Liana Gardner named to the Ginger Nuts of Horror 30 YA Authors You Should Know List
Here is what Tony Jones had to say about Liana Gardner:
Liana has published three novels, two of which are supernatural, with the third Speak No Evil (2019) truly blowing me away, both her other novels are aimed at younger age groups. I cannot wait to see what this talented author produces next, and hope she sticks with YA.
Here’s what we said about Speak No Evil when we first reviewed it:
Liana Gardner’s outstanding Speak No Evil has a fascinating musical theme to it, with the story revolves around a sixteen-year-old girl who is in the American care-home system and has not spoken for almost two years. The doctor treating her realises music is very important to her and uses lyrics as a way of breaking down the communication barriers. The reasons for this are revealed very slowly and is told over multiple time periods, going back to when Melody Fisher was five years old, with the novel repeatedly jumping across the time periods, but as it progresses the backstory slowly closes in on the Melody who is sixteen. Ultimately this is a powerful novel about abuse, overcoming abuse and the resilience of Melody Fisher as she slowly, with a lot of help, turns her life around. I’m not ashamed to say I had a tear in my eye on more than one occasion.
Perhaps it is the backdrop of the story which edges it towards dark fiction rather than family drama, as this is very dark indeed. Melody’s parents both attend a church where snake-handling is part of the normal Sunday service, however, Melody’s mother is scared of the snakes, but Melody is gifted with animals and has a beautiful voice which almost has a hypnotic quality, but soon something goes horribly wrong with the snakes. Teenage novels which touch on subjects as dark as this, which also features a very unpleasant rape scene, need hope and even though Melody does not talk she does have others fighting in her corner for her. Perhaps in real life she would slip through the cracks of society? But this if fiction and we all need hope. A quite beautiful book.