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A review by booksthatburn
The Voice Upstairs by Laura E. Weymouth
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So far I've loved every book I've read by Laura E. Weymouth and I'm going to prioritize those lingering on my to-read pile. Weymouth has a way of writing about relationships and obsessions of various kinds which clearly appeals to me, and this time it's an obsession with privacy, appearance, and secrets, which are perfect undergirding for a mystery.
I love Wil and Ed’s friendship/relationship. They fit together really well as people and as friends, though for a long time they haven't been along to spend long periods of time in one another's company. When Wil starts working on Ed's estate, the change in proximity means that there are many necessary changes to their dynamic, not all of which are handled gracefully by the characters. Given that they are teenage protagonists, I like the way they’re given the narrative space to each mess up and then figure out how to put things right with each other. One of the immediate changes to their previous easy friendship is that Ed had always hidden from Will how much he was dismissed and bullied at home, treated like an afterthought within his family. Even once she’s there, it takes a long time for him to share with her the way he’s being plagued by a ghost he's convinced is his dead elder brother. This reticence is completely completely understandable, but I kept wanting him to just ask her for help because she’s able to talk to ghosts, even if they’re not able to always give coherent answers. As much as I occasionally chafed at the pacing, it took the time that it needed and I’m very pleased with how the story turned out.
This is a genuinely suspenseful and creepy mystery, the answers (once given) completely make sense and fit what was shown earlier. Though I started to suspect some parts before all was revealed, I definitely didn’t guess the whole solution. I spent a while thinking that it didn’t make sense for certain people to be keeping the secrets that I could tell were there, because it felt a little bit like they were only being secretive because it was necessary for the plot, but I was incorrect. When I did finally get answers, everything everyone had done that didn’t make any sense suddenly made sense and it was great! Narratively, at least, I love the story. The end involves a bunch of distressing revelations and violence, which was less than ideal for those involved.
I love Wil and Ed’s friendship/relationship. They fit together really well as people and as friends, though for a long time they haven't been along to spend long periods of time in one another's company. When Wil starts working on Ed's estate, the change in proximity means that there are many necessary changes to their dynamic, not all of which are handled gracefully by the characters. Given that they are teenage protagonists, I like the way they’re given the narrative space to each mess up and then figure out how to put things right with each other. One of the immediate changes to their previous easy friendship is that Ed had always hidden from Will how much he was dismissed and bullied at home, treated like an afterthought within his family. Even once she’s there, it takes a long time for him to share with her the way he’s being plagued by a ghost he's convinced is his dead elder brother. This reticence is completely completely understandable, but I kept wanting him to just ask her for help because she’s able to talk to ghosts, even if they’re not able to always give coherent answers. As much as I occasionally chafed at the pacing, it took the time that it needed and I’m very pleased with how the story turned out.
This is a genuinely suspenseful and creepy mystery, the answers (once given) completely make sense and fit what was shown earlier. Though I started to suspect some parts before all was revealed, I definitely didn’t guess the whole solution. I spent a while thinking that it didn’t make sense for certain people to be keeping the secrets that I could tell were there, because it felt a little bit like they were only being secretive because it was necessary for the plot, but I was incorrect. When I did finally get answers, everything everyone had done that didn’t make any sense suddenly made sense and it was great! Narratively, at least, I love the story. The end involves a bunch of distressing revelations and violence, which was less than ideal for those involved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Death
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, War, Torture, Physical abuse, Confinement, Ableism, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Death of parent, and Child death
Minor: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Suicide, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Incest