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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5/5 stars.
The Whispers is a middle grade story of a boy trying to find out what happened to his mother after she disappeared, four months prior. He takes cues from a story his mother used to tell him, about little fairies called Whispers that will give you your greatest wish in exchange for tribute, and will tell the person all about hidden knowledge of the universe.
When Riley, our main character, hears their voices one night, he strikes out with his friend Gary, his dog Tucker, and camping supplies to find out just what happened to his mom.
The Whispers is a really, really cute little story about acceptance, understanding, and maybe a little bit of magic. But we're not really sure on that last part. It was incredibly atmospheric and emotional, and I ended up tearing up a few times.
For context: I picked this up because I heard the MC was gay. I love picking up queer middle grade. Learning that the story also took place in a small town, where everyone goes to the same Christian church and refers to him as "growing up funny" made it much more intriguing and heartbreaking.
Riley being gay, referred to as "his other condition" (his "condition" being that he started wetting the bed when his mother disappeared), is actually a pretty prominent part of the story without taking over the narrative. While it's definitely about friendship, a boy and his dog, and all sorts of other stuff, it was also about learning to accept yourself, who you are, and what you're capable of.
One of the things I find interesting about this book is that one of its main genre tags is "fantasy", but I don't think it is fantasy. Maybe magical realism, maybe just contemporary - it's rather ambiguous - but not fantasy. Apart from The Whispers, and Tucker being uncannily intelligent, the story takes place in a pretty normal world. Even then, the Whispers aren't so invasive than they twist the story beyond magical realism.
Getting onto the characters: Riley is an adorable little boy. He's honest, intelligent, flamboyant, and a total mama's boy. I loved the depiction of a Mama's Boy as a positive thing, and that him being close to his mom was never twisted around into something negative. I did find it a little derivative that he was effeminate and a mama's boy and gay, but I recognize that it's a pretty common story, especially for little boys in small towns with little else to handle.
I did not like Danny. I know that's the point, but good lord did I get frustrated with him. The reveal about his bed was just maddening and I didn't like how it was resolved whatsoever. I understand that, as a kid, this probably isn't as much of an issue, but it's something I would have been bothered about as a kid too.
Gary was a good character! It was good to see a fat boy without him being demonized. Though, his main character trait being that he was Black and liked Food was... not great?
In fact, that's a complaint I have, overall, about the story: the characters are often very flat. Gary is Fat and Likes Food and is Black. Carl is Whiny and a Coward. Danny is Mean and Gross. Dad is Sad and Angry. Grandma is Crazy and Lost. The only characters that had any depth were Riley and /Tucker the dog/. His mother, even, who the story was largely about, was just an angel with absolutely no character flaws.
Maybe that's a product of the genre, or perhaps the story that Howard wanted to tell. Regardless, I did enjoy the story for what it was, was left with some curious questions about the magical realism of it all, what was real and what wasn't, and that ending made me tear up and get very emotional.
A good read, and a good start to February. Glad I picked it up.
Knocking it down a star for killing the dog. That was unnecessary and I am upset by it. Greatly.
The Whispers is a middle grade story of a boy trying to find out what happened to his mother after she disappeared, four months prior. He takes cues from a story his mother used to tell him, about little fairies called Whispers that will give you your greatest wish in exchange for tribute, and will tell the person all about hidden knowledge of the universe.
When Riley, our main character, hears their voices one night, he strikes out with his friend Gary, his dog Tucker, and camping supplies to find out just what happened to his mom.
The Whispers is a really, really cute little story about acceptance, understanding, and maybe a little bit of magic. But we're not really sure on that last part. It was incredibly atmospheric and emotional, and I ended up tearing up a few times.
For context: I picked this up because I heard the MC was gay. I love picking up queer middle grade. Learning that the story also took place in a small town, where everyone goes to the same Christian church and refers to him as "growing up funny" made it much more intriguing and heartbreaking.
Riley being gay, referred to as "his other condition" (his "condition" being that he started wetting the bed when his mother disappeared), is actually a pretty prominent part of the story without taking over the narrative. While it's definitely about friendship, a boy and his dog, and all sorts of other stuff, it was also about learning to accept yourself, who you are, and what you're capable of.
One of the things I find interesting about this book is that one of its main genre tags is "fantasy", but I don't think it is fantasy. Maybe magical realism, maybe just contemporary - it's rather ambiguous - but not fantasy. Apart from The Whispers, and Tucker being uncannily intelligent, the story takes place in a pretty normal world. Even then, the Whispers aren't so invasive than they twist the story beyond magical realism.
Getting onto the characters: Riley is an adorable little boy. He's honest, intelligent, flamboyant, and a total mama's boy. I loved the depiction of a Mama's Boy as a positive thing, and that him being close to his mom was never twisted around into something negative. I did find it a little derivative that he was effeminate and a mama's boy and gay, but I recognize that it's a pretty common story, especially for little boys in small towns with little else to handle.
I did not like Danny. I know that's the point, but good lord did I get frustrated with him. The reveal about his bed was just maddening and I didn't like how it was resolved whatsoever. I understand that, as a kid, this probably isn't as much of an issue, but it's something I would have been bothered about as a kid too.
Gary was a good character! It was good to see a fat boy without him being demonized. Though, his main character trait being that he was Black and liked Food was... not great?
In fact, that's a complaint I have, overall, about the story: the characters are often very flat. Gary is Fat and Likes Food and is Black. Carl is Whiny and a Coward. Danny is Mean and Gross. Dad is Sad and Angry. Grandma is Crazy and Lost. The only characters that had any depth were Riley and /Tucker the dog/. His mother, even, who the story was largely about, was just an angel with absolutely no character flaws.
Maybe that's a product of the genre, or perhaps the story that Howard wanted to tell. Regardless, I did enjoy the story for what it was, was left with some curious questions about the magical realism of it all, what was real and what wasn't, and that ending made me tear up and get very emotional.
A good read, and a good start to February. Glad I picked it up.
Such a sweet story about growing up, finding yourself, and forgiveness. Fair warning, get the tissues ready. I was not prepared for the emotions.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book through Netgalley and putting me on the blog tour.
Read my full review at bookishbugblog.com
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book through Netgalley and putting me on the blog tour.
Read my full review at bookishbugblog.com
I had a hard time getting in to the story but when I did it became one of my favorite books!! So well written and so much emotion.
I have a feeling opinions on this book are going to be very split because I feel like some readers are going to feel the plot twist breaks the story's promise of what this book is marketed as whereas others are going to love it.
For lovers of contemporaries and character driven stories, especially those of the middle grade variety. An overall sad book but with plenty of lighter moments to balance it out. ;)
For lovers of contemporaries and character driven stories, especially those of the middle grade variety. An overall sad book but with plenty of lighter moments to balance it out. ;)
The Whispers was what I expected it to be, and not.
I love Riley. I love Dylan. I love best boy Tucker and the calendar of daily words and how Riley is such a mama's boy.
Despite the weight of the situation, the grief weighing down the family, Riley's voice was fresh and bright and I loved my gentle boy and watching him navigate his life. I wasn't a fan of the homophobia present in this book due to the very Christian undertones. But I appreciated seeing how damaging it can be to a child to hear such vile things - and also that everyone who mattered accepted and loved Riley.
I spent the last chapter of the book bawling my eyes out and with tears streaking down my cheeks, and I'm still a little teary now. I don't think Riley's story will leave me for a long time.
I love Riley. I love Dylan. I love best boy Tucker and the calendar of daily words and how Riley is such a mama's boy.
Despite the weight of the situation, the grief weighing down the family, Riley's voice was fresh and bright and I loved my gentle boy and watching him navigate his life.
I spent the last chapter of the book bawling my eyes out and with tears streaking down my cheeks, and I'm still a little teary now. I don't think Riley's story will leave me for a long time.
CW: bullying, anti-gay terminology/homophobia, child abuse, animal death, talk about segregation behavior
Riley has a strong belief in the Whispers: fairies that will grant you your heart's desire if you offer a tribute. He needs to believe in them because his mama has been missing for months now and if he doesn't believe...what then?
Greg Howard's middle grade debut novel was a well written, heart breaking example of how sometimes the belief we hold on to is all we have in the face of something far more devastating, but that processing, growing up, whatever you want to call it, is also possible.
There was an expectation I had about The Whispers going into reading it and while I might have held onto them for awhile, when Riley was telling us about his Mama singing to him, the games they would play, and the stories she would share with him, it wasn't long before a sense of foreboding took over.
While Riley has a sense of wonder and a belief in the fantastical, there's also
This was a good, solid read that I kept wanting to pick up, even when I had to set it aside for other tasks. Even when I thought I knew where the story was going (that sense of foreboding I mentioned? yeah, it only gets stronger as you go), I had to know for sure. I had to know how Riley was going to figure things out: how he was going to handle living with his dad, who seemed to hate him since Mama vanished; his classmates, who teased him for liking stuff he "shouldn't" like; his crush on his nextdoor neighbor, Dylan. There's a lot going on beneath the surface for Riley and while he might seem single minded, there's also a lot of confusion boiling up inside that creates tension for him and whoever's reading about him.
Riley's life in a South Carolina town is complex. He's eleven years old and figuring things out, such as how he feels about those around him, particularly who he wants to kiss. This is complicated by the sermons he hears at church and what the Brothers and Sisters from church say when they think he can't hear. From an adult perspective, it was even more heartbreaking to realize what they meant and I wanted to shake these people for being so cruel to a child.
There's also an interesting method of storytelling wherein Riley sees things from a certain point of view. Some readers might be able to guess at particular plot points in advance and thereby guess as the story progresses, but if not, at the end you can look back and see how Riley's perspective and that of those around him differ and makes it almost like there were two stories going on simultaneously.
The emotional impact of The Whispers cannot be understated. It's quite good and I think there will be quite an audience for it. I'm not sure if the writing style will be for everyone in the middle grade audience because as much as I liked it, I'm not 100% that younger readers will stick with it through the early stages. I'd certainly encourage them too, though, because it's well worth it. Provide tissues, though, for the finals scenes and readers of all ages.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
Riley has a strong belief in the Whispers: fairies that will grant you your heart's desire if you offer a tribute. He needs to believe in them because his mama has been missing for months now and if he doesn't believe...what then?
Greg Howard's middle grade debut novel was a well written, heart breaking example of how sometimes the belief we hold on to is all we have in the face of something far more devastating, but that processing, growing up, whatever you want to call it, is also possible.
There was an expectation I had about The Whispers going into reading it and while I might have held onto them for awhile, when Riley was telling us about his Mama singing to him, the games they would play, and the stories she would share with him, it wasn't long before a sense of foreboding took over.
While Riley has a sense of wonder and a belief in the fantastical, there's also
This was a good, solid read that I kept wanting to pick up, even when I had to set it aside for other tasks. Even when I thought I knew where the story was going (that sense of foreboding I mentioned? yeah, it only gets stronger as you go), I had to know for sure. I had to know how Riley was going to figure things out: how he was going to handle living with his dad, who seemed to hate him since Mama vanished; his classmates, who teased him for liking stuff he "shouldn't" like; his crush on his nextdoor neighbor, Dylan. There's a lot going on beneath the surface for Riley and while he might seem single minded, there's also a lot of confusion boiling up inside that creates tension for him and whoever's reading about him.
Riley's life in a South Carolina town is complex. He's eleven years old and figuring things out, such as how he feels about those around him, particularly who he wants to kiss. This is complicated by the sermons he hears at church and what the Brothers and Sisters from church say when they think he can't hear. From an adult perspective, it was even more heartbreaking to realize what they meant and I wanted to shake these people for being so cruel to a child.
There's also an interesting method of storytelling wherein Riley sees things from a certain point of view. Some readers might be able to guess at particular plot points in advance and thereby guess as the story progresses, but if not, at the end you can look back and see how Riley's perspective and that of those around him differ and makes it almost like there were two stories going on simultaneously.
The emotional impact of The Whispers cannot be understated. It's quite good and I think there will be quite an audience for it. I'm not sure if the writing style will be for everyone in the middle grade audience because as much as I liked it, I'm not 100% that younger readers will stick with it through the early stages. I'd certainly encourage them too, though, because it's well worth it. Provide tissues, though, for the finals scenes and readers of all ages.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
I received an advanced copy of this from Penguin and was so happy when it arrived.
I had been hearing whispers (…) of this book on Book Twitter for a while and wanted to see for myself what it was about.
We follow Riley James through what at first seems like a sci-fi/fantasy story with old mysteries of the local wood hanging heavily over everything.
As we go through the story we find that Riley’s mum is missing and he will do anything to find her, including giving a tribute to the mysterious creatures who live in the woods.
We also explore Riley’s sexuality and this is done in a gentle way, gradually being introduced as a ‘condition’ that God despises.
A wonderful book full of surprises, twists and turns. Exploring loss, wonder, belief, homosexuality in rural USA, and grief.
There was many a time I was in tears but just couldn’t look away.
I had been hearing whispers (…) of this book on Book Twitter for a while and wanted to see for myself what it was about.
We follow Riley James through what at first seems like a sci-fi/fantasy story with old mysteries of the local wood hanging heavily over everything.
As we go through the story we find that Riley’s mum is missing and he will do anything to find her, including giving a tribute to the mysterious creatures who live in the woods.
We also explore Riley’s sexuality and this is done in a gentle way, gradually being introduced as a ‘condition’ that God despises.
A wonderful book full of surprises, twists and turns. Exploring loss, wonder, belief, homosexuality in rural USA, and grief.
There was many a time I was in tears but just couldn’t look away.
"Sometimes bad things happen to good people."
Nota: 3,5
É um livro lindo e emocionante, sem sombras de dúvida. É uma simples, porém encantadora por vários motivos existentes no livro.
Não vou dizer que já sabia o que tinha acontecido com a mãe do Riley, mas eu já presumia, porém só precisava da confirmação para ter certeza. E, dadas todas as circunstâncias dos acontecimentos, o autor sobre moldar uma história bastante linda sobre o amor entre um filho e a mãe, a descoberta da sexualidade na adolescência, e a dor de perder um ente querido.
Nota: 3,5
É um livro lindo e emocionante, sem sombras de dúvida. É uma simples, porém encantadora por vários motivos existentes no livro.
Não vou dizer que já sabia o que tinha acontecido com a mãe do Riley, mas eu já presumia, porém só precisava da confirmação para ter certeza. E, dadas todas as circunstâncias dos acontecimentos, o autor sobre moldar uma história bastante linda sobre o amor entre um filho e a mãe, a descoberta da sexualidade na adolescência, e a dor de perder um ente querido.