Whisper
Whisper book cover

Whisper

Hardcover – May 1, 2018

by
Price
$17.81
Format
Hardcover
Pages
320
Publisher
Kids Can Press
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1771389389
Dimensions
6.5 x 1 x 9.38 inches
Weight
1.3 pounds

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—More than two years have passed since a silent, dangerous girl wound up at Lengard, an underground governmental facility. Because of her refusal to speak, her guards and evaluators refer to her as "Jane Doe," and for two years, she has lived the life of a walking corpse. But when her newest evaluator, Ward, turns out to be young, charming, and compassionate, the walls Jane has built begin to crumble. When she finally speaks, she confirms what she already knows; her words have phenomenal power, and what she intends, she can create. But nothing at Lengard is as it seems, and when Jane encounters an external group of Speakers, everything she thinks she understands about her ability changes. Fans of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard will enjoy this fast-paced work of science fiction about a girl with unexpected abilities who finds herself caught in a web of lies. Noni spends a great deal of time creating relationships among her characters, with a particularly solid emphasis on female friendship. While the story is compelling, the romantic elements fall flat, with an ending that introduces a lopsided love triangle, a villain who is little more than a trope, and the obvious segue to a sequel. VERDICT A fast science fiction read that will appeal to avid fans and is filled with twists, betrayals, and an unexpectedly cheesy villain.—Jen McConnel, Queen's University, Ont. Compulsively readable, compellingly narrated and so full of twists and turns that I couldn't put it down until I'd turned the final page. I loved every sentence of Whisper.― Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times & USA Today best selling author of the Throne of Glass series Fans of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard will enjoy this fast-paced work of science fiction ...― School Library Journal Readers, intrigued by Alyssa and her mystery, will surely beg for more.― Booklist ... appealing characters and an intriguing, twisty plot that builds to a suspenseful, cliffhanger ending.― Kirkus Reviews ... a gripping page-turner with compelling characters and heart-wrenching action.― CM Magazine Well-written and ultimately fast-paced, this is a strong entry into the world of dystopian fiction.― School Library Connection ... the story of a young woman who discovers love, friendship, truth and her place in the world.― Resource Links Lynette Noni is the bestselling author of the YA fantasy series The Medoran Chronicles. She lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where she is a regular speaker at local and national events, and has a rapidly growing international following. Her U.S. debut, Whisper, is releasing in May 2018. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • For two and a half years, Subject 684 --- "Jane Doe" --- has been locked underground in a secret government facility, enduring tests and torture. In that time, she hasn't uttered a single word. Not even her real name. Jane chooses to remain silent rather than risk losing control over the power within her. She alone knows what havoc her words can cause. Then the authorities put her in the care of the mysterious Landon Ward, and Jane is surprised when he treats her like a person rather than a prisoner. Ward's protective nature causes her resolve to crack in spite of her best efforts to resist.Just as Jane begins to trust him, though, a freak accident reveals the dangerous power she has concealed for years.It also reveals that the government has been keeping secrets of its own. Now Jane's ability is at the heart of a sinister plot for vengeance, and she has to decide whom she will trust ... and whom she will help. Well-known throughout her native Australia, Lynette Noni creates compelling stories that appeal to devoted fantasy fans and general-interest readers alike. This novel's extended metaphor about finding --- and controlling --- one's voice and power will resonate with teens attempting to do just that. The slow-simmering romance, richly imagined world and unexpected plot twists will hook readers from the very first page.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(319)
★★★★
25%
(133)
★★★
15%
(80)
★★
7%
(37)
★
-7%
(-37)

Most Helpful Reviews

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The power of words...

Subject Six-Eight-Four, also known as Jane Doe, has been confined at Lengard, a secret government facility, for two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes. In that time she has been tortured, pushed to her limits both physically and mentally, all in hopes of getting a response from her...but she hasn't spoken a single word. They tell her that Lengard is a place for extraordinary people just like her, but she knows there isn't anyone in the world like her...she's an anomaly...a monster...no one is safe from her.
Jane is told that she is not progressing in the program and will be assigned to a new evaluator, Landon Ward, for a trial basis. If she doesn't progress in one month she will be eliminated from the program. Jane knows she will never be set free, termination would be safest for all of them.

Whisper is the first book in this action packed YA sci-fi/fantasy series. I don't want to give too much away but this novel takes the power of words to a very literal meaning with characters that have supernatural abilities that are linked to their words. The novel begins by introducing a very mysterious main character Jane. Jane appears to be a prisoner of a secret government facility but you are not exactly sure why she is there or why she chooses not to speak. Jane is given an ultimatum to make progress with her new evaluator or be terminated. She realizes termination would be the safest option for everyone but when she meets Landon Ward, her handsome new assessor, she begins to doubt her choice. I'm a huge fan of novels with supernatural teens and this novel was so wonderfully written it had me hooked by the first chapter. I literally could not put this one down and devoured it over the course of a few hours. There is some romantic tension between the characters but it is kept very PG, perfect for all age ranges of the YA genre. I cannot wait to read the other novels in this series.
1 people found this helpful
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unexpectedly good!

-- I received a copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review --

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading, and I'm happy to say that it was pretty good! The characters seem well developed, and have natural story arcs that make sense, something I'm noticing more and more as I sit down to review books. I love how the ending escalated and people acted differently than might have been expected. However, there is a lot of dishonesty in the story, which at times seems forced - for example, they keep pressing the main character for her real name, while they knew all along. But I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series!
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Absolutely stunning

Unputdownable!
Once I started I was compelled to keep reading.
This poor girl - her inner dialogue clashed with her thoughts and feelings towards herself. And everything she endured made me cringe.
Such a strong girl with such a broken soul. Self imposed isolation and silence. Suffering in her loneliness but so resolved in her need to keep everyone at arms length.
I was beyond impressed with this story. The writing, the characters and the way the story unfolded.

This was my first book from Lynette Noni but it won’t be my last.

I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Cool new YA sci-fi!

The beginning was a bit slow, but once we know a little about Jane's history and what she can do, the book really takes off. I enjoyed seeing Jane slowly begin to trust people again, make friends, and become confident in herself. Will definitely add book two to my TBR.
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Fast paced adventure for Darkest Minds fans

A good fantasy/adventure novel, with a unique sets of powers I haven’t seen anywhere else. There’s a hint of romance, but not too strong, and some good characters. I’ll be looking out for the rest of the series to get answers to the unanswered questions at the end, but at least it wasn’t technically a cliffhanger so it won’t eat at me while I wait for the next one! I liked the setting, as well; I don’t read many books set in Australia. Hopefully the next one will feature more of actual Australia and not just endless corridors and underground rooms…

Very much enjoyed this.
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Action packed, and almost unbearably tense at times

Action packed and mysterious, this was one of the most fun and entertaining books I have read in some time, so much so that I read it in a single sitting. Jane Doe has spent more than two years in self enforced silence, locked up in a mysterious underground facility, where she is poked and prodded, and tested to the limits of endurance, both physically and mentally, on a daily basis. Why she never speaks is something she will not, cannot reveal, until a new assessor takes over , and slowly begins to chip away at her determination. The secret she is hiding has already destroyed her world, and she will not let it hurt anyone else, but it turns out that she is far from the only one keeping secrets, and soon she will have to decide if she can trust anyone.
Action packed, and almost unbearably tense at times, with some really interesting characters, and a well crafted plot, this book was simply a pleasure to read. The pacing was excellent, and when the first big reveal came , about a third of the way through the book, I was completely hooked. I would recommend this book for fans of action based young adult reads such as the Maze Runner, but also for fans of properties like X-Men.
I read an advance copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
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Divergent meets Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

The book starts off by introducing us to “Jane Doe”, at least that’s what the staff at Lengard call her- but that is not her name. She refuses to tell them her name, she refuses to speak at all. When she speaks, terrible things happen that she can’t begin to understand let alone explain.

Jane has been imprisoned and kept as test subject at Lengard for nearly 3 years. She knows nothing of the experiments purposes, as nobody tells her why is there and why they are testing her. She was told that Lengard was a place for extraordinary people, and she believed them. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

The story builds when Jane is assigned to a new evaluator named Ward. If she doesn’t make progress with him in a month she will be removed from the program. Jane is very cautious of Ward, as he is the only person to show her any type of kindness or compassion in over two years. While she tries to keep her guard up against him, he slowly chips away at the walls she has put up in order to protect herself and those around her.

In a moment of panic Jane shatters her wall of silence and is then introduced to the real world of Lengard and the secrets that the government facility has been hiding from those it claims to protect. She has to decide which side to believe, and making the wrong decision or the wrong moves could have deadly consequences for her.

Being tormented by demons from her past, she doesn’t have faith that she can harness her powers and control them. Her faith in those claiming to help and protect her is tested as the ultimate battle beings.

The ending had me craving a sequel immediately. Action packed and thrilling, a picture was so well painted that I could swear I was watching a movie instead of reading.

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