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Whisper
Sixteen-year-old Whisper, who has a cleft palate, lives in an encampment with three other young rejects and their caregiver, Nathanael. They are outcasts from a society (in the not-too-distant future) that kills or abandons anyone with a physical or mental disability. Whisper’s mother visits once a year. When she dies, she leaves Whisper a violin, which Nathanael teaches her to play. Whisper’s father comes to claim her, and she becomes his house slave, her disfigurement hidden by a black veil. But when she proves rebellious, she is taken to the city to live with other rejects at a house called Purgatory Palace, where she has to make difficult decisions for herself and for her vulnerable friends.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
9 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
Chris Struyk-Bonn
3 books22 followersI live in Portland, Oregon, even though I am originally from Iowa. I've been in the Pacific Northwest for so long that I can hardly claim to be a midwesterner anymore.
My family keeps me pretty busy and on my toes! I have two boys who have decided that it is their goal and ambition in life to make my days as difficult as possible. We have soccer balls in every room, we have darts stuck to every window, and my cats are losing fur in clumps because of the teasing they must endure.
I love cats. I have three of them and one of them is about twenty pounds. I have been trying to figure out how to help him lose some weight, but he is just not interested, and the treadmill has not been working.
Reading and writing young adult literature is a favorite past time of mine. I try to keep up on trends in YA, and find myself astounded by some of the amazing novels that are available for teens. I am thrilled to see my own book in print and hope that you will let me know what you think of Whisper.
My family keeps me pretty busy and on my toes! I have two boys who have decided that it is their goal and ambition in life to make my days as difficult as possible. We have soccer balls in every room, we have darts stuck to every window, and my cats are losing fur in clumps because of the teasing they must endure.
I love cats. I have three of them and one of them is about twenty pounds. I have been trying to figure out how to help him lose some weight, but he is just not interested, and the treadmill has not been working.
Reading and writing young adult literature is a favorite past time of mine. I try to keep up on trends in YA, and find myself astounded by some of the amazing novels that are available for teens. I am thrilled to see my own book in print and hope that you will let me know what you think of Whisper.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 17, 2018
Whisper has a cleft palate. In this young adult dystopian tale, she and other deformed children are cast out of society because of their abnormalities.
This story is about how she survives and holds her new family, made up of other rejected children, together despite obstacles at every turn.
Whisper was a far darker story than I expected.
Terrible things kept happening to Whisper and I kept telling myself that it would turn around soon. And it didn't.
If she wasn't running from someone who was trying to harm her, she was freezing or starving. She'd get a modicum of security and then lose it.
I was really cheering for Whisper to embrace her special abilities, but she never seems to manage it.
Honestly, I was disappointed by the heroine's decisions at multiple times in this story.
As one of the children tells Whisper: "You will never go far in this world if you don't know how to rescue yourself." And, in my opinion, she never did what was best for her own survival.
The author describes the setting as "near future" but if she had taken out the cars, refrigerators, and indoor plumbing, it could just as easily have been the recent past.
It wasn't too long ago that superstitious people believed birth defects marked someone who would ruin the crops, bring bad luck, or comets shooting across the sky spelled misfortune. In fact, in some parts of the world, this type of thinking still reigns.
I think it's human nature to try to explain the unexplained and to condemn others for their differences, the physical differences being the easiest to pick out. That doesn't make it right.
My main complaint about this read was the repetitiousness. After short bursts of frantic activity, Whisper's life would settle into a routine that was really uninteresting.
If I had to read about her messing up the homemade bread one more time, I was going to put the book down.
Maybe the author was trying to get the reader invested in the process, but I simply wanted the story to move on. I was already interested in Whisper- I was just over the baking and cleaning.
The same feeling hit me during the multiple music lessons and the days spent playing violin on the streets for change. I guess I prefer my dystopian novels with more explosive action and less daily slogging.
Fans of How I Live Now or Gated may enjoy the pacing and story line of Whisper. As for me, I'm headed back to more action-oriented dystopian reads.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
This story is about how she survives and holds her new family, made up of other rejected children, together despite obstacles at every turn.
Whisper was a far darker story than I expected.
Terrible things kept happening to Whisper and I kept telling myself that it would turn around soon. And it didn't.
If she wasn't running from someone who was trying to harm her, she was freezing or starving. She'd get a modicum of security and then lose it.
I was really cheering for Whisper to embrace her special abilities, but she never seems to manage it.
Honestly, I was disappointed by the heroine's decisions at multiple times in this story.
As one of the children tells Whisper: "You will never go far in this world if you don't know how to rescue yourself." And, in my opinion, she never did what was best for her own survival.
The author describes the setting as "near future" but if she had taken out the cars, refrigerators, and indoor plumbing, it could just as easily have been the recent past.
It wasn't too long ago that superstitious people believed birth defects marked someone who would ruin the crops, bring bad luck, or comets shooting across the sky spelled misfortune. In fact, in some parts of the world, this type of thinking still reigns.
I think it's human nature to try to explain the unexplained and to condemn others for their differences, the physical differences being the easiest to pick out. That doesn't make it right.
My main complaint about this read was the repetitiousness. After short bursts of frantic activity, Whisper's life would settle into a routine that was really uninteresting.
If I had to read about her messing up the homemade bread one more time, I was going to put the book down.
Maybe the author was trying to get the reader invested in the process, but I simply wanted the story to move on. I was already interested in Whisper- I was just over the baking and cleaning.
The same feeling hit me during the multiple music lessons and the days spent playing violin on the streets for change. I guess I prefer my dystopian novels with more explosive action and less daily slogging.
Fans of How I Live Now or Gated may enjoy the pacing and story line of Whisper. As for me, I'm headed back to more action-oriented dystopian reads.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
May 27, 2014
This has been sitting on my shelf for a few months and I wish I had read it sooner because I just adored it! At first it feels like the usual YA dystopian fare, this time with the outcast society of deformed people, with children, especially girls being abandoned at birth. Our narrator is an older teen girl, on the brink of womanhood, with a cleft palate being raised in a camp for outcast children way out in the woods, with only a couple of others and an elderly caretaker. I fell in love with the main character right away and the beginning setting of the camp, which at first reminded me of the society in Wyndham's "The Chrysalids" but without any of the religious themes. This changes though as the world expands beyond the camp. What I particularly liked about this book and what makes it different and unique in this, somewhat overdone genre that is still a favourite of mine, is the absence of any government, rebel group or movement to overthrow the government. These sorts of books are often about how the people realize they are being oppressed, they join together, go after the government dictatorship and bring it down. "Whisper", refreshingly does not even introduce us to the government of this world. The story is simply about a few outcast youths, the downtrodden of this society, and their march forward in life. They are not political. Gradually through the eyes of Whisper, her boyfriend, missing an arm, and a little girl they've grown up with, who has webbed digits, we discover what is wrong with this world and are given enough clues to put together what has possibly happened; why the deformities are becoming more rampant, who seems to be in charge, etc. There is some technology and knowledge in the world but it belongs to the elite and the society (perhaps world) reminded me of what one assumes places like Calcutta must be like. With the poverty and ruralness outside, then the population gradually becoming denser the closer one comes to the city and once one arrives, the horrific difference between the poverty stricken areas and the parts where the affluent live. The book brings a lot of issues to think about and the perseverance of the main character to keep her dignity and strive to make a better life for herself and her loved ones, in the world she lives in, without changing the world itself, is more realistic than most teen dystopias written these days. The more I think about it the more I realize I was taken with Whisper. The book doesn't seem to leave any threads hanging, except that the character's lives will continue on from here, so I'm thinking (hoping!) this is a complete book by itself and not a trilogy or series. (I'm so tired of them...) Though I think the author could write another story taking place in the same "world", expanding the world building, perhaps showing us a farming family, or characters working in a factory. Some readers may want more than just the hints given about SWINC. Whatever direction she goes, I'll be looking out for the author's next book.
April 16, 2014
I don't usually write reviews, but for this book, I needed to. I'll admit that I am somewhat biased because I know the author. However, even if I didn't, I would highly enjoy the book.
The book is centered around Whisper, a reject with a cleft palate. The circumstances of their world are not made known, although there are hints about why there are so many children with deformities. Whisper is not a character who is meant to take down governments and save the world: she is meant to simply live and discover her identity beyond her deformities.
Whisper has a lot of challenges in her life. When good happens to her, she cannot recognize it because of her distrust of this different, unwelcoming society she finds herself thrust into. Whisper is not the heroine featured in most dystopian novels: her courage and strength is drawn through her quiet sense of self and through her love of the people who became her family. She's not a kick-butt heroine and she doesn't need to be.
The book is beautifully written: each line has been carefully crafted. You see what Whisper sees and you feel what Whisper feels. It's a book that you will get sucked into and one that you will hate to put down.
The book is centered around Whisper, a reject with a cleft palate. The circumstances of their world are not made known, although there are hints about why there are so many children with deformities. Whisper is not a character who is meant to take down governments and save the world: she is meant to simply live and discover her identity beyond her deformities.
Whisper has a lot of challenges in her life. When good happens to her, she cannot recognize it because of her distrust of this different, unwelcoming society she finds herself thrust into. Whisper is not the heroine featured in most dystopian novels: her courage and strength is drawn through her quiet sense of self and through her love of the people who became her family. She's not a kick-butt heroine and she doesn't need to be.
The book is beautifully written: each line has been carefully crafted. You see what Whisper sees and you feel what Whisper feels. It's a book that you will get sucked into and one that you will hate to put down.
March 10, 2014
I love a book in which you feel that you're in masterful hands... WHISPER is just such a book. The author grabs you and reels you in to the world she's created right from the first page. Lyrical, full of meaningful detail, WHISPER is a book that stays with you.
As other reviewers have noted, WHISPER lives in a not-too-distant future in which people considered "rejects" are abandoned. And, yes, she goes through a lot of painful things. I once read a quote that said that we read books to feel things. If you agree with that, WHISPER is a book that will make you feel many things: anger, frustration and, ultimately, hope. A book about love and looking to belong, WHISPER is a book you'll want to read, enjoy, and recommend to your friends.
As other reviewers have noted, WHISPER lives in a not-too-distant future in which people considered "rejects" are abandoned. And, yes, she goes through a lot of painful things. I once read a quote that said that we read books to feel things. If you agree with that, WHISPER is a book that will make you feel many things: anger, frustration and, ultimately, hope. A book about love and looking to belong, WHISPER is a book you'll want to read, enjoy, and recommend to your friends.
June 5, 2014
Ah yes, another YA dystopia. I'm not complaining--I love this genre, and am pleased there are so many books populating it!
First I have to do the special ed professional thing. You can skip this if you don't care: As a professional who works with children with special needs, it was pleasant to see people with orthopedic differences featured prominently in a novel, especially a YA novel. The author writes them as one would write any young adult character, as well she should--and I hope the readers recognize that people with outward differences feel and think and are motivated by many of the same things as people without said differences. That is by far the best thing about this book. Well done, indeed.
I can't imagine the difficulty inherent in writing a character with cognitive disabilities, and the only one in this book is tangential--the older brother of one of the main characters. I was pleased to see that disability represented, and would be interested to know where the author sees people with cognitive disabilities within this society. I would imagine, based on the hostility within and without the mainstream society, that such people are generally killed when very young. I would also be super interested to see where the author would place people with autism within this society.
This society struck me as truly dystopian: it is not a society I could see existing in the future or past, but rather one that, were it to exist, must have evolved in a parallel dimension as our current one. And yet there are some things we are clearly being warned against within this book: factory farming, environmental degredation, water pollution, climate change.
In general, I found this book interesting but not mind-blowing. It could be because the reading level seems to be a little below where most YA books are written--I'd put this around a 6th grade reading level. The complexity of plot, character, and world are simply not there. Then again, there are plenty of juvenile lit books that blow my mind. I guess this one just didn't go there.
Lastly, I was a little confused about the lack of cleft palate repairs in particular. It becomes known that the technology exists to repair things like cleft palate--if so, why is this not done, so people can slip into the mainstream with almost no one the wiser? That's basically what happens now. There doesn't seem to be a religious overtone of orthopedic malformations = devil child, so...I am confused. Also, a small detail but...children with cleft palate cannot create suction, and they often talk about the baby sucking her bottle. There is a special bottle given to babies with cleft palate called a Haberman, which they basically chew to get the formula.
All in all, interesting book and concept, perhaps needs a smidge more refining to appeal to me. I'm still glad it's out there--the topic of people who are "different" from the norm in appearance but otherwise the same is one that needs all the exposure it can get.
First I have to do the special ed professional thing. You can skip this if you don't care: As a professional who works with children with special needs, it was pleasant to see people with orthopedic differences featured prominently in a novel, especially a YA novel. The author writes them as one would write any young adult character, as well she should--and I hope the readers recognize that people with outward differences feel and think and are motivated by many of the same things as people without said differences. That is by far the best thing about this book. Well done, indeed.
I can't imagine the difficulty inherent in writing a character with cognitive disabilities, and the only one in this book is tangential--the older brother of one of the main characters. I was pleased to see that disability represented, and would be interested to know where the author sees people with cognitive disabilities within this society. I would imagine, based on the hostility within and without the mainstream society, that such people are generally killed when very young. I would also be super interested to see where the author would place people with autism within this society.
This society struck me as truly dystopian: it is not a society I could see existing in the future or past, but rather one that, were it to exist, must have evolved in a parallel dimension as our current one. And yet there are some things we are clearly being warned against within this book: factory farming, environmental degredation, water pollution, climate change.
In general, I found this book interesting but not mind-blowing. It could be because the reading level seems to be a little below where most YA books are written--I'd put this around a 6th grade reading level. The complexity of plot, character, and world are simply not there. Then again, there are plenty of juvenile lit books that blow my mind. I guess this one just didn't go there.
Lastly, I was a little confused about the lack of cleft palate repairs in particular. It becomes known that the technology exists to repair things like cleft palate--if so, why is this not done, so people can slip into the mainstream with almost no one the wiser? That's basically what happens now. There doesn't seem to be a religious overtone of orthopedic malformations = devil child, so...I am confused. Also, a small detail but...children with cleft palate cannot create suction, and they often talk about the baby sucking her bottle. There is a special bottle given to babies with cleft palate called a Haberman, which they basically chew to get the formula.
All in all, interesting book and concept, perhaps needs a smidge more refining to appeal to me. I'm still glad it's out there--the topic of people who are "different" from the norm in appearance but otherwise the same is one that needs all the exposure it can get.
Read
August 12, 2014Just finished this lovely novel. Whisper, born with a cleft palate, lives with other societal "rejects" in a small compound deep in the forest. The world Whisper lives in is modern but harsh and unforgiving, but her home in the forest is ideal, if boring. Then Whisper's father comes to claim her, hoping to force her to do the work her mother did to take care of the rest of the family, and Whisper finds herself torn from the only home she's ever known.
I loved the narrative, the descriptions, everything! Whisper is a character to root for, and her story is one to get lost in. I won't sugarcoat it: there are a lot of bad things that happen to Whisper. She suffers from a lot of abuse. But the thing to love about Whisper is that she can find the beauty in darkest of situations.
I loved the narrative, the descriptions, everything! Whisper is a character to root for, and her story is one to get lost in. I won't sugarcoat it: there are a lot of bad things that happen to Whisper. She suffers from a lot of abuse. But the thing to love about Whisper is that she can find the beauty in darkest of situations.
February 23, 2016
My overall impression of this book was that it was very depressing. I had a hard time enjoying it for that reason, especially because I felt she had very little hope, even in the end. It was an interesting story, however.
October 9, 2019
An odd book. There's a "Giver" feel to it in the beginning, with the girl whose cleft palate has gotten her banished to the woods, where others with physical deformities must live, exiled from society. She is barely educated and doesn't know anything about the modern world. Her narration makes it seem like a fairy tale kind of book, set in a time long ago or in a vague future. But then when her cruel father shows up and takes her to the city, you see it really is modern times, though she doesn't know anything about how money works or other modern conveniences. (And has no idea that what she has is even called a "cleft palate" nor that it is possible to be corrected by surgery.) She ends up living in a dump hotel with other poor uneducated tenants who identify as "freaks" (a little person, an amputee, etc.)--and she uses her violin skills to avoid begging or prostitution, attracting the attention of a music professor who tries to help her. The main plotline is about family, how the family you choose is often better than the family you are born into, and she has a strong sense of protection for the other kids she was helping to raise in the woods. But it was a weird mix for me, almost like two different books. And boy does she have a mean biological family.
October 29, 2021
I don't quite know what to make of this book.
Perhaps its the genre it was raved to me as (YA dystopia), but I kept waiting for the twist, the build up, the climax; The "buh-buh-BUH!!!" set to dramatic music for a reveal.
But it never happened. The whole book felt very much like an Act 1. As if it were laying the ground work for other books to follow (until the last 2 chapters).
I would categorize this more as a coming of age story than anything. The story is about Whisper's awful, lonely, abused life (devoid of hope) and how due to her trauma she can't trust the newcomers to her life when they offer her help and kindness.
Maybe if it had been presented as that I would've had a different experience? Who's to say.
Perhaps its the genre it was raved to me as (YA dystopia), but I kept waiting for the twist, the build up, the climax; The "buh-buh-BUH!!!" set to dramatic music for a reveal.
But it never happened. The whole book felt very much like an Act 1. As if it were laying the ground work for other books to follow (until the last 2 chapters).
I would categorize this more as a coming of age story than anything. The story is about Whisper's awful, lonely, abused life (devoid of hope) and how due to her trauma she can't trust the newcomers to her life when they offer her help and kindness.
Maybe if it had been presented as that I would've had a different experience? Who's to say.
July 25, 2022
This book stuck with me for years after I originally read it. Unfortunately I could only remember bits of the plot making finding it difficult,but after 6 years I was finally able to find it again and I couldn't be happier. The book is just as good as I remember it. I don't know why it stayed with me all those years but I'm glad it did because I got to rediscover an amazing story.
April 14, 2023
This book is just phenomenal! I fell in love with the narrator, Whisper immediately. I read this book the first time when I was 13 and have read it over and over since then. One of my favorite books ever! 5 ⭐️ read!
January 16, 2025
I found this interesting enough to keep going, to see what might happen to Whisper. She was an overcomer, but one thing after another kept happening to her and I wasn't sure she was going to make it.
June 17, 2019
This dystopian novel doesn't read like dystopian. It's easy to imagine a poor country where, because of resources, kids with disabilities are cast off in society. Interesting read.
January 11, 2015
This was an enjoyable, fast-paced read. I started it New Year's Eve and spent a decent chunk of New Year's Day curled up on the couch finishing it (this is my ideal way to ring in a new year, for the record). Brief intro to the tale: The main character, Whisper, is born with a deformity (cleft palate) in a not-so-distant dystopic future and is sent to a camp in the woods to live with other "damaged" children. She receives a violin, which becomes a crucial part of her story and a way for her, a girl who chooses to speak only rarely, to find a voice. Eventually, her family comes back to reclaim her, and her varied and interesting coming-of-age tale begins.
There are many appealing components here: Dystopias are a very happy literary place for me, so this broken world with its many semi-feral children is an intriguing setting that kept me engaged through the whole story. The main character is not only interesting and complex, but is also 1) female and 2) has a common and visible birth defect that is rarely (if ever?) a main-character quality in fiction. I love these choices. Many of the supporting characters are also well-created, feeling like complete individuals with their own unique qualities and interior lives rather than being two-dimensional filler. This is a treat to find in any book, and even rarer in YA fare, I think.
I had two hitches while reading this, and I will try to talk about them without spoilers. Here goes:
1) I struggle to envision a future world in which "defective" girl children are kept "defective" for the reasons they are in this world. Wouldn't non-defective girls be just as appropriate in these roles? Maybe even earn more for the folks they're sending money back to? The value of reserving girl-children with these defects for specific work was a bit unclear me. A related concern I had near the end of the book was...if children are consistently pulled out of this camp by these people for this reason, is Nathaniel (who seems like a benevolent character in the kids' lives) aware of/complicit in their intended destination? That possibility doesn't sit well with me, but could he have been in the camp so many years and not be aware? If aware and he hasn't done something about it, isn't he complicit?
2) There are several villain characters in this book, which is great and important to the story, but, while most of the characters have nice complexity and can be (and are!) believably good humans doing things they aren't proud of sometimes, the villain characters are much more one-note, with no redeeming or complicating qualities (Whisper's father has suffered a loss, but he does not seem affected by it and we end up with no sense for why Whisper's mother loved him or saw something good in him in the first place). Come to think of it, this may have stood out more to me because of how messy and human most of the other characters were.
Those two notes did stand out for me by the end of the book, but I want to stress how much I really enjoyed this main character and her story--moments of her with the violin were stunning and will be the images from this that stick with me the longest. If you're interested in well-paced, enjoyable, intelligent YA writing with a unique female protagonist, this is absolutely worth your time.
There are many appealing components here: Dystopias are a very happy literary place for me, so this broken world with its many semi-feral children is an intriguing setting that kept me engaged through the whole story. The main character is not only interesting and complex, but is also 1) female and 2) has a common and visible birth defect that is rarely (if ever?) a main-character quality in fiction. I love these choices. Many of the supporting characters are also well-created, feeling like complete individuals with their own unique qualities and interior lives rather than being two-dimensional filler. This is a treat to find in any book, and even rarer in YA fare, I think.
I had two hitches while reading this, and I will try to talk about them without spoilers. Here goes:
1) I struggle to envision a future world in which "defective" girl children are kept "defective" for the reasons they are in this world. Wouldn't non-defective girls be just as appropriate in these roles? Maybe even earn more for the folks they're sending money back to? The value of reserving girl-children with these defects for specific work was a bit unclear me. A related concern I had near the end of the book was...if children are consistently pulled out of this camp by these people for this reason, is Nathaniel (who seems like a benevolent character in the kids' lives) aware of/complicit in their intended destination? That possibility doesn't sit well with me, but could he have been in the camp so many years and not be aware? If aware and he hasn't done something about it, isn't he complicit?
2) There are several villain characters in this book, which is great and important to the story, but, while most of the characters have nice complexity and can be (and are!) believably good humans doing things they aren't proud of sometimes, the villain characters are much more one-note, with no redeeming or complicating qualities (Whisper's father has suffered a loss, but he does not seem affected by it and we end up with no sense for why Whisper's mother loved him or saw something good in him in the first place). Come to think of it, this may have stood out more to me because of how messy and human most of the other characters were.
Those two notes did stand out for me by the end of the book, but I want to stress how much I really enjoyed this main character and her story--moments of her with the violin were stunning and will be the images from this that stick with me the longest. If you're interested in well-paced, enjoyable, intelligent YA writing with a unique female protagonist, this is absolutely worth your time.
March 10, 2017
Whisper definitely had a really touching storyline. I was disappointed with how slow it seemed to be, especially in the beginning. It was like I just couldn't get through the first half or so.
I was a little confused on the timeline of the book.
Even with those small disappointments, I did really like how Chris Struyk-Bonn conveyed to the readers the struggles that real-life people can face who are going through these situations and battling with their image. I enjoyed the ending of the book--how Whisper discovered the importance of her true family that she grew up with and overcame this battle with her appearance/other peoples' judgements of her because all along she had more potential than anyone ever thought possible, all because of the way she appeared.
3.5 stars
I was a little confused on the timeline of the book.
Even with those small disappointments, I did really like how Chris Struyk-Bonn conveyed to the readers the struggles that real-life people can face who are going through these situations and battling with their image. I enjoyed the ending of the book--how Whisper discovered the importance of her true family that she grew up with and overcame this battle with her appearance/other peoples' judgements of her because all along she had more potential than anyone ever thought possible, all because of the way she appeared.
3.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2015
I won a copy of Whisper through Goodreads First Reads. I requested it because I enjoy near-future dystopian YA. Whisper wasn't what I expected, but I liked it anyway.
First off, there's nothing futuristic about this book. They have no technology that's currently unavailable and their society's not all that different from what you might find in some parts of the world today. Whisper is less near-future dystopia than present-day deliberately unnamed South American country with nonexistent or unenforceable laws regarding environmental protection and human rights for the disabled. That's not to say Whisper's world is poorly constructed, just that the advertising isn't very accurate.
I like the fact that Whisper and most of the major characters are disabled. I wish there were more disabled main characters out there. But the novel's stance on disabilities is complicated. While the corporation whose pollution causes the birth defects is portrayed as disgusting and villainous, the characters can't seem to decide whether surgical correction of birth defects is insulting or not. Regardless, it seems that in Whisper's world, the only way to achieve success as a person with a disability is to be a prodigy.
Plot-wise, Whisper is August Rush crossed with Oliver Twist. Whisper is separated from her adoptive family and uses her prodigious musical talent to find her way back to them. She falls in with a band of beggars and tries to avoid the wrath of a Bill Sikes-esque psychopath. Like Oliver Twist, there are a few places where Whisper relies too heavily on coincidence for my liking, but the writing flows smoothly and everything comes together neatly in the end.
Whisper is written diary-style, so we're tied to Whisper's perspective. As a character she's easy to sympathize with. She's been slighted and unlucky in every possible way. Her descriptions of her music evoke landscape and emotion while her descriptions of her surroundings – interestingly - tend to focus on smells rather than sounds. I admired Whisper's ability to endure but her tenancy to shy away, suffer in silence, and blame herself irritated me at times. I wished she was more willing to stand up for herself.
The novel's major theme is belonging, so I would recommend Whisper to anyone who enjoys YA and feels/has felt like they don't fit in.
First off, there's nothing futuristic about this book. They have no technology that's currently unavailable and their society's not all that different from what you might find in some parts of the world today. Whisper is less near-future dystopia than present-day deliberately unnamed South American country with nonexistent or unenforceable laws regarding environmental protection and human rights for the disabled. That's not to say Whisper's world is poorly constructed, just that the advertising isn't very accurate.
I like the fact that Whisper and most of the major characters are disabled. I wish there were more disabled main characters out there. But the novel's stance on disabilities is complicated. While the corporation whose pollution causes the birth defects is portrayed as disgusting and villainous, the characters can't seem to decide whether surgical correction of birth defects is insulting or not. Regardless, it seems that in Whisper's world, the only way to achieve success as a person with a disability is to be a prodigy.
Plot-wise, Whisper is August Rush crossed with Oliver Twist. Whisper is separated from her adoptive family and uses her prodigious musical talent to find her way back to them. She falls in with a band of beggars and tries to avoid the wrath of a Bill Sikes-esque psychopath. Like Oliver Twist, there are a few places where Whisper relies too heavily on coincidence for my liking, but the writing flows smoothly and everything comes together neatly in the end.
Whisper is written diary-style, so we're tied to Whisper's perspective. As a character she's easy to sympathize with. She's been slighted and unlucky in every possible way. Her descriptions of her music evoke landscape and emotion while her descriptions of her surroundings – interestingly - tend to focus on smells rather than sounds. I admired Whisper's ability to endure but her tenancy to shy away, suffer in silence, and blame herself irritated me at times. I wished she was more willing to stand up for herself.
The novel's major theme is belonging, so I would recommend Whisper to anyone who enjoys YA and feels/has felt like they don't fit in.
March 18, 2014
I was wary of this book at first- was it going to be yet another dystopian young adult novel? I was pleasantly surprised.
As I began reading, there were a number of clues that placed the novel in the United States in the near future and I felt incredulous. The author describes a place where babies are abandoned because of birth defects and simple surgeries are withheld that can vastly improve a child's chance of success. Children are forced to beg on the streets and live in brothels. Sewage and industrial waste contaminate the water supply. And yet there are educated people living in the same cities that have no idea the tragedies being lived out under their noses. As I read I felt that the society the author was describing was unrealistic, there was no way that our country could become like that in such a short time...
BUT...
As I read, the descriptions started sounding familiar. I've been here and I've seen this. This book is NOT set in the future. This story is now, being lived by thousands of children. Maybe not in the United States, at least not where I have lived. But this book is a portrayal of reality for children in countries around the world. I love when I'm surprised by a book. This book was a punch in the stomach but I still enjoyed it in a "wake up and take a look at the real world and then go out and make a difference" kind of way. This would be an excellent book to read in the classroom as part of discussion on inequality in the world and the rights of children.
(Note: Prostitution is discussed in a general way but details are not given and there are no sex scenes in the book. There is some violence but it is not graphic or described in detail. This book would be appropriate middle school, maybe earlier depending on the maturity of the reader.)
I received an ARC of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in return for my honest review.
As I began reading, there were a number of clues that placed the novel in the United States in the near future and I felt incredulous. The author describes a place where babies are abandoned because of birth defects and simple surgeries are withheld that can vastly improve a child's chance of success. Children are forced to beg on the streets and live in brothels. Sewage and industrial waste contaminate the water supply. And yet there are educated people living in the same cities that have no idea the tragedies being lived out under their noses. As I read I felt that the society the author was describing was unrealistic, there was no way that our country could become like that in such a short time...
BUT...
As I read, the descriptions started sounding familiar. I've been here and I've seen this. This book is NOT set in the future. This story is now, being lived by thousands of children. Maybe not in the United States, at least not where I have lived. But this book is a portrayal of reality for children in countries around the world. I love when I'm surprised by a book. This book was a punch in the stomach but I still enjoyed it in a "wake up and take a look at the real world and then go out and make a difference" kind of way. This would be an excellent book to read in the classroom as part of discussion on inequality in the world and the rights of children.
(Note: Prostitution is discussed in a general way but details are not given and there are no sex scenes in the book. There is some violence but it is not graphic or described in detail. This book would be appropriate middle school, maybe earlier depending on the maturity of the reader.)
I received an ARC of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in return for my honest review.
May 12, 2015
I admit - I actually almost stopped reading this book in the very beginning because the premise is, at best, completely unbelievable and at worst, completely absurd. Whisper has a cleft palate, and because of her abnormality has been sent away to live with other "deformed" creatures. Her love interest is missing an arm. Her little companion has webbed feet. The newly arrived baby also has a cleft palate. They trade items with a messenger, who brings back goods. They hunt. They find their own food. They are weary of the men and women who come to threaten them with guns and knives.
But wait...there are cell phones. And a Philharmonic Orchestra. And cars. And surgeons who fix cleft palates. Yet people have never seen anyone with an abnormality? Even though people stab and maim each other over little indiscretions, no one has ever seen someone missing an arm? They call them witches? Think they dry up water reserves? This premise, to me, sounded completely strange. In a few days' walk, you could reach complete normalcy. Colleges. Orchestras. High-end boutiques. But those with "deformities" are forced to beg on the street? Are you kidding me? It made no sense. If this was a dystopic novel, then it's the real world added with a HEAVY stigma for those who had abnormalities, rather than a novel environment.
But I am SO glad I didn't stop reading. I read the entire book in a few hours. Though the glaring issues never went away that didn't stop the main character from being completely compelling. I wanted to see what happened to her and the people she met along the way. The writing was intense and readable, the characters fully formed and likeable. It was the only book I've read in over a year that kept me going until the very end, without wanting to put it down!
So, even if you feel like you're in Shymalan's "The Village" - but then in another twist the village is actually the whole world - keep going! You'll get over it eventually.
But wait...there are cell phones. And a Philharmonic Orchestra. And cars. And surgeons who fix cleft palates. Yet people have never seen anyone with an abnormality? Even though people stab and maim each other over little indiscretions, no one has ever seen someone missing an arm? They call them witches? Think they dry up water reserves? This premise, to me, sounded completely strange. In a few days' walk, you could reach complete normalcy. Colleges. Orchestras. High-end boutiques. But those with "deformities" are forced to beg on the street? Are you kidding me? It made no sense. If this was a dystopic novel, then it's the real world added with a HEAVY stigma for those who had abnormalities, rather than a novel environment.
But I am SO glad I didn't stop reading. I read the entire book in a few hours. Though the glaring issues never went away that didn't stop the main character from being completely compelling. I wanted to see what happened to her and the people she met along the way. The writing was intense and readable, the characters fully formed and likeable. It was the only book I've read in over a year that kept me going until the very end, without wanting to put it down!
So, even if you feel like you're in Shymalan's "The Village" - but then in another twist the village is actually the whole world - keep going! You'll get over it eventually.
March 30, 2016
Whisper was born with a cleft palate, and like all children with disfigurements that aren’t killed at birth, she is sent to live in poverty in the forest with others like her. Her friend Eva has webbed feet and hands and her friend/love interest Jeremia is missing part of an arm. They are cared for by Nathanael, an elderly man whose only deformity is his soft spot for the unfortunate. This family of rejects is getting along just fine until Whisper’s father Belen, and her cruel uncle, Celso show up to claim her as a house slave after her mother’s death. Her birth family is vicious and treats her like an animal while expecting her to do all of their chores and to bake bread to sell at the market. When Whisper fails to make decent bread, her uncle drags her to the city and forces her to beg for money to provide for her birth family or they will sell her to a brothel. The only solace Whisper seems to find is when she plays her violin that was her last gift from her mother. She plays it in the street instead of begging and is discovered by a music professor who offers her a scholarship and a chance for a better life. Whisper is not sure whether she can trust his generosity. After hitting rock bottom during a night in jail, decides she must fight for her music. Even when Whisper is offered a chance for an operation to correct her cleft palate, she is not sure she wants to be like the ‘normal’ people who treat her like a monster. In this part dystopia, part survival, part coming of age story, Whisper Gane finds her voice. Teens who read should read this book. Its beautifully written, teaches compassion and will most likely deepen the reader's understanding of the world and the spectrum of human emotion.
September 8, 2018
This is the second time I've read this book and I forgot how much I love it. It's a dystopian book, but it doesn't feel like any other dystopian I've ever read.
The premise of the story is that in a future society, anyone with birth defects are rejected. Mostly girls, since a boy can at least work, even if he's malformed. Birthmarks, cleft palate, missing limbs; if it doesn't fit, they're out. This is really sad and gives the story a great point about what it really means to be yourself and who your family is. It's also interesting that the author never explains why they're rejected or why so many children have defects, because it's not important to the story.
Our protagonist is Whisper, who has a cleft palate. It follows her story as she journeys from the woods to the city and learns to accept herself on the way. Her narrative style is very unique and brings her personality to life. It might take you a few chapters to adjust, but once you get into it, it's hard to put down. So many bad things happen to her throughout the book, but she never gives up. Even when you think things can't get worse, they do. It's hard to read, but Whisper is so strong.
My favorite thing and biggest gripe about this book is that Whisper plays the violin. I love seeing a violinist portrayed on page and even though she doesn't got into the technicalities of music, she captures of the feel of music so well. But my problem is that Whisper at sixteen picks up the violin and can play in like an hour. It's very unrealistic, since most of us probably aren't prodigies, but it's a little thing.
This book also has very little language and no content (aside from mention of brothels and selling sex). It's a beautiful story with a wonderful theme and I love it a lot.
The premise of the story is that in a future society, anyone with birth defects are rejected. Mostly girls, since a boy can at least work, even if he's malformed. Birthmarks, cleft palate, missing limbs; if it doesn't fit, they're out. This is really sad and gives the story a great point about what it really means to be yourself and who your family is. It's also interesting that the author never explains why they're rejected or why so many children have defects, because it's not important to the story.
Our protagonist is Whisper, who has a cleft palate. It follows her story as she journeys from the woods to the city and learns to accept herself on the way. Her narrative style is very unique and brings her personality to life. It might take you a few chapters to adjust, but once you get into it, it's hard to put down. So many bad things happen to her throughout the book, but she never gives up. Even when you think things can't get worse, they do. It's hard to read, but Whisper is so strong.
My favorite thing and biggest gripe about this book is that Whisper plays the violin. I love seeing a violinist portrayed on page and even though she doesn't got into the technicalities of music, she captures of the feel of music so well. But my problem is that Whisper at sixteen picks up the violin and can play in like an hour. It's very unrealistic, since most of us probably aren't prodigies, but it's a little thing.
This book also has very little language and no content (aside from mention of brothels and selling sex). It's a beautiful story with a wonderful theme and I love it a lot.
May 14, 2014
I won a copy of Whisper through Goodreads First Reads. I am a huge fan on futuristic dystopian YA novels, and although this book was really (in my opinion) not futuristic at all, I really enjoyed it!
I had issues at first trying to visualize the world created in this book- futuristic, no. More 3rd world with technology available to others, but perhaps not to them. From the summary I read pre-reading I just couldn't wrap my head around the concept of outcasts living in stick and mud huts, but planes going by and strangers appearing at the camp with cell phones.
Whisper is considered a "reject" in this world. She as born with a cleft palate, and though the circumstances of their world are not made known, although there are hints about why there are so many children with deformities, she is living in a camp with a few other "rejects". The only life she has ever known is a life outside of "civilization".
Whisper is not the heroine featured in most dystopian novels. Her strength and courage comes from her love of the people who became her family and her sense of self. Whisper has a lot of challenges in her life and when good happens to her, she cannot recognize it because of her distrust of this different, unwelcoming society. She's not the normal kick-butt heroine found in YA books nowadays.
The writing is beautiful. You can truly get a sense of what Whisper sees and feels It's a book that you will get sucked into and one that you will hate to put down. The overall theme of this book is belonging, something that every teen and adult can relate to!
I had issues at first trying to visualize the world created in this book- futuristic, no. More 3rd world with technology available to others, but perhaps not to them. From the summary I read pre-reading I just couldn't wrap my head around the concept of outcasts living in stick and mud huts, but planes going by and strangers appearing at the camp with cell phones.
Whisper is considered a "reject" in this world. She as born with a cleft palate, and though the circumstances of their world are not made known, although there are hints about why there are so many children with deformities, she is living in a camp with a few other "rejects". The only life she has ever known is a life outside of "civilization".
Whisper is not the heroine featured in most dystopian novels. Her strength and courage comes from her love of the people who became her family and her sense of self. Whisper has a lot of challenges in her life and when good happens to her, she cannot recognize it because of her distrust of this different, unwelcoming society. She's not the normal kick-butt heroine found in YA books nowadays.
The writing is beautiful. You can truly get a sense of what Whisper sees and feels It's a book that you will get sucked into and one that you will hate to put down. The overall theme of this book is belonging, something that every teen and adult can relate to!
May 2, 2016
Whisper overall is an ok book I gave it three stars because it was a little boring throughout the book especially toward the end. I didn't particularly like the end either it was kinda dull and didn't have anything special like most books do in the endings. In the middle there was the same problem over and over again. The problems in the book would just rotate till they were solved which I think is kinda dumb. Before I sound too much like a Debbie downer I did like some parts of the book. I liked when Whispeer find out that Ranita is her sister and when she goes to the university. I think Whispers and Jerimias relationship is kinda cheesy in a way. It's cheesy because it doesn't seem natural enough and it's just kinda awkward (especially when Eva's in the showers and Thier in the bathroom.) When Whisper figures out Ranita is her sister it's kinda not believable because how can you figure out that by some lady looking at you!?! I think that that part was just dumb. I also didn't like how they swor like twice in the entire book and it was just like random and didn't make sense. The parts that they swor in were Tottaly normal till they swor,like the sentence would of been better if they hadn't sworn. Also the book doesn't even say what SWINC is it has to do with pigs but why appliances and bread and vehicles? Does SWINC own everything but if they did why isn't it like buildings the orchestra or the university have nothing to do with it. Overall the book was ok.
October 1, 2014
It's hard to say I enjoyed this book--it's more that I appreciated it and cared enough about the characters that I wanted to finish it. It was just hard to read in parts because it was painful.
I wavered between a 4 and 5 star because it isn't perfect, but it is awfully good with a creative story-line and terrific protagonist.
It will be thought-provoking for YA readers with regard to deformities and how we treat people with them. Whisper's resilience is inspirational, and her sense of self strong.
I'd have a caution for younger readers because some parts about cruelty and how outcasts in society are forced to live were pretty hard to take.
One other theme to consider discussing with students is the idea Struyk-Bonn just touches on that the rise in deformities might be due to tainted water supply from toxic waste generated from animal farms where pigs are raised cruelly.
Readers will also learn about cleft palates, and about the healing power of music. The book also raises the question of who is really family.
Impressive debut novel that I've already purchased for my classroom library. I've just about talked myself into a 5 star rating.
I wavered between a 4 and 5 star because it isn't perfect, but it is awfully good with a creative story-line and terrific protagonist.
It will be thought-provoking for YA readers with regard to deformities and how we treat people with them. Whisper's resilience is inspirational, and her sense of self strong.
I'd have a caution for younger readers because some parts about cruelty and how outcasts in society are forced to live were pretty hard to take.
One other theme to consider discussing with students is the idea Struyk-Bonn just touches on that the rise in deformities might be due to tainted water supply from toxic waste generated from animal farms where pigs are raised cruelly.
Readers will also learn about cleft palates, and about the healing power of music. The book also raises the question of who is really family.
Impressive debut novel that I've already purchased for my classroom library. I've just about talked myself into a 5 star rating.
April 28, 2014
*** SPOILERS ***
I couldn't put this book down and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. I didn't give it 5 stars (as is my norm when I burn thru a book so quickly) based on a few details:
1. The leaps were grand and happened so quickly. The story could've been longer to fill in some gaps and is would've gladly read those extra chapters.
2. Setting. I had no idea if this was present day, past, future. I understand that this might be a minor detail but since some of the story revolves around these deformities it would be nice to know this context.
3. Never "solving" how the deformities happened. They assumed a lot about them but never kissed on a reasoning behind it.
4. How did her mother die? What was with the blood on her slip? Was it really from her period or did she die during childbirth (or b/c of Ranita's birth)?
Things of note: all of the characters are well written and understood. Their voices are very clear, you love who you're supposed to and hate the right people all along. My favorite takeaway as feeling like I could hear Whisper's songs playing in my head.
I couldn't put this book down and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. I didn't give it 5 stars (as is my norm when I burn thru a book so quickly) based on a few details:
1. The leaps were grand and happened so quickly. The story could've been longer to fill in some gaps and is would've gladly read those extra chapters.
2. Setting. I had no idea if this was present day, past, future. I understand that this might be a minor detail but since some of the story revolves around these deformities it would be nice to know this context.
3. Never "solving" how the deformities happened. They assumed a lot about them but never kissed on a reasoning behind it.
4. How did her mother die? What was with the blood on her slip? Was it really from her period or did she die during childbirth (or b/c of Ranita's birth)?
Things of note: all of the characters are well written and understood. Their voices are very clear, you love who you're supposed to and hate the right people all along. My favorite takeaway as feeling like I could hear Whisper's songs playing in my head.
May 18, 2016
Holy WOW! This book is definitely one that you need to read. "Whisper" is about a girl who grew up in the forest, surrounded by others who are like her, what society of this time calls "rejects." Whisper was born with a cleft palate, an opening in the roof of her mouth. She was nearly drowned by her father, her mother rescued her and took her to the forest, where she lives with an elderly man named Nathanael, a one-armed boy named Jeremia, a girl with webbed hands named Eva, and a little girl they all name Ranita, who also has a cleft palate.
Whisper's mother dies and she is suddenly taken from her home by her father, then from that home by a man named Celso, and then from there she is taken to a university where she learns to play her violin even more beautifully.
Throughout all of this, Whisper learns what it means to be her, born differently in a society where deformities are the reason for abandonment. What she learns is that she needs to be herself, but what version of herself will she be?
Whisper's mother dies and she is suddenly taken from her home by her father, then from that home by a man named Celso, and then from there she is taken to a university where she learns to play her violin even more beautifully.
Throughout all of this, Whisper learns what it means to be her, born differently in a society where deformities are the reason for abandonment. What she learns is that she needs to be herself, but what version of herself will she be?
March 6, 2015
This is such a great book! Whisper was taken from her forest home and forced to be a house maid. Her dad and uncle were evil. Through out all of the abuse, Whisper still kept her dignity. I could definitely see her developing as a character. She made new friends, found love, and believed in herself. I really like the ending when SHE chose to take off her veil. So many people today make fun of people who have disabilities. Just recently a woman decided to divorce her husband because she didn't want to keep her disabled baby. It's heartbreaking to hear reports like this. My mom was a special needs teacher assistant and I sometimes worked with the children as well. The experience helped me to understand and appreciate them more. It is not there fault they have a disability. Like Whisper said in the book, everyone have blemishes. Disabled people are humans who have thoughts and feelings just like other people. This book brings a strong message to its readers.
August 6, 2015
Whisper doesn't really read like a typical dystopian novel. There are brushstrokes of a broken and faltering society shading its setting, but the book concerns itself almost not at all with that. Instead, Whisper is an eloquent and accessible expression of what it must be like to live among people who will not see you as anything more than the way you look.
I've read many books that touch on issues of prejudice and discrimination, particularly those connected with race, and this is the first one that made me feel the sense of futility and hopelessness---and perseverance and near-heartbreaking kindness---those other books tried so hard to capture.
Whisper is not without flaws, particularly in its world-building, which is inconsistent and inexplicable at times, but its ability to transport its reader into the life and mindset of someone made powerless by her society for no more provocation than her appearance makes it a book well worth reading.
I've read many books that touch on issues of prejudice and discrimination, particularly those connected with race, and this is the first one that made me feel the sense of futility and hopelessness---and perseverance and near-heartbreaking kindness---those other books tried so hard to capture.
Whisper is not without flaws, particularly in its world-building, which is inconsistent and inexplicable at times, but its ability to transport its reader into the life and mindset of someone made powerless by her society for no more provocation than her appearance makes it a book well worth reading.
October 25, 2014
Whisper is an outcast from a society where anyone with a physical or mental disability - especially girls - are cast aside or killed. Born with a cleft palate, Whisper lives in a forest camp with other rejects. One day her father comes to claim her and takes her as his house servant. She is passed from one place to another, until she finds a sort of home with other rejects in a run-down building called Purgatory Palace. However, after a university professor discovers that Whisper has a natural talent with music, her fortunes change. She is told that she may be able to have surgery to fix her cleft palate. Teenage angst and questioning ensues! I enjoyed this book... it wasn't mind-blowing, but it was accessible and well-written. All-around a solid read.
- Kelsey
- Kelsey
March 17, 2016
Whisper is a defining tale of the human condition. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Whisper! The characters were realistic and connected to the emotions. Whisper tells a story of a girl who lives life as a servant because of her physical deformities. The book expertly reflects real world conditions both literally, and metaphorically in the case of racism. The author is to be commended for their poetic descriptions of the world, from the point of view of a girl living in a world where she doesn't belong. I highly recommend Whisper to audiences of all ages and look forward to reading more tales from the now legendary Chris Struyk-Bonn.
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