Whisper Review

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release date: April 27, 2010

Source: Around the World Tours

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Review:

Whisper was an edge of the seat, nail-biter of a read. At first I was a little reluctant to begin, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Phoebe Kitanidis really did well with her debut novel. The plot was original and well put together, with quite a few twists that kept me guessing. The beginning was a little slow and I couldn’t get that attached to the characters, but by about a quarter of the way through I was really drawn into Joy’s word. Whispers are really cool, it was a unique idea and one I’ve been wanting to read about for a while. Being able to read minds is such a cool power, it was intriguing hearing how Joy and her family dealt with being able to hear Whispers. I really enjoyed reading about the different Whispers Joy heard even though some were scary or creepy. I really liked the way Kitanidis tied the Whispers into the plot, as well as some of the other powers revealed later in the novel. I love the kind of book that keeps me on the edge of my seat and Whisper did just that. And the magical/mind reading element of it just added that much more. I especially like the last 50 pages- wow, it was really intense I could barely put the book down. I liked the author’s writing style as well. It was refreshing and fun, with a darker edge. In addition to hopefully a sequel to Whisper in the future, I’m looking forward to reading more by Phoebe Kitanidis.

I felt a variety of ways about the characters. Joy was likable and a very strong character. She was someone I would like to know in real life. Icka was a very controversial character. I hated her at first, with a very STRONG hate, but as the plot moved along I could better understand her anger and bitterness. Joy’s friends were kind of just in the background. They didn’t play that big a role after the beginning. Parker made a comeback in the end, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about her. There wasn’t that much romance in this book, but what was there was short and sweet. I really liked Jamie and I’m hoping to hear more about his background and family in a sequel. Joy’s family members were likable as well, I really liked that her parents were still together and both were actually alive! In so many books now-a-days the parents are either separated, divorced, dead, etc. Aunt Jane was a character that also played a bigger role in the end than the beginning. Again, the ending is where most of the action takes place so be sure to stick it out if you’re not enjoying the beginning as much.

I would definitely recommend checking this out come April. It was an original, exciting debut and I’m eager for a sequel. Joy’s narration will pull you in and by the end you’ll be glued to the page. Whisper has a unique premise and writing style, with a quirky set of characters, but I definitely recommend reading it, you won't regret it. The cover is gorgeous as well. I love the gray with the pink, shimmery letters- that’s a cover that will look awesome in hardcover!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars