WINNER of the Warwickshire Year 9 Book Award 2014
Nominated for the Carnegie Medal
Sam is the new kid at school – he keeps himself to himself and people don’t take much notice of him. Imogen is little miss perfect – she’s popular, clever, good at sports and has the dream boyfriend – and yet for some reason, she’s drawn to Sam. One day Imogen is with her friends and Sam rushes up – he needs to tell her something urgently. Before he can, a car drives towards him and tries to knock him down – Imogen pushes him out of the way and saves his life. After that, Sam avoids Imogen, but she can’t stop thinking about him. What was it he wanted to tell her? Why would someone want to kill him? Why won’t he speak to her now?
As Imogen and Sam get pulled deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld of East London, they have to rely on each other. Suddenly there’s nothing perfect about Imogen’s life, and people will never ignore Sam again…
I wanted to write something that felt really realistic for my third novel – like it could actually happen to real teenagers – as well as covering the usual things such as figuring out who you are, friends, relationships, and school. Saving Silence also touches on gang crime, belonging, peer pressure and identity.
Perhaps because my aim was realism, Saving Silence has been by far the easiest of my books to plan and write. The initial inspiration was “what would happen if a good deed went wrong” and I took the story from there.
Meet the characters
Imogen is popular, capable, savvy, down-to-earth and sporty. As a former head prefect, she prides herself on having her life sorted. She’s even dating her male equivalent. So why is she so interested in loner Sam? And could it be that her “perfect” life isn’t so perfect after all? 
Sam recently moved to London from the north, bringing little with him apart from his elderly greyhound, Jessie. He’s a loner (he tells himself this is by choice) and is sensitive, a film lover and works out any frustration he feels by kneading and baking bread. He’s also keeping a secret that is about to combust… 
Nadina is Imogen’s best friend. Her family is part of the Muslim-Turkish community and run a shop where Nadina works part-time. Nads is a lover of hairspray (she prides herself on her hair), food and is never afraid to give someone who deserves it some lip. Her goal is to become a social worker. 
Ollie is Imogen’s boyfriend. Like her, he’s an all-round school star, a hard worker, and a talented basketball player. He and his mum came to the UK as refugees from Colombia, something Ollie would like to know much more about. He’s also less than pleased about Imogen’s fascination with Sam…
Reviews
“One of Blaxill’s real strengths for me is the character development she manages to portray in a genre which is generally full of plot-driven novels. While the story here is an intriguing one, I loved the way that both leads – particularly Imogen – grow over the course of the book, as does one particular supporting character. The protectiveness the main characters feel towards their families is very realistic, while she also captures the setting of London and the terror of the gang violence very well. This is highly recommended as a pacy and exciting thriller.”
“I was hooked, straight from the start, with that gripping first line!… it was a really unpredictable, exhilarating read from start to finish! The main characters were unforgettable, and very realistic teenagers. I think that the plot was pulled off so well, too! There were loads of twists and turns in the book that kept me reading.”
Millennium RIOT Readers on The Guardian
“This is a storyline which, even though it is a thriller, can link to everyone’s tastes in some way. Whether it be learning to fit in, the struggle that comes with having a boyfriend or even family issues that are unresolved, you will find that you can relate to at least one theme in the book.”