Hushed Review

TITLE Hushed
AUTHOR Kelley York
PUBLICATION December 6, 2011 by Entangled Publishing
READ July 6 - 7, 2012

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

Hushed is a haunting piece of work. It is full of dark characters that you probably shouldn't be able to connect to, but through their rehashes of history you find yourself feeling their pain as if it was your own. This book is so well written that it blurs lines between right & wrong. Archer and Vivian are lifelong friends, they have always been there for each other and have suffered through some horrific happenings. Once they are off to college and Archer sees Vivian falling into a terrible pattern with men because of what happened to her he concocts a plan that he thinks will bring back the old Viv.

I've heard it said before, and I agree that Archer is the YA version of Dexter. He's killing men who all have something in common, they have hurt the woman he loves more than anyone in the world. Throughout the book Archer is slowly delving into madness, he's so lost in his plot for revenge that he's lost sight of his own happiness and well being. I felt really bad for him because he was throwing everything away for a girl who only gave him the time of day when it was convenient for her. Vivian was a b*tch (I could not talk about her without using that word, I apologize.) Her selfishness drove me insane throughout the book, she was such a fair-weather friend to Archer and didn't reciprocate the love at all. This was not the only toxic relationship that Archer was involved in, his mother had completely given up on him and he really didn't let anyone get close to him.

The light at the end of Archer's tunnel is Evan, a new guy at school that Archer slowly realizes he has feelings for. The progression of Evan & Archer's relationship really was beautiful, the acceptance and patience that Evan showed was massive. The stark contrast in the way Archer was treated by Vivian versus how he was treated by Evan was conveyed perfectly and it made for a love triangle you don't see every day in YA novels. This was the first novel that I have read with a homosexual (bi curious?) protagonist and I can honestly say that I longed for the inevitable smooching between Evan and Archer just as I do with straight couples.

Hushed is unlike anything I have ever read before and I want more. It evoked emotions and I was seriously invested in the characters. If you are looking for something unique and most definitely on the darker side for YA then this one is definitely for you, it's safe to say that this has found a place on my favorites shelf and I will be highly recommending it in the future.