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Whisper
I'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces.
How do you know if your friends are talking about you behind your back or if a boy likes you? They could act innocent, but you'd know from the rumours. You'd hear the whispers. But what if you couldn't hear those whispers anymore? What if everything you took for granted was gone? Being a teenager is hard enough.
But being a deaf teenager?
How do you know if your friends are talking about you behind your back or if a boy likes you? They could act innocent, but you'd know from the rumours. You'd hear the whispers. But what if you couldn't hear those whispers anymore? What if everything you took for granted was gone? Being a teenager is hard enough.
But being a deaf teenager?
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
January 27, 2016
*4.5 STARS* Awwww this was so, so, so, so beautiful. Here's my video review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt3Qi...
December 1, 2011
”I’m always trying to figure out what’s really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It’s like trying to do a jigsaw when I don’t even know what the picture is, and I’m missing one of the vital middle pieces.”On my morning commute to work, the first thing I usually do is put my earphones in. I choose to block out the tram rumble and the overly loud mobile phone conversations and the high school gossip with music. I don’t think I fully realised until reading this book how much I took this simple act for granted.
In the opening scene of Whisper, sixteen year old Demi gets on a tram to go to her new school. She thinks about her iPod, and how she used to scroll through it for the perfect song for a particular moment. And she thinks about how she gave it away, because eighteen months ago, she became profoundly deaf.
Whisper is full of small, quiet, powerful moments like this – where Chrissie Keighery plunges us into Demi’s silent world, confronting us with the daily realities of being deaf, showing us life through Demi’s eyes. There were times when mentally sharing in Demi’s experiences made me feel like I couldn’t breathe, panic clawing up my chest, closing my throat. Imagining the loss of one of the senses I use every minute to put the world around me in context was an emotional experience. Because I realised how much I hadn’t thought about it before. How much I didn’t know about the deaf community. How much I couldn’t even begin the fathom what it would feel like to be in Demi’s situation, having the way I absorb world alter, and needing to learn to understand it all over again.
At the risk of getting all sentimental in this review , I can’t overstate how beautiful and touching I found this book. It’s a simple story but it’s rich with insight. The writing is pared back but emotional. Demi has a distinctly teenage voice - she’s intelligent, but confused, angry and lost. Keighery writes Demi’s struggle to navigate and reconcile the hearing and deaf worlds with incredible empathy and respect.
The messaging in Whisper around audism is not precisely subtle, and Keighery presents the issues faced by the deaf community, particularly locally, in a very up front manner. However, I didn’t feel like this was the distasteful insertion of an author’s agenda that I’ve occasionally come across in novels. To me, this is about awareness, clear and simple. About portraying Demi’s situation accurately, and communicating the different experiences of deaf teens and their families, including discrimination.
Beneath the important subject matter, however, this is also a story about friendship and family. About courage and fear, and the anxieties that simply go along with being a teenager. It’s not gritty, or shocking – but its honest, and funny, and moving.
The motto of the Victorian College for the Deaf (Demi’s school – Hi, Melbourne!) is taken from a Goethe quote: "the highest cannot be spoken, it must be enacted." I can’t help but think that this is also a perfect sentiment to accompany this story, about taking action, having a voice, and finding hope.
June 6, 2012
“It doesn't matter if she's deaf," he says. "My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands.”
Damn Australian writers and their heart-wrenching contemporary fiction. It never fails. It's an automatic instant love syndrome but in this case, I'm the one falling in love and not the characters in the book. Not that I'm complaining, it's just...I have a difficult time reviewing them because I sound like a broken record with each review (see AUSSOME shelf on Goodreads). And this book was no exception.
Whisper is about a teen girl adjusting to being deaf. She hasn't always been deaf; but a recent bout of meningitis plunged her to a silent world. Our words are most often misconstrued for no apparent reason than we're sometimes unable to find the right things to say. Friendships can be ruined and family relationships can be strained just because we can't get our points across. Being deaf affects a person's speech capabilities, hence the more chances that you can be misunderstood. This is pretty much the dictates of Demi's life. Her family's pretty supportive for the most part but she found it hard to acclimate to her mother's new suffocating worries.
This book was beautiful and thoughful in a simple way that it talked about the mundane things of life. But mundane could be relative to a person who's lost her hearing. Things like: Giving up her iPod because it's become useless to someone like her; or the beauty of swimming under water because everybody else is deaf to some degree under there. It made me think about how I would cope. How painful it would be to never hear my kids' laughters again or how I'd probably miss my husband's jet-engine snores while he sleeps. It's an unimaginable loss that's hard to endure.
Within Demi's story is a lesson about AUDISM. It's discrimination against the deaf. It's the horrible reality that I'm made aware of but not forcefully fed by the author. It also showed how it's always possible, albeit a bit difficult at first to form relationships with those who can hear. For me, I found an incredible sweetness in the way Demi would always have to look at Ethan's face and read his lips so she could get a grasp at what he was saying. There's this bubble around them when they're communicating; the need to be closer than most to understand each other better.
VERDICT: There's a lot we could all learn from Demi; acceptance of our frailties, courage to face the world with the abilities we're given and to constantly fight for what's right and what we believe in. This book was poignant, funny and real with strong characters who'd burry a hole in your heart. This is such a lovely book with some pretty valuable lessons we - deaf and hears, alike - could use.
Damn Australian writers and their heart-wrenching contemporary fiction. It never fails. It's an automatic instant love syndrome but in this case, I'm the one falling in love and not the characters in the book. Not that I'm complaining, it's just...I have a difficult time reviewing them because I sound like a broken record with each review (see AUSSOME shelf on Goodreads). And this book was no exception.
Whisper is about a teen girl adjusting to being deaf. She hasn't always been deaf; but a recent bout of meningitis plunged her to a silent world. Our words are most often misconstrued for no apparent reason than we're sometimes unable to find the right things to say. Friendships can be ruined and family relationships can be strained just because we can't get our points across. Being deaf affects a person's speech capabilities, hence the more chances that you can be misunderstood. This is pretty much the dictates of Demi's life. Her family's pretty supportive for the most part but she found it hard to acclimate to her mother's new suffocating worries.
This book was beautiful and thoughful in a simple way that it talked about the mundane things of life. But mundane could be relative to a person who's lost her hearing. Things like: Giving up her iPod because it's become useless to someone like her; or the beauty of swimming under water because everybody else is deaf to some degree under there. It made me think about how I would cope. How painful it would be to never hear my kids' laughters again or how I'd probably miss my husband's jet-engine snores while he sleeps. It's an unimaginable loss that's hard to endure.
Within Demi's story is a lesson about AUDISM. It's discrimination against the deaf. It's the horrible reality that I'm made aware of but not forcefully fed by the author. It also showed how it's always possible, albeit a bit difficult at first to form relationships with those who can hear. For me, I found an incredible sweetness in the way Demi would always have to look at Ethan's face and read his lips so she could get a grasp at what he was saying. There's this bubble around them when they're communicating; the need to be closer than most to understand each other better.
VERDICT: There's a lot we could all learn from Demi; acceptance of our frailties, courage to face the world with the abilities we're given and to constantly fight for what's right and what we believe in. This book was poignant, funny and real with strong characters who'd burry a hole in your heart. This is such a lovely book with some pretty valuable lessons we - deaf and hears, alike - could use.
January 31, 2012
FIRST IMPRESSION:
A deaf girl? To be honest, I was reluctant. I've read my share of people with something out of the ordinary happening to them (like The Body Finder) and I completely hated that one. So I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up. I didn't really think much of the cover. But the pitch at the back drew me in, even if I was thinking, "Meh. How over-exaggerated. You don't have to be deaf to have a hard life."
WRITING STYLE:
Amazing. The sentences are short, but not choppy. None of the sentences are too long, and it honestly seems like the mind of a teenage girl. I also love how wonderfully the main character's problem was expressed to the world. There was always a "he/she signs/mouths" instead of "he says/she asks, etc." It's so different to every other book I've read!
PLOT:
It was perfect. The plot of a girl who once had hearing and slowly growing up and adjusting to another world -the world of the unheard. It was heartbreaking at times, and I wanted to scream with Demi. The plot also showed me how beautiful the world of the deaf really is, although it'd take time for me to appreciate it if I didn't have a second choice. For the people who're born deaf, English is their second language. How amazing. Although I have to admit, I wish there was more depth to Ethan than the "hearing boy who loves me regardless of whether I'm deaf or not." But their relationship was cute -I'm just the one without much of a romantic bone.
CHARACTERS:
I loved Demi. She was real. She made me realise how differently we treat the disabled -with pity, and for the cruel, with mock. Everything was beautiful. There was Keisha, there was Flawless (Felicity.) Demi has a previous world with her best friend, Nadia, and I can't help loving all the relationships tying together. But most of all, I love Stella. And after reading the book, I realise what the cover is a picture of. I officially love the cover, regardless of not thinking much of it when I picked the book up.
OVERALL:
I was wondering whether to pick this up or not. I was honestly wondering if it was one of those typical books where the girl complains about deafness, over and over, and annoys the living daylights out of me. It was nothing like that. Let me tell you, once and for all, this book is like no other. You can't compare it to any other book in the whole world. And it officially has a place on my favourites shelf.
AMOUNT OF STARS:
5
January 10, 2020
Books about teenagers are usually not great, but this one was...wrong. Every character felt very shallow and one note, including Demi herself. I could have told you what lessons she would learn and how she would learn them two pages into the book. I got sick of her complaints in about one paragraph. I appreciated that it told a commonly untold perspective- that of deaf students. I'm nearly fluent in ASL, so I understand some of the struggles of deaf people exploring the hearing world. It's an important topic, but as I've always said: the message of a book does not excuse bad writing. I was bored and annoyed nearly all the way through. It had a heartwarming, though utterly predictable, ending, and I was left thoroughly underwhelmed.
February 5, 2017
I give this book a 3 star review. It was interesting but not at the extent that I was hoping for as it had such a good synopsis.
Don't get me wrong, it was nice. The plot of the story was not the best but pretty nice and light. I liked how they made their book from the perspective of someone that is deaf. They made a book on someone who has a disability or as said in the book an audism. It was also nice to see how it had changed the view set of someone entirely.
I wished they could have made the characters in the book relatable or have a little more connection to the reader. As I read this book, I didn't feel any relationship towards the characters as I was hoping for.
I would recommend this book to people that want a quick easy read. People that don't want to read books too emotional and kind of light, I would recommend this to.
**DON'T READ ON BECAUSE I MIGHT BE GIVING A SPOILER AS I WRITE MY FAVORITE PART IN MY BOOK. READ IF YOU WANT TO THOUGH. **
My favorite part was the very last sentence in the book which was "It doesn't matter if she's deaf, he says. My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands." Just because someone has an ability superior than yours, doesn't mean your not as great as them. You are capable of doing anything as you put risk and you fight for it.
Don't get me wrong, it was nice. The plot of the story was not the best but pretty nice and light. I liked how they made their book from the perspective of someone that is deaf. They made a book on someone who has a disability or as said in the book an audism. It was also nice to see how it had changed the view set of someone entirely.
I wished they could have made the characters in the book relatable or have a little more connection to the reader. As I read this book, I didn't feel any relationship towards the characters as I was hoping for.
I would recommend this book to people that want a quick easy read. People that don't want to read books too emotional and kind of light, I would recommend this to.
**DON'T READ ON BECAUSE I MIGHT BE GIVING A SPOILER AS I WRITE MY FAVORITE PART IN MY BOOK. READ IF YOU WANT TO THOUGH. **
My favorite part was the very last sentence in the book which was "It doesn't matter if she's deaf, he says. My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands." Just because someone has an ability superior than yours, doesn't mean your not as great as them. You are capable of doing anything as you put risk and you fight for it.
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June 14, 2020
Quick, fairly forgettable book.
All the ingredients are there for a moving story: the heroine, Demi, has recently lost her hearing due to meningitis, and she's struggling to deal with it. She feels isolated and excluded by her old friends, but also resents her unashamedly deaf new friends for making her look like a freak. She also has a burgeoning romance with a hearing boy to deal with.
Unfortunately, the narrative voice is so simplistic that any interest I had in the book kept draining away. Demi feels like she's six, not sixteen. The childish subplot at the end reinforces this.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
All the ingredients are there for a moving story: the heroine, Demi, has recently lost her hearing due to meningitis, and she's struggling to deal with it. She feels isolated and excluded by her old friends, but also resents her unashamedly deaf new friends for making her look like a freak. She also has a burgeoning romance with a hearing boy to deal with.
Unfortunately, the narrative voice is so simplistic that any interest I had in the book kept draining away. Demi feels like she's six, not sixteen. The childish subplot at the end reinforces this.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
July 5, 2012
There was a lot to love about this book! It's sorta issuefic, sure, but it's well-written, plotty issuefic with real characters. I especially love the way the story makes the point that radical/separatist Deaf politics exists for a reason, and can be respected and not dismissed even by people who choose a more moderate/integrated path.
1.5 stars off for the constant, jarring use of the R-word, without any examination of the problematic way it's used. "You can't be an arsehole to me, I'm deaf, not r******d!" Um, no, actually, you shouldn't be an arsehole to people with intellectual disabilities either.
1.5 stars off for the constant, jarring use of the R-word, without any examination of the problematic way it's used. "You can't be an arsehole to me, I'm deaf, not r******d!" Um, no, actually, you shouldn't be an arsehole to people with intellectual disabilities either.
November 26, 2015
3.5 stars
September 15, 2012
Demi loses her hearing as a result of meningitus when she was 14. The story starts 2 years later whan Demi and her family have been through a full cycle of emotions, from optimism that her hearing will return, to realisation that it isn't going to, determination to stay on in her mainstream school and the final resignation that going to a school for the deaf would be better. Demi has made this final decision although her mother remains convinced that she shouldn't distance herself from her hearing friends and 'normal' life. But life hasn't been normal for Demi since her illness and whilst she doesn't want to give up on her old friends she feels constantly excluded and out of place.
This story was refreshing read, partly because it isn't yet another American High School drama. It's actually set in Australia although this isn't obvious at first. It doesn't have a fast-paced plot and could easily have slipped into a series of cliches and set-up scenes exploring what it's like to be deaf. It's true that all the steriotypes are in there, from the prejudiced school bullies to the over-sympathetic teacher, the mother in denial, the gorgous un-deaf love interest, the angry militant deaf friend etc. But the author manages to weave this all into an interesting and very enlightening story without it sounding too clunky or preachy. It also describes a lot of signing symbols, which was very useful. I gave this 3 stars because of the lack of page-turning plot, but it's a book that makes you think and was definitely worth the read.
This story was refreshing read, partly because it isn't yet another American High School drama. It's actually set in Australia although this isn't obvious at first. It doesn't have a fast-paced plot and could easily have slipped into a series of cliches and set-up scenes exploring what it's like to be deaf. It's true that all the steriotypes are in there, from the prejudiced school bullies to the over-sympathetic teacher, the mother in denial, the gorgous un-deaf love interest, the angry militant deaf friend etc. But the author manages to weave this all into an interesting and very enlightening story without it sounding too clunky or preachy. It also describes a lot of signing symbols, which was very useful. I gave this 3 stars because of the lack of page-turning plot, but it's a book that makes you think and was definitely worth the read.
April 16, 2012
This is such an amasing, inspiring dtory of courage, hope and.... Well life. I read this by a complete coincidence as it was just a random book my boyfriend grabbed to get me out of the bookstore.
Since reading this I've become more aware of the world around me. I've started learning sign language and did my work experience at a primary/hearing impared school. This book has changed my life, inspired me to aspire to bigger, better things.
Above all else Chrissie Keighery has changed my world. Giving me hope in the face of a hard world that can take down people with the smallest thing.
I've blocked off my sense of hearing multiple times and it is hard. It was challenging and it took all that I had just to imagine what it would be like to be that way 24/7.
Read whisper. It has changed my world and I pronise, it will change yours too.
Rebecca. Xx
Since reading this I've become more aware of the world around me. I've started learning sign language and did my work experience at a primary/hearing impared school. This book has changed my life, inspired me to aspire to bigger, better things.
Above all else Chrissie Keighery has changed my world. Giving me hope in the face of a hard world that can take down people with the smallest thing.
I've blocked off my sense of hearing multiple times and it is hard. It was challenging and it took all that I had just to imagine what it would be like to be that way 24/7.
Read whisper. It has changed my world and I pronise, it will change yours too.
Rebecca. Xx
April 21, 2019
this was a thoughtful, kind and quick read about deafness, anxiety, and self acceptance. very touching.
February 10, 2017
“We read to know we're not alone.” William Nicholson.
So this book is a reread for me. I remember loving the setting and the complex relationships between Demi’s friends and family, and also a bit for giving insight into a whole other world: the Deaf community. I don’t reread often, but when I do, it is usually for a specific reason, and here it is: slowly but surely, I am losing my hearing. Back in August, it reached the point where it is now having a major impact upon my life. I’m feeling isolated, hence the above quote.
I particularly love the setting for this story. The (Victorian) College For The Deaf, the school next door with the purple uniforms, the Botanical Gardens, even just the trams, it just felt like the real Melbourne to me.
Whisper is largely about Deafness, but more specifically it's about adjusting to change, finding the balance between two worlds (of the Hearing and the Deaf). It is also a nice contemporary romance story, but I’ve got to admit, that isn't what I read it for.
Now I want to share some quotes that really stuck with me:
“I wish I could say that I’m deaf, not retarded.”
“But I want to decide what’s funny or important or worth worrying about for myself.”
“I guess it’s kind of like being homesick for your old house when it’s been pulled down and replaced with a block of flats. It’s not there anymore; you can’t go back. But you still miss it somehow."
“And Nadia thinks she has to take care of me. It’s made our friendship lopsided and I don’t know if we can get back to the way we were before. It’s all left a hole inside me.”
And finally,
“‘It doesn’t matter if she’s deaf,’ he says. ‘My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes and whisper with her hands.’"
When I first read this beautiful story, it was just a nice Aussie YA contemporary romance, but now, I can see it is so much more than that.
So this book is a reread for me. I remember loving the setting and the complex relationships between Demi’s friends and family, and also a bit for giving insight into a whole other world: the Deaf community. I don’t reread often, but when I do, it is usually for a specific reason, and here it is: slowly but surely, I am losing my hearing. Back in August, it reached the point where it is now having a major impact upon my life. I’m feeling isolated, hence the above quote.
I particularly love the setting for this story. The (Victorian) College For The Deaf, the school next door with the purple uniforms, the Botanical Gardens, even just the trams, it just felt like the real Melbourne to me.
Whisper is largely about Deafness, but more specifically it's about adjusting to change, finding the balance between two worlds (of the Hearing and the Deaf). It is also a nice contemporary romance story, but I’ve got to admit, that isn't what I read it for.
Now I want to share some quotes that really stuck with me:
“I wish I could say that I’m deaf, not retarded.”
“But I want to decide what’s funny or important or worth worrying about for myself.”
“I guess it’s kind of like being homesick for your old house when it’s been pulled down and replaced with a block of flats. It’s not there anymore; you can’t go back. But you still miss it somehow."
“And Nadia thinks she has to take care of me. It’s made our friendship lopsided and I don’t know if we can get back to the way we were before. It’s all left a hole inside me.”
And finally,
“‘It doesn’t matter if she’s deaf,’ he says. ‘My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes and whisper with her hands.’"
When I first read this beautiful story, it was just a nice Aussie YA contemporary romance, but now, I can see it is so much more than that.
June 3, 2023
‘It doesn’t matter if she’s deaf,’ he says. ‘My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands.’
March 5, 2021
2021 EDIT: *sigh*
I expected to love 'Whisper' as much as I did the first time.
I didn't.
I'm just going to type up all of my thoughts on the second read of 'Whisper' in one go, one rush; best to get it over with, and out of my system forever. Sorry if I don't seem cohesive, or if I'm rambling, but here I am. Here is what this book has done to me:
I was really into it at first. Demi is a little thoughtless and insensitive towards the deaf, but it's for understandable reasons. If I were a teenager whose world has been turned upside down, and whose life has drastically and permanently changed, I'd probably be the same.
But here's a fact: 'Whisper' uses the most common ableist slur there is (you know the one, it begins with an R) nine times. Casually.
I'll repeat that: this YA book about learning to tolerate and accept the deaf community, and the disabled community as a whole, uses an ableist slur nine times, casually, and even as part of its humour, like it's a punchline , in its 265 pages. Once or twice it is even said on the same page. This was published in 2011, so really, there is no excuse. Maybe it was socially acceptable to use the slur in Australia back then, but I hope not. How did I miss this on my first read of 'Whisper'?
And how did I miss the "us vs them" mentality that is prevalent in the middle of the story? Which suggests that the marginalised are just as bad, just as prejudiced, as the oppressors. Even going so far as to mention that the privileged oppressors in society are in fact not oppressors. Not all of them, anyway.#NotAllMen #NotAllWhitePeople #NotAllHearies. Yeah, how's that working out? It's not. It misses the point that, even if there are extremists "on both sides", the people who are oppressed and victimised just for existing have good reasons to be angry - to be scared, to lash out, to be passionate, to demand to be listened to. Often the overprivileged oppressors have no reason at all for being prejudiced - they're just ignorant or arseholes, not wanting their comfortable, narrowminded lifestyles to be disturbed by the knowledge that the whole world does not revolve around them and their needs. In chapter 21 there is a class "debate" between Demi and the social activist deaf girl, Stella, whose whole family is also deaf, and it is cringeworthy and terrible. Why is Stella presented as a villain? She's 100% right about what she signs. She's lived with deafness her entire life - far longer than Demi - and her similarly disabled family are understanding and supportive of her struggles and anger, and she regularly hangs out with and listens to different groups belonging to the deaf community. So Demi should listen to her and realise that Stella knows what she's talking about. It is in this chapter that Demi is shown to think that hearing people are not oppressing deaf people (which contradicts all of her own personal experiences), and that being deaf and having a disability are nothing to be proud of! Whose side am I meant to be on?
The "both sides" argument is harmful to everyone and helpful to no one. It prevents progress and change.
Thankfully this mindset seems to ease off towards the end of 'Whisper'. But it goes so far as to suggest that Demi, a deaf teenage girl who is only recently adjusting to living as a deaf person, who has been through traumatic experiences, and who is thoughtlessly ignored, patronised and/or made to feel like a burden by nearly every hearing person in her life, is actually thoughtless and selfish herself. Not towards Stella and other deaf people, but to hearing people. Who live literally rich, privileged (white people) lives. You see, the hearies are right: Demi does think that everything should be about her. Never mind her own objectively worse problems, it is she who should be considerate of hearing people and their troubles. She should be helping them, not the other way round. This reads like internalised hatred from a disabled person, and like her own hearing friends and family are gaslighting her. And this is meant to be a positive revelation!
In Demi's first person narrative, deafness is constantly seen as being unnatural, shameful, embarrassing, not normal, not perfect (what does that even mean?!) and nothing to be proud of; so that doesn't help, either. Remember, Demi explicitly states at one point that the disabled community has nothing to be proud of! Again, this attitude is toned down near the end, but only slightly. Demi is sometimes shown to be wrong, but oftentimes it is for the wrong reasons. It's not always positive development she goes through.
There is also internalised misogyny. Nearly every instance of prejudice - audism, via ignorance and cattiness - directed at Demi come from nondeaf women and girls, and all of her conflicts are with women and girls, deaf or not. I hate her mother, too. She's thoughtless, selfish, and simply awful, but she receives no comeuppance whatsoever at the end for everything she's put Demi through. She has her traumatised, gaslighting victim teenage daughter to love her and appreciate her at the end, and to relieve her of responsibility for her actions! Hooray for condoned domestic abuse!
It is heartbreaking, but I have to be done with 'Whisper', once a huge favourite book of mine. The beginning and end are the best parts, but the middle is disastrous. It is a quick, one day read, and it does get some things right about discrimination, I won't deny that. It is still excellent that there exists a YA book - hell, any book - with a deaf protagonist. Her voice and experiences are well written and realistic. I just wish it wasn't so hypocritical.
(I want to avoid using the term "tone deaf". I won't lower myself to this book's level.)
One last note: That speech in the last page from Demi's adorable little nephew Harry? Yeah, no seven-year-old talks like that.
Final Score: 2/5
A beautiful book that should be read by every teenager who is coming out of his/her bubbly comfort zone - and who is, appropriately, coming of age - and entering the real world.
Everyone - from a young, impressionable age - needs to understand that not everything considered "different" is inherently bad, and that no one with a disability deserves isolation and ridicule. After all, we are all different, which is what makes us all so unique and interesting. Which is why we all deserve to ask for acceptance and respect for who we are, especially if we can't choose or control certain aspects about ourselves.
Since joining Goodreads, I haven't had a lot of luck in reading Australian YA books that I like, with the exception of Melina Marchetta's opuses. But 'Whisper' - about a teenage girl recently gone deaf and how this changes her life - is all kinds of moving, passionate, honest, well researched, wonderful, sweet, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. There aren't many books - or indeed many stories in the media - about deafness or starring a deaf protagonist. Reading 'Whisper' has made me feel kind of guilty for not thinking much about this issue beforehand (I hadn't even heard of audism until I saw the word here). I want to pay more thought and attention to the needs of deaf people, who are not "in the minority" of our society, or in any society and culture. 'Whisper' is the kind of novel which ought to be required reading in schools, because it deserves to be so. Apart from the issues concerning prejudice against an often neglected and barely acknowledged group, it is compulsorily readable.
From the first page the reader immediately enters Demi's world - of the change from being an ordinary, albeit ignorant teen who loved her iPod, into a student of the College For The Deaf. We hear her thoughts and witness her interactions in a world where, two years after a case of meningitis left her profoundly deaf, silence and sign language are central. Permanent. No hope of getting her hearing back.
The reader understands Demi's heartbreak and frustration; of being singled out, left in the dark, left alone with the silence. She is anxious about those closest to her talking about her when she can't hear what's going on. She misses catching up on things, of being included in the world of sounds. Everyday is a constant reminder that she is "different" and "special", and she can't help but feel that everyone is patronising her, or has turned against her. Things have changed now, and her friends and family are trying to cope with her sudden disability, and help her out.
But being deaf is not the end of the world, as Demi will come to understand. She might come to see her life in an entirely new light; to realise a lot of things she'd never even thought about before. From reading body language, gestures and facial expressions, she sees how superficial and class-oriented hearing people are; how self-centred some are and how much they take for granted. She also learns to see things from others' points of view; that she isn't the only one who's suffering and is fed up with how life's turned out for them.
One strength Demi learns all by herself is lip-reading. Even if she can't hear anymore, that shouldn't stop her from continuing her hobbies (like swimming), achieving her dreams of a career in law, hanging out with friends - the old "hearies" and her fellow deaf college students - and having a boyfriend. A nice, awesome boyfriend who will like her for who she is.
I love the characters and their realistic behaviours and actions. Demi's new friends at the deaf college are a lot of fun to read about, and they really are normal teenagers who just happen to be deaf. They are happy with who they are and try to make others happy along with them, and that's admirable. Demi's little nephews are adorable and are already accepting of their aunty being deaf, and a message sent by one of the toddlers is so sweet and profound it almost made me cry. I also identified with Demi trying to re-establish friendships from her old life, after a falling out after she went deaf. Dark places and being alone in a room - or in a whole house - scare her. A sudden hand on her shoulder is enough to make her scream. All understandable reactions. Demi also feels confusion and anger at people's ignorance and bullying of deaf people, even from her closest friends. Like they're the lesser, somehow, and therefore are subject to offensive pejoratives.
Demi reflects on how she used to be one of those privileged, ignorant people in a happy bubble of "normal". And with her reflections and realisations, she will come to learn from her mistakes, and teach others what it truly means to be deaf.
Integrating into a new world when her old world will never be the same again is scary for any teenager to experience, but Demi is stronger than she thinks she is. She will prove her goodness and worth to her friends and family.
Little imperfections - such as the reprehensibly neglectful actions of Demi's mother (who remains the same throughout the story, and I know that in real life nobody's perfect but still), and Demi's old interpreter and crush not receiving much attention - they don't hinder this important book in its eye-opening messages, lovely and relatable characters, addictive writing style and sweetly bittersweet atmosphere.
A relaxing read for any season, I cannot recommend 'Whisper' enough. One of the most enchanting non-fantasy novels I've ever read.
Final Score: 4.5/5
I expected to love 'Whisper' as much as I did the first time.
I didn't.
I'm just going to type up all of my thoughts on the second read of 'Whisper' in one go, one rush; best to get it over with, and out of my system forever. Sorry if I don't seem cohesive, or if I'm rambling, but here I am. Here is what this book has done to me:
I was really into it at first. Demi is a little thoughtless and insensitive towards the deaf, but it's for understandable reasons. If I were a teenager whose world has been turned upside down, and whose life has drastically and permanently changed, I'd probably be the same.
But here's a fact: 'Whisper' uses the most common ableist slur there is (you know the one, it begins with an R) nine times. Casually.
I'll repeat that: this YA book about learning to tolerate and accept the deaf community, and the disabled community as a whole, uses an ableist slur nine times, casually, and even as part of its humour, like it's a punchline , in its 265 pages. Once or twice it is even said on the same page. This was published in 2011, so really, there is no excuse. Maybe it was socially acceptable to use the slur in Australia back then, but I hope not. How did I miss this on my first read of 'Whisper'?
And how did I miss the "us vs them" mentality that is prevalent in the middle of the story? Which suggests that the marginalised are just as bad, just as prejudiced, as the oppressors. Even going so far as to mention that the privileged oppressors in society are in fact not oppressors. Not all of them, anyway.
The "both sides" argument is harmful to everyone and helpful to no one. It prevents progress and change.
Thankfully this mindset seems to ease off towards the end of 'Whisper'. But it goes so far as to suggest that Demi, a deaf teenage girl who is only recently adjusting to living as a deaf person, who has been through traumatic experiences, and who is thoughtlessly ignored, patronised and/or made to feel like a burden by nearly every hearing person in her life, is actually thoughtless and selfish herself. Not towards Stella and other deaf people, but to hearing people. Who live literally rich, privileged (white people) lives. You see, the hearies are right: Demi does think that everything should be about her. Never mind her own objectively worse problems, it is she who should be considerate of hearing people and their troubles. She should be helping them, not the other way round. This reads like internalised hatred from a disabled person, and like her own hearing friends and family are gaslighting her. And this is meant to be a positive revelation!
In Demi's first person narrative, deafness is constantly seen as being unnatural, shameful, embarrassing, not normal, not perfect (what does that even mean?!) and nothing to be proud of; so that doesn't help, either. Remember, Demi explicitly states at one point that the disabled community has nothing to be proud of! Again, this attitude is toned down near the end, but only slightly. Demi is sometimes shown to be wrong, but oftentimes it is for the wrong reasons. It's not always positive development she goes through.
There is also internalised misogyny. Nearly every instance of prejudice - audism, via ignorance and cattiness - directed at Demi come from nondeaf women and girls, and all of her conflicts are with women and girls, deaf or not. I hate her mother, too. She's thoughtless, selfish, and simply awful, but she receives no comeuppance whatsoever at the end for everything she's put Demi through. She has her traumatised, gaslighting victim teenage daughter to love her and appreciate her at the end, and to relieve her of responsibility for her actions! Hooray for condoned domestic abuse!
It is heartbreaking, but I have to be done with 'Whisper', once a huge favourite book of mine. The beginning and end are the best parts, but the middle is disastrous. It is a quick, one day read, and it does get some things right about discrimination, I won't deny that. It is still excellent that there exists a YA book - hell, any book - with a deaf protagonist. Her voice and experiences are well written and realistic. I just wish it wasn't so hypocritical.
(I want to avoid using the term "tone deaf". I won't lower myself to this book's level.)
One last note: That speech in the last page from Demi's adorable little nephew Harry? Yeah, no seven-year-old talks like that.
Final Score: 2/5
Everyone - from a young, impressionable age - needs to understand that not everything considered "different" is inherently bad, and that no one with a disability deserves isolation and ridicule. After all, we are all different, which is what makes us all so unique and interesting. Which is why we all deserve to ask for acceptance and respect for who we are, especially if we can't choose or control certain aspects about ourselves.
Since joining Goodreads, I haven't had a lot of luck in reading Australian YA books that I like, with the exception of Melina Marchetta's opuses. But 'Whisper' - about a teenage girl recently gone deaf and how this changes her life - is all kinds of moving, passionate, honest, well researched, wonderful, sweet, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. There aren't many books - or indeed many stories in the media - about deafness or starring a deaf protagonist. Reading 'Whisper' has made me feel kind of guilty for not thinking much about this issue beforehand (I hadn't even heard of audism until I saw the word here). I want to pay more thought and attention to the needs of deaf people, who are not "in the minority" of our society, or in any society and culture. 'Whisper' is the kind of novel which ought to be required reading in schools, because it deserves to be so. Apart from the issues concerning prejudice against an often neglected and barely acknowledged group, it is compulsorily readable.
From the first page the reader immediately enters Demi's world - of the change from being an ordinary, albeit ignorant teen who loved her iPod, into a student of the College For The Deaf. We hear her thoughts and witness her interactions in a world where, two years after a case of meningitis left her profoundly deaf, silence and sign language are central. Permanent. No hope of getting her hearing back.
The reader understands Demi's heartbreak and frustration; of being singled out, left in the dark, left alone with the silence. She is anxious about those closest to her talking about her when she can't hear what's going on. She misses catching up on things, of being included in the world of sounds. Everyday is a constant reminder that she is "different" and "special", and she can't help but feel that everyone is patronising her, or has turned against her. Things have changed now, and her friends and family are trying to cope with her sudden disability, and help her out.
But being deaf is not the end of the world, as Demi will come to understand. She might come to see her life in an entirely new light; to realise a lot of things she'd never even thought about before. From reading body language, gestures and facial expressions, she sees how superficial and class-oriented hearing people are; how self-centred some are and how much they take for granted. She also learns to see things from others' points of view; that she isn't the only one who's suffering and is fed up with how life's turned out for them.
One strength Demi learns all by herself is lip-reading. Even if she can't hear anymore, that shouldn't stop her from continuing her hobbies (like swimming), achieving her dreams of a career in law, hanging out with friends - the old "hearies" and her fellow deaf college students - and having a boyfriend. A nice, awesome boyfriend who will like her for who she is.
I love the characters and their realistic behaviours and actions. Demi's new friends at the deaf college are a lot of fun to read about, and they really are normal teenagers who just happen to be deaf. They are happy with who they are and try to make others happy along with them, and that's admirable. Demi's little nephews are adorable and are already accepting of their aunty being deaf, and a message sent by one of the toddlers is so sweet and profound it almost made me cry. I also identified with Demi trying to re-establish friendships from her old life, after a falling out after she went deaf. Dark places and being alone in a room - or in a whole house - scare her. A sudden hand on her shoulder is enough to make her scream. All understandable reactions. Demi also feels confusion and anger at people's ignorance and bullying of deaf people, even from her closest friends. Like they're the lesser, somehow, and therefore are subject to offensive pejoratives.
Demi reflects on how she used to be one of those privileged, ignorant people in a happy bubble of "normal". And with her reflections and realisations, she will come to learn from her mistakes, and teach others what it truly means to be deaf.
Integrating into a new world when her old world will never be the same again is scary for any teenager to experience, but Demi is stronger than she thinks she is. She will prove her goodness and worth to her friends and family.
Little imperfections - such as the reprehensibly neglectful actions of Demi's mother (who remains the same throughout the story, and I know that in real life nobody's perfect but still), and Demi's old interpreter and crush not receiving much attention - they don't hinder this important book in its eye-opening messages, lovely and relatable characters, addictive writing style and sweetly bittersweet atmosphere.
A relaxing read for any season, I cannot recommend 'Whisper' enough. One of the most enchanting non-fantasy novels I've ever read.
Final Score: 4.5/5
February 8, 2017
5 stars.
Silence.
Being misunderstood is one of the most internally tolling conflicts involved with being a teenager. No matter how many times you explain it, no matter how many ways you phrase it, people, especially adults, just don't know what it's like to be in your shoes. To be weighed down by expectations, doubts, and your very own feelings and thoughts. They pretend they do, say they were teenagers once too, but each person is unique, with their own individual problems and worries. That was part of the reason why I started reading obsessively. Where no person alive understands, books do.
Feeling isolated can be even worse. I’m sure everyone has been left out from a game, a group, a secret. The “don’t worry about it” you get is a subtle method of isolation. Maybe it’s not intentional, but it still breaks something inside you. Verbal and invisible hands push you out of the circle and close the gate behind you. Alone. Only thoughts for company. Only doubts, doubts, memories, weighing you down each step.
Demi shares the emotions of any teenager who has experienced this. Except she’s deaf and these problems become much more material. Demi can't know if her friends are whispering about her behind their hands; she can't tell people's emotions by their tone of voice. She can't even hear her own voice. Trapped in this little bubble, she tries to navigate her teenage life and find friends who really understand her.
I’ve experienced these exact problems, in forms other than deafness. Her struggles with herself, her family, her friends, and everything changing, are all parallelled in my own life. “Don’t worry about it,” we get from our friends whenever we miss information. The funny thing is, instead of making you worry less, it does the opposite and you keep mulling over what they said, paranoid that it was about you. Then your friends try to comfort you, try to understand and sympathize with your emotions. But Demi doesn't want sympathy; she wants normality. She wants things to go back to normal, for people to stop treating her differently. And sometimes I want that too. I want to feel like I'm speaking the same language as other people, not some insightful rambling that's as foreign to some people as sign is to hearies. She has a foot in the hearing world and a foot in the deaf community. These worlds clash around her, trying to force her to choose a side and battle against the other. But she doesn’t want that. She wants to balance the two worlds and be able to experience both harmoniously.
One of the reasons why I read contemporary novels is to teach myself about the diversity of the human population. Whisper definitely shed some light on the topic of the deaf. This reminded me of one of my absolute favourite books, Life is But a Dream which taught me about schizophrenia.
Just imagine it though: being deaf. Being mocked and shunned and constantly worrying about what you are missing. At the beginning of the story, we see Demi witnessing some girls blocking out the world with an iPod. They choose to do this voluntarily. Demi doesn't have a choice. For her, the world is permanently blocked out. It makes me want to try to love everyone as they are and treat them all equally.
Stella, one of the characters in the book, is a photographer. I've always liked photography, how so much meaning can fill a single snapshot. I really liked her, not just for her photography but for her views and morals on the deaf. She stuck strongly to them, to the point of being close-minded and stubborn. In that way, she reminded me of myself. Stella's photos capture what it's like for the deaf in a hearing world. The deaf are represented by people trapped in bubbles, placed in the hearing world. I absolutely loved this idea. I...don't think I would be able to stand being deaf, with no release, no reassurance that my voice is portraying my emotions correctly. No escape from the thoughts and doubts constantly swirling around in my bubble. The present Stella gave Demi at the end, the photograph, touched me. It was a display of Stella’s understanding of Demi. I know, when someone shows or gives you something that, without the sender realising, reaches into your bubble and grasps your hand, they are displaying their understanding. Understanding is truly individual and inimitable by anyone. It’s a warmth and a bond, a strength shared between people. “Yes, I know. Yes, I will be there for you.”
Whisper holds extremely accurate portrayals of friendship and family issues. Demi is shown being pushed aside in favour for another and isolated because of her condition. How many times have you been excluded from a secret conversation? Felt your relative preferred your cousin's company over yours? Keighery captures these emotions perfectly, making them very relatable. Following that is the theme of discrimination of those who are different. Demi is treated like she is a child, teased, and even told to apply differently for uni. One of the messages to the story is to be yourself, embrace who we are, and be proud of it.
Ah, the location. I read a lot of books by American authors, mostly because I find them here on Goodreads which is most popular, it seems, in America. Because of the books being set in the States, I can never get a clear picture of the locations and geography, as I don't live there and have never been there. I have gotten used to it, but I'll always feel some slight disconnection when reading books set there. But much to my delight, Whisper is set in not just Australia, but Melbourne, my city. When Keighery mentions trams, I know exactly what they look like and feel like, down to the smooth click-clack-bump-bump of movement and the lime green handholds dangling from the roof. And for once, I picture the cars on the correct side of the road! It made me feel more attached to the story, like it was more personal.
Chrissie Keighery utilises simple and quiet but fluid prose that suits Demi’s character and creates a poignant teenage voice. She can describe sign beautifully. I was imitating it with my fingers and found her descriptions very easy to recreate.
It’s not an extravagant book. It is loud silence; it is quiet, reserved but deeply resonant. Its effect is subtle but its impact is large.
I don't know why I hesitated thrice before deciding to borrow this at the library. I'm very glad it was there; otherwise I would have never discovered it. And it's a book you truly want to discover.
"It doesn't matter if she's deaf. My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands."
Silence.
Being misunderstood is one of the most internally tolling conflicts involved with being a teenager. No matter how many times you explain it, no matter how many ways you phrase it, people, especially adults, just don't know what it's like to be in your shoes. To be weighed down by expectations, doubts, and your very own feelings and thoughts. They pretend they do, say they were teenagers once too, but each person is unique, with their own individual problems and worries. That was part of the reason why I started reading obsessively. Where no person alive understands, books do.
Feeling isolated can be even worse. I’m sure everyone has been left out from a game, a group, a secret. The “don’t worry about it” you get is a subtle method of isolation. Maybe it’s not intentional, but it still breaks something inside you. Verbal and invisible hands push you out of the circle and close the gate behind you. Alone. Only thoughts for company. Only doubts, doubts, memories, weighing you down each step.
Demi shares the emotions of any teenager who has experienced this. Except she’s deaf and these problems become much more material. Demi can't know if her friends are whispering about her behind their hands; she can't tell people's emotions by their tone of voice. She can't even hear her own voice. Trapped in this little bubble, she tries to navigate her teenage life and find friends who really understand her.
I’ve experienced these exact problems, in forms other than deafness. Her struggles with herself, her family, her friends, and everything changing, are all parallelled in my own life. “Don’t worry about it,” we get from our friends whenever we miss information. The funny thing is, instead of making you worry less, it does the opposite and you keep mulling over what they said, paranoid that it was about you. Then your friends try to comfort you, try to understand and sympathize with your emotions. But Demi doesn't want sympathy; she wants normality. She wants things to go back to normal, for people to stop treating her differently. And sometimes I want that too. I want to feel like I'm speaking the same language as other people, not some insightful rambling that's as foreign to some people as sign is to hearies. She has a foot in the hearing world and a foot in the deaf community. These worlds clash around her, trying to force her to choose a side and battle against the other. But she doesn’t want that. She wants to balance the two worlds and be able to experience both harmoniously.
One of the reasons why I read contemporary novels is to teach myself about the diversity of the human population. Whisper definitely shed some light on the topic of the deaf. This reminded me of one of my absolute favourite books, Life is But a Dream which taught me about schizophrenia.
Just imagine it though: being deaf. Being mocked and shunned and constantly worrying about what you are missing. At the beginning of the story, we see Demi witnessing some girls blocking out the world with an iPod. They choose to do this voluntarily. Demi doesn't have a choice. For her, the world is permanently blocked out. It makes me want to try to love everyone as they are and treat them all equally.
Stella, one of the characters in the book, is a photographer. I've always liked photography, how so much meaning can fill a single snapshot. I really liked her, not just for her photography but for her views and morals on the deaf. She stuck strongly to them, to the point of being close-minded and stubborn. In that way, she reminded me of myself. Stella's photos capture what it's like for the deaf in a hearing world. The deaf are represented by people trapped in bubbles, placed in the hearing world. I absolutely loved this idea. I...don't think I would be able to stand being deaf, with no release, no reassurance that my voice is portraying my emotions correctly. No escape from the thoughts and doubts constantly swirling around in my bubble. The present Stella gave Demi at the end, the photograph, touched me. It was a display of Stella’s understanding of Demi. I know, when someone shows or gives you something that, without the sender realising, reaches into your bubble and grasps your hand, they are displaying their understanding. Understanding is truly individual and inimitable by anyone. It’s a warmth and a bond, a strength shared between people. “Yes, I know. Yes, I will be there for you.”
Whisper holds extremely accurate portrayals of friendship and family issues. Demi is shown being pushed aside in favour for another and isolated because of her condition. How many times have you been excluded from a secret conversation? Felt your relative preferred your cousin's company over yours? Keighery captures these emotions perfectly, making them very relatable. Following that is the theme of discrimination of those who are different. Demi is treated like she is a child, teased, and even told to apply differently for uni. One of the messages to the story is to be yourself, embrace who we are, and be proud of it.
Ah, the location. I read a lot of books by American authors, mostly because I find them here on Goodreads which is most popular, it seems, in America. Because of the books being set in the States, I can never get a clear picture of the locations and geography, as I don't live there and have never been there. I have gotten used to it, but I'll always feel some slight disconnection when reading books set there. But much to my delight, Whisper is set in not just Australia, but Melbourne, my city. When Keighery mentions trams, I know exactly what they look like and feel like, down to the smooth click-clack-bump-bump of movement and the lime green handholds dangling from the roof. And for once, I picture the cars on the correct side of the road! It made me feel more attached to the story, like it was more personal.
Chrissie Keighery utilises simple and quiet but fluid prose that suits Demi’s character and creates a poignant teenage voice. She can describe sign beautifully. I was imitating it with my fingers and found her descriptions very easy to recreate.
It’s not an extravagant book. It is loud silence; it is quiet, reserved but deeply resonant. Its effect is subtle but its impact is large.
I don't know why I hesitated thrice before deciding to borrow this at the library. I'm very glad it was there; otherwise I would have never discovered it. And it's a book you truly want to discover.
"It doesn't matter if she's deaf. My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands."
November 29, 2017
Quite satisfying, this one. In Whisper, Demi has been deaf for about two years. By the time the book opens, she's already learned the basics: she speaks decent Sign and has learned to read lips, she's learned many of the little things that make life easier when you can't hear. But Demi is frustrated by the way the rest of the world seems to fly on ahead of her—she misses much of what goes on with her friends and family, her mother is focusing more on Demi's seemingly perfect older sister than on Demi, and Demi's not sure that, without hearing, she'll be able to achieve her goal of becoming a lawyer.
What I loved: putting Demi two years out from her hearing loss gave the room a lot more space to grow, I think. She tells of that initial understanding, but because we mostly spend time with Demi later in the process of learning what it is to be Deaf, we get a more nuanced understanding of what she's lost and gained. I also thought the school was really interesting—Demi opts, against her mother's wishes, to go to a school for the Deaf, because she hopes that she'll fit in there in a way that she no longer does at her former school. She does and she doesn't, which feels very realistic, and it also gives the reader a chance to see a range of characters not often well represented in fiction. I like that all of her friends, hearing and Deaf, have multiple facets; none of them is either perfect or totally wretched.
I'm torn on the way that Sign is represented here—it's written the same way that spoken language is, in quotation marks. ("Like this," she signed.) I've seen a variety of methods used in other books, including boldface (Like this, she signed) and some combination ("Like this," she said, signing at the same time). I can see arguments for both, and certainly I (as a hearing person) should not be any authority on which should be used...but I've always been partial to the bold, because it feels more like...silent language? I don't know if that makes sense.
Super happy that this one eventually turned up at the lib.
What I loved: putting Demi two years out from her hearing loss gave the room a lot more space to grow, I think. She tells of that initial understanding, but because we mostly spend time with Demi later in the process of learning what it is to be Deaf, we get a more nuanced understanding of what she's lost and gained. I also thought the school was really interesting—Demi opts, against her mother's wishes, to go to a school for the Deaf, because she hopes that she'll fit in there in a way that she no longer does at her former school. She does and she doesn't, which feels very realistic, and it also gives the reader a chance to see a range of characters not often well represented in fiction. I like that all of her friends, hearing and Deaf, have multiple facets; none of them is either perfect or totally wretched.
I'm torn on the way that Sign is represented here—it's written the same way that spoken language is, in quotation marks. ("Like this," she signed.) I've seen a variety of methods used in other books, including boldface (Like this, she signed) and some combination ("Like this," she said, signing at the same time). I can see arguments for both, and certainly I (as a hearing person) should not be any authority on which should be used...but I've always been partial to the bold, because it feels more like...silent language? I don't know if that makes sense.
Super happy that this one eventually turned up at the lib.
December 7, 2017
“It doesn't matter if she's deaf," he says, "My aunty Demi can listen with her eyes, and whisper with her hands.”
This was really beautiful and different than I expected. In a good way.
I've had this book on my shelves for more than three years, but I think reading it now was a good enough time because I didn't feel pressured and I enjoyed it accordingly.
I'm always curious on how authors treat disabilities in their books and if they serve a plot point in an otherwise even dull plot.
I have to say that I am very pleased on how deafness was treated in Whisper.
It is a coming of age story on how Demi gradually accepts her "new life" and the steps she took to reach there. But, there is no romance that magically makes everything better, not bitchy drama that is based on high school stereotypes and the main character is not a saint. She feels anger, lack of confidence and even hate towards her condition.
And that is normal. That is too be expected. And that is what I got.
I love the fact that the book, even though small, centered on her inner journey to accept her condition and all the changes that it brought and turn them to her benefit.
I loved it.
It was beautiful and I hope more people would read it.
April 20, 2017
I am not deaf myself, but my husband and I are learning Auslan to help out our small group of deaf friends. This book was a great reminder for me personally. Often, I find myself not wanting to engage in conversation because trying to fumble through the signs I don't know can be exhausting when you're not fluent. But this reminded me to think about these deaf ones and how isolated they must feel day to day. When we make the effort to include them in our conversations it really must make a big difference. To know they have people around them who will TRY to communicate with them, when most of the world shuts them out. Next time I don't 'feel like signing', I'll remember that the deaf can't say: 'I don't feel like being deaf today.'
October 8, 2015
This is not a coming of age story as I first thought when I started it, but it is a growing up story, with a twist. However, I could not put it down. Growing up at fourteen is already hard enough as it is, but doing so while deaf, and only having been deaf for a short time is a tremendous blow, but the main character grows through it, and is all the better for it. I quite enjoyed the explanations of signs, but would have preferred a little more explanation of Auslan. There wasn't really a climax, but what there was delicious. The ending made me smile quite a lot.
July 27, 2022
4,3/5 ⭐️
‘It doesn’t matter that she’s deaf, my aunty Demi can listen with her eyes and whisper with her ears.’
This book was so so so beautiful. Demi suddenly went deaf two years ago. In Demi’s silent world, she confronts you with the daily realities of being deaf. You get to see Demi navigating her new life trough her eyes. The character development of Demi is immaculate, to say the least. The storylines about love, worthlessness, self acceptance, struggling and more gave so much depth to this book. Definitely recommend.
‘It doesn’t matter that she’s deaf, my aunty Demi can listen with her eyes and whisper with her ears.’
This book was so so so beautiful. Demi suddenly went deaf two years ago. In Demi’s silent world, she confronts you with the daily realities of being deaf. You get to see Demi navigating her new life trough her eyes. The character development of Demi is immaculate, to say the least. The storylines about love, worthlessness, self acceptance, struggling and more gave so much depth to this book. Definitely recommend.
December 31, 2014
Sadly, I don't own a copy of this book, and it is a little while since I read it, but it is a very powerful and extremely well written book, well deserving of the nominations and awards it has received.
In my classroom it has done the rounds of the girls (12-13yrs) and had a bit of a waiting list, even though we had two copies.
Two of my girls, who were not keen readers, discovered the power of reading through having read this book. Brilliant!
In my classroom it has done the rounds of the girls (12-13yrs) and had a bit of a waiting list, even though we had two copies.
Two of my girls, who were not keen readers, discovered the power of reading through having read this book. Brilliant!
November 28, 2022
This was quite a good book and I like how she tried to explain some of the signs. And I really like how you were like in her head and I'm all of her unsure thoughts about everything. I love all the characters in this book. When I finished I just had to take a second to prosses everything that happened.
December 20, 2017
This is story about a teenage girl who goes deaf and has to learn to cope. She explores a new, unknown word; silence. I would recommend it to fluent reader of about ten and older.
Every time that I finished a few chapters i felt as though I myself were deaf.
Every time that I finished a few chapters i felt as though I myself were deaf.
April 4, 2015
Whisper.
This book was amazing. The plot AND the happy ending.
Though I had no idea people that were deaf thought that way.
This book was amazing. The plot AND the happy ending.
Though I had no idea people that were deaf thought that way.
July 10, 2017
This book, I loved! It really digs deep within the 'outsiders' in the community, and we really get to know the main character :)
February 8, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I really liked the main character and her journey getting to know the deaf world and culture. I think if you enjoyed the series Switched at Birth you would like this book. The only downside is it was very predictable but it was an enjoyable read. There was quite a bit about technology too which dated it slightly, text speak, not a smart phone, MSN :)
June 20, 2017
3.75
Review to come!
Review to come!
June 26, 2012
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
When I first picked up Whisper, I expected a book that would be an enjoyable, interesting read, but I didn't expect to be moved as much as I was.
Demi's story is such a sad one. Of course, it's awful for anyone to be deaf, but if a child is born deaf, they don't know any different. But to reach the age of 14 being able to hear perfectly, and to then have the world put on mute after suffering with meningitis, it's just so hard to deal with. But Demi is trying. She has spent the last two years learning to lip read sign along with her family, and has struggled through school. However, having a translator at school only three days a week to help her understand her lessons isn't helping as much as it should. Her usual high scores have been slipping, she's having a hard time understanding what her friends are saying when they forget to face her so she can read their lips, and have no idea how annoying it is when they tell her "Don't worry about it". She's missing out and life is getting harder, so she takes the brave decision to leave her school and join The College for the Deaf. And that's where our story starts.
It was great to see Demi's opinions of people change. She's joins thinking some students are too over the top with their facial expressions, and doesn't understand how one of the students can wear an "ugly" cochlear implant. But then she gets to know these people - these people who seemed so different, but are actually just like her; normal teenagers going through normal teenage experiences - they just happen to be deaf. It's also great to see her try and juggle the two parts of her life; her relationships with her deaf friends, and those with her hearing friends and family. Should you ditch your old friends when it's so much easier to be with those who are deaf, especially when those who can hear just don't get it?
I did have a few problems with the book, though. There were a few incidents that happened before the book starts that were made out to seem massive, always hinting at these big disasters before we're actually told about them, but then it didn't turn out to be as big a deal as I was expecting. Sure, these incidents would have been important to Demi and how she acted, but I was expecting these things to be much bigger than they were. I didn't find the romance to be particularly believeable, but that's probably because we didn't find out enough about Ethan, Demi's love interest, for my liking. I also wasn't the biggest fan of Stella, one of Demi's deaf friends, though I admired her strength and determination to fight discrimination against deaf people. There was just something about her I didn't warm to at all, though she's a very important character.
What I was a fan of was finding out more about what deaf people go through. The discrimination and bullying the deaf characters have to put up with is just awful. Oh, it made me so, so mad! But I loved learning about how these deaf characters lived; how the teachers got the class to settle down and listen, how signs for certain words can be edited by the signer to make it an insult, or to express mood. Some signs were described so clearly that I was able to try them myself - chihuahua is so cute! And Whisper is written in such a way that while you're reading, you almost feel like you're deaf. so when you stop reading and go about your day, it's really odd to suddenly hear things and be able to speak. It was very strange, but awesome. And the last words of the book are just amazing. So beautiful.
Whisper is an incredibly moving and beautiful book that will stick with you long after you turn the last page. A brilliant story, and a real eye opener.
When I first picked up Whisper, I expected a book that would be an enjoyable, interesting read, but I didn't expect to be moved as much as I was.
Demi's story is such a sad one. Of course, it's awful for anyone to be deaf, but if a child is born deaf, they don't know any different. But to reach the age of 14 being able to hear perfectly, and to then have the world put on mute after suffering with meningitis, it's just so hard to deal with. But Demi is trying. She has spent the last two years learning to lip read sign along with her family, and has struggled through school. However, having a translator at school only three days a week to help her understand her lessons isn't helping as much as it should. Her usual high scores have been slipping, she's having a hard time understanding what her friends are saying when they forget to face her so she can read their lips, and have no idea how annoying it is when they tell her "Don't worry about it". She's missing out and life is getting harder, so she takes the brave decision to leave her school and join The College for the Deaf. And that's where our story starts.
It was great to see Demi's opinions of people change. She's joins thinking some students are too over the top with their facial expressions, and doesn't understand how one of the students can wear an "ugly" cochlear implant. But then she gets to know these people - these people who seemed so different, but are actually just like her; normal teenagers going through normal teenage experiences - they just happen to be deaf. It's also great to see her try and juggle the two parts of her life; her relationships with her deaf friends, and those with her hearing friends and family. Should you ditch your old friends when it's so much easier to be with those who are deaf, especially when those who can hear just don't get it?
I did have a few problems with the book, though. There were a few incidents that happened before the book starts that were made out to seem massive, always hinting at these big disasters before we're actually told about them, but then it didn't turn out to be as big a deal as I was expecting. Sure, these incidents would have been important to Demi and how she acted, but I was expecting these things to be much bigger than they were. I didn't find the romance to be particularly believeable, but that's probably because we didn't find out enough about Ethan, Demi's love interest, for my liking. I also wasn't the biggest fan of Stella, one of Demi's deaf friends, though I admired her strength and determination to fight discrimination against deaf people. There was just something about her I didn't warm to at all, though she's a very important character.
What I was a fan of was finding out more about what deaf people go through. The discrimination and bullying the deaf characters have to put up with is just awful. Oh, it made me so, so mad! But I loved learning about how these deaf characters lived; how the teachers got the class to settle down and listen, how signs for certain words can be edited by the signer to make it an insult, or to express mood. Some signs were described so clearly that I was able to try them myself - chihuahua is so cute! And Whisper is written in such a way that while you're reading, you almost feel like you're deaf. so when you stop reading and go about your day, it's really odd to suddenly hear things and be able to speak. It was very strange, but awesome. And the last words of the book are just amazing. So beautiful.
Whisper is an incredibly moving and beautiful book that will stick with you long after you turn the last page. A brilliant story, and a real eye opener.
January 12, 2025
Such a beautiful book about how a young girl longs to be like her older sister who is deaf and her journey to understand her ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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