A Sudden Silence deals with topics that were once considered taboo in children's literature: death, alcoholism, and the physical disability of a child.

Today's worldly readers no longer need to be sheltered from a realistic portrayal of life. While Bunting deals with sensitive issues, she reinforces accepted values, writes dialogue that is "clean," avoids explicit sexual encounters, takes pains to make her policewoman compassionate and caring, and handles Bry's disability with deftness and sensitivity.