The Loudness

“The Loudness has all the necessary ingredients for a great read—fast pace, compelling characters, intriguing plot, and an inspiring message that you don’t need super powers to be a super hero. I ​absolutely ​loved this book!” – Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals

“I was recently persuaded by one who knows, that blurbs or cover quotes do no good, and I should not write them. So I will not be saying that The Loudness is a meticulously crafted and admirable book. Others may say it – I wouldn’t be surprised – but I say buy a copy, take it home and read it, and make up your own mind. What am I, a guru?” – Daniel Pinkwater

“I loved The Loudness. The voice, the story, the characterization, the writing… just, wow.” – Carol Lynch Williams

“The Loudness can be compared to a futuristic version of Huckleberry Finn. While Twain’s Huck traveled the Mississippi River on a raft, Hank takes a wild ride into a future America in a beat-up truck with a Belgian rebel, a large slobbering dog and the girl of his dreams.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“A rip-roaring read about a community, belief, and heart. If Cory Doctorow wrote middle grade, I imagine it would have a similar feel to this.” – The Rec Room

“In Courage’s hands, a punk show is as much an arena for self-discovery as any sci-fi adventure.” – Pittsburgh Magazine

“Channeling Margaret Atwood by way of Henry Rollins with a dash of Tony Hawk…” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“[The Loudness] touches on a variety of themes: ecology, power-hungry politicians, music and art as sources of hope, family loyalty, and dangerous double crossing. The plot’s exciting action mounts as Henry’s parents are kidnapped and Other Siders, people from the City, federales, friends who might be enemies, and enemies who might be friends, in order to be reunited with them. There is also budding first love, as Henry and Ava (aka Freckles) adventure together. In the final chapters, superhero powers and blinding beams of light appear, paving the way for a sequel.” – School Library Journal

“Part dystopian, part coming-of-age (friends bond, romance blossoms over the sharing of a single bottle of ancient soda), The Loudness is perfect for Hunger Games and Divergent fans.” – VOYA (“Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers – 2015”)

“The Loudness is an excellent novel. It really brought me closer to the characters’ perspectives with detailed descriptions. The author, Nick Courage, is very good at writing tense scenes–slowly revealing hidden information and leaving the reader hanging for more. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed other dystopian novels with unusual premises.” – Middle Shelf

The Loudness on The Reading Life: