OK, I admit. This isn’t normally the type of book I pick up. If I’m going to pick up a book about teens, it’s normally going to be about a gang of teens and their adventures, like James Patterson’s Treasure Hunters series about a set of siblings following in their parents’ treasure hunting ways, Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood & Co. series about a group of teens hunting down ghosts, or Andy Lane’s Young Sherlock series about the man himself as a teen-ager.
But Alessandro D’Avenia’s “White as Silence, Red as Song” is a beautifully written story about love, loss and life. Originally written in Italian as “Bianca Come il Latte, Rossa Come il Sangue,” many are comparing it to “The Fault in Our Stars.”
Written from the point of view of 16-year-old Leo, “White as Silence, Red as Song” reads almost as if you are reading journal entries written by Leo. He tells the story of his normal, everyday life as a teen who only cares about playing soccer with his buddy Niko until he falls desperately in love with the beautiful, red-haired Beatrice.
But when a tragic illness hits, Leo must learn the lessons of suffering and loss, all with the help of his dear friend Silvia. As you read this story, you will feel as if you are walking along side Leo, experiencing with him all of his joys, his sorrows, his highs and his lows.
Written with almost musically lyrical and descriptive language, “White as Silence, Red as Song” is a deeply symbolic novel. Leo sees everything in colors, mostly black, white and red, and attributes meaning to those items based on their colors. White is generally bad, red usually denotes life, love and happiness. And the imagery of blood and its meaning runs throughout the novel.
D’Avenia masterfully weaves together a coming-of-age tale that anyone of any age can relate to — as this is more than just a story of teen angst. It is a story of love. Tying in the color theme, he reminds us that the ultimate meaning behind red is that love is blood-red, referring to Christ’s sacrifice for each of us.
This story delves into so many deep themes, you can’t help but coming out of it challenged. It reminds us that trials pass, but love doesn’t go away; love gives new life; love is a gravitational force and constantly evolves; overcoming the belief that there is no point in dreaming; it is normal to be afraid and to cry; how to deal with the overwhelming effect of feeling abandoned; and that even Jesus felt abandoned by God.
Throughout the story, after facing several adversities, Leo struggles with the age-old question of does God even exist, and if God does exist, why does he allow the things that happen to happen.
“White as Silence, Red as Song” is a story that will reverberate will all ages, and reminds us of the power of love and the importance of having a dream.
It does contain some mild cursing and what some might consider mildly course references.
Four and a half stars out of five.
Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.