Silent to the Bone, is a fictional mystery, written by E. L. Konisburg, about a thirteen year old boy. The story mainly takes
place at the Juvenile Behavioral Center, Branwell Zamborska, is being held there because they think he hurt his baby half - sister, Nikki.
There was a 9-1-1 call made by Branwell but he could not speak to the operator.. Vivian, the baby’s au pair, was doing CPR on Nikki, because she found Branwell shaking her and that she had stopped breathing. Police took Branwell to the juvenile center while they waited to see what was going to happen to the baby. At the hospital, Nikki, was on a ventilator and in a coma. Because Branwell could not or would not speak, they could not figure out what really
happened. All they knew was what Vivian had told them that Branwell, had shaken and might have dropped Nikki.
Dr. Zamborska, Branwell’s father asked his friend, Connor to visit him and try to get him to talk.. He visits him and finds out that his friend can not tell him what happened. Because Connor believes in his friend, Branwell,, he comes up with a way for him to
communicate using only his eyes and words that he printed on flashcards to communicate. It was something that he remembers the two of them talking about a man writing and entire book with someone using only the alphabet and his eyes to communicate each letter. Connor tells the story and opens the mystery of what really happened on that day. Everyone is worried that Nikki will not get better and what will happen to Branwell if she does not.
The first word that Branwell blinked twice to was Margaret, who is Connor’s older half – sister, and she helps him to understand how Branwell is feeling when his father remarries after many years of it just being him and his father. Margaret helps Connor unfold the entire mystery of what really happened to Nikki and by whom. Each word is another clue and person that Connor has to talk to in order to solve the mystery.
The author kept my attention to the story in each page. It was not hard to keep reading because I wanted to find out what happened next and to get to who really did hurt Nikki and if Branwell would ever talk again. She made the characters real, and more like kids my own age. You want to keep reading her book not just to finish it but to find out the answer to the mystery.