Dylan Farrow’s Hush is engrossing YA fantasy

HUSH, by Dylan Farrow, Wednesday Books, Oct. 6, 2020, Hardcover, $18.99 (young adult)

A girl will stop at nothing to find her mother’s murderer in Hush, by Dylan Farrow.

Seventeen-year-old Shae has led a seemingly quiet life, joking with her best friend Fiona, and chatting with Mads, the neighborhood boy who always knows how to make her smile. All while secretly keeping her fears at bay… Of the disease that took her brother’s life. Of how her dreams seem to bleed into reality around her. Of a group of justice seekers called the Bards who claim to use the magic of Telling to keep her community safe.

When her mother is murdered, she can no longer pretend.

Not knowing who to trust, Shae journeys to unlock the truth, instead finding a new enemy keen to destroy her, a brooding boy with dark secrets, and an untold power she never thought possible. —Synopsis provided by Wednesday Books

Going into Hush, I was expecting something much different than what’s actually there. It’s not a bad thing, but the synopsis provided by the publisher (above), does read a bit more modern or dystopian. In actuality, the book has a more medieval tone, with all the atmosphere and nuances you would expect for the setting.

Author Dylan Farrow is particularly adept at setting the scene. You experience the vastness of the land where Shae lives. You feel the crisp air at night. And your skin prickles at the cold opulence of the High House.

At the center of everything is Shae, who’s dogged determinedness and sense of right and wrong propels her forward. Though the circumstances are different, many of the challenges Shae faces mirror real life and will ring true with readers.

Hush is the first book in a planned fantasy series. I read this book in one day, and I look forward to reading more from Farrow.