Touching, moving, funny, awesome. I can’t say it enough: this book is revolutionary, and the best thing I’ve read in years. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Hannah’s Voice will stay in my heart (and on my Kindle) forever. — Read full review
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Robb Grindstaff’s writing is pure, and free of the hyperbole and love for one’s own words that often get in the way of a good story. His deft handling of the character and personality of Hannah at two distinct stages in her life showcase his mastery of language and characterization. He carefully chose each word to show the ten year difference in Hannah’s life while staying true to who she really is. That is no small feat. — Read full review
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This book was incredible! It has the distinct honor of being the second novel that made me cry upon reaching the end. The only other book that did that to me was my all-time favorite, A Prayer for Owen Meany. — Read full review
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In no other literary work have I ever witnessed a more eloquent example of the gravity of one’s silence. Grindstaff’s prose is unadorned, deft, carefully constructed – but I think what sets this novel apart is its humor. Grindstaff has a knack for portraying the drama of Hannah’s dilemma in a way that makes you giggle. — Read full review
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This book is so well written and Hannah is so compelling, her voice lingers in my mind long after I have finished reading. — Read full review
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This is a drama that keeps the reader interested throughout. Hannah is at the centre of a maelstrom and has never quite understood why. — Read full review
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Judges comments from the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest:
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There is poetry and philosophy here the way they should be used in fiction, as underground streams. Lovely, intelligent writing, and very entertaining.
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Hannah’s Voice is distinctive and clear. Her description of life with her mother is sharp and defined, her memories of her father, poignant. The writing is exceptionally strong and descriptive. The traumatic incident described is a culmination of Hannah’s experience in her short life, and the fact that she refuses to talk makes sense. As she says, saying it again won’t make it any truer.
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Her self-imposed silence, like that of the protagonist of Gunther Glass’s Tin Drum, embodies protest against what she doesn’t believe in. There are weighty issues at stake here, and the author handles them deftly and with skill. The mother’s portrayal is chilling.
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There’s not a wasted word, or an excessive word. Every word is in service to the story. The piece is as tight as a short story. And that is always high accomplishment.
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Reader comments from the 2012 ABNA contest:
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I loved the author’s voice…the atmosphere he evoked in this story, the setting, the storyline and, perhaps most of all, his impressive ability to climb into the head of a young girl and bring her to life with utter conviction.
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I was enthralled. Right from the start, the author managed to capture perfectly the voice of a young girl in his first person narrative. The writing is tight and the descriptions exactly the way a child of six would see her world.
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This story has such an amazing and unique appeal. It rings the bell of every emotion. You will love the characters, the story, the very unique point of view of a young girl whose core belief in The Truth compels her to stop talking, causing the whole world to listen to what they want to hear.
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It grabbed from the first, and then it just got better and better. … will have to keep my eye on this author.
By the end of the first chapter, Hannah became a living, breathing child, whispering her story in my ear with her soft, Southern drawl. … amazing ability to turn his stories into movies that play before my mind’s eye.
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From the very first page, I was completely drawn into this. The writing is nothing less than masterful! Amazing. A very unique premise to the story is enough to draw my interest, but the writing! I have a very strong sense of the characters and FEEL for them. Robb Grindstaff’s words are so carefully crafted and give a wealth of information in even the smallest comment. He truly has that ever-sought-after “unique author voice” that publishers crave and readers adore.
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Hannah’s Voice gripped me from the first few words. What a strong and compelling voice. Never before has the voice of a child come across in such a way. I was immediately drawn into the story and stayed there. If this in any way shows Robb’s depth as a writer, we all can look forward to future works by this amazing writer.
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