Rock the Boat (14+) 9780861549283 (Paperback)
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Following an accident, Eli has become increasingly emotionally detached from the world around him. This leads him to Traumaland, an underground club which manipulates its audiences through its hyper-real simulations. A vividly written, darkly-satirical high-concept thriller which maintains tension throughout and explores areas of mental health. There’s a meta element to the storytelling as readers are exposed to the impact of trauma in much the same way as the characters are.
Themes:
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Josh Silver grew up on a farm in the Lake District, before moving to Manchester where he spent his teenage years loving the city. He trained as an actor at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and went on to perform in the West End and on Broadway. After deciding to change careers, Josh now works with teenagers as a mental health nurse. Josh lives in Manchester. His debut novel, HappyHead, has won multiple regional awards as well as being nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing and shortlisted for the 2024 YA Book Prize.
Find Josh Silver on Instagram @smudgecotton.
The book is a amazing book especially for people who want long books that keep you reading it. The book never stops with the lore and it makes you want to keep reading because of all the plot twists. This is one of my favourite books that I have read.
david
Reading Wizards
Traumaland is an extremely gripping book that explores themes of trauma and mental health, focusing on how individuals cope with their past. Overall it was thought-provoking and had great emotional depth, making it a worthwhile read.
Freya
Epsomians
This book tells the story of Eli, who believes he cannot feel any emotions. However, he discovers a club called TraumaLand where emotionally numb people like him go to seek a thrill. There, he discovers something that would change his life, when parts of a past he cannot remember appear before him. This book keeps secrets from you until the ending, where the whole story finally "clicks", which really shocked me. I would rate this book a 4.5/5
Aidan
Epsomians
This dark psychological thriller is an all time favourite of mine. This book explores the journey of an ‘emotionally numb’ seventeen year old boy named Eli presenting his hardship and also secretly guiding those feeling lost like myself. I like this book because of the sudden twists in the plot and the depth in the reality of trauma that others are facing not only entertaining us but also giving us an insight of what others are facing.
Devi
HGS Book Club
“Traumaland” was an exceptionally good psychological thriller with mentions of queer teen romance, neurodiversity and mental health. I loved the dynamic of the main couple although it’s not a romance. I found the idea interesting and unique and couldn’t put the book down after I started. I have seen it being compared to Black Mirror and I think that's very accurate, personally at least. I especially loved the dystopian elements found later in the book and the unanticipated plot twist at the end, leaving the reader wanting more.
Shanvi
HGS Book Club
TraumaLand is a dark and gripping novel that follows Eli after a near fatal accident—or so he has been led to believe. Left emotionally numb and stripped of his memories, Eli is drawn to TraumaLand, an illegal club that promises to make him feel again. The story takes a sinister turn when Eli becomes entangled in the life of his old friend Jack, and fragments of the past begin to surface. Secrets unravel, loyalties fracture, and truth becomes impossible to find as Eli realises he cannot trust anyone—not even his family. Josh Silver crafts Eli as a complex and vulnerable protagonist, whose fractured mind and emotional detachment keep readers questioning what is real until the very last page. The gripping plot, strong characterisation, and unsettling atmosphere led me to give TraumaLand a 4.5 star rating, making it a standout choice for fans of psychological thrillers and mind bending fiction.
Georgina
Epsomians
The book has been beautifully written by Josh Silver and the context has been extensively researched. Without ruining the story, the book covers a young man who has suffered a horrible accident, and has been led to believe that he has become mentally unstable. However, he finds a mysterious nightclub that offers a vivid VR headset service that has some expected results in confronting past events....
Niket
The SGS Book Bandits
The book covered some heavy topics, like trauma and mental health, in an honest and interesting way. I felt bad for the main character.
Laura
HGCSC Library
This book was incredible! The twists and turns were thoroughly thought out, and it was incredibly detailed. The author created tension in unexpected places, and the story flowed impeccably. The character's emotion was portrayed expertly, and I was not able to put the book down! In this book, the author makes the reader feel as if the characters were real, and made the story feel like it was beyond the pages of the book. Overall, this book was amazing, and I would love to read it again. I will remember the cliff hanger at the end! I would recommend it to those who like sci-fi books.
Freya
Brentwood Carnegies