The Whisperings

by Joel A. Sutherland

Burn Our Bodies Down meets Delicious Monsters in this terrifying new young adult horror by acclaimed master of the macabre Joel A. Sutherland.

Joana and her younger brother Peter aren't used to setting down roots. Ever since the violent murder of their mother, their father can't stay in one place for long, haunted by the literal ghosts of the past. He has what he calls "the Whisperings," and will do anything to protect his children from the horrors that torment him.

When the family moves to Burlington, Vermont, Joana thinks they've finally found a place to call home. They rent the lower half of a creepy yet comfortable mansion downtown, and Joana actually begins to fit in at school, thanks in part to Willem, a handsome (and single) classmate.

But a near-death experience awakens the Whisperings in Joana, and she soon realizes her family isn't the only family living in the house. She meets the Keils — ghosts forced to relive their own gruesome murders every night. As they say, misery loves company . . . and suddenly, Joana is forced to protect the ones closest to her from a supernatural threat, in this horrifying haunted house story for teen readers.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Audiobook, Supernatural, Paranormal, Ghosts, Suspense

304 pages, Hardcover

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Joel A. Sutherland is the Silver Birch and Hackmatack Award-winning author of Be a Writing Superstar, numerous books in the Haunted Canada series, and Summer's End. His new series, Haunted, including The House Next Door, Kill Screen, Night of the Living Dolls and Field of Screams, has been praised by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. Joel's short fiction has appeared in many anthologies and magazines, including Blood Lite II & III (Pocket Books) and Cemetery Dance Magazine, alongside the likes of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.

He is a two-time juror for the Bram Stoker Award, the John Spray Mystery Award, and the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy. He is also the founder of the DarkLit Fest, a literary event that has welcomed Guests of Honour Kelley Armstrong and Joy Fielding.

Joel appeared as "The Barbarian Librarian" on the Canadian edition of the hit television show Wipeout, making it all the way to the third round and proving that librarians can be just as tough and crazy as anyone else. He has a Masters of Information and Library Studies from Aberystwyth University in Wales and lives in southeastern Ontario with his family, where he is always on the lookout for ghosts.

Reviews

[Keri Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The Whisperings is a supernatural YA horror that delivers plenty of eerie moments and a few genuinely unsettling scenes. It was VERY gory and disturbing in parts, to a shocking extent, especially for a YA book. Readers who aren’t easily rattled are more likely to enjoy this one.

The storytelling had a few drawbacks that prevented me from rating it higher. The main character, Jo, often says that she “needs” or “has” to do something without actual rationale backing it up within the story. As a reader, that’s frustrating to encounter, because I didn’t feel like she was taking action because it made sense for her character, I felt like she was taking action because it was more convenient for where the author wanted the story to go. This may not bother other YA readers as much as it bothered me. I also found some of the final twists and the ending itself unsatisfying.

While I didn’t personally enjoy this book as much as I would’ve hoped, here’s who I think would be most likely to enjoy The Whisperings:

- If you enjoy listening to true crime podcasts and eagerly eat up all the gory details
- If you also enjoy ghost centric stories
- If you’re more interested in the horror of what humans are capable of than psychological horror
- If you’re looking for a YA horror book with a writing style that feels like a cross between Josh Malerman (especially Incidents Around the House) and R.L. Stine

Thanks to the publisher, Tundra Books, who sent me a physical copy to read and review.

[Fifi’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, here’s the thing. I enjoyed this book a lot. But some parts were so unrealistic I couldn’t overlook it (I explain more on this later in the review). I started out enjoying this but after it got bogged down with unrealistic details, that did sap a lot of my future enjoyment of this book. If you can overlook all those details though, this is still a really fun read 🤷🏻‍♀️

Joanna is used to living on the run basically, because every 6 months or so, her father has them pack and they flee into the night. Apparently he is running from something called “the whisperings” which is something only he can hear, and when the voices in his head start to threaten his family, their family runs off into the night without fail. It’s a pattern that has been going on since she was four and one she’s well used to by now.

This latest place they flee to is Vermont, where they stay in the basement of a creepy old Victorian mansion, rented from an even creepier old lady, also where a homicide took place. It’s clear before their first night there that the house is very obviously haunted, but for some reason, they all still decide to stay lol.

This book may be YA, but some of the scenes are genuinely shocking. The flashback sequence where you find out what happened to Joanna’s mom, GEEZ. I was actually speechless. Word of warning though, this may be YA but the horror imagery is intense and far more graphic than I was expecting. Some parts of this are genuinely horrific. This book pushes its boundaries more than I was expecting it to.

Ok, now I gotta be a little critical. Yes this is fiction, but my pet peeve in books is when something is TOO unrealistic. Joanna has an accident in one scene and has to stay in a hospital, and is discharged 2 days after her accident. Because of their financial situation and them not having insurance, the hospital OFFERED FREE CARE. I’m sorry but suspension of disbelief can only go so far. A 2 day stay at the hospital without insurance can easily be around 45k on average depending, and you’re telling me the hospital waived that out of the kindness of their hearts? In America? 😭

It wasn’t even acknowledged how rare this would be. It’s just brushed off like a side note in two quick sentences like it’s no big deal, like “oh I left the hospital 2 days later, good thing the hospital offered us free care!” then moves on like, problem solved! Things just fell into place way too easily.

Another thing. And this ties back to the, huge things being described in one quick sentence then brushed off like no big deal, thing. The writing would frequently gloss over huge things and make them feel like an afterthought, like for example, it would take 1 sentence to explain her telling whole graphic red room scene to her family as if it’s no big deal and no one is even shocked that she saw something so supernatural and traumatizing. They’re just like, ok.

Or when her dad telling her brother that he sees ghosts that tell him to kill his family and that’s why they flee into the night so much, and the brother just goes, ok, like it’s nothing 😭

Or when she tells her friend that the house is haunted. He legit just goes ok, I believe you no questions asked. Then changes the subject. And later when she tells him a dead girl is behind him that he can’t see, he acts accordingly shocked and completely believes her, no question.

The best way I can describe this book is that it’s written in the same writing style as fanfiction. Where it’s very plot driven and YES THE PLOT IS EXCELLENT but the style of writing is unrealistic and too convenient. Things don’t just happen to work out that easily in real life.

But, if you think you can overlook these things (which it was hard for me cuz that’s just the kind of reader I am), then this stuff prob wouldn’t bug you as much as it did me. So I would still give this a try. The parts of the book I enjoyed were not blind to me either and I can appreciate that too. I just sort of lost motivation after things started to be overly unrealistic because I’m just not the kind of reader who can overlook that kind of stuff. But, some of the horror imagery was great. This book was genuinely grotesque and horrifying. Great imagery. The ending was so gripping and intense that I decided to round this up to 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tundra for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

[꒰აlucy grace໒꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

her nickname was pumpkin spice
gore

[rachel x]

"Burn Our Bodies Down meets Delicious Monsters in this terrifying new young adult horror"

i read 'haunted house', i'm in

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a deliciously creepy haunted house YA horror story that involved murder ghosts, killer bugs and so much more!! It was great on audio, told from the POV of the family's oldest daughter as their father can hear voices ("whisperings") and constantly moves them across the country trying to escape from them. When they move into a haunted house the family start seeing the ghosts of the family who died there plus tons of creepy bugs!! Perfect for fans of We used to live here, Joel A. Sutherland really delivered on this #SpookySeason read!!

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

FREAKING FANTASTIC!

Review will be posted soon by School Library Journal. I'm submitting to be a starred review. Excellent horror!

[Cecily Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

What an interesting contradiction of being young adult with visually gruesome gore. Grabs your attention. There was a lot to like in this creepy novel but it has points that feel too juvenile.
Good read.

[Kenzie O’Neill · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun to listen to but reminded me of one of those cheesy Disney Cinderella story movies like the one with Lucy Hale or the one with Hilary Duff. Like not plot wise but definitely with the way the characters interacted with each other. Respectfully ofc

[BRE | BookishBeloved · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my very first time reading Joel A. Sutherland, and I have to thank my son for the recommendation because The Whisperings was such a thrilling surprise! Horror isn’t a genre I usually gravitate toward, but this book completely pulled me in. It felt less like reading and more like watching a movie unfold in real life. I would literally grab my popcorn, settle in with my Kobo, and get swept away by the suspense.

The writing is vivid, the pacing tight, and the atmosphere perfectly eerie. I could picture every scene clearly, and the tension kept me flipping pages. I also really enjoyed the characters as they felt real and grounded, which made the stakes feel even higher.

There were a few moments where the plot became a bit predictable, but overall, that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the experience. As a first introduction to this author, The Whisperings definitely left an impression. I’ll be checking out more of Joel A. Sutherland’s work for sure!

Highly recommend if you’re new to horror or just looking for a chilling, immersive read.

Thank you Net Galley.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 I liked this one a lot. A family has to move around after the mother dies violently, and the kids do what they can to help their father, although they wish to settle and call a place home. The opportunity appears, and they rent part of a house (the most haunted looking Victorian house ever). The father helps to restore the house as agreed, and the kids finally can go to the local school making connections.
The narrative focuses on the Pov on the older kid. She is 17, and she starts seeing and hearing ghosts. This haunted house story is very descriptive, vivid, with gore images, well detailed, and great YA horror.

semi spoilers regarding the end. stop reading here
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Regarding the end. I didn't like one little aspect, I think the author could have found a better way to limit the main character from keeping a promise. The one used didn't convince me. But it led to a plot twist creepier ending. I liked the conclusion, but the argument was weak. In her place, I would have found a better way to keep my word and not disturb the new family.

[Izzys_Internet_Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Wow, this book is one of the prime examples of how I can stomach stuff more in the written form than film. It was perfectly eerie and mysterious while still focusing on the FMC. Though the book wasn’t romance driven I enjoyed the side plot that was there with Willem, though I will say, I wish he had a slightly bigger role. The Keils were absolutely haunting (no pun intended), their mystery was such a page turner and I found myself theorizing what could have happened. When I noticed why the cover was significant as well my jaw was on the floor.

[Ayra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ / Audiobook 🎧

This was such a crazy ride! Poor Jo is really going through it! She was so incredibly brave and resilient despite everything that was going on with her family and her past.
There were so many twists and turns I could never predict what was coming next.

[Kelsey Ciofani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for allowing me an EARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was originally pulled to this title from the cover art, but this book was spooky! It honestly gave big Coraline vibes, but more gore & more disturbing. Minus one star because some of the scenes written between the teens were more childish than YA.

[Jeanette Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel! This book! How horrific…but in a fabulous way!

** Appropriate for an older teenager/young adult but not necessarily for children under the age of 16. **

[Harper Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reader Beware: This fast-paced Young Adult novel contains several graphic, disturbing scenes of indescribable gore and violence. Actually, I shouldn’t say “indescribable” because it’s Sutherland’s sensory play-by-plays that push it over the edge into the HORROR realm, giving Stephen King a run for his money. Quill & Quire’s called him Canada’s answer to R.L. Stine. If the macabre is not to your taste you might want to give it a pass, but if you’re intrigued by Halloween horror, Stranger Things, and masterfully crafted suspense, read on.

This rapid-fire tale is as highly emotional as its teenage protagonists. Seventeen-year-old Joana, her thirteen-year-old brother Peter, and her troubled father are on the run—not from evil humans but from the voices that haunt their tortured father. The Whisperings.

“They whisper in my ear in the middle of the night as I sleep. They murmur, mumble, and mutter, often nothing more than a stream of indecipherable nonsense. Clear words sometimes jump out of the noise, like fish flying from the water, and sometimes the voices yell. But they all want, and need, and demand”(53).

Every time The Whisperings take hold, the Guests pack their car and drive off to find a new town. This nomadic existence started thirteen years ago when Joana’s mother was violently murdered in their family home. (Note: her horrific murder is described in vivid detail later in the story.) Now, they’ve arrived in the small town of Burlington, Vermont and rented the dank basement of a sprawling (and crawling) Victorian house from old Mrs. Cracknell. It’s a fixer-upper with reduced rent because Dad’s a handyman. It’s hard to keep a job when you’re constantly running from the voices in your head.

Known locally as “The Kill House”, it’s alive, not only with the spirits of a family torn asunder by a tragic murder-suicide, but with creepy insects that natter in the walls. “Ta-tump, ta-tump, ta-tump!” You see, Abraham Keil, the depraved murderer, was an entomologist at the local university. Centipedes and spiders lurk in these musty pages, and a Death Watch Beetle sings Joana into her closet, where she bashes in the wall and discovers the red room. Use your imagination.

If that’s not enough, there’s a creepy little beetle dead-centre every time we break scenes that makes me jump even though I know it’s coming.

When Joana tumbles from a red rock cliff, narrowly escaping with her life, she awakens in hospital with the ability to see ghosts herself. The Whisperings have somehow been transferred to her via a concussion. Woven through the story is a B-plot love story that offers some relief from the nail-biting suspense. Joana meets Willem, a quirky, bookish boy who works at the local diner and christens her, Pumpkin Spice on account of her first latte. How sweet. Will they both survive the hauntings?

Joana’s been on the run since she was four years old and wants nothing more than to put down roots in Burlington, an old-timey village that feels like home to her. She loves to run, and this talent earns her a place on the school rugby team. Things seem to be working out, what with rugby and Willem, until they’re not.

Canadian author Joel A. Sutherland is the award-winning author of Scholastic Canada’s Haunted Canada series (now a graphic novel in development for television). This “master of the macabre” lives in Ontario with his family, but sets his books south of the border in Vermont. His novel, Summer’s End, was a Red Maple Award Honour Book. The Whisperings follows his debut YA novel, House of Ash and Bone, a novel of ghosts and witches, also set in Vermont. He received a Masters of Information and Library Studies from Aberystwyth University in Wales.

In the Afterword, Sutherland explains that horror stories “teach us how to defeat the thing hiding under our bed, the monster lurking in our closet, or the voices only we can hear. They give us the tools we need to face our fears. They remind us that we’re not alone; when the lights go out, we all get a little scared. But in the morning, the sun always rises” (289). Well, maybe not for ALL the characters in this book. If you’re craving frenzied goosebumps, this may be the book for you.

[Lee-ann Oleski · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the violent murder of their mother, Joana and her younger brother Peter are used to being uprooted at a moments notice and moved around by their father who suffers from hauntings of the past. He calls them “The Whisperings” and will do whatever he can to keeps his kids safe from them.

While checking the newspaper ads, a rental too good to be true catches his attention, and they soon find themselves in a basement suite of a large creepy downtown mansion in Burlington, Vermont.

When things finally seem to be falling into place, a near death experience awakens “the whisperings” in Joana, and she soon meets the previous owners of the house who are still there, reliving their own gruesome murders over and over again.

—-

Ghost stories/ haunted houses are a favorite of mine, so I definitely jumped at the chance to read this one early! Overall the plot was pretty cool, however I did have some problems with the execution. Some of it seemed a bit far fetched or not cohesive. It was hard to make it a believable story with these issues at times.

For a YA horror there were some pretty descriptive scenes of violence and gore, but for me, that was right up my alley 🙌. Grief horror is also a favorite of mine so really dug that part. Mrs. Cracknell was not only a great name, but a great character as well 😄.

Overall I give this one a 3.5/5

[Nɪᴋᴋɪ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great and thrilling read! I really enjoyed this book and the plot was so good!!!
I was skeptical because it was a YA horror - but it really surprised me and I was definitely shocked as more than one part throughout reading!!

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Whisperings,” by Joel A. Sutherland

I absolutely adored this book. From all the family trauma in the past and the current family drama of always moving I ate up the complexity of the family dynamic. Piecing together what happened in the past was mysterious but kept me glued.

My favorite part is that this book reminds me of Coraline, but with the focus being heavier on the ghosts than the vivid imagery of Coraline. I loved the bugs that were constantly around, it’s one of my favorite eerie touches that is rarely in books.

This book I think is better for readers who like young adult books (no spice) and quirky eerie type ghosts’ stories. It was a great way for the main character to make her come of age plot in serious ways that is written in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming for the characters or readers.

I gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars, it was a really fun read.

-Ghosts
-Family Trauma
-Horror

Thank you for the copy, Librarything, Tundrabooks, and Joel A. Sutherland.

[Toby P. Smith: The Nerd-Cave Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~Reviewed by Toby Palevsky Smith of Toby's Nerd-Cave Library~~

Joana and her brother Peter, have always moved around - often in the middle of the night with no warning - due to their father’s fear and paranoia about what he calls ‘The Whisperings’. The night her mother was murdered, Joana saw it all happen from under the bed, and her father started to hear voices in his head that may or may not be real, that he feels threaten to harm him and his children. After a near death experience, Joana begins to hear and see strange things too. She begins to see that the basement apartment they just moved into is also haunted, by the family who was murdered there.
I really loved all the horror scenes, and the surprising amount of gore and macabre imagery, this book would make an amazing horror movie too. There were a few scenes that were definitely a bit - violently - graphic and not for the faint hearted. The characters I feel weren’t really fully developed, and could have used more personality, but I did enjoy Joana and her father, Jack’s characters.
The twist at the end was actually not that hard to see coming if you pay attention to the foreshadowing clues when the ghosts are first introduced. The rules for ghosthood and seeing them could have been more clearly defined, but otherwise I think the author did a really good job showing them. The language was very descriptive and kind of flowery in places, but overall the story really just flowed well with good pacing. The author seemed to leave an opening for a possible sequel too, and I really hope that happens.

Thank you to the Librarything Early Reviewers Club, the Publishers, Penguin Random House Tundra Books, and the Author, Joel A. Sutherland, for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

this book was SCARY! it was so good, i couldn’t put it down. it kept getting freakier as it went on and even the ending was still chilling.

i loved the characters in this. their tragic pasts influenced how the “whisperings” dealt with them and it was really powerful.

if horror is your game, definitely check this one out

[Beccs ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely mesmerizing!! 😱📖✨
This book completely blew me away! From the very first page, I was hooked; it’s spooky, emotional, and impossible to put down! 👻💀
The atmosphere is chilling in the best possible way, and I could literally feel the goosebumps rising as I turned each page. 😨
The author has this magical ability to make you see and feel everything, the whispers in the dark, the eerie silence, the heart-pounding suspense… It’s all so vivid!
The characters felt so real, and I loved how the story balanced the supernatural with deep, human emotions. ❤️‍🔥

By the end, I was both terrified and totally in awe

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Tundra Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Joel A. Sutherland’s “The Whisperings” is a chilling, blood-soaked YA horror book that combines supernatural terror with real emotional depth. Centered around Joana Guest, a teen girl scarred by the trauma of witnessing her mother’s violent death, the story explores grief, family, and the haunting power of the past—both literal and figurative.

After years of moving from town to town, Joana, her younger brother Peter, and their secretive father land in Burlington, Vermont, hoping for a fresh start. But their new rental—an eerie old mansion—has other plans. When a near-death experience triggers Joana’s ability to see ghosts, she begins to unravel the secrets of the house and its horrifying past. The ghosts she encounters are not passive spirits—they are trapped in a nightmarish loop of their own gruesome deaths, reliving the violence that ended their lives in grotesque detail. The horror only escalates from there, with dismemberments, swarms of bugs, and scenes that get progressively more graphic and terrifying.

Sutherland doesn’t shy away from gore, and this book earns its place firmly in the upper range of YA horror—definitely not for the squeamish or younger readers. Yet beneath the fear and blood lies a thoughtful narrative about healing. The "Whisperings", which are phantom voices that have plagued Joana’s father for years, tie into the theme of inherited trauma and the lingering echoes of grief. Joana’s journey isn’t just about surviving ghosts, but about learning to face the pain she’s buried for so long.

Character-wise, the book offers a familiar high school dynamic, including the cliché mean girl trope. Thankfully, this character is given a bit more dimension as the story unfolds. A refreshing twist is Joana’s involvement with the rugby team—a detail that adds nuance to her character and helps avoid typical YA stereotypes. There’s a touch of romance with Willem, a classmate who adds warmth without stealing the spotlight from the main plot.

The pacing is strong, with mysteries revealed gradually, allowing you to piece together the puzzle alongside Joana. The relationship between Joana and Peter is especially touching, offering a grounded sibling bond amidst the supernatural chaos.

By the end, “The Whisperings” leaves you with the promise of more to come. With Joana now fully awakened to the spirit world, the door is wide open for sequels. And if they’re anything like this one—dark, emotional, and bone-chilling—they’ll be well worth the wait.

Overall, this is a gripping and gruesome ghost story that’s as emotionally resonant as it is terrifying. Horror-loving teens (and adults) looking for a scare that lingers long after the final page will find plenty to love—and fear—in “The Whisperings.”

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had an interesting premise, and it had some effective horror scenes. But I couldn't get fully invested in the story. The characters and their interactions did not feel natural. Joana's rivalry with Triss and romantic interest in Willem seemed thrown in just to fill up a side character quota. I could not care about either. When it came to Joana's family, too much was brushed past too quickly for them to ever feel like real players in the story. Whether it was Joana's father opening up about why they had to move so often or Joana laying out all the supernatural horrors happening to her, major events were summarized in a sentence or two, after which the characters always accepted them fully and carried on as usual. There was so little emotion shown and so few meaningful reactions from any of the characters that they felt immaterial. That also meant that when characters were making dumb, dangerous decisions, I had a much harder time accepting it as at least being in character, because what character?

The characters were my main issue, but I had other issues with things being too easy or too convenient for the plot, while feeling unrealistic. Joana's miraculous healing, for one, I expected that to be plot relevant, probably supernatural, but if it was, that was never made clear. Instead, it seemed like the author wanted her seriously injured to raise the stakes, but also didn’t want to deal with the repercussions, so they lampshaded it by having characters keep commenting on how she recovered so strangely fast. But that just made the danger seem less serious. I didn’t need every detail to be hyperrealistic, but then I don’t want my attention drawn to the lack of realism, especially if it's just to be told that it doesn't make sense in-universe either. The same for their financial situation, with all these hospital stays and the father's inability to work afterwards, among other things.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.


I couldn't resist this one just based on that cover. Isn't it gorgeous? Oh, and certainly terrifying! Joana, her younger brother, Peter, and their father have spent many years moving from place to place all over Vermont. Since the violent death of their mother, when Joana was just four years old, setting down roots has been difficult. Joana has long been worried about her father, who she knows battles voices in his head that he refers to as "whisperings." But here they are in Burlington, Vermont, and things start to feel like change is on the horizon. Joana meets a cute boy, gets a job, and school looks like it might go well...except for the pretty boy's ex, who acts like she wants to get rid of Joana permanently. Then there is the old house they're living in. Strange happenings begin to occur at night, and Joana soon realizes that her family might not be the only ones living there. When Joana also begins to hear the whisperings, the big question becomes- can her family get out alive?

This book certainly has all the ingredients that make it appeal to a teen audience- an old house, bullies, romance, and ghosts. It certainly kept me turning the pages. The plot does tend to accelerate towards the big finish, BUT that just gave it a very claustrophobic feeling. Personally, the way the basement residence Joana and her family live in.. I could never. 😂


Expected Publication 05/08/25
Goodreads Review 03/05/25

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

To all the bad reviews.......remember; this is a HORROR ghost story not meant to be real.

I really enjoyed this teen tale of horror about a teen aged girl; Joana and her younger brother Peter who are forced to move from one place to another on their fathers whims because he is battling what he calls 'the Whisperings'....which are voices and the spirits of the dead. With this being the first of this authors' works, I will read him again.

After their Mother is violently murdered the siblings are placed in ways of living that no one, especially a kid should be forced to live out. Their father is so bad at being a Dad who is supposed to care and understand his childrens loss of their Mother that it is disgusting. When 'Jo' learns of and meets the Keils, a family of ghosts she learns of what it means to have to 'live and live again' in this well told ghost story. Yes there are times when spots of silliness show up, but over all this is a very uniquely told tale of loss, horror and the love of a parent, that might just bring a tear to your eye. I will and would highly recommend this ghost story to anyone. The bug factor made my skin crawl.....and there are some great scenes of gruesome gore in this supposedly YA tale of horror and living in a truly haunted house.

4 Screams

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Tundra Books and NetGalley for an eARC!

The Whisperings focuses on Joana Guest, her brother, and her father as they settle into the latest city they've moved to. Living a life of constantly moving, Joana hopes this latest spot can be their forever home. However, there are things... off, about their new place - things that don't want to stay dead.

This was a refreshing YA horror - I really enjoyed the down-to-earth sensibility of the main character despite the unique ability she develops. The juxtaposition between a normal, everyday teenage life in a new town and the mystery of the haunting of their rented place provides a nice balance to keep me engaged.

The revealed truths of the several mysteries introduced within the story toward the end were handled nicely, and I felt like they were slowly shown in pieces to aid the reader in solving the mysteries themselves before all the pieces are revealed.

What I Enjoyed:
- a well-written point of view from a teenage girl
- spooky happenings with a slight twist towards the macabre
- all plot points resolved by the end of the story without feeling rushed

[Alecia Hefner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna and Peter have had their world turned upside down after the violent death of her mother. To top it off their father moves them to Burlington Vermont into the lower half of a creepy mansion downtown. Sadly they are used to being moved around because of the ghosts that haunt their father. He suffers from what he calls #TheWhisperings. Ghosts of the past that try to communicate with him.

Thrilled that she is finally beginning to fit in thanks to a cute and single boy she can't believe her luck. However after a near death experience her luck runs dry. She finds herself also hearing The Whisperings. Turns out where they live isn't as mundane as she thought. Haunted by the ghosts of the house Joanna quickly learns of Keills. Ghosts that are forced to relive their death over and over and are angry. Suddenly she finds herself needing to find a way to protect the ones that she loves.

Truly loved #TheWhisperings by #JoelA.Sutherland. I am a huge haunted house fan. I hardly need to read those words before I say "Yes Please!".

Thank you so much #Netgalley for the chance to read this!

[Gab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Joel A. Sutherland but it will not be my last time. Horror is a genre I dip my toes into regularly and every once in a while, a book will stand out and remind why I love to visit that genre.

This is one of those books.

Our main character, Joanna, is used to living on the run due to her father being haunted by "the whisperings." Once he hears them threatening his family, they flee in the night, and are onto the next town, state, city. They end up in Vermont in an old mansion that's painfully obviously haunted, but what can they do? And what happens when something horrific happens and suddenly "the whisperings" begin to haunt Joanna too?

The horror imagery in this book is incredible. It's intense, vivid, vibrant, and very well-detailed. I'd almost caution readers prior to picking this book up as some scenes can be a bit shocking and/or disturbing depending on their tolerance level. But boy, did it add to the overall ambience that this book had.

Easily a 5 star read despite some of the gore/horror scenes being a bit much for YA horror. I'd recommend to anyone who loves haunted houses, grief horror, and just horror as a genre in general.

[Liesl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.

It started off really strong, and I was intrigued from the beginning. However, the plot ended up being super clunky, which made me think this was the author's first book (spoiler alert: it's not). I also don't think we needed so many characters. If this was just a story about Joana and her family, I think it would have worked better for me. I don't think we needed her rivalry with Tris (especially since nothing came of it) or even her romance with Willem (I know, it must be shocking to hear me say this, but I felt like that subplot bogged this story down). I kind of feel like the author added those things into this novel because that's what he thought teenage girls would want to read (which is fair, but also, not every story needs a romance or a rivalry), so I don't think those worked really well.

You know what did work well? The spooky-scaries.

There were some legitimately terrifying moments in this book, and I LOVED the descriptions of the house, the ghosts, and all the weird, haunting experiences the characters went through. That, I think, is the author's true talent, and why I am giving this book 3 stars instead of 2.

[Singe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Ohhh boy!

This has been an adventure and a mind numbing. The pacing was all over the place. The characters in the first part felt like a Disney channel movie, especially since Joana felt like a Mary Sue. She got the job over a phone call just like that, it’s her first day and she made the team. The enemies to friendenemies, happens will quick.

Now throughout the book , the horror was peak. Graphic, gory and scary as hell. The description of bodies being sawed apart. Baby tooth in the furnace. Blood instead of tears. Almost to the point where if felt too much for a young adult novel.

Overall this book felt like a prequel to the Ghost Whisper tv show. Sadly it only felt like a 3.5⭐️ I felt like this had potential to be great and at least be a 4⭐️.
I still want to try more from this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra for an arc of this story.