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tamara_joy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Child death, Classism, Infertility, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
booksjessreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is a ghost story, and whilst I don't generally believe in ghosts, I found the story to be quite believable and the plot never felt unnatural. I marked it down from 4 stars to 3.5 because there were quite a lot of repeated phrases, which made the story as a whole less atmospheric and certain vocabulary didn't always flow. Alongside being a ghost story, there are also mysterious deaths which are central to the plot, and I had guessed who had committed those about two-thirds of the way in, to which they were revealed at the very end.
Despite this though, it was enjoyable and not super scary, which is absolutely what I was after. I would recommend for a spooky read!
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Grief, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Murder and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
what_heather_loves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"And then, through the silence, the widow's whistle began to whine and a shape emerged, one that seemed cut out of something blacker than the night itself."
In 1860, alone following the deaths of her family, including beloved sister Clara, Elspeth Swansome takes a post as a nanny on a remote Scottish island, Skelthsea. It's autumn and Skelthsea is small but beautiful. When Elspeth arrives at the largest house in the island, Iskar, it is cold, tired and series. Her mistress, Miss Gillies, badly disfigured by a childhood accident, is quiet and distant. Her charge, nine year old Mary, is grieving the sudden death of twin brother William, and has ceased to talk. Elspeth is shocked but determined to do her job well and help Mary blossom. As autumn turns to winter it becomes apparent that all is not well at Iskar. Elspeth hears strange noises at night, footsteps, a lullaby and a chilling whistle. She discovers a number of tragedies have befallen the house and its occupants. Will she be next?
Centred on Elspeth, Iskar and the landscape and climate of Skelthsea, this is an atmospheric read. How hard life was for women during this period. I became fond of Elspeth, and Mary, as she struggled and as conditions deteriorated along with the supporting characters. Beautifully written, the fear builds as the novel progresses, revealing more of the characters' pasts and ultimately, the cause of the haunting. Perfect for Halloween, this is enthralling, chilling and spooky historic fiction, an impressive debut that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, and Murder
shelfofunread's review against another edition
4.0
Convinced that with some much-needed love and attention she can encourage the little girl to speak again, Elspeth tries to discover more about William – and about Hettie, her predecessor as the children’s nanny who apparently left her employment without warning just a few days before William’s death. But no one on Skelthsea will talk about what happened to William – or about the dark rumours that surface whenever Hettie’s name is mentioned.
When Elspeth begins to find strange dolls in long-abandoned rooms, and to hear the shrill pierce of a whistle cutting through the dead of night, she starts to realise that the cause of Mary’s muteness may lie in more than just neglect. What is Mary so afraid of that she refuses to speak? As Elspeth investigates further, the secrets and superstitions of Skelthsea begin to emerge, putting both her and her charge in danger.
The Whistling is an impressive debut that draws on all of the tropes of the classic ghost story, combining them with folkloric elements and a stunningly atmospheric setting to create a brilliantly eerie and otherworldly read. Lovers of the classic ghostly tales of M R James and the gothic eeriness of Wilkie Collins will feel instantly at home on Skelthsea, whilst readers of more modern takes on the genre will find the claustrophobia of Skelthsea – and, in particular, of Elspeth and Mary’s ‘home’ on the island, Iskar – offers the same creeping chills as Shirley Jackson’s Hill House or Daphne Du Maurier’s Manderley.
For me, the atmosphere of the novel was definitely one of its major strengths. The faded glory and crumbling chill of Iskar seeps off the page and I could practically feel the icy sea frets that roll into the bay at night. Rebecca Netley has also perfectly captured the feel of being an outsider in a small community and she uses this to great affect to make Elspeth – and by turn, the reader – uncertain of how to distinguish between superstition, rumour, and hidden truths.
The drawing out of the island’s secrets takes time and, if I had one criticism of The Whistling, it’s that the pacing can be a bit uneven. I raced through the first half of the novel, keen to discover whether the sinister dolls and strange noises were the work of human or supernatural entities, but then found the pace lulling in the mid-section, when the plot seemed to pivot towards more domestic dramas and personal backstories. Whilst these were interesting, they were quite a distinct change from the supernatural shenanigans of the opening half and, briefly, appeared to take the novel in quite a different direction. The pace picks up again towards the end of the book – and the supernatural plot moves back into gear with a vengeance – but, after a period of relative calm, I was left feeling like the dramatic reveal at the end was a little rushed.
The evocative atmosphere and story twists kept me reading though the slower sections and I’m glad I pushed onwards because, overall, The Whistling is one of those slow-burn ghost stories that creeps into your mind and lives there rent-free until you suddenly find yourself jumping at shadows and sleeping with the lights on. With it’s isolated setting and dour atmosphere, there are definite shades of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black here and, just as in that novel, the spooks come from gradually dawning realisation and slowly built horror rather than dramatic jump scares.
I also found myself wholly rooting for Elspeth in her relentless pursuit of the truth. Her determination to help and protect Mary is touching – as is Mary’s own growing affection for her new nanny. I was particularly impressed by how much of Mary’s personality and character Rebecca Netley has conveyed through gestures, small interactions, and subtle movements – proof, if it were needed, that characters don’t need to speak to make themselves heard on the page.
The Whistling is a fine addition to the resurgent tradition of autumnal ghost stories. It is clear from reading it that Rebecca Netley both knows and loves the genre and her novel pays homage to all of the classics. Look closely and you’ll see the reverberations of everything from James’ The Turn of the Screw to Sarah Waters’ more recent The Little Stranger. Yet The Whistling is also a ghost story all of its own – a brilliantly evocative novel that will reward patient readers with that spine-tingling feeling.
Moderate: Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Suicide