Parents' Guide to

Soundless

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Solid standalone fantasy is inspired by Chinese folklore.

Book Richelle Mead Fantasy 2015
Soundless Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Nancy B.
Nancy B. Adult
June 8, 2018
age 13+

disappointing

Despite the strong female main character, I ended up disappointed in this book. It was interesting to envision a community that is entirely made of deaf people, and I appreciated that the portrayal was predominantly positive. However, in the end it's the return of the Fei's hearing that makes her into a hero, as though a person cannot be heroic unless they can hear--a very ableist point of view. I'm also unsure of the portrayal of Chinese culture.
Samantha S.
Samantha S. Adult
July 4, 2017
age 12+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SOUNDLESS takes place in a remote mountain village in ancient China, where all the inhabitants are deaf and only receive food via pulley in exchange for sending precious metals down the mountain. Fei is a gifted artist and calligrapher who is worried about her sister Zhang Jing, who's slowly and inexplicably losing her sight, like many others in the village. One day Fei begins to magically hear, and the "foreman" who sends food and supplies stops sending packages. Fearful her village will starve, Fei joins Li Wei, a miner who was once a close friend and love interest, on an impossible mission down the mountain to figure out how to rescue their people.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

This standalone fantasy is a solid if not remarkable tribute to Chinese folklore. The main character has a milder version of the fiery courage of author Richelle Mead's Rose (Vampire Academy) and the intelligence of her Sydney (Bloodlines). A quick read, Soundless may not please readers expecting Mead's signature snark and swoon-worthy romantic tension. As would be fitting with the ancient Chinese fantasy setting, proper Fei and her forbidden love, Li Wei, may have feelings for each other but can't think only of themselves when their duty is to their villagers and, more importantly, Fei's sister, whom they left behind in hopes of a solution.

There's not a ton of action or much by way of immersion in the Chinese surroundings, but Fei and Li Wei's journey down the mountain is just compelling enough to make the 250-plus-page-read quick and easy. Kudos to Mead for not only writing about a non-Western character but making sure the cover featured an obviously Asian model -- something that's not always done in children's publishing about multicultural characters. Although some of Mead's urban fantasies feature mature content, Soundless is light on the romance and violence and is appropriate for middle school and young teen YA readers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the diversity of the main characters. How does Mead portray deaf culture in the story?

  • Discuss the caste system in the village and how that leads to Fei and Li Wei's "forbidden love." Why is this theme so prominent and captivating in literature? What are some other examples of literary couples whose love must transcend real and perceived differences?

  • How is Chinese folklore portrayed? Beyond the characters' identifiably Chinese names, how does the story explore Chinese myths and culture?

  • The book cover overtly features an East Asian character; why is this important?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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