beautiful Broken Things is a book that the YA world desperately needs - a book about the beauty, passion and extremities of female friendship' -- Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire

'Starkly realistic and ultimately uplifting, Beautiful Broken Things is a compelling tale of pain and redemption, growing up and growing together, and finding empowerment and strength in friendship' -- Catherine Doyle, author of Vendetta

'Stories about female friendships are hard to come by, especially ones with no romance, but Beautiful Broken Things fills that gap in an intensely compelling and passionate way' -- Lauren James, author of The Next Together

About the Author

Sara Barnard lives in Brighton and does all her best writing on trains. She loves books, book people and book things. She has been writing ever since she was too small to reach the 'on' switch on the family Amstrad computer. She gets her love of words from her dad, who made sure she always had books to read and introduced her to the wonders of second-hand book shops at a young age.

Sara is trying to visit every country in Europe, and has managed to reach thirteen with her best friend. She has also lived in Canada and worked in India.

Review by Sarah McDuling
This book really tugged hard on my heart strings. It was such a sweet and touching romance that I was definitely on the verge of tears more than a few times. (Mostly happy tears, don't worry!)

Written with great sensitivity and insight, A Quiet Kind of Thunder tells the story of Steffi - a girl who had selective mutism as a child and now as a teen suffers from crippling social anxiety. She finds it very difficult to talk to strangers or anyone she doesn’t know very well.

Enter Rhys, the new boy at school. Rhys is deaf and strikes up an instant rapport with Steffi when he finds out she knows sign language. They quickly become friends and start falling for each other.

Is Rhys and Steffi's love genuine, or simply based on the fact that they are able to communicate with each other? And more importantly, is their relationship healthy, or is it possible they are holding each other back?

This is a truly gorgeous story of young love, from the author of Beautiful Broken Things.