Silent Companions Review

I had high hopes for Silent Companions. I really did. I saved it to use as a palette cleanser between all of the heavy fantasy that I’ve been reading. I hoped it would prevent a reading slump, but unfortunately it caused one. I really did not enjoy this one. Let’s talk about it.

Synopsis:

Some doors are locked for a reason.

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But pregnant and widowed just weeks after their wedding, with her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her late husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure—a silent companion—that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of the estate are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition—that is, until she notices the figure’s eyes following her.

A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, The Silent Companions is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect—much like the companions themselves.

My Thoughts on Silent Companions

Silent Companions has had some really great reviews, but it just didn’t work for me. Actually, I didn’t like it. The main character grated on my nerves from the very beginning. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t have to like the character to like the story, but I could care less what happened to Elsie. Ultimately, she was flat. She had no personality other than contrariness. The side characters were flat too. I kept getting them confused.

Ok. That being said I can overlook bad characters (SOMETIMES) if the rest of the book was on point, but this one was not. The horror element itself had potential, but the execution wasn’t there. It needed more depth. The introduction of the second timeline helped but there were still so many unanswered questions. I’m a fan of knowing why things are the way they are. If something is scary and possessed, I want to know why it’s scary and possessed. This one was just too open ended for my taste. It briefly skimmed over a reason, but I just needed more.

While I don’t think Silent Companions is for me, I know a lot of people who really enjoyed it. Reading is so subjective. I guess I just wanted a bit more from this one. If it had upped the ante just a bit it might have been a totally different reading experience.

My Rating: 2/5