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The Hush cover art

The Hush

By: Sara Foster
Narrated by: Cathi Ogden, Tamala Shelton
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Publisher's Summary

"The novel everyone will be talking about." (Natasha Lester)

Everything can change in a heartbeat...

The pulse-pounding new thriller from the best-selling author of You Don't Know Me.

Lainey's friend Ellis is missing. And she's not the only one. 

In the six months since the first case of a terrifying new epidemic - when a healthy baby wouldn't take a breath at birth - the country has been thrown into turmoil. The government has passed sweeping new laws to monitor all citizens. And several young pregnant women have vanished without trace.

As a midwife, Lainey's mum, Emma, is determined to be there for those who need her. But when 17-year-old Lainey finds herself in trouble, this dangerous new world becomes very real. The one person who might help is Emma's estranged mother, but reaching out to her will put them all in jeopardy...

The Hush is a new breed of near-future thriller, an unflinching look at a society close to tipping point and a story for our times, highlighting the power of female friendship through a dynamic group of women determined to triumph against the odds.

"Smart and considered, this is the book I wish I had written. Sara Foster is one of my favourite writers." (Dervla McTiernan)

"Magnificent. Writer envy. Foster is changing the game." (Nikki Gemmell)

"Right from the first page, Foster had me gripped. The Hush will be the thriller of the year." (Meredith Jaffe)

"Terrifyingly plausible - and utterly compelling." (Wendy James)

©2021 Sara Foster (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"Brilliantly imagined and superbly told, this story reaches out and grabs you right from the outset. It's impossible to put down, not just because of the gripping plot but because the three women at the centre of the book wind themselves around your heart as they struggle to comprehend the increasingly frightening world they're living in. This is the novel everyone will be talking about this year." (Natasha Lester)

"Highly original and thought-provoking, The Hush is a compelling page-turner." (Anna Downes)

"A terrifying premise, compelling characters and a plot that had me racing to finish." (Kayte Nunn)

What listeners say about The Hush

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Wow! Fabulous!

I so enjoyed this book, it’s gripping, page turning, intelligent and inspiring.Thank you Sara! Awesomeness!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Audiobook spoiled by poor performance from Cathi Ogden

Cathi Ogden’s stop start reading of the story can’t be described as a performance. It’s as though she didn’t even pre-read the book and can’t read ahead, resulting in constant illogical pauses.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A feminist dystopian novel

Disturbingly believable, particular due to the invasion of citizens' human rights due to terrorism and the conformity brought on by the pandemic - good on the whole but open to misuse and abuse.
Fast moving, exciting story with two narrators.

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  • Overall
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A timely story

Listened to this as Roe vs Wade is being dismantled in the US, and trans children are being vilified as election fodder here in Australia.
It's easy to love this strong feminist portrayal of brave and supportive women's networks sticking it to the patriarchy, and I was hooked on the story for the most part. As a mother, I found the descriptions of intervention with teen pregnancies especially terrifying.
I'm giving it only four stars as the moral is delivered with quite a heavy hand and I would prefer being shown not told. EG the story could have given us all we needed without including the lectures by Geraldine.
The performances were wonderful, and I love the clever cover art.

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  • Overall
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Blown away

This book kept me awake most of the night, confronting and unsettling to the point I felt so uncomfortable I thought to not continue. But so glad I kept going. A book of love and a warning of what can happen when liberties are removed. Thank you Sara I can’t wait to read more of your work.

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scary too like what is happening in the world toda

excellent
too many parallels with what is happening today. green ticks, watches. lets pray it is sorted soon

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Thought provoking

In this current climate of uncertainty and fear mongering, this is extremely thought provoking. We all should have the courage to listen to our instincts. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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Gripping story

Loved it. Suspenseful story with great narration. Was putting it on in the car whenever I could and sitting in the garage for a few extra minutes after I got home, just to keep listening. Cleverly tied in current events to create a dystopian setting that you could actually believe.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A must read

I cannot believe I have taken so long to read this new novel by Sara Foster. I want to talk about it, I need to keep thinking about it and I equally wish I could read it again for the first time. It made me reflect on this crazy world we live in now and the ideas of complacency and compliance. It did all this within a compelling story made up of incredible characters.

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Topical and exciting thriller

I couldn’t stop listening to The Hush. Great plot, strong female characters and an excellent narrator. Poignant and relatable, particularly in light of the overturning of Roe v Wade recently.

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