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The Roar #2
The Whisper
Listen-can you hear it?
The explosive sequel to THE ROAR!
Suddenly alert to the microchips implanted in their brains, the army of stolen children revolts! But the response of the tyrant Mal Gorman is swift and brutal: He quickly quells the mutiny, sweeping up the fleeing children in spiked nets like so many trapped fish and dragging them back to their training camp.
Juiced by potent Everlife pills, the once cadaver-like Gorman has chemically reversed the aging process; his diabolical mind is now powered by the body of a teenager. But psychic twins Ellie and Mika can read his every evil thought, and they refuse to let him wage his battles. Using their mutant powers, they abduct Gorman and take him beyond The Wall, to the wildlife he so fears. Before all-out war erupts, the brother and sister are determined to reconcile humankind with nature -- and to free the captive children.
The explosive sequel to THE ROAR!
Suddenly alert to the microchips implanted in their brains, the army of stolen children revolts! But the response of the tyrant Mal Gorman is swift and brutal: He quickly quells the mutiny, sweeping up the fleeing children in spiked nets like so many trapped fish and dragging them back to their training camp.
Juiced by potent Everlife pills, the once cadaver-like Gorman has chemically reversed the aging process; his diabolical mind is now powered by the body of a teenager. But psychic twins Ellie and Mika can read his every evil thought, and they refuse to let him wage his battles. Using their mutant powers, they abduct Gorman and take him beyond The Wall, to the wildlife he so fears. Before all-out war erupts, the brother and sister are determined to reconcile humankind with nature -- and to free the captive children.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2012
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2193 people want to read
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April 5, 2018
Full Review at
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Because I remembered the Roar being an absolute masterpiece it was understandable I looked forward to reading the next book. It did pick up with the same level of action and fast pace but this book I couldn’t connect with as well as the Roar.
This book is basically about the two main characters and the army of children taking down their government and revealing the secrets about their world. It wasn’t a bad story only I felt things were kind of rushed and I didn’t feel that strong connection with the characters as I felt in the first book. Speaking of the characters, I still admired them and thought they were very strong and clever to outsmart the adults yet at the same time that all felt just too easy. Everything in this book felt like a kind of domino effect and it was all rather predictable. In fact the only thing that wasn’t entirely predictable was the appearance of Ruben again. But there again the way the author dealt with him in the end just added more to the predictable pile.
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
Because I remembered the Roar being an absolute masterpiece it was understandable I looked forward to reading the next book. It did pick up with the same level of action and fast pace but this book I couldn’t connect with as well as the Roar.
This book is basically about the two main characters and the army of children taking down their government and revealing the secrets about their world. It wasn’t a bad story only I felt things were kind of rushed and I didn’t feel that strong connection with the characters as I felt in the first book. Speaking of the characters, I still admired them and thought they were very strong and clever to outsmart the adults yet at the same time that all felt just too easy. Everything in this book felt like a kind of domino effect and it was all rather predictable. In fact the only thing that wasn’t entirely predictable was the appearance of Ruben again. But there again the way the author dealt with him in the end just added more to the predictable pile.
September 1, 2012
Roar had flaws but the overall talent and creativity overcame them. Whispers flaws were just toooo annoying. All the 12 year olds (except for Ruebin) are perfect, with only the best of intentions and never at all concerned with self. And all 27,000 of them are in total agreement on how to save the world. - That's lovely but has Ms Clayton ever met a 12 year old ?
All of the people in power - ALL of them - are uniformly corrupt. It becomes tedious. And it turns out to be not just power hungry, greedy adults, but Corporate power hungry greedy adults.
These evil businessmen are able to take over the world because humans are like squirrels and have the instinct - unchangeable and uncontrollable - to collect things. Page 157 "It wasn't the fault of the poor. It was the fault of the rich who ran the corporations... because they understood human instincts and took advantage of them...."
Gag me. Humans are all just a bunch of stupid squirrels who physically are unable to not purchase/collect things.
And the children are easily able to conquer their world with their magical mutations.
A small group of younger children are waiting as a group. When their area gets bombed, they go to the army of children. Adults don't know why. Page 285 " Because they don't trust you anymore. They've gone where they feel safe...the army of children." At that all the Northern adults remorsefully follow the children and beg forgiveness and sit down to listen to the incredible wisdom of the most articulate 12 year olds ever to exist....
Bleck. Will not bother to read anything else by this author.
All of the people in power - ALL of them - are uniformly corrupt. It becomes tedious. And it turns out to be not just power hungry, greedy adults, but Corporate power hungry greedy adults.
These evil businessmen are able to take over the world because humans are like squirrels and have the instinct - unchangeable and uncontrollable - to collect things. Page 157 "It wasn't the fault of the poor. It was the fault of the rich who ran the corporations... because they understood human instincts and took advantage of them...."
Gag me. Humans are all just a bunch of stupid squirrels who physically are unable to not purchase/collect things.
And the children are easily able to conquer their world with their magical mutations.
A small group of younger children are waiting as a group. When their area gets bombed, they go to the army of children. Adults don't know why. Page 285 " Because they don't trust you anymore. They've gone where they feel safe...the army of children." At that all the Northern adults remorsefully follow the children and beg forgiveness and sit down to listen to the incredible wisdom of the most articulate 12 year olds ever to exist....
Bleck. Will not bother to read anything else by this author.
June 29, 2018
Emma Clayton’s The Roar and The Whisper are two books I grabbed to complete a deal. I didn’t have much by way of expectations, but I was rather eager to see what the books would bring. Unfortunately, after reading the first book, I found I wasn’t crazy about the story. Nevertheless, as I had book two I decided to dive in.
For me, The Whisper was rather anticlimactic. I was expecting something much bigger from this one than what we were given. There were some interesting elements to the story, but as a whole I feel as though there wasn’t quite the depth there could have been. In fact, I feel as though book one promised me a lot of things only for book two to skim over them.
Sure, I enjoyed watching how everything came together. However, I wasn’t blown away by what happened. I read this one as I needed to know how things ended, not because I was invested in the story. I was too indifferent to do more than accept how the story came together.
I’m sure those who enjoyed the first book will enjoy this one, but sadly the series was not for me.
For me, The Whisper was rather anticlimactic. I was expecting something much bigger from this one than what we were given. There were some interesting elements to the story, but as a whole I feel as though there wasn’t quite the depth there could have been. In fact, I feel as though book one promised me a lot of things only for book two to skim over them.
Sure, I enjoyed watching how everything came together. However, I wasn’t blown away by what happened. I read this one as I needed to know how things ended, not because I was invested in the story. I was too indifferent to do more than accept how the story came together.
I’m sure those who enjoyed the first book will enjoy this one, but sadly the series was not for me.
January 8, 2013
The Roar was a REALLY good book, but sadly, The Whisper was not. The Whisper lacked a good plot, and the plot that it had was boring, and obvious, if you haven't, read The Whisper, you could probably predict the resolution. The main conflict in the story was so easy to resolve, and the main characters didn't have any problems while trying to resolve the main conflict. In my opinion, the theme of this story was kind of childish, and not meant for YA readers.
The Roar was so much better than the whisper that they could have had different authors. I might even go as far as to just tell you to not read the whisper and imagine what will happen yourself, but The Roar was so well written that maybe you will be forced to go read the whisper. :)
The Roar was so much better than the whisper that they could have had different authors. I might even go as far as to just tell you to not read the whisper and imagine what will happen yourself, but The Roar was so well written that maybe you will be forced to go read the whisper. :)
September 18, 2012
The Whisper
By: Emma Clayton
Science Fiction
309 pages
Finished 8/9/12
The Whisper is the story of a struggle between 2 governments and mutants who are trying to stop the fighting. The governments are seperated by The Wall. Mika, Ellie and other mutants are taken captive by the government behind The Wall. The government has taken all 12 year-old children except the mutants and Kobi and given them microchips so they will do whatever the government wants them to do. Mika, Ellie and all the other mutants are telepathic and can send thoughts and emotions to other children. The children with microchips resist the orders the government gives them and run to a nearby village but most get caught. A couple of them escape and make it to The Shadows where only the poorest people live, but they stop fighting the microchips command to sleep and they go to sleep the other children are all caught. Mal Gorman, the leader of the base where the children are at takes a pill called Everlife-9 where you become younger the more you take of it. He turns into a teenager because of an overdose. Mika, Ellie, and some other mutants take over the base and the entire government behind The Wall and bring Mal Gorman to hold him captive in Mika's friend Helen's house beyond The Wall. Kobi, a mutant with wings was the only teenager who didn't get caught by the government, helps build a bomb to destroy The Wall. While The Wall is being destroyed the mutants try to negotiate with the government beyond The Wall. They are unsuccessful. Raphael Moses, the leader of the government beyond The Wall decides to send a cloud of poisonous gas to the other side but the mutants break it. They come to Raphael Mose's house, and they scare all of the adults over at Raphael's daughter's birthday party. The story ends with Ellie giving a small child a ride on a Pod Fighter.
I disliked this book because the author had no real perception of what a 12 year-old thinks like. Emma Clayton keeps on talking about how the children were all had pure hearts and wanted to save the world. In real life this is not even close to the truth, there are thousands of children who do illegal things such as drugs and some actually kill other people. There is only one evil child in the entire book and his name is Ruben. The only real "fight" was when Mika and Ellie had a telepathic duel with Ruben. A stereotype in the book was that all of the rich and wealthy people were corrupt with power except for Helen, Mika's friend. Another part I didn't like was the ending, it ended off with Ellie giving Oliver a ride on a Pod Fighter after the war was over. Also if you haven't read the books before it can be really confusing, I hadn't read the book for 2 years so I forgot all the details and in the beginning it starts off talking about children being told to sleep which made no sense. What I liked about this story was the concept of thousands of children earning credits just by playing a simulation game. I also liked the fact that the outcasts of the population were able to do amazing things like telepathy and break any technology they look it. The author did a good job of describing each scene and I had a visual image of what was going on the entire time. This story wasn't as big as The Roar though as this book was a little over 300 pages while The Roar was around 600 pages. Overall this wasn't one of the best books I read, but it still wasn't the worst book either.
By: Emma Clayton
Science Fiction
309 pages
Finished 8/9/12
The Whisper is the story of a struggle between 2 governments and mutants who are trying to stop the fighting. The governments are seperated by The Wall. Mika, Ellie and other mutants are taken captive by the government behind The Wall. The government has taken all 12 year-old children except the mutants and Kobi and given them microchips so they will do whatever the government wants them to do. Mika, Ellie and all the other mutants are telepathic and can send thoughts and emotions to other children. The children with microchips resist the orders the government gives them and run to a nearby village but most get caught. A couple of them escape and make it to The Shadows where only the poorest people live, but they stop fighting the microchips command to sleep and they go to sleep the other children are all caught. Mal Gorman, the leader of the base where the children are at takes a pill called Everlife-9 where you become younger the more you take of it. He turns into a teenager because of an overdose. Mika, Ellie, and some other mutants take over the base and the entire government behind The Wall and bring Mal Gorman to hold him captive in Mika's friend Helen's house beyond The Wall. Kobi, a mutant with wings was the only teenager who didn't get caught by the government, helps build a bomb to destroy The Wall. While The Wall is being destroyed the mutants try to negotiate with the government beyond The Wall. They are unsuccessful. Raphael Moses, the leader of the government beyond The Wall decides to send a cloud of poisonous gas to the other side but the mutants break it. They come to Raphael Mose's house, and they scare all of the adults over at Raphael's daughter's birthday party. The story ends with Ellie giving a small child a ride on a Pod Fighter.
I disliked this book because the author had no real perception of what a 12 year-old thinks like. Emma Clayton keeps on talking about how the children were all had pure hearts and wanted to save the world. In real life this is not even close to the truth, there are thousands of children who do illegal things such as drugs and some actually kill other people. There is only one evil child in the entire book and his name is Ruben. The only real "fight" was when Mika and Ellie had a telepathic duel with Ruben. A stereotype in the book was that all of the rich and wealthy people were corrupt with power except for Helen, Mika's friend. Another part I didn't like was the ending, it ended off with Ellie giving Oliver a ride on a Pod Fighter after the war was over. Also if you haven't read the books before it can be really confusing, I hadn't read the book for 2 years so I forgot all the details and in the beginning it starts off talking about children being told to sleep which made no sense. What I liked about this story was the concept of thousands of children earning credits just by playing a simulation game. I also liked the fact that the outcasts of the population were able to do amazing things like telepathy and break any technology they look it. The author did a good job of describing each scene and I had a visual image of what was going on the entire time. This story wasn't as big as The Roar though as this book was a little over 300 pages while The Roar was around 600 pages. Overall this wasn't one of the best books I read, but it still wasn't the worst book either.
March 14, 2012
"The Whisper" by Emma Clayton is the sequel that fans of "The Roar" have long awaited. And really, the books need to be read together.
"The Whisper" finishes the adventure that began in "The Roar," when Mika learned that his sister, Ellie, was still alive. Stolen by a corrupt government official, she had been trained and experimented on in a quest to control the world.
This is a future world where most of the population has been sequestered in the north behind walls. They stay there willingly because they have been told that beyond the walls there is nothing but death and dust -- that the whole rest of the world was decimated by an animal plague, and to step outside the walls brings instant death.
The truth, which Mika finds out in the second book, is that a few thousand people live in the rest of the world, enjoying the forests and the animals, living in mansions with every convenience and protecting their wealth with robotic machines and animals.
The world in the north is a life of horror for most of the population. They live on the bottom level of cities, beneath the wealthy, with no sunlight, fresh air or healthy food. Their existence is a dismal one filled with moldy walls, tasteless food and no future.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
"The Whisper" finishes the adventure that began in "The Roar," when Mika learned that his sister, Ellie, was still alive. Stolen by a corrupt government official, she had been trained and experimented on in a quest to control the world.
This is a future world where most of the population has been sequestered in the north behind walls. They stay there willingly because they have been told that beyond the walls there is nothing but death and dust -- that the whole rest of the world was decimated by an animal plague, and to step outside the walls brings instant death.
The truth, which Mika finds out in the second book, is that a few thousand people live in the rest of the world, enjoying the forests and the animals, living in mansions with every convenience and protecting their wealth with robotic machines and animals.
The world in the north is a life of horror for most of the population. They live on the bottom level of cities, beneath the wealthy, with no sunlight, fresh air or healthy food. Their existence is a dismal one filled with moldy walls, tasteless food and no future.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
Read
December 16, 2013"The whisper" by Emma Clayton is the second book to "The Roar" and it goes further into detail about the plague, the army of children, and the two special twins. But there is a problem they are stuck in a secret base a phych ward kind of base and the children have all been inplanted with a chip in there brain to listen to whatever they are told. The twins however are playing along and have refused to have brain implants till they decide they are tired of listening to the guy who has been forcin them around and they steal jets and fly over the wall only to find out that everything is not dead and alsi that life on there other side is blooming so while evryone inside the wall is suffering the twelve richest people in the world live on the outside getting to do whatever they want owning all the land so when they return they kill all the gaurds of the secret base and have the army of children take down everyone who is in power or have power.
These two books in my opinion start off super slow but in time further in the book everything picks up making it an amazing novel the suspence and action cant be decribed and they are imaculant books they are a must reed.
These two books in my opinion start off super slow but in time further in the book everything picks up making it an amazing novel the suspence and action cant be decribed and they are imaculant books they are a must reed.
February 28, 2012
Book one blew me away, book two was a flop. The plot had large black holes, there was no character development, the dialogue came across as emotionless statements. I will not read from this author again.
April 4, 2015
This book was just as good as the first. There was a lot of action and this book is definitely recommended to everyone. Amazing Book!
December 9, 2016
I was drawn back for the conclusion of this duology by Emma Clayton's writing, which can be spectacular. The way she sets a scene or mood, or pits two or more characters against each other in a battle of iron wills, gets readers into the story with an easy talent that must be the envy of most authors. By trapping twelve-year-old twins Mika and Ellie in a dystopian world where they're closely monitored and kept under the thumb of powerful men, yet endowing them with psychokinetic abilities that are more than enough to turn the tables on these men if they gain the discipline to do so, Emma Clayton sets up a compelling story arc that reaches its apex in The Roar and glides to a serene finish in The Whisper, even as the haves and have-nots prepare to start a war that could signal the end of humanity. Mika, Ellie, and the rest of the supernaturally gifted children experimented on by Mal Gorman and the Northern Government elites possess everything they need to broker a permanent peace between the North and South, and must act soon if they are to prevent armed conflict.
"Who survives in a world of chaos is decided by so many complex variables, it's impossible to predict, no matter how hard you try."
—The Whisper, P. 278
Mal Gorman maintains his position of advantage as The Whisper begins, but Mika and Ellie have reunited after being held apart so long, and they're rapidly figuring out the secrets the Northern Government has concealed from them. The Southern side of The Wall isn't a deserted wasteland; it's filled with lush greenery, and animals frolicking in the woods. The people of the North have been conned out of enjoying the natural world's beauty, but it's time that changed. Mika, Ellie, and the children like them are telepathically linked in a continuous stream of communicative noise they call The Roar, made up of their combined emotional energy focused on their own liberation and that of humanity, but there's a quieter noise, too, which they must carefully listen for now. It flows from their logic and problem-solving thought, and only The Whisper can lead them to peacefully counteract the duplicity of the Northern and Southern Governments. Without the children's calming intermediation, their parents will learn of the deception foisted on them for so many years and lay siege to The Wall, blinded to any consideration but vengeance against the South. War would result in needless bloodshed, and the kids know they can set matters right without losing a single life.
Helen, an unexpected ally of Mika and Ellie's in The Roar, is living in a gigantic mansion on the Southern side of The Wall when Mika and Ellie escape there, and has vital information to aid their mission. The history of relations between the North and South is sordid, and Helen played a role in it that she's not entirely proud of, but her allegiance to Mika and Ellie's cause now is unquestioned, and the resources and wisdom she offers are indispensable. The world started going wrong when humans forgot their place in it, she tells the children. "We forgot what we are. We forgot we are animals and that our feelings are controlled by instincts. Instincts were useful in ancient times...but in the age of science we don't need these instincts so much. We battled so hard against nature, inventing things to keep ourselves alive, that we forgot we were part of nature...And I think it's dangerous to forget we are controlled by instincts...It makes us do things without understanding why. It makes us destructive, angry, and cruel." Helen points out that human instincts fed into modern tyranny on both sides of The Wall, and explains how corporate and government greed exploited them to make big money. "In ancient times...the instinct to hoard was useful, because it meant we were able to survive through the winter. But since we invented cans and freezers, we didn't need to hoard lots of stuff. But we continued to do it anyway: We'd forgotten why we did it, but we still followed our instinct to do it...We almost turned the natural world into one gigantic junk pile...corporations understood human instincts and took advantage of them. We actually encouraged people to buy things they didn't need." Excessive accumulation of stuff pollutes our lives and planet, but how are we to suppress gut instinct? By realizing, Helen says, that we don't truly want to live for the things money can buy. "Most humans...live only for love. To love and be loved...All the rest, all the food processors and leaf blowers and chocolate fountains, are just the scenery for love." When we put our possessions in that proper perspective, what do status symbols and wealth matter as long as we are loved and love others in return? That's all we need to live a fulfilled life.
Dynamic writing is the main strength of The Roar and The Whisper, but Emma Clayton creates appealing characters, too. We have Oliver, a seven-year-old who unwaveringly trusts the older kids to end conflict between the North and South without violence. There's also Audrey, a pixieish girl with a bright mind to match her pretty exterior. When Audrey helps set out Helen's fancy china plates for a meal, she observes that the perfect leaf design on the plates reinforces Helen's message about humans forgetting where they belong in nature. "I was just noticing," Audrey says, "that when humans copy nature, they get the pattern wrong. Real leaves don't look like this. Every leaf on a tree is different, but these are all the same...I think humans want nature's pattern to be the same...So they can understand it." Is that not the way of humans? We'd rather discard nature's divergents because they don't fit our demand for a symmetrical pattern, whether it be people who don't conform to societal norms, or ideas that run counter to doctrinaire culture. But we tragically miss the point when we do that. Nature is asymmetry, and celebrating rather than condemning it is the way we remember our proper place in the world. That's what the people need reminding of on the North and South sides of The Wall. It might be the one thing that can prevent war.
The Whisper isn't as captivating as its predecessor, but the writing is smooth and ebullient, and I'm glad that Mika and Ellie's story has a satisfying resolution. The final scene feels right, ending the duology on a nice, hopeful note toward the future. I would give The Whisper at least one and a half stars, and chances are I'd spring for the full two. I appreciate Emma Clayton's thoughtful, exciting storytelling, and I'll remember these books fondly. I'm sure there are many others who can say the same.
"Who survives in a world of chaos is decided by so many complex variables, it's impossible to predict, no matter how hard you try."
—The Whisper, P. 278
Mal Gorman maintains his position of advantage as The Whisper begins, but Mika and Ellie have reunited after being held apart so long, and they're rapidly figuring out the secrets the Northern Government has concealed from them. The Southern side of The Wall isn't a deserted wasteland; it's filled with lush greenery, and animals frolicking in the woods. The people of the North have been conned out of enjoying the natural world's beauty, but it's time that changed. Mika, Ellie, and the children like them are telepathically linked in a continuous stream of communicative noise they call The Roar, made up of their combined emotional energy focused on their own liberation and that of humanity, but there's a quieter noise, too, which they must carefully listen for now. It flows from their logic and problem-solving thought, and only The Whisper can lead them to peacefully counteract the duplicity of the Northern and Southern Governments. Without the children's calming intermediation, their parents will learn of the deception foisted on them for so many years and lay siege to The Wall, blinded to any consideration but vengeance against the South. War would result in needless bloodshed, and the kids know they can set matters right without losing a single life.
Helen, an unexpected ally of Mika and Ellie's in The Roar, is living in a gigantic mansion on the Southern side of The Wall when Mika and Ellie escape there, and has vital information to aid their mission. The history of relations between the North and South is sordid, and Helen played a role in it that she's not entirely proud of, but her allegiance to Mika and Ellie's cause now is unquestioned, and the resources and wisdom she offers are indispensable. The world started going wrong when humans forgot their place in it, she tells the children. "We forgot what we are. We forgot we are animals and that our feelings are controlled by instincts. Instincts were useful in ancient times...but in the age of science we don't need these instincts so much. We battled so hard against nature, inventing things to keep ourselves alive, that we forgot we were part of nature...And I think it's dangerous to forget we are controlled by instincts...It makes us do things without understanding why. It makes us destructive, angry, and cruel." Helen points out that human instincts fed into modern tyranny on both sides of The Wall, and explains how corporate and government greed exploited them to make big money. "In ancient times...the instinct to hoard was useful, because it meant we were able to survive through the winter. But since we invented cans and freezers, we didn't need to hoard lots of stuff. But we continued to do it anyway: We'd forgotten why we did it, but we still followed our instinct to do it...We almost turned the natural world into one gigantic junk pile...corporations understood human instincts and took advantage of them. We actually encouraged people to buy things they didn't need." Excessive accumulation of stuff pollutes our lives and planet, but how are we to suppress gut instinct? By realizing, Helen says, that we don't truly want to live for the things money can buy. "Most humans...live only for love. To love and be loved...All the rest, all the food processors and leaf blowers and chocolate fountains, are just the scenery for love." When we put our possessions in that proper perspective, what do status symbols and wealth matter as long as we are loved and love others in return? That's all we need to live a fulfilled life.
Dynamic writing is the main strength of The Roar and The Whisper, but Emma Clayton creates appealing characters, too. We have Oliver, a seven-year-old who unwaveringly trusts the older kids to end conflict between the North and South without violence. There's also Audrey, a pixieish girl with a bright mind to match her pretty exterior. When Audrey helps set out Helen's fancy china plates for a meal, she observes that the perfect leaf design on the plates reinforces Helen's message about humans forgetting where they belong in nature. "I was just noticing," Audrey says, "that when humans copy nature, they get the pattern wrong. Real leaves don't look like this. Every leaf on a tree is different, but these are all the same...I think humans want nature's pattern to be the same...So they can understand it." Is that not the way of humans? We'd rather discard nature's divergents because they don't fit our demand for a symmetrical pattern, whether it be people who don't conform to societal norms, or ideas that run counter to doctrinaire culture. But we tragically miss the point when we do that. Nature is asymmetry, and celebrating rather than condemning it is the way we remember our proper place in the world. That's what the people need reminding of on the North and South sides of The Wall. It might be the one thing that can prevent war.
The Whisper isn't as captivating as its predecessor, but the writing is smooth and ebullient, and I'm glad that Mika and Ellie's story has a satisfying resolution. The final scene feels right, ending the duology on a nice, hopeful note toward the future. I would give The Whisper at least one and a half stars, and chances are I'd spring for the full two. I appreciate Emma Clayton's thoughtful, exciting storytelling, and I'll remember these books fondly. I'm sure there are many others who can say the same.
May 13, 2014
The Whisper by: Emma Clayton
Review by: Demetre Doherty
The book I read was The Whisper by Emma Clayton. I would recommend this book because it has a lot of action, it is unpredictable, and it keeps you engaged. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars because although I liked the action there were some parts of the book that were kind of boring.
The first reason why I liked this book was because it had a lot of action and some of the great action was on page 204 and it says, “The Pod fighters pulled up from their dive, and the air filled with streams of laser fire. Then tons of concrete exploded beneath the Ghengis borgs’ feet,” I really liked this part of the story because it had lots of details and describing words about the fight. Also another part of the story that had lots of action was on page 25 and it says, “Another Creeper Net appeared, scuttling toward them like a demented spider. In their haste, they slid down the edge too fast and, for a few awful seconds, thought they’d slip straight off it and fall into the sea,” I really liked this part of the story because they were being chased by Creeper Nets which can paralyze you and then they jump onto a cliff and almost fall to their death. Those are some examples of the exciting action in the book.
The next reason why I would recommend this book is because it is very unpredictable. An example was on page 259 when it says, “There was someone in there, now he was sure. He didn’t want to look but felt compelled to, and saw a pale, sharp face framed by the glass in the door. ‘Ruben,’ Gorman whispered,” I thought this was really unpredictable because Ruben had disappeared earlier in the book and is kind of the bad guy in the book and he was there to save Mal Gorman so they could make a plan to rule the world. Another unpredictable moment was on page 252 and it says, “Kobi couldn’t watch. He started to pack up their tools, with shaky hands. The bomb was built.” This was unpredictable because the people living in the Shadows had made a bomb to blow up the Wall which leads to the forests and to nature. Those are some unpredictable events in the story.
The last reason I would recommend this book is because it keeps you engaged and always makes you want to read more of the book. An event that kept me engaged was on page 90 when it says, “She had the hind legs of a goat, reverse jointed, with hooves covered in coils of fine brown hair.” This kept me engaged because I thought I was really cool how she has goat legs instead of human legs. Another part of the story that kept me engaged was on page 211 when it says, “We now control all weapons in the North and we assert our control over you. We are about to negotiate with the South for freedom for everyone, not just you, because we want our parents to be happy and we want to live in a world with trees and animals in it.” This kept me engaged because kids are taking over the world and I wanted to know what they would do next. Those are some parts of the story that kept me engaged.
So if you like a book with a lot of action that is unpredictable and keeps you engaged then I would definitely recommend reading The Whisper.
Review by: Demetre Doherty
The book I read was The Whisper by Emma Clayton. I would recommend this book because it has a lot of action, it is unpredictable, and it keeps you engaged. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars because although I liked the action there were some parts of the book that were kind of boring.
The first reason why I liked this book was because it had a lot of action and some of the great action was on page 204 and it says, “The Pod fighters pulled up from their dive, and the air filled with streams of laser fire. Then tons of concrete exploded beneath the Ghengis borgs’ feet,” I really liked this part of the story because it had lots of details and describing words about the fight. Also another part of the story that had lots of action was on page 25 and it says, “Another Creeper Net appeared, scuttling toward them like a demented spider. In their haste, they slid down the edge too fast and, for a few awful seconds, thought they’d slip straight off it and fall into the sea,” I really liked this part of the story because they were being chased by Creeper Nets which can paralyze you and then they jump onto a cliff and almost fall to their death. Those are some examples of the exciting action in the book.
The next reason why I would recommend this book is because it is very unpredictable. An example was on page 259 when it says, “There was someone in there, now he was sure. He didn’t want to look but felt compelled to, and saw a pale, sharp face framed by the glass in the door. ‘Ruben,’ Gorman whispered,” I thought this was really unpredictable because Ruben had disappeared earlier in the book and is kind of the bad guy in the book and he was there to save Mal Gorman so they could make a plan to rule the world. Another unpredictable moment was on page 252 and it says, “Kobi couldn’t watch. He started to pack up their tools, with shaky hands. The bomb was built.” This was unpredictable because the people living in the Shadows had made a bomb to blow up the Wall which leads to the forests and to nature. Those are some unpredictable events in the story.
The last reason I would recommend this book is because it keeps you engaged and always makes you want to read more of the book. An event that kept me engaged was on page 90 when it says, “She had the hind legs of a goat, reverse jointed, with hooves covered in coils of fine brown hair.” This kept me engaged because I thought I was really cool how she has goat legs instead of human legs. Another part of the story that kept me engaged was on page 211 when it says, “We now control all weapons in the North and we assert our control over you. We are about to negotiate with the South for freedom for everyone, not just you, because we want our parents to be happy and we want to live in a world with trees and animals in it.” This kept me engaged because kids are taking over the world and I wanted to know what they would do next. Those are some parts of the story that kept me engaged.
So if you like a book with a lot of action that is unpredictable and keeps you engaged then I would definitely recommend reading The Whisper.
December 4, 2012
I just finished the book, and ill tell you about the part at the end. When the boy gets into a room with filled with metal and with beds. The bot starts looking around the room until he heard giant foot step entering the room. he quickly ran behind a bed and hid there. He saw a alien with a gun. The alien searched around the room if there was anything but he saw nothing in the room. So when he was exiting the room the boy ran out of the room and the alien heard him so he chased the boy, the boy was so scared that he almost fainted. When he got to a blue room with a lot of switches and buttons. So he clicked one and the ship started shaking. He ran to get out of here he, knew he set off the launch panel. But when he got to the exit way he heard the alien coming so he went through a hole with a exit. he climbed the exit and jumped into the water. He slowly watched the UFO launching into outer space. And that's it i think you should really read this book because it really entertaining and also to read the middle part.
After reading more of this book, He finds out what came crashing down. "A UFO"! The boy exclaiming to he's mom. They were really scared what will happen to them if the creature in the UFO will find them, so they ran to their house and turned off all the lights from the house and hid behind the bed. A little while after they were hiding they noticed that it was so quite. So the mom got up and after she went through the door she heard the door open 'screech', she went running to the bed and hid unwritten with the boy. They were hearing the creatures in the living room destroying stuff. Then they heard the creatures going upstairs where the bedrooms were. When they got to the top it was a sudden quite. They couldn't hear the creatures anymore but after awhile of quietness they started walking in the bedroom with their big green foot stomping really load that the floor was shaking. If you wanna know what happens next, carrack out the book.
I really like the book The Whisper because it adds a lot of action and non fiction. This book is all about a boy that has like a secret he said and no one understood the secret. One day the boy was outside staring at the stars. He saw some sort of a shooting star crashing down from sky, he didn't know what it was, so he want running inside complaining that some sort of shooting star. The boy mom went to see what was going on, the boy and the mom went down where the shooting star came crashing down. The boy went up to see, and 'BOOM' the door from the shooting star went zooming out into sky. The boy screamed 'AHHHH'. If you want to read what happens check out the book. This character relates to me because he likes to adventure and is very curious, like me.
After reading more of this book, He finds out what came crashing down. "A UFO"! The boy exclaiming to he's mom. They were really scared what will happen to them if the creature in the UFO will find them, so they ran to their house and turned off all the lights from the house and hid behind the bed. A little while after they were hiding they noticed that it was so quite. So the mom got up and after she went through the door she heard the door open 'screech', she went running to the bed and hid unwritten with the boy. They were hearing the creatures in the living room destroying stuff. Then they heard the creatures going upstairs where the bedrooms were. When they got to the top it was a sudden quite. They couldn't hear the creatures anymore but after awhile of quietness they started walking in the bedroom with their big green foot stomping really load that the floor was shaking. If you wanna know what happens next, carrack out the book.
I really like the book The Whisper because it adds a lot of action and non fiction. This book is all about a boy that has like a secret he said and no one understood the secret. One day the boy was outside staring at the stars. He saw some sort of a shooting star crashing down from sky, he didn't know what it was, so he want running inside complaining that some sort of shooting star. The boy mom went to see what was going on, the boy and the mom went down where the shooting star came crashing down. The boy went up to see, and 'BOOM' the door from the shooting star went zooming out into sky. The boy screamed 'AHHHH'. If you want to read what happens check out the book. This character relates to me because he likes to adventure and is very curious, like me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2013
I quite enjoyed the first of this series - The Roar - but this one didn't do it for me. My main issue is that it felt too preachy. I liked the story line and concept of the books, and I thought the author was creative with children being born with animal mutations to draw them back to the earth and nature that they were disconnected from. The action and story parts of the book were interesting. But every time the story talked about what and why the wall had been built the feel of the writing changed - like the author lost her ability to creatively tell a story because she wanted to make a point. I felt that in one chapter at the end of The Roar as well, but looked past it because the rest of the book had been good. I didn't realize that The Whisper was going to be full of it. It's not even that I disagree with some of the ideas, and think that good novels can't address issues, I just don't think the author did it well. I couldn't get lost in the story when I felt I was being preached to.
May 21, 2015
Mika finally reunites with his sister which was what he first wanted. Now he wanted to stop the war that was going to happen between the north and the south of the world. They were divided with a wall. The only thing that was stopping Mika and Ellie was the fact that they couldn't control the adults. The South had forests and a lot of space, while the North was cramped, and had no living things apart from humans. The North wanted to share land with South, but they didn't. To stop the war, they used the army of children that had been made by making them play video games which were actually teaching them how to fly war machines. Then, the adults noticed what they were doing and stopped. This book is about hope, adventure, and friendship.
May 4, 2015
Mika, Ellie, and all the children of the North have staged a rebellion against their parents to stop Mal Gorman from starting a war with the South that he could never win. The mighty youngsters use their telekinetic powers to get out of any possible pickle. They deactivate all weapons of the South and depose the Northern government, but the leader of the South still won't listen. They travel to him by fighter jet and tell him to his face that they are more powerful than he could ever be. Will Earth be engulfed in chaos, or is a brighter future in store?
The Whisper is about love, hate, and peace.
The Whisper is about love, hate, and peace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2015
In the second book of the series, Ellie and Mika reunite to bring down Mal Gorman and everyone and everything around him. There's only one hitch to this plan, however. They have to along with his crazy plan, pretending to know nothing, while they can delve into his very thoughts at will. So when the adults finally find out about The Secret, nobody is safe. On either side of the wall. The Whisper is a book about Knowing Your Limits, Misdirection, and Revolution.
April 10, 2017
Good Young Adult Sci-fi 2-book series.
December 30, 2024
Listen, The Roar is a tough act to follow. So tough that even its own sequel did not live up to it.
However, I’d still call it a success. Because while the plot and all its twists were half-baked, they still had me gasping. While the payoff wasn’t as good as it needed to be, I’m still satisfied with the story.
The true shame is that the first book was full of deep symbolism and meaning, all in beautifully written language. Not so with this book. All symbols were blatantly explained instead of being written about in a beautiful way that will make children think and leave them remembering it for years (I would know—I read The Roar in middle school and brought it up in my high school imaginative writing class). With that said, this book has less literary educational value than the first.
Is it worth it still? I’d say so.
(PG rating)
Grades 6-8
However, I’d still call it a success. Because while the plot and all its twists were half-baked, they still had me gasping. While the payoff wasn’t as good as it needed to be, I’m still satisfied with the story.
The true shame is that the first book was full of deep symbolism and meaning, all in beautifully written language. Not so with this book. All symbols were blatantly explained instead of being written about in a beautiful way that will make children think and leave them remembering it for years (I would know—I read The Roar in middle school and brought it up in my high school imaginative writing class). With that said, this book has less literary educational value than the first.
Is it worth it still? I’d say so.
(PG rating)
Grades 6-8
January 14, 2024
Really good, I couldn’t tear myself away. 4 stars because I wish the ending had been fleshed out more. Unless there’s another book planned, this ending leaves a lot to be desired and I have so many questions that I wish this book had answered in the end.
July 8, 2022
"The Whisper" was rather disappointingly short after my long search and left me wanting more from the series. I am not yet sure whether there is a third book or not, but I really hope there is because I want to know what happens to Mal Gorman.
April 15, 2020
I love it
October 18, 2018
A good sequel to "The Roar" it continues on with the story from the first book. The vibe of perseverance is more prominent in this book. As "spoiler alert" there is a revolution against the government and a big organization at the same time. Also a good and long read that really gets you thinking on what might happen to us in the future. The story goes more in depth about why the humans were contained rather than let to run free. The book itself is almost an open ended question for whether or not you think this could happen now. It is a good wrap up to the series and still keeps its sci fi and post Apocalypse theme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2020
As the sequel to The Roar, which is for its time an absolute masterpiece of dystopian fiction, I had high hopes and expectations for The Whisper, waiting avidly for its release. And I was so disappointed I promptly put both books into the charity pile the minute I finished it.
Where the first book queues up endless intrigue and cliff-hangers, the second takes all the curtains away and dumps the ideas like bullet points at your feet. The plot is there, it had such promise, but the execution was so poor it wasn't worth putting down.
Mika, the main character, spends the whole first book trying to prove that his twin Ellie is out there and is still alive while tackling the political war outside his door that is killing endless amounts of people so that the rich can live longer. By the very end of the book, his twin is back in his grasp and he's about to bring her back home.
In book two, you get whiplash by how fast the author blows through each event. There is no intrigue, no mystery, no suspense anywhere to be found. They find who they need to immediately, beat the main bully of the first book instantaneously without even needing to try when in the first book there was nowhere close to this amount of control over their abilities. Massive plot twist was revealed and dealt with in half a page which could have affected half of the book easily and still have been dense enough to keep going. Everything in book two could have been developed and explored further, stretching into another book without overreaching or becoming thin. The writing was rushed, uninspired, and it feels forced as if the Author only did it because their publisher forced them into it.
I don't recommend this book at all, if you've read The Roar, I'd stop there and allow your imagination to write the sequel as you would probably have more interest in it and the story would hold better.
Where the first book queues up endless intrigue and cliff-hangers, the second takes all the curtains away and dumps the ideas like bullet points at your feet. The plot is there, it had such promise, but the execution was so poor it wasn't worth putting down.
Mika, the main character, spends the whole first book trying to prove that his twin Ellie is out there and is still alive while tackling the political war outside his door that is killing endless amounts of people so that the rich can live longer. By the very end of the book, his twin is back in his grasp and he's about to bring her back home.
In book two, you get whiplash by how fast the author blows through each event. There is no intrigue, no mystery, no suspense anywhere to be found. They find who they need to immediately, beat the main bully of the first book instantaneously without even needing to try when in the first book there was nowhere close to this amount of control over their abilities. Massive plot twist was revealed and dealt with in half a page which could have affected half of the book easily and still have been dense enough to keep going. Everything in book two could have been developed and explored further, stretching into another book without overreaching or becoming thin. The writing was rushed, uninspired, and it feels forced as if the Author only did it because their publisher forced them into it.
I don't recommend this book at all, if you've read The Roar, I'd stop there and allow your imagination to write the sequel as you would probably have more interest in it and the story would hold better.
April 13, 2015
The Whisper is the sequel to The Roar, both books by Emma Clayton. These books are set some time in the future, after an Animal Plague sweeps across the animals around the world, causing them to go on a killing rampage. This forced the citizens of the whole world to live in Europe, where a massive wall was built around the whole continent on the shore of the sea and the land. Everyone believed this, and most lived horrible lives, or so they thought.
Most believe the Animal Plague was real. That is what was supposed to happen. But all of the 12 and 13 year old kids born after the Plague have found out the Secret. This is that the Animal Plague never really happened. And that there were rich billionaires living in beautiful non-destroyed lands behind the Wall. The kids have a plan that will either let billions of people free, or start a war.
The Roar series is amazing in my own opinion. This is a great dystopian series that has cliffhangers at every chapter and has action in just the right places. I felt a real connection with Mika, Ellie, Audrey, and all of the other characters. I was sad to see the book end, and ever since I did finish it, I have hoped for another book in the series. Maybe even a prequel to the Roar that tells of Mika and Ellie's parent's story of the Animal Plague? Everyone should have a chance to read this series.
Most believe the Animal Plague was real. That is what was supposed to happen. But all of the 12 and 13 year old kids born after the Plague have found out the Secret. This is that the Animal Plague never really happened. And that there were rich billionaires living in beautiful non-destroyed lands behind the Wall. The kids have a plan that will either let billions of people free, or start a war.
The Roar series is amazing in my own opinion. This is a great dystopian series that has cliffhangers at every chapter and has action in just the right places. I felt a real connection with Mika, Ellie, Audrey, and all of the other characters. I was sad to see the book end, and ever since I did finish it, I have hoped for another book in the series. Maybe even a prequel to the Roar that tells of Mika and Ellie's parent's story of the Animal Plague? Everyone should have a chance to read this series.
May 12, 2016
This book is set in a futuristic dystopian world where there are some children that have small mutations that allow them to have special powers. Most of the people mentioned in the book live in a forgotten area called The Shadows, which was built in the darkness, underneath all the people living normally. The people that live in The Shadows are fed a barely edible version of mold and get hardly enough space to live. The main characters are two siblings named Ellie and Mika Smith, who are the most powerful of the mutants. The book is mainly about a man named Mal Gorman that is trying to create an army of mutant children because of their powers. One of their powers is something called the Whisper, which is a type of silent communication the children use with their minds. Mika, Ellie, and the rest of the mutants are trying to stop Gorman from forming an army out of the children, and they use the Whisper to communicate throughout the book. The story starts out a bit slowly, but there is a lot of action later in the book. I really liked this book because the author created an interesting future dystopia. I also liked the plot, and there is a lot of foreshadowing. The characters are also unique and different, and there are a lot of things that happen that you wouldn't expect. I would recommend this to people who like reading dystopias and science fiction with a lot of action.
November 14, 2014
Let me first say that I enjoyed "The Roar" very much and I highly anticipated "The Whisper" and bought it when it first came out. But, it was a little bit disappointing. I'm not saying it was a complete piece of garbage, far from it, but the book just didn't have that same sort of suspense that the first one had. And it also is far slower paced than its predecessor. Out of 307 or so pages, it takes around 200 for the action to start. Most of those 200 pages aren't even used for very much exposition, which there is still a need for, even from the first book. However, I won't say it kills the momentum of the series, and it does set up for a least one more installment, which I will read. But the new concepts brought into the novel are just plain ridiculous, more fantasy than science fiction. With that said, I did enjoy this novel and I find Clayton's writing style engaging and witty. I would very much like to see this series brought to a conclusion, because there are still quite a few loose ends. I would recommend this to fans of the first book, but with a warning that this book is somewhat of a different animal than the first.
November 2, 2019
The Whisper by Emma Clayton is yet another shining example of rebellion against a government, in this case, a quite evil one. Expanding upon that I feel that Emma hit the nail on the head with creating a scenario of people vs government however, it wasn't quite as engaging as say 1984 by the famous George Orwell. While I did enjoy the addition of a quite unique "child army" I think the world felt very small and seemed to only be confined to only two areas: the "North" and "south" despite this taking place on the entirety of the British isles. I will admit I did like the progression of the story as in the beginning they mention a boy named Ruben who wasn't chosen to be apart of the army, he later becomes a central antagonist fueled by his rage of being denied into the army with his friends. In all honesty, this is quite an easy read with the very cliche "good vs evil" concept, and you'll never have to think too deeply on the motives taken by any characters as they are very rudimentary. Still, a fun read if you're looking for something light.
August 28, 2014
This book is a sequel to the roar. I enjoyed the roar, so i decided to read the next book. I enjoyed it, there was an understandable plot, good attention to detail, and a lot of action.
Mika and Ellie are twins, who live behind a large concrete wall. There is no going out of the wall because of the animal plague. The twins were separated when they were young. Their parents thought Ellie was dead, but Mikka thought she was alive. Later in the story they reunite. The twins find out there ar forests and animals behind the wall, so they work to get the forests back for the people living behind the wall.
I gave it a five out of five because it was a good book. I would subject it to anyone that liked the roar.
Mika and Ellie are twins, who live behind a large concrete wall. There is no going out of the wall because of the animal plague. The twins were separated when they were young. Their parents thought Ellie was dead, but Mikka thought she was alive. Later in the story they reunite. The twins find out there ar forests and animals behind the wall, so they work to get the forests back for the people living behind the wall.
I gave it a five out of five because it was a good book. I would subject it to anyone that liked the roar.
February 3, 2015
Whisper is the sequel to Roar. I read this book because I really liked Roar. The Whisper is an exciting book. Mika and his sister, Ellie finally are united again. Gorman finally gets his army of youth ready for battle but, Mika finds out what the war is about. Gorman wants to drop nuclear weapons on other side of the wall. They are not ready to let what he wants happen. The Whisper is a telepathic connection between all of the youth of the North with Mika and Ellie at the head of it. When the adults find out what is on the side of the wall they build a bomb to blow to the other side of the wall. The adults don't know that as soon as they do it will spark a war that will involve the most advanced weapons ever seen. I hope that you will enjoy this as much as I have!
April 13, 2016
This book was the sequel to the book "The Roar". While sometimes during "The Roar" the action sometimes dragged, "The Whisper was always exciting with action. "The Whisper" has a plot which is that 2 corrupt governments to take control of the others land, the southern government has trees and flourishes while the north has no room for trees. The two sections are separated with a wall that has a defense mechanism that only the southern government can control. Long story short, Mika and Ellie find many new friends and explore in depth the South. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes science fiction. This book I would I would recommend for ages 11-14 years of age.
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