Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Whispering Dark

My original review:
This book will keep you on questioning everything until the end it's super mysterious. You're gonna be like "wtf is going on" for 80% of the book, but in the best way possible.

THE ROMANCE.
What are these YA Fantasy Romance authors doing to me???? I have *feelings* How do they keep everything so PG but I am sweating?! IT'S SO GOOD.

Protect Colton at all costs. That is all.

If you're a fan of: Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (new adult) or Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (NOT YA) I think you'll really enjoy this.

IDK where to even put the spice cause it's completely 'closed door' if anything even really happens it's vague in the most beautiful way. So 1.5-2/5 🌶️??

Content Warnings

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

takarakei's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book will keep you on questioning everything until the end it's super mysterious. You're gonna be like "wtf is going on" for 80% of the book, but in the best way possible.

THE ROMANCE.
What are these YA Fantasy Romance authors doing to me???? I have *feelings* How do they keep everything so PG but I am sweating?! IT'S SO GOOD.

Protect Colton at all costs. That is all.

If you're a fan of: Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (new adult) or Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (NOT YA) I think you'll really enjoy this.

IDK where to even put the spice cause it's completely 'closed door' if anything even really happens it's vague in the most beautiful way. So 1.5-2/5 🌶️??

Content Warnings

stardustandrockets's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

skylar_cr_wolf's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

“Death is part of life. Nothing is permanent. Nothing stays. Everything comes to an end, that’s just the way it goes.”

This is something you would believe. Even Delaney believed it for a while. A long while. But does life really stop with death?

While you follow her on her journey to unravel not just the truth by finding an answer to this particular question maybe, you’re also meeting Colton, someone who will keep secrets till his last breath. Or in this case simply even to the end.
And honestly, I like this. They both evolve throughout the story but Colton still remains with secrets of his own.

He is also not your average dark, mysterious guy with a sweet spot for the female main protagonist. No. He is literally a dead person with questionable morals, maybe even only a shadow of himself at the end. Colton isn’t becoming morally grey. His morals have always been a little off because the laws of life do not necessarily apply to him anymore.

I must say, I think I like this about him. Or about this story in general. You will get answers to questions and yet you won’t be able to solve all of the secrets.
I am surprised how quickly I read this, to be honest. Usually I need more than a week to read ~400 pages but this one really had me in a grip there. I can’t pinpoint why it did not turn out to be 5 stars or more than solid 4. But maybe this is just another question which I cannot answer and won’t possibly. Which is fine. I liked the book a lot nonetheless.

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readingelli's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.75

Content Warnings

shereadytoread's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 rounded up. Overall this was an excellent read! I enjoyed the background of the fantasy elements that were built into the general world.

Pros:
- great representation of deaf character including the limitations of accommodations and aids, as well as general difficulty in accessing individualized accommodations
- plot was engaging with both a mystery and urban fantasy adventure
- good supporting characters that were actively involved throughout the story
- plot twists (?) or reveals that worked well in pushing the story forward

Cons:
- slightly repetitive language in how the main character is described
- some unnecessary repetitive filler in the formation of the friendship between the two main characters (honestly how many times do I need to hear “you’re suppose to stay away from her” before you tell me why! And repeated “every morning in class blah blah lol)

Potentially relevant information: One of the primary characters is a Muslim woman who wears a hijab. I have seen concerns that this character engaging in the ability/magic she does is problematic. I have read the full review of one of the sensitivity readers who read for and approved of this representation due to it being an innate ability/power as all the other characters have, not engaging in a magic practice.

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theartsybookwitch's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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