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Whistle in the Dark
Emma Healey follows the success of her #1 internationally bestselling debut novel Elizabeth Is Missing, winner of the Costa First Novel Award, with this beautiful, thought-provoking, and psychologically complex tale that affirms her status as one of the most inventive and original literary novelists today.
Jen and Hugh Maddox have just survived every parent’s worst nightmare.
Relieved, but still terrified, they sit by the hospital bedside of their fifteen-year-old daughter, Lana, who was found bloodied, bruised, and disoriented after going missing for four days during a mother-daughter vacation in the country. As Lana lies mute in the bed, unwilling or unable to articulate what happened to her during that period, the national media speculates wildly and Jen and Hugh try to answer many questions.
Where was Lana? How did she get hurt? Was the teenage boy who befriended her involved? How did she survive outside for all those days? Even when she returns to the family home and her school routine, Lana only provides the same frustrating answer over and over: "I can’t remember."
For years, Jen had tried to soothe the depressive demons plaguing her younger child, and had always dreaded the worst. Now she has hope—the family has gone through hell and come out the other side. But Jen cannot let go of her need to find the truth. Without telling Hugh or their pregnant older daughter Meg, Jen sets off to retrace Lana’s steps, a journey that will lead her to a deeper understanding of her youngest daughter, her family, and herself.
A wry, poignant, and masterfully drawn story that explores the bonds and duress of family life, the pain of mental illness, and the fraught yet enduring connection between mothers and daughters, Whistle in the Dark is a story of guilt, fear, hope, and love that explores what it means to lose and find ourselves and those we love.
Jen and Hugh Maddox have just survived every parent’s worst nightmare.
Relieved, but still terrified, they sit by the hospital bedside of their fifteen-year-old daughter, Lana, who was found bloodied, bruised, and disoriented after going missing for four days during a mother-daughter vacation in the country. As Lana lies mute in the bed, unwilling or unable to articulate what happened to her during that period, the national media speculates wildly and Jen and Hugh try to answer many questions.
Where was Lana? How did she get hurt? Was the teenage boy who befriended her involved? How did she survive outside for all those days? Even when she returns to the family home and her school routine, Lana only provides the same frustrating answer over and over: "I can’t remember."
For years, Jen had tried to soothe the depressive demons plaguing her younger child, and had always dreaded the worst. Now she has hope—the family has gone through hell and come out the other side. But Jen cannot let go of her need to find the truth. Without telling Hugh or their pregnant older daughter Meg, Jen sets off to retrace Lana’s steps, a journey that will lead her to a deeper understanding of her youngest daughter, her family, and herself.
A wry, poignant, and masterfully drawn story that explores the bonds and duress of family life, the pain of mental illness, and the fraught yet enduring connection between mothers and daughters, Whistle in the Dark is a story of guilt, fear, hope, and love that explores what it means to lose and find ourselves and those we love.
352 pages, ebook
First published April 24, 2018
383 people are currently reading
8730 people want to read
About the author
Emma Healey
6 books1,128 followersEmma Healey grew up in London where she studied for her first degree in bookbinding. She then worked for two libraries, two bookshops, two art galleries and two universities, before completing an MA in Creative Writing at the University East Anglia. Her first novel, Elizabeth is Missing, was published to critical acclaim in 2014, became a Sunday Times bestseller and won the Costa First Novel Award. Her second novel, Whistle in the Dark will be published in May 2018. She lives in Norwich with her husband, daughter and cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,026 reviews
June 25, 2018
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
“This has been the worst week of my life” was the first thing, Jen said as paramedics wheeled her daughter, Lana into the hospital. It wasn’t the first thing she had planned on saying after such a terrifying ordeal.
Jen and Lana had been on a weeklong retreat. There was to be walking and art and Jen was hoping for some mother-daughter bonding. Things had been tough with Lana for some time and Jen hoped this trip would help them communicate better.
Then Lana goes missing….
She returns four days later. She’s thin, cold, and wet but has no explanation for where she’s been.
Did she get lost? Run away? Was there an accident?
Jen wants to help her daughter but she can’t understand why Lana doesn’t know anything about where she was or what happened. Jen feels like Lana is hiding something. Lana certainly doesn’t like her mother’s constant questions. Her answer is always the same "I can’t remember."
So Jen tries to think positive. Lana is home…the worst is over.
But then Jen starts to see changes in her daughter. She’s afraid of things that never bothered her before and she’s saying and doing strange things too. With everything that's happening, Jen starts to feel like she’s losing her mind.
Will she ever find out what happened to her daughter?
This was an interesting read but a bit of a slow burner. However, I was anxious to find out what happened to Lana. I had a bit of a hard time with Lana’s character, I was sympathetic towards her but some of her behaviors really made me cringe.
A family is in crisis. The missing/found person plot was unlike others that I have read. I thought it was quite unique. The story focuses on Jen’s determination to find out what happened to her daughter. Overall, a very intriguing read.
I’m looking forward to reading more from Emma Healey.
I'd like to thank Harper Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
“This has been the worst week of my life” was the first thing, Jen said as paramedics wheeled her daughter, Lana into the hospital. It wasn’t the first thing she had planned on saying after such a terrifying ordeal.
Jen and Lana had been on a weeklong retreat. There was to be walking and art and Jen was hoping for some mother-daughter bonding. Things had been tough with Lana for some time and Jen hoped this trip would help them communicate better.
Then Lana goes missing….
She returns four days later. She’s thin, cold, and wet but has no explanation for where she’s been.
Did she get lost? Run away? Was there an accident?
Jen wants to help her daughter but she can’t understand why Lana doesn’t know anything about where she was or what happened. Jen feels like Lana is hiding something. Lana certainly doesn’t like her mother’s constant questions. Her answer is always the same "I can’t remember."
So Jen tries to think positive. Lana is home…the worst is over.
But then Jen starts to see changes in her daughter. She’s afraid of things that never bothered her before and she’s saying and doing strange things too. With everything that's happening, Jen starts to feel like she’s losing her mind.
Will she ever find out what happened to her daughter?
This was an interesting read but a bit of a slow burner. However, I was anxious to find out what happened to Lana. I had a bit of a hard time with Lana’s character, I was sympathetic towards her but some of her behaviors really made me cringe.
A family is in crisis. The missing/found person plot was unlike others that I have read. I thought it was quite unique. The story focuses on Jen’s determination to find out what happened to her daughter. Overall, a very intriguing read.
I’m looking forward to reading more from Emma Healey.
I'd like to thank Harper Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 21, 2018
3.5 stars
Whistle in the Dark felt like a donut read to me. I loved the beginning, the middle felt kind of empty, and I loved the end. The story is told from Jen’s perspective. Her 15 year old daughter Lana has recently disappeared for 4 days without any explanation as to what happened to her during that time. Upon her return, Lana seems changed, but Jen can’t put her finger on how and she can’t deal with not knowing what happened to Lana. This isn’t really a mystery and it’s certainly not a thriller. It’s more of an introspective novel about the challenges of being a parent to a troubled child. Healy does an excellent job of depicting Jen’s self doubt, relentless anxiety and exhaustion. Healy’s writing is really strong and she captures the flinty emotions between the characters perfectly. My only complaint is that I felt that the middle sagged and floundered. The fact that Jen’s emotional upheaval was relentless is realistic, but in the form of fiction, it got a bit tedious. Having said that, I’m still glad I read it. I thought the end was brilliant and I do very much appreciate the way Healy depicts the emotional challenges of being a mother. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
Whistle in the Dark felt like a donut read to me. I loved the beginning, the middle felt kind of empty, and I loved the end. The story is told from Jen’s perspective. Her 15 year old daughter Lana has recently disappeared for 4 days without any explanation as to what happened to her during that time. Upon her return, Lana seems changed, but Jen can’t put her finger on how and she can’t deal with not knowing what happened to Lana. This isn’t really a mystery and it’s certainly not a thriller. It’s more of an introspective novel about the challenges of being a parent to a troubled child. Healy does an excellent job of depicting Jen’s self doubt, relentless anxiety and exhaustion. Healy’s writing is really strong and she captures the flinty emotions between the characters perfectly. My only complaint is that I felt that the middle sagged and floundered. The fact that Jen’s emotional upheaval was relentless is realistic, but in the form of fiction, it got a bit tedious. Having said that, I’m still glad I read it. I thought the end was brilliant and I do very much appreciate the way Healy depicts the emotional challenges of being a mother. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
June 28, 2018
Whistle in the Dark begins with one of the most enticing premises of anything I've read all year: when Jen Maddox and her fifteen-year-old daughter Lana are away on holiday in the English countryside, Lana goes missing for exactly four days, and after she's found, she claims to have no memory of what happened to her. This book had all the potential in the world to be eerie and gripping and moving, but it sadly dropped the ball.
This is not a mystery about a girl's disappearance; at the heart of Whistle in the Dark is Jen and Lana's fraught relationship, which feels almost claustrophobic. You want to take both characters by the shoulders and scream at them for their inability to communicate with one another. Which isn't a criticism - I thought the tension in this relationship was Whistle in the Dark's biggest strength, even if it wasn't the most pleasant reading experience.
I just felt like this book didn't quite know what it wanted to be. It was part crime thriller, part literary character study, and all the while just spinning its wheels, never really going anywhere. The same ideas are recycled ad nauseum in a sort of cyclical format that doesn't suit the kind of depth that Healey is trying to achieve here. I feel like there's a lot that could have been said about mental health, religious fanaticism, and motherhood, but none of this is fully realized. Instead we chronicle Jen's almost comical levels of paranoia as she over-analyzes every breath that Lana takes, which gets old after several hundred pages.
This also has some of the most trite dialogue I've ever read - this is one of those books where no one talks like an actual human being, but instead pontificates with the articulation of a philosophy scholar, speaking in bizarre abstractions and it ultimately detracts from the realism of their characters.
I think most readers are going to be very unhappy and underwhelmed by the ending, but I actually didn't mind it. I think it's important not to think of it as a twist or a reveal, necessarily, just kind of... a logical conclusion? I don't know. But I liked the way it was done and I liked the closure Jen was able to glean from that. I just wish it hadn't been such a drag to get to that point. I couldn't wait for this book to end.
Thank you to Harper and Emma Healey for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is not a mystery about a girl's disappearance; at the heart of Whistle in the Dark is Jen and Lana's fraught relationship, which feels almost claustrophobic. You want to take both characters by the shoulders and scream at them for their inability to communicate with one another. Which isn't a criticism - I thought the tension in this relationship was Whistle in the Dark's biggest strength, even if it wasn't the most pleasant reading experience.
I just felt like this book didn't quite know what it wanted to be. It was part crime thriller, part literary character study, and all the while just spinning its wheels, never really going anywhere. The same ideas are recycled ad nauseum in a sort of cyclical format that doesn't suit the kind of depth that Healey is trying to achieve here. I feel like there's a lot that could have been said about mental health, religious fanaticism, and motherhood, but none of this is fully realized. Instead we chronicle Jen's almost comical levels of paranoia as she over-analyzes every breath that Lana takes, which gets old after several hundred pages.
This also has some of the most trite dialogue I've ever read - this is one of those books where no one talks like an actual human being, but instead pontificates with the articulation of a philosophy scholar, speaking in bizarre abstractions and it ultimately detracts from the realism of their characters.
I think most readers are going to be very unhappy and underwhelmed by the ending, but I actually didn't mind it. I think it's important not to think of it as a twist or a reveal, necessarily, just kind of... a logical conclusion? I don't know. But I liked the way it was done and I liked the closure Jen was able to glean from that. I just wish it hadn't been such a drag to get to that point. I couldn't wait for this book to end.
Thank you to Harper and Emma Healey for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2018
Men's fifteen year old daughter goes missing for four agonising days. When Lana is found unharmed, everyone thinks the worst is over. But Lana refuses to tell anyone what happened.
Jen, Hugh, Meg and Lana are just an average, middle class family. Jen is devastated when Lana goes missing while on a painting holiday in the Peak District. When Lana is found, she swears she can not remember what had happened to her. The police draw a blank so Jen tries to uncover what happened by searching through her personal belongings and following her daughter to school. The relationship between a mother and daughter is put to the test in this book. It can be quite grim at times, but it's a touching story of family life. There are some lighter moments as well.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the author Emma Healey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jen, Hugh, Meg and Lana are just an average, middle class family. Jen is devastated when Lana goes missing while on a painting holiday in the Peak District. When Lana is found, she swears she can not remember what had happened to her. The police draw a blank so Jen tries to uncover what happened by searching through her personal belongings and following her daughter to school. The relationship between a mother and daughter is put to the test in this book. It can be quite grim at times, but it's a touching story of family life. There are some lighter moments as well.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the author Emma Healey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2018
Jen Maddox is on holiday with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Lana, when Lana disappears. But, somehow, Lana is found four days later: confused and bloody, but in one piece. Jen and her husband, Hugh, are beyond relieved, but Jen cannot shake the fear plaguing her. Lana has struggled with depression these past few years. What happened over those four days? Why can't her daughter remember anything? Jen knows she should welcome Lana back with welcome arms, but she cannot rest until she knows what happened to her daughter.
This was a complicated read, which made me feel and think all sorts of feelings. I have to definitely point out that there are triggers for self-harm and suicide in this one. The book hit home for me, as I lost a dear cousin-who was more like a sister to me-to suicide. She was a little older than Lana when she died, but I saw a lot of similarity between the two, and I could understand some of Jen's frustration and sadness with her daughter because of it. Because, honestly, a lot of this book is just sad and depressing.
It's written in short snippets, not long chapters, each with a title, and they are all told from Jen's perspective. I would have liked to have heard from Lana sometimes. Because this is Emma Healey, many of these little pieces and insights are brilliant, truly. But, also, I won't lie, some of this book is a slog. It mirrors living with someone with depression--it's slow, painful, and tough. I wouldn't call this a fun read, even though I could definitely enjoy some of the breakthroughs and beautiful moments Lana and Jen did share.
While the premise of this book is finding out what happened to Lana, much of it is just Jen and Lana's daily life--trying to find themselves after Lana's disappearance. You see the guilt Jen feels about her daughter's mental illness and the complications of motherhood--how hard it can be. Jen's older daughter Meg and her husband, Hugh, are more supporting characters to the Jen and Lana show. There definitely are some humorous pieces among the sad parts--Jen and her husband struggling to raise a teen, Jen's interactions with her mom stand out. And Lana, as she comes across through her mom's eyes, is an interesting and dynamic character. Her grim sense of humor is enjoyable, too.
I found this novel to be very driven by emotions and to be a deep look at a family who is torn apart not only by Lana's disappearance, but by mental illness. I think, too, overall it does a very good job portraying what mental illness can do to a family. Even Lana's descriptions of what her depression feels like are quite well-done. So much of the book actually made me feel tense on Jen's behalf, and you just can't help but feel so sad and scared for both Jen and Lana. The little snippets of the book really do a good job of capturing moments--that is life, after all. A series of moments that add up.
I wish that Jen had been less obsessed with figuring out what had happened to Lana, but I think I can understand where it came from (her fear). For a little bit, I wasn't sure I could push through the book, but I was also motivated to figure out where Lana had been for those four days, and I was attached to Lana (and even Jen), I won't lie. The end of the book also redeemed it for me. There was something about it that made it all work.
This book isn't for everyone, and in some ways, I even have trouble recommending it for those who have struggled with mental illness, because it can be really triggering. Still, I think the author treated the topic very respectfully. I couldn't help but feel for Jen and I really found myself wanting to help Lana, to reach out to her. Healey really does know how to create nuanced characters. Still, if this is your first time reading her, I can't help but recommend the amazing Elizabeth Is Missing, which I just adore. Still, 3.5 stars for this one, which has its lovely moments and is certainly well-written, if not a slow read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
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This was a complicated read, which made me feel and think all sorts of feelings. I have to definitely point out that there are triggers for self-harm and suicide in this one. The book hit home for me, as I lost a dear cousin-who was more like a sister to me-to suicide. She was a little older than Lana when she died, but I saw a lot of similarity between the two, and I could understand some of Jen's frustration and sadness with her daughter because of it. Because, honestly, a lot of this book is just sad and depressing.
It's written in short snippets, not long chapters, each with a title, and they are all told from Jen's perspective. I would have liked to have heard from Lana sometimes. Because this is Emma Healey, many of these little pieces and insights are brilliant, truly. But, also, I won't lie, some of this book is a slog. It mirrors living with someone with depression--it's slow, painful, and tough. I wouldn't call this a fun read, even though I could definitely enjoy some of the breakthroughs and beautiful moments Lana and Jen did share.
While the premise of this book is finding out what happened to Lana, much of it is just Jen and Lana's daily life--trying to find themselves after Lana's disappearance. You see the guilt Jen feels about her daughter's mental illness and the complications of motherhood--how hard it can be. Jen's older daughter Meg and her husband, Hugh, are more supporting characters to the Jen and Lana show. There definitely are some humorous pieces among the sad parts--Jen and her husband struggling to raise a teen, Jen's interactions with her mom stand out. And Lana, as she comes across through her mom's eyes, is an interesting and dynamic character. Her grim sense of humor is enjoyable, too.
I found this novel to be very driven by emotions and to be a deep look at a family who is torn apart not only by Lana's disappearance, but by mental illness. I think, too, overall it does a very good job portraying what mental illness can do to a family. Even Lana's descriptions of what her depression feels like are quite well-done. So much of the book actually made me feel tense on Jen's behalf, and you just can't help but feel so sad and scared for both Jen and Lana. The little snippets of the book really do a good job of capturing moments--that is life, after all. A series of moments that add up.
I wish that Jen had been less obsessed with figuring out what had happened to Lana, but I think I can understand where it came from (her fear). For a little bit, I wasn't sure I could push through the book, but I was also motivated to figure out where Lana had been for those four days, and I was attached to Lana (and even Jen), I won't lie. The end of the book also redeemed it for me. There was something about it that made it all work.
This book isn't for everyone, and in some ways, I even have trouble recommending it for those who have struggled with mental illness, because it can be really triggering. Still, I think the author treated the topic very respectfully. I couldn't help but feel for Jen and I really found myself wanting to help Lana, to reach out to her. Healey really does know how to create nuanced characters. Still, if this is your first time reading her, I can't help but recommend the amazing Elizabeth Is Missing, which I just adore. Still, 3.5 stars for this one, which has its lovely moments and is certainly well-written, if not a slow read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
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April 19, 2018
Having loved Emma Healey’s debut, “Elizabeth is Missing,” I was thrilled to receive a review copy of her second novel, “Whistle in the Dark.” I was a little concerned that I may not have loved this as much, but I am pleased to say that, if anything, I thought this was easily as good – if not even better. It has definitely been one of my favourite novels of the year.
Jen and Hugh are a fairly ordinary, middle aged, middle class couple. Their eldest daughter, Meg, has left home, but younger daughter, Lana, still lives at home. Lana is a troubled young girl, who has harmed herself before and is having therapy. Jen is desperate to get some of that mother and daughter closeness back and so, in May half term, the two go to the Peak District for a painting holiday. However, the unthinkable happens and Lana goes missing. For four whole days she vanishes, only to be discovered, virtually safe and well – a little shaken, a little bruised, but alive.
I have to say that I simply loved the character of Jen. She is devastated by her daughter’s loss and relived when she is found, but also so frustrated by Lana’s inability to tell her what happened. Lana swears she doesn’t remember. Jen doesn’t believe her. When the family return home, Jen is plagued by self doubts, recriminations and paranoia. She searches through Lana’s social media accounts, scrutinises her memories of the trip, follows her daughter to school, questions her friends and spies on her. Meanwhile, Meg, who has her own news to impart, is impatient with the way that she feels Jen always gives in to Lana.
Healey perfectly captures that feeling of your children growing up and away from you. Of the all consuming love that you have for them, no matter what their behaviour may be. Of your desperate desire to protect them… This is a clever, sharp and well written novel, which would be ideal for reading groups, as there is so much to discuss. The subject matter may sound dark, but there is a lot of humour in this novel and all of the characters are well rounded, sympathetic and entirely realistic. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Jen and Hugh are a fairly ordinary, middle aged, middle class couple. Their eldest daughter, Meg, has left home, but younger daughter, Lana, still lives at home. Lana is a troubled young girl, who has harmed herself before and is having therapy. Jen is desperate to get some of that mother and daughter closeness back and so, in May half term, the two go to the Peak District for a painting holiday. However, the unthinkable happens and Lana goes missing. For four whole days she vanishes, only to be discovered, virtually safe and well – a little shaken, a little bruised, but alive.
I have to say that I simply loved the character of Jen. She is devastated by her daughter’s loss and relived when she is found, but also so frustrated by Lana’s inability to tell her what happened. Lana swears she doesn’t remember. Jen doesn’t believe her. When the family return home, Jen is plagued by self doubts, recriminations and paranoia. She searches through Lana’s social media accounts, scrutinises her memories of the trip, follows her daughter to school, questions her friends and spies on her. Meanwhile, Meg, who has her own news to impart, is impatient with the way that she feels Jen always gives in to Lana.
Healey perfectly captures that feeling of your children growing up and away from you. Of the all consuming love that you have for them, no matter what their behaviour may be. Of your desperate desire to protect them… This is a clever, sharp and well written novel, which would be ideal for reading groups, as there is so much to discuss. The subject matter may sound dark, but there is a lot of humour in this novel and all of the characters are well rounded, sympathetic and entirely realistic. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
February 17, 2018
I was a huge fan of “Elizabeth Is Missing” which has taken on a whole new level of poignancy since my Mother started suffering from dementia, so I was intrigued to read another novel from Emma Healey. This time it’s a different central theme but just as beautifully written and emotionally resonant.
Whistle in the Dark is a story of family – especially of the mother/daughter relationship – we follow Jen as she struggles to connect with daughter Lana, especially after Lana goes missing for a few days and nobody knows what happened. Lana is silent on the subject, Jen feels inadequate, this has a beautifully realistic sense of parenting and a subtle exploration of teenage depression.
I related to Jen on a very basic level – she is baffled, a little clumsy both in word and deed and genuinely distraught at being unable to find the right words and the right actions to bring Lana close to her and understand her issues. She is funny, wryly ironic, realistically flawed whilst Lana is both engaging and infuriatingly perplexing, you can see why Jen struggles but at the heart of this is a relevant and intelligently woven theme.
This is less the story of what happened to Lana during those missing days and more a family drama that works wonderfully on many levels – the wider cast, including Jen’s long suffering husband, her oddball best friend and her mother all add to the whole and build an intriguing picture of the struggle to make sense of things. The finale when it comes is elegantly achieved and will linger in your thoughts for a good long while.
Whistle in the Dark is moving, whimsical and astutely authentic. I loved it.
Highly Recommended.
Whistle in the Dark is a story of family – especially of the mother/daughter relationship – we follow Jen as she struggles to connect with daughter Lana, especially after Lana goes missing for a few days and nobody knows what happened. Lana is silent on the subject, Jen feels inadequate, this has a beautifully realistic sense of parenting and a subtle exploration of teenage depression.
I related to Jen on a very basic level – she is baffled, a little clumsy both in word and deed and genuinely distraught at being unable to find the right words and the right actions to bring Lana close to her and understand her issues. She is funny, wryly ironic, realistically flawed whilst Lana is both engaging and infuriatingly perplexing, you can see why Jen struggles but at the heart of this is a relevant and intelligently woven theme.
This is less the story of what happened to Lana during those missing days and more a family drama that works wonderfully on many levels – the wider cast, including Jen’s long suffering husband, her oddball best friend and her mother all add to the whole and build an intriguing picture of the struggle to make sense of things. The finale when it comes is elegantly achieved and will linger in your thoughts for a good long while.
Whistle in the Dark is moving, whimsical and astutely authentic. I loved it.
Highly Recommended.
August 6, 2018
“Whistle in the Dark” is a psychological-thriller/domestic fiction with which mothers of moody teens will identify. Author Emma Healey flawlessly writes her protagonist, Jen, as the worried mamma who becomes consumed with her daughter’s mental health.
Jen’s daughter, fifteen-year-old Lana, was missing for four days during a mother/daughter vacation. The reader is introduced to the story after the missing event occurs. What the reader learns is that Lana doesn’t want to inform anyone as to what happened to her. Lana has mysterious injuries indicating she suffered through some sort of peril, yet Lana keeps mum to her ordeal. Lana suffers from depression so this event is especially a concern to mamma Jen.
I identified with Jen. My favorite passage:
“Jen wished lying awake and worrying was an Olympic sport, that way, she would be training for the glory every night and might have a chance at being hailed as a hero by her nation. If you needed ten thousand hours to become an expert at something, she was surely a senior apprentice, at the very least.”
Yes Jen, I can relate.
Jen becomes obsessed with learning what happened to Lana in those days. Healey writes Jen perfectly, showing how obsessive worry is a detriment to mental health. Jen becomes an unreliable protagonist, as she obsesses over Lana.
Healey combines this domestic fiction story of mother/daughter relationships along with the psychological thriller of watching Jen implode while attempting to discover what happened to Lana in those four days. For those who enjoyed Healey’s last novel “Elizabeth is Missing”, will find this novel just as satisfying. I am a Healey fan and highly recommend this one.
Jen’s daughter, fifteen-year-old Lana, was missing for four days during a mother/daughter vacation. The reader is introduced to the story after the missing event occurs. What the reader learns is that Lana doesn’t want to inform anyone as to what happened to her. Lana has mysterious injuries indicating she suffered through some sort of peril, yet Lana keeps mum to her ordeal. Lana suffers from depression so this event is especially a concern to mamma Jen.
I identified with Jen. My favorite passage:
“Jen wished lying awake and worrying was an Olympic sport, that way, she would be training for the glory every night and might have a chance at being hailed as a hero by her nation. If you needed ten thousand hours to become an expert at something, she was surely a senior apprentice, at the very least.”
Yes Jen, I can relate.
Jen becomes obsessed with learning what happened to Lana in those days. Healey writes Jen perfectly, showing how obsessive worry is a detriment to mental health. Jen becomes an unreliable protagonist, as she obsesses over Lana.
Healey combines this domestic fiction story of mother/daughter relationships along with the psychological thriller of watching Jen implode while attempting to discover what happened to Lana in those four days. For those who enjoyed Healey’s last novel “Elizabeth is Missing”, will find this novel just as satisfying. I am a Healey fan and highly recommend this one.
April 27, 2018
Whistle in the Dark is a slow burning mystery where the mystery is an afterthought. The synopsis of this book intrigued me, which is why I requested it on Netgalley. Unfortunately, Whistle in the Dark is an incredibly slow moving, boring mystery that doesn’t deliver.
Whistle in the Dark focuses on Jen as she tries to help her daughter, Lana, recover from being lost in the woods for four days. Jen becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to her daughter. As the novel progresses, Jen becomes more and more paranoid and neurotic.
Healey focuses on Jen’s paranoid and neurotic thoughts and behaviors, but does little to create a worthwhile reading experience. Instead, the novel becomes a by the numbers story as Jen discovers a clue, obsesses over it, and repeats. At the same time, Healey’s portrayal of a dedicated and scared mother is well written. Jen does everything in her power to help her child, but always falls short. For this reason, it seems as if there are two different novels within Whistle in the Dark competing for space. One of the novels is a contemporary story about a mother’s desperate and frantic search for answers on how to help her teenage daughter suffering from depression. The other novel is a mystery about a mother’s despairing search for answers about her teenage daughter’s disappearance. I understand what Healey was attempting to accomplish, alas the execution was lacking.
The only reason I read the novel in its entirety was to find out what happened in those four missing days. Unfortunately, the reveal is lackluster and should have been obvious from the first few chapters.
***I received an ARC via Netgalley for an honest review.
Whistle in the Dark focuses on Jen as she tries to help her daughter, Lana, recover from being lost in the woods for four days. Jen becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to her daughter. As the novel progresses, Jen becomes more and more paranoid and neurotic.
Healey focuses on Jen’s paranoid and neurotic thoughts and behaviors, but does little to create a worthwhile reading experience. Instead, the novel becomes a by the numbers story as Jen discovers a clue, obsesses over it, and repeats. At the same time, Healey’s portrayal of a dedicated and scared mother is well written. Jen does everything in her power to help her child, but always falls short. For this reason, it seems as if there are two different novels within Whistle in the Dark competing for space. One of the novels is a contemporary story about a mother’s desperate and frantic search for answers on how to help her teenage daughter suffering from depression. The other novel is a mystery about a mother’s despairing search for answers about her teenage daughter’s disappearance. I understand what Healey was attempting to accomplish, alas the execution was lacking.
The only reason I read the novel in its entirety was to find out what happened in those four missing days. Unfortunately, the reveal is lackluster and should have been obvious from the first few chapters.
***I received an ARC via Netgalley for an honest review.
June 30, 2018
Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing was a most affecting story portraying a dementia sufferer trying to solve two different mysteries, one the absence of her best friend and the other what happened to her sister in 1946, which gave it an arresting backstory as well. I loved it and was so eager to read the author’s latest that I ordered Whistle in the Dark from England. It is a worth-while read, but not quite worthy of the author at her best. It offers a now familiar plot - but one that provides scope for almost endless development. A child goes missing and after some period of time returns, but strangely altered and unwilling or unable describe where the child has been and what happened. Some I’ve enjoyed are Sarah Denzil’s Silent Child, Megan Abbott’s The End of Everything, and David Bell’s Cemetary Girl. Usually there are evidences of physical or sexual abuse as well. Whistle in the Dark is an innovative variant of the formula. Jen is an older mum in her early fifties, living in London and married to Hugh, an ultra-laid-back property surveyor whose calm forms a nice contrast to his excitable wife. Whilst on a painting holiday in the Peak District with her younger daughter, the 15 year old Leah, the girl disappears for four days, and then is found by a farmer wandering in a field, rather the worse for wear with a head laceration that left a scar and strange ligature marks on her ankles. In hospital Leah refuses a rape examination as unnecessary and insists that nothing happened during her absence, but refuses to supply any details at all. Had she been involved with Matthew, a teen her age whose parents run the holiday camp and seems to have been taken with her, or with Stephen, a young man in his twenties who belongs to a religious society called the New Lollards with overtones of a cult - one of the legends of the district is a story going back to the Middle Ages about a lost child who visits Hell and comes back to warn the living.
Jen also has an older daughter, Meg, who is in her twenties, a lesbian pregnant by artificial insemination, who also acts as a stabilising influence of Jen, as like so many suspicious parents of teens, she tries to spy on Leah and discover her secret. There is also a reappearance of Stephen, whose cult may still be interested in the girl. And then there’s the backstory of the mysterious stranger on a train who gave the infant Leah her name. In the end Jen indeed finds out at first hand what happened to her daughter, and it is an absolutely terrifying denouement, but one that leads to a most satisfying conclusion to the story that is totally in character with Leah and her mother. This is another book I shall reflect on a lot.
And yet, I cannot imagine reading it again all the way through. Not only is it a very ‘slow burner’ (like making stock from beef bones) but there are simply too many plot elements there for no other reason than to be red herrings. Of course mystery story readers always remind us that these are necessary items, which they are. But in serious fiction -and that is the calibre one expects of Emma Healey - readers expect that these extraneous elements will contribute either to the plot or development of the characters. These, in Whistle in the Dark, lead absolutely nowhere, and serve only to make the book longer, not to contribute to the resolution or explanation of Leah’s disappearance. And too much of the dialogue between Leah and Jen simply expresses the usual disdain a teen displays towards a parent on most occasions, even when no disappearance is involved. So no fifth star.
I was amused by a couple of items tho’. In her investigations to discover what happened to her daughter, Jen finds a most unusual employment of condoms! (Funnier with the English emphasis on both syllables.) And when Jen and Hugh make the alarming discovery that Leah is buying religious books, he remarks disarmingly: “How d’you know the books aren’t for school, for RS or RE, or whatever it’s called now?” (Maybe we Yanks are indeed better off believing that our Constitution forbids our government schools teaching any moral or spiritual values. My impression is that Religious Education in English state schools serves largely to vaccinate pupils against believing in anything at all. Seems to be working, too.)
Jen also has an older daughter, Meg, who is in her twenties, a lesbian pregnant by artificial insemination, who also acts as a stabilising influence of Jen, as like so many suspicious parents of teens, she tries to spy on Leah and discover her secret. There is also a reappearance of Stephen, whose cult may still be interested in the girl. And then there’s the backstory of the mysterious stranger on a train who gave the infant Leah her name. In the end Jen indeed finds out at first hand what happened to her daughter, and it is an absolutely terrifying denouement, but one that leads to a most satisfying conclusion to the story that is totally in character with Leah and her mother. This is another book I shall reflect on a lot.
And yet, I cannot imagine reading it again all the way through. Not only is it a very ‘slow burner’ (like making stock from beef bones) but there are simply too many plot elements there for no other reason than to be red herrings. Of course mystery story readers always remind us that these are necessary items, which they are. But in serious fiction -and that is the calibre one expects of Emma Healey - readers expect that these extraneous elements will contribute either to the plot or development of the characters. These, in Whistle in the Dark, lead absolutely nowhere, and serve only to make the book longer, not to contribute to the resolution or explanation of Leah’s disappearance. And too much of the dialogue between Leah and Jen simply expresses the usual disdain a teen displays towards a parent on most occasions, even when no disappearance is involved. So no fifth star.
I was amused by a couple of items tho’. In her investigations to discover what happened to her daughter, Jen finds a most unusual employment of condoms! (Funnier with the English emphasis on both syllables.) And when Jen and Hugh make the alarming discovery that Leah is buying religious books, he remarks disarmingly: “How d’you know the books aren’t for school, for RS or RE, or whatever it’s called now?” (Maybe we Yanks are indeed better off believing that our Constitution forbids our government schools teaching any moral or spiritual values. My impression is that Religious Education in English state schools serves largely to vaccinate pupils against believing in anything at all. Seems to be working, too.)
July 29, 2018
What was the point of this book? First of all, every time I read about teenage girls who make their mother's lives miserable, I remember what a hard time my friends had with their daughters. Makes me happy I raised a boy.
Jen Maddox's 15-year-old daughter, Lana, disappears for four days. When she is found, she refuses to say where she was. That is the ENTIRE story, along with her mother constantly badgering her to tell her parents what happened. Her daughter is also suicidal.
I felt that reading this was a HUGE waste of time, sigh. My recommendation is "don't bother".
Jen Maddox's 15-year-old daughter, Lana, disappears for four days. When she is found, she refuses to say where she was. That is the ENTIRE story, along with her mother constantly badgering her to tell her parents what happened. Her daughter is also suicidal.
I felt that reading this was a HUGE waste of time, sigh. My recommendation is "don't bother".
April 26, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
In 2014, novelist Emma Healey made an impact on the publishing world with her debut novel, Elizabeth is Missing. Healey returns with a new novel, Whistle in the Dark, a book with a strong line of psychological suspense that puts the limelight on teen depression and the impact this has on a family unit.
A family holiday to the Peak District goes terrible wrong when Lana, a fifteen year old girl, goes missing for four days. When Lana reappears unharmed, the police believe it is a shut book case and they declare the case solved. However, for Lana’s mother Jen, it is the start of a nightmare, as she tries to piece together just what happened in those four days. Lana herself is not giving anything away. It is up to Jen to get to the bottom of the truth. In the process, Jen may just push her daughter and the rest of her family away even further. Whistle in the Dark is about one family’s crisis and the steps that they take as a unit to overcome Lana’s disappearance.
Whistle in the Dark is one stirring read, marked by very sharp and observant prose. The premise gives it a psychological thriller or crime feel, but instead I feel Whistle in the Dark offers an introspective study into the relations and dynamics of a family pushed to the very edge. Healey is a natural and perceptive storyteller, who is able to bring issues that strike at the very heart of families. Healey’s flair lies in her ability to air these family problems out for her audience to consider.
The characters featured in Whistle in the Dark will be sure to evoke many stirring emotions. For a start, the lead, adolescent Lana, gets right under your skin. In some instances I felt sorry for her and in others she simply pressed my buttons, in the wrong way! She is one complex teenager and Healey’s representation of her is very comprehensive. Jen, Lana’s mother, is another character I have mixed feelings towards. I could understand her obsession with trying to understand the circumstances of her daughter’s strange disappearance. As a mother, I am sure this would consume me too. Healey capture’s a mother’s desperation, her frustration with her estrangement from Lana and how this scenario represents every parent’s worst nightmare very well. However, I do feel like Jen crossed the line and in the process she pushed Lana, as well as the other family members away even further with her over the top behaviour. Supporting Jen and Lana are fellow family members Hugh and Meg, along with best friend Grace. Each of these characters is configured in such a way that they contribute succinctly to the story as a whole.
In Whistle in the Dark, Healey draws the reader sensitively into a world inhabited by depression, paranoia, social media and increasing disconnection from the world, through the character of Lana. At times this is a tough to read, but it is a subject area that I feel should be addressed in our current climate. It is also a topic we should all aim to have a conversation about, as for many very ordinary and unsuspecting modern families, this illness will touch their lives at some point. Healey provides a rather scrupulous, but no holds back approach to her study of depression and how this impacts upon a teen. These passages of the novel were incredibly moving and emotionally draining all the same.
Relationships form a significant part of Whistle in the Dark. Namely, there is the difficult and trained relationship between a mother and a daughter. Then there is the rather stabilising force of a husband and wife. Healey also considers the impact of the events that take place in this novel on fellow siblings and close friends. What I took away from this aspect of the storyline is that the fallout of the depression illness has far reaching implications, not just for the sufferer, but those who surround this individual. At times it can be devastating and heartbreaking to observe. What really hit me in the face, quite literally about this novel, is that we never stop caring for our children and we will do anything in our power to protect them from pain, whether it is emotional or physical anguish.
I found much semblance with the way in which Whistle in the Dark reached its final curtain call. The prime reason for my continued and rather frenzied approach to reading this novel, came from my desire to know, just like Jen, what happened to Lana and why. The ending illuminates this well.
Whistle in the Dark, in a steadfast manner, captures the gut wrenching turmoil of a family suffering from a piercing personal crisis. Although it hinges on offering a rather troubling read, it is also gratifying in its ability to intricately explore the conflicts that a mental illness can have on a family unit. The results are shocking and heart wrenching, but incredibly real. A very genuine read.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
In 2014, novelist Emma Healey made an impact on the publishing world with her debut novel, Elizabeth is Missing. Healey returns with a new novel, Whistle in the Dark, a book with a strong line of psychological suspense that puts the limelight on teen depression and the impact this has on a family unit.
A family holiday to the Peak District goes terrible wrong when Lana, a fifteen year old girl, goes missing for four days. When Lana reappears unharmed, the police believe it is a shut book case and they declare the case solved. However, for Lana’s mother Jen, it is the start of a nightmare, as she tries to piece together just what happened in those four days. Lana herself is not giving anything away. It is up to Jen to get to the bottom of the truth. In the process, Jen may just push her daughter and the rest of her family away even further. Whistle in the Dark is about one family’s crisis and the steps that they take as a unit to overcome Lana’s disappearance.
Whistle in the Dark is one stirring read, marked by very sharp and observant prose. The premise gives it a psychological thriller or crime feel, but instead I feel Whistle in the Dark offers an introspective study into the relations and dynamics of a family pushed to the very edge. Healey is a natural and perceptive storyteller, who is able to bring issues that strike at the very heart of families. Healey’s flair lies in her ability to air these family problems out for her audience to consider.
The characters featured in Whistle in the Dark will be sure to evoke many stirring emotions. For a start, the lead, adolescent Lana, gets right under your skin. In some instances I felt sorry for her and in others she simply pressed my buttons, in the wrong way! She is one complex teenager and Healey’s representation of her is very comprehensive. Jen, Lana’s mother, is another character I have mixed feelings towards. I could understand her obsession with trying to understand the circumstances of her daughter’s strange disappearance. As a mother, I am sure this would consume me too. Healey capture’s a mother’s desperation, her frustration with her estrangement from Lana and how this scenario represents every parent’s worst nightmare very well. However, I do feel like Jen crossed the line and in the process she pushed Lana, as well as the other family members away even further with her over the top behaviour. Supporting Jen and Lana are fellow family members Hugh and Meg, along with best friend Grace. Each of these characters is configured in such a way that they contribute succinctly to the story as a whole.
In Whistle in the Dark, Healey draws the reader sensitively into a world inhabited by depression, paranoia, social media and increasing disconnection from the world, through the character of Lana. At times this is a tough to read, but it is a subject area that I feel should be addressed in our current climate. It is also a topic we should all aim to have a conversation about, as for many very ordinary and unsuspecting modern families, this illness will touch their lives at some point. Healey provides a rather scrupulous, but no holds back approach to her study of depression and how this impacts upon a teen. These passages of the novel were incredibly moving and emotionally draining all the same.
Relationships form a significant part of Whistle in the Dark. Namely, there is the difficult and trained relationship between a mother and a daughter. Then there is the rather stabilising force of a husband and wife. Healey also considers the impact of the events that take place in this novel on fellow siblings and close friends. What I took away from this aspect of the storyline is that the fallout of the depression illness has far reaching implications, not just for the sufferer, but those who surround this individual. At times it can be devastating and heartbreaking to observe. What really hit me in the face, quite literally about this novel, is that we never stop caring for our children and we will do anything in our power to protect them from pain, whether it is emotional or physical anguish.
I found much semblance with the way in which Whistle in the Dark reached its final curtain call. The prime reason for my continued and rather frenzied approach to reading this novel, came from my desire to know, just like Jen, what happened to Lana and why. The ending illuminates this well.
Whistle in the Dark, in a steadfast manner, captures the gut wrenching turmoil of a family suffering from a piercing personal crisis. Although it hinges on offering a rather troubling read, it is also gratifying in its ability to intricately explore the conflicts that a mental illness can have on a family unit. The results are shocking and heart wrenching, but incredibly real. A very genuine read.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
October 25, 2018
Emotional and suspenseful.
Sullen and rude teen aged Lana, goes on a painting holiday with her Mum, Jen. It’s supposed to be a bonding experience. But Lana interacts with the other holiday participants more than Jen. It’s as if she can’t stand being with her Mum. Oh, the angst of a teen aged girl and her ever-inquisitive, questioning, controlling Mum!
This teen aged girl, though, she does have some issues - she is depressed, she is a “cutter,” and is undergoing stress at school, with her friendships, with her parents (particularly her overcompensating Mum) and her gay older sister who just broke off with her partner and announces she is pregnant. Lana has also attempted suicide and so the family goes for therapy. Hugh, Lana and Meg’s dad, doesn’t really get too excited about much and he appears to be the calming force with common sense to both mother and daughters throughout the book.
Lana has gone missing from the artists holiday event and for four days a search revealed nothing. Lana is found in a farmer’s field bloodied, with bruises, and acting disoriented. Taken to the hospital, Jen, the Mum, shows us how over the top her relationship is with this daughter, Lana. The Mum keeps asking questions on what happened, where were you, what do you remember, were you raped, what are the marks in your legs, why is there all this blood on your jacket, how did you cut your head? OMG - she is the definition of interrogation! And overprotecting. And she just does not stop! Throughout the entire book! She works herself up to no end and starts to imagine things, misplace things; we question HER mental health, along with Lana’s rude and caustic and inflammatory responses to her Mum. Honestly, Lana is troubled and actually so is Jen, her Mum.
The description of the psychiatrist visits felt useless to me and of absolutely no help to the family. In the meantime, there is rumor on social media that Lana was in Hell for the days she was missing and thus came back as a changed person. Lana had a brief friendship with someone at the artists holiday who belonged to some religious sect. Her Mum thinks he’s had something to do with Lana’s disappearance and brainwashing. Here we go - she’s off on another tangent! She goes searching the internet, she goes searching through Lana’s bedroom, she invades her teen aged privacy in many ways because she’s not getting the answers to the questions she needs answers for. She thinks her husband and daughter are in collusion against her. She finds books on Hell in Lana’s room and makes idiotic assumptions. She tries so hard - too hard - to have a close, loving relationship with her daughter and keep an eye on her so that she does not fall into a bad state due to her depression, but it appears that Mum is only just making things worse between them. The harder you push, the more the push back.
This was a bit of a frustrating read because Lana is continually noncompliant/noncommittal in her answers. “I don’t know, I don’t remember, Nothing happened.” This goes on from the day Lana is found to current. So it is very redundant. We are looking for more answers. Her Mum, most especially is looking for answers and she finds them all right. It is like a slap in her face. However, they are not forthcoming until the very end.
Lana is sullen, rude and crude and flippant and so disrespectful to her mother! Not sure how I would handle this behavior if I were in Jen’s shoes; I’m on the outside looking in as a reader and my patience and tolerance was really wearing thin with Lana. However, I can see from this book that this whirlwind of negative thoughts and behaviors and utter exhaustion can actually make a person hallucinate and have bizarre thoughts and feelings, which is probably what was happening to Jen.
A good read overall although the mother/daughter dysfunction wore on me. 😕
Sullen and rude teen aged Lana, goes on a painting holiday with her Mum, Jen. It’s supposed to be a bonding experience. But Lana interacts with the other holiday participants more than Jen. It’s as if she can’t stand being with her Mum. Oh, the angst of a teen aged girl and her ever-inquisitive, questioning, controlling Mum!
This teen aged girl, though, she does have some issues - she is depressed, she is a “cutter,” and is undergoing stress at school, with her friendships, with her parents (particularly her overcompensating Mum) and her gay older sister who just broke off with her partner and announces she is pregnant. Lana has also attempted suicide and so the family goes for therapy. Hugh, Lana and Meg’s dad, doesn’t really get too excited about much and he appears to be the calming force with common sense to both mother and daughters throughout the book.
Lana has gone missing from the artists holiday event and for four days a search revealed nothing. Lana is found in a farmer’s field bloodied, with bruises, and acting disoriented. Taken to the hospital, Jen, the Mum, shows us how over the top her relationship is with this daughter, Lana. The Mum keeps asking questions on what happened, where were you, what do you remember, were you raped, what are the marks in your legs, why is there all this blood on your jacket, how did you cut your head? OMG - she is the definition of interrogation! And overprotecting. And she just does not stop! Throughout the entire book! She works herself up to no end and starts to imagine things, misplace things; we question HER mental health, along with Lana’s rude and caustic and inflammatory responses to her Mum. Honestly, Lana is troubled and actually so is Jen, her Mum.
The description of the psychiatrist visits felt useless to me and of absolutely no help to the family. In the meantime, there is rumor on social media that Lana was in Hell for the days she was missing and thus came back as a changed person. Lana had a brief friendship with someone at the artists holiday who belonged to some religious sect. Her Mum thinks he’s had something to do with Lana’s disappearance and brainwashing. Here we go - she’s off on another tangent! She goes searching the internet, she goes searching through Lana’s bedroom, she invades her teen aged privacy in many ways because she’s not getting the answers to the questions she needs answers for. She thinks her husband and daughter are in collusion against her. She finds books on Hell in Lana’s room and makes idiotic assumptions. She tries so hard - too hard - to have a close, loving relationship with her daughter and keep an eye on her so that she does not fall into a bad state due to her depression, but it appears that Mum is only just making things worse between them. The harder you push, the more the push back.
This was a bit of a frustrating read because Lana is continually noncompliant/noncommittal in her answers. “I don’t know, I don’t remember, Nothing happened.” This goes on from the day Lana is found to current. So it is very redundant. We are looking for more answers. Her Mum, most especially is looking for answers and she finds them all right. It is like a slap in her face. However, they are not forthcoming until the very end.
Lana is sullen, rude and crude and flippant and so disrespectful to her mother! Not sure how I would handle this behavior if I were in Jen’s shoes; I’m on the outside looking in as a reader and my patience and tolerance was really wearing thin with Lana. However, I can see from this book that this whirlwind of negative thoughts and behaviors and utter exhaustion can actually make a person hallucinate and have bizarre thoughts and feelings, which is probably what was happening to Jen.
A good read overall although the mother/daughter dysfunction wore on me. 😕
March 22, 2018
I wanted to like this more than I did. Truth be told I found it boring. There was nothing profound about the story or the way it was written.
October 14, 2018
Whistle in the Dark
kicks off where most novels conclude: with what comes after the big event. Lana Maddox has recently been rescued and is safe in hospital, having been missing for four days in the Peak District National Park in central England. Rather than confusing us with a convoluted plot twist – like so many contemporary novels – Emma Healey’s newest offering sets up the mystery on the first page and then moves through a straightforward process of solving it. How very refreshing.
Lana doesn’t appear to be seriously injured physically, but her inability – or unwillingness – to fill in the gaps or even say who she was with, is worrying for her parents, Hugh and Jen. Jen, especially, is driven to imagine the very worst and we set out with her, as detective, on an emotional and sometimes uncomfortable quest to discover just what happened to her daughter. Did Lana suffer such trauma that she can’t force her mind to go back to what she experienced? Was Matthew – a boy Lana had just begun to date – involved somehow? Or was Lana involved in something unimaginable at the hands of Stephen, a member of the New Lollards Fellowship religious cult? His concerns with children ascending into hell and children ‘bringing something back’ (something evil) from experiences like Lana’s are both unsettling and bizarre. What complicates matters even more is Lana’s depression, which predates her disappearance and has manifested itself in bouts of cutting and suicidal ideation. As a gentle warning to readers sensitive to certain triggers, mental health plays a big role in this novel so this reading experience can feel like an intense one.
“I want to kill myself,” Lana tells her mother and “her voice was flat and quiet, toneless and powerful”.
Lana is a refreshing and ballsy character, but she is also strong-willed, scathing and often rude. She is resistant to her mother’s probing and is reluctant to provide desperately anxious Jen with any kind of reassurance while she struggles to establish an independent identity. Jen continues to try to be close to her daughter but Lana pulls away.
“[It was] as if she’d invited some stranger into the house, or some mythical creature, a unicorn or a griffin”.
Lana’s character is quite dark, with her looking into disturbing and morbid representations of organised religion, such as stigmata and hell. This darkness, however, is balanced by a deadpan sense of humour and some warm and tender moments with her family that are lovely to witness, and we begin to realise that underneath it all, Lana is a very sad, insecure and frightened young girl.
“I look hideous without the bandana,” said Lana.
“I’m sure it isn’t that bad.”
“You’re disregarding my feelings again. We talked about this with Dr Greenbaum.”
Jen’s situation is every parent’s worst nightmare and portrays brilliantly the difficulties in dealing with a loved one’s depression. Her journey is a painstaking one. She ‘shadows’ her daughter, following her to school and checking her Instagram profile, trying but failing to decipher her teenage mind and understand her actions.
“Lana, who wasn’t talking to her that day, wasn’t talking to her in an ordinary teenage way, or perhaps wasn’t talking to her in a troubled teenage way. How were you supposed to tell?”
As tension builds, Jen’s paranoia reaches breaking point and we start to wonder who we should really be concerned about. She begins to hallucinate, seeing a cat wandering around her home; she hears noises and whispering coming from Lana’s room; she obsesses over the meaning behind Lana’s Instagram posts; and at one point she believes Lana and Hugh are conspiring again her. In a café, one day, with her older daughter, Meg, Jen gets overly concerned about an older man and a too-young girl kissing in the corner, even considering calling the police. Another day, with Lana, she obsesses about a bag going missing from under Lana’s chair, asking repeatedly if Lana still has it. The internalness of Jen’s situation, where her thoughts go and how she tries to make sense of them, is fascinating to watch and expertly evoked by Healey.
Whistle in the Dark is about mental illness, parenthood, mother/daughter relationships and contemporary family life, but at its core, it is a gripping story about a mother’s love for her child, and her absolute refusal to allow hope to die. It is deeply affecting, and not just for mothers. Its portrayal of Jen’s struggle to stop Lana falling into a state of helplessness, and to impose some form of order in a chaotic world, will strike a chord with anyone who has loved someone. It is impossible not to feel sympathy for Jen, particularly because we are drawn into her internal monologues, right inside her mind as she tries to make sense of her reality. Despite the red herrings that emerge in this story, paying tribute to your traditional detective novel, the conclusion Healey draws is cathartic and hugely satisfying. The tension and intensity she manages to construct by the close of the novel is almost too much to bear, and by the end, I was completely exhausted.
This wonderfully constructed, intelligent and emotionally compelling novel was both a difficult and engaging read, and I absolutely loved it. Bravo, Emma Healey. 4.5 stars.
Lana doesn’t appear to be seriously injured physically, but her inability – or unwillingness – to fill in the gaps or even say who she was with, is worrying for her parents, Hugh and Jen. Jen, especially, is driven to imagine the very worst and we set out with her, as detective, on an emotional and sometimes uncomfortable quest to discover just what happened to her daughter. Did Lana suffer such trauma that she can’t force her mind to go back to what she experienced? Was Matthew – a boy Lana had just begun to date – involved somehow? Or was Lana involved in something unimaginable at the hands of Stephen, a member of the New Lollards Fellowship religious cult? His concerns with children ascending into hell and children ‘bringing something back’ (something evil) from experiences like Lana’s are both unsettling and bizarre. What complicates matters even more is Lana’s depression, which predates her disappearance and has manifested itself in bouts of cutting and suicidal ideation. As a gentle warning to readers sensitive to certain triggers, mental health plays a big role in this novel so this reading experience can feel like an intense one.
“I want to kill myself,” Lana tells her mother and “her voice was flat and quiet, toneless and powerful”.
Lana is a refreshing and ballsy character, but she is also strong-willed, scathing and often rude. She is resistant to her mother’s probing and is reluctant to provide desperately anxious Jen with any kind of reassurance while she struggles to establish an independent identity. Jen continues to try to be close to her daughter but Lana pulls away.
“[It was] as if she’d invited some stranger into the house, or some mythical creature, a unicorn or a griffin”.
Lana’s character is quite dark, with her looking into disturbing and morbid representations of organised religion, such as stigmata and hell. This darkness, however, is balanced by a deadpan sense of humour and some warm and tender moments with her family that are lovely to witness, and we begin to realise that underneath it all, Lana is a very sad, insecure and frightened young girl.
“I look hideous without the bandana,” said Lana.
“I’m sure it isn’t that bad.”
“You’re disregarding my feelings again. We talked about this with Dr Greenbaum.”
Jen’s situation is every parent’s worst nightmare and portrays brilliantly the difficulties in dealing with a loved one’s depression. Her journey is a painstaking one. She ‘shadows’ her daughter, following her to school and checking her Instagram profile, trying but failing to decipher her teenage mind and understand her actions.
“Lana, who wasn’t talking to her that day, wasn’t talking to her in an ordinary teenage way, or perhaps wasn’t talking to her in a troubled teenage way. How were you supposed to tell?”
As tension builds, Jen’s paranoia reaches breaking point and we start to wonder who we should really be concerned about. She begins to hallucinate, seeing a cat wandering around her home; she hears noises and whispering coming from Lana’s room; she obsesses over the meaning behind Lana’s Instagram posts; and at one point she believes Lana and Hugh are conspiring again her. In a café, one day, with her older daughter, Meg, Jen gets overly concerned about an older man and a too-young girl kissing in the corner, even considering calling the police. Another day, with Lana, she obsesses about a bag going missing from under Lana’s chair, asking repeatedly if Lana still has it. The internalness of Jen’s situation, where her thoughts go and how she tries to make sense of them, is fascinating to watch and expertly evoked by Healey.
Whistle in the Dark is about mental illness, parenthood, mother/daughter relationships and contemporary family life, but at its core, it is a gripping story about a mother’s love for her child, and her absolute refusal to allow hope to die. It is deeply affecting, and not just for mothers. Its portrayal of Jen’s struggle to stop Lana falling into a state of helplessness, and to impose some form of order in a chaotic world, will strike a chord with anyone who has loved someone. It is impossible not to feel sympathy for Jen, particularly because we are drawn into her internal monologues, right inside her mind as she tries to make sense of her reality. Despite the red herrings that emerge in this story, paying tribute to your traditional detective novel, the conclusion Healey draws is cathartic and hugely satisfying. The tension and intensity she manages to construct by the close of the novel is almost too much to bear, and by the end, I was completely exhausted.
This wonderfully constructed, intelligent and emotionally compelling novel was both a difficult and engaging read, and I absolutely loved it. Bravo, Emma Healey. 4.5 stars.
July 26, 2018
“Jen [felt] a sudden exhaustion from the burden of the love she felt for Lana. Why did she have to drag this love around everywhere when, sometimes, she’d like to leave it behind for a few hours? Without that love, she could float away, let her daughter’s mood improve, let her put her frown and her sharp tongue back in their still-shiny packaging. Without that love, she could be light, untethered by their shared genetics, by the memory of Lana as a baby, or by the pride she felt in her wit, even when it was aimed so fiercely at her.”
Whistle in the Dark is the second novel by award-winning British author, Emma Healey. In the last days of a sketching holiday in Derbyshire’s Peak District, Jen wakes to every mother's worst nightmare: her fifteen-year-old daughter is missing. It is four days of worry before Lana is found, bruised and bloody, soaking wet, exhausted and hungry, by a local farmer.
"I can't remember" is her reply to every query. Jen's level-headed husband Hugh is perfectly happy to wait until his daughter remembers of her own accord: she's safe now, and that's all that really matters. Twenty-six-year-old Meg is convinced that her sister’s amnesia is just more of Lana’s attention-seeking behaviour.
But over the following days and weeks, Jen notes changes in Lana: this is not the teen she went away with. Whatever happened has changed her daughter in ways she can’t always define. She's quite sure she isn't imagining it, and she can’t help her compulsion to learn what those four lost days held for Lana.
Lana is not particularly likeable for much of the book: a typical prickly teen, and there seems to be a bit of sibling rivalry between sisters for Jen’s love and devotion. Jen’s relationship with Lana is not the easiest: “Jen was aware of the hum of paranoia beneath her thoughts, a hum that rose in pitch whenever Lana and she were alone together.”
A natural worrier, Jen is constantly clutching at straws, going to some extraordinary lengths to find out what happened to Lana. Any parent of a teenaged girl would be able to empathise with her, but is her level of concern natural, or does her monitoring of Lana’s tweets, Instagram posts and reading matter amount to stalking?
The reader wants to know too, sure, but sometimes Hugh’s laid-back attitude is less irritating than Jen’s anxiety. But it’s worth persisting, as Jen does, because patience is certainly rewarded with an excellent climax. And some of Jen’s research (viz. alternate uses of condoms) certainly adds humour. Healey’s second novel is at least as good as her debut.
Whistle in the Dark is the second novel by award-winning British author, Emma Healey. In the last days of a sketching holiday in Derbyshire’s Peak District, Jen wakes to every mother's worst nightmare: her fifteen-year-old daughter is missing. It is four days of worry before Lana is found, bruised and bloody, soaking wet, exhausted and hungry, by a local farmer.
"I can't remember" is her reply to every query. Jen's level-headed husband Hugh is perfectly happy to wait until his daughter remembers of her own accord: she's safe now, and that's all that really matters. Twenty-six-year-old Meg is convinced that her sister’s amnesia is just more of Lana’s attention-seeking behaviour.
But over the following days and weeks, Jen notes changes in Lana: this is not the teen she went away with. Whatever happened has changed her daughter in ways she can’t always define. She's quite sure she isn't imagining it, and she can’t help her compulsion to learn what those four lost days held for Lana.
Lana is not particularly likeable for much of the book: a typical prickly teen, and there seems to be a bit of sibling rivalry between sisters for Jen’s love and devotion. Jen’s relationship with Lana is not the easiest: “Jen was aware of the hum of paranoia beneath her thoughts, a hum that rose in pitch whenever Lana and she were alone together.”
A natural worrier, Jen is constantly clutching at straws, going to some extraordinary lengths to find out what happened to Lana. Any parent of a teenaged girl would be able to empathise with her, but is her level of concern natural, or does her monitoring of Lana’s tweets, Instagram posts and reading matter amount to stalking?
The reader wants to know too, sure, but sometimes Hugh’s laid-back attitude is less irritating than Jen’s anxiety. But it’s worth persisting, as Jen does, because patience is certainly rewarded with an excellent climax. And some of Jen’s research (viz. alternate uses of condoms) certainly adds humour. Healey’s second novel is at least as good as her debut.
March 27, 2018
I really enjoyed Emma Healey's debut novel, Elizabeth is Missing, and was thus rather keen to begin her second, Whistle in the Dark. What I found within its pages was an intriguing mystery, a cast of multilayered characters, and a very tight and controlled plot. Healey explores a fascinating family dynamic, which is threatened by various factors - namely the disappearance of teenage daughter Lana, which is the focus of the plot. I enjoyed the way in which Healey builds the novel, with longer chapters and smaller fragments, all of which reveal something. Whistle in the Dark is so well pieced together, and I found it incredibly absorbing; it kept me up reading when I really should have been sleeping. I can't wait to see what Healey comes up with next.
August 6, 2018
2 1/2 stars
I tried to like this book. Jen and Hugh's 15 year old daughter Lana had been missing for four days while the two of them were away at an art "boot-camp". The story dealt with problems of Lana's depression and erratic behavior at home. Jen tried to relate to her daughter but she was quite unsure of herself, and always seemed to be saying the wrong thing.
I still want to read "Elizabeth is Missing" by this author. I've read very positive reviews on it.
I tried to like this book. Jen and Hugh's 15 year old daughter Lana had been missing for four days while the two of them were away at an art "boot-camp". The story dealt with problems of Lana's depression and erratic behavior at home. Jen tried to relate to her daughter but she was quite unsure of herself, and always seemed to be saying the wrong thing.
I still want to read "Elizabeth is Missing" by this author. I've read very positive reviews on it.
February 1, 2018
I haven’t read this author’s previous book ‘Elizabeth is Missing’ but I do remember hearing a lot about it, so I was quite excited to read her latest book ‘Whistle in the Dark’. The first page immediately drew me in, it is pretty unusual to start at the point where the missing girl is found and then covering the aftermath and I found this immediately intriguing. The mystery lies in discovering what happened to Lana whilst she was gone and how the whole family adjusts to her return. The characters are realistic, the narrator is Lana’s mother Jen and throughout the novel I felt that so many different aspects of her personality were slowly explored and revealed. The relationship between mother and daughter is a real focal point of the novel. I felt this was a really skilful portrayal of the difficulties of a mother trying to relate to her teenage daughter and the disappointment when she is totally unable to do so. Their relationship is so full of tension and at times it is actually quite painful to read because it felt so real. The issue of mental health, particularly depression is something that is dealt with well in this book. The author does a beautiful job of showing how depression can overwhelm a person completely and change their personality into something else entirely. There is also a focus on the effect that dealing with a child with mental health issues can have on the rest of the family. The author explored these issues with great subtlety which added another layer to the story.
Another interesting aspect of Whistle in the Dark was the structure the author used. The book is made up of lots of mini chapters of variable lengths, some very short and with different headings. There were many short chapters which take the reader out of the main story and explains something about a character or a flashback to the past. I found this style very effective as I have never read something quite like it before. I always enjoy reading something a bit different! I also liked the way the author writes, I found it difficult to put down despite it not being full of action or drama. There were some parts in which I felt the story was meandering slightly but I was always hooked back in by the author’s writing. There was a real feeling of unease and paranoia, like something terrible was about to take place throughout the whole novel which did not subside even with the conclusion. I like that sort of uneasy slow burn in a mystery, however it may not be for everyone.
Overall, I liked this book very much. I do wish certain things had been more thoroughly explained but I really loved the atmosphere of the novel and I thought the characters of Jen and Lana and their relationship was dealt with beautifully by the author. I will definitely read more from Emma Healey who seems to have a real skill for capturing the intensity of mental illness and showing how it really can and does affect everyone. This is not a book packed full of twists and action, however it is an unusual and thought provoking mystery with a sinister feeling of not quite knowing what is real and what is not.
Another interesting aspect of Whistle in the Dark was the structure the author used. The book is made up of lots of mini chapters of variable lengths, some very short and with different headings. There were many short chapters which take the reader out of the main story and explains something about a character or a flashback to the past. I found this style very effective as I have never read something quite like it before. I always enjoy reading something a bit different! I also liked the way the author writes, I found it difficult to put down despite it not being full of action or drama. There were some parts in which I felt the story was meandering slightly but I was always hooked back in by the author’s writing. There was a real feeling of unease and paranoia, like something terrible was about to take place throughout the whole novel which did not subside even with the conclusion. I like that sort of uneasy slow burn in a mystery, however it may not be for everyone.
Overall, I liked this book very much. I do wish certain things had been more thoroughly explained but I really loved the atmosphere of the novel and I thought the characters of Jen and Lana and their relationship was dealt with beautifully by the author. I will definitely read more from Emma Healey who seems to have a real skill for capturing the intensity of mental illness and showing how it really can and does affect everyone. This is not a book packed full of twists and action, however it is an unusual and thought provoking mystery with a sinister feeling of not quite knowing what is real and what is not.
April 24, 2018
Rather dull and slow, an 'aftermath' story with the world's most paranoid mother.
2.5 stars.
Alright, I DO understand that a mum whose child has been missing and then is found is going to be emotional, paranoid and worried about what's happened, how the daughter is coping, wondering what really happened...
But: "Gang affiliation? It hadn't been something Jen was worried about, but she'd add it to the list now." This is just one of dozens of things the mother panics about. On another occasion she asks her husband if he thinks their daughter is blinking too much or too little...
Jen's daughter went missing on a holiday in the Peaks for several days, and when she does appear, claiming she remembers nothing, Jen cannot let it drop. I can relate, I'm sure I'd want to know exactly what happened to, but Healey manages to make Jen more a shrew/nag than an empathic concerned mother in my eyes.
There is a mystery element of course, as we wonder along with Jen and her husband - just what happened to Lana? Where did she vanish to and what happened to her?
It seemed like an interesting plot but I soon tired of Jen's character and the slow, slow movement of the story, repeating the same pattern time and again - a new behaviour or 'clue' from Lana that Jen then obsesses over.
The conclusion, as we do find out the truth, did little to make me feel the read was worth it. I felt let down. The most interesting part for me was the look at relationships between mothers and daughters, but for me this was a frustrating book.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy, provided for review purposes.
2.5 stars.
Alright, I DO understand that a mum whose child has been missing and then is found is going to be emotional, paranoid and worried about what's happened, how the daughter is coping, wondering what really happened...
But: "Gang affiliation? It hadn't been something Jen was worried about, but she'd add it to the list now." This is just one of dozens of things the mother panics about. On another occasion she asks her husband if he thinks their daughter is blinking too much or too little...
Jen's daughter went missing on a holiday in the Peaks for several days, and when she does appear, claiming she remembers nothing, Jen cannot let it drop. I can relate, I'm sure I'd want to know exactly what happened to, but Healey manages to make Jen more a shrew/nag than an empathic concerned mother in my eyes.
There is a mystery element of course, as we wonder along with Jen and her husband - just what happened to Lana? Where did she vanish to and what happened to her?
It seemed like an interesting plot but I soon tired of Jen's character and the slow, slow movement of the story, repeating the same pattern time and again - a new behaviour or 'clue' from Lana that Jen then obsesses over.
The conclusion, as we do find out the truth, did little to make me feel the read was worth it. I felt let down. The most interesting part for me was the look at relationships between mothers and daughters, but for me this was a frustrating book.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy, provided for review purposes.
January 8, 2019
Whistle in the Dark is a reflective family drama with aspects of a mystery in the background. 15-year-old Lana is found disoriented and slightly injured after having been missing for 4 days. Lana's mother, Jen, is desperate to find out where her daughter was and what happened to her. But Lana's response remains: "I can't remember". What follows is a quiet - at times rather bland - exploration of a family living with a teenager with mental health issues. The story is told from the mother's perspective, but Hugh, the father, Lana's much older sister, Meg, and the maternal grandmother also play important roles.
To be honest, my first thought on finishing this was 'I'm so glad I finally made it to the end'. While the first few chapters and the final chapters were interesting, I found a huge part in the middle to be dragging. Like going round and round in circles. There was nothing wrong with the writing and the characters were well drawn, but it failed to have any emotional impact on me or engage me fully.
This is Emma Healey's second novel following her hugely successful debut Elizabeth Is Missing. I still haven't read Healey's debut, but I plan on reading it this year, hoping it will resonate with me more than Whistle in the Dark did.
To be honest, my first thought on finishing this was 'I'm so glad I finally made it to the end'. While the first few chapters and the final chapters were interesting, I found a huge part in the middle to be dragging. Like going round and round in circles. There was nothing wrong with the writing and the characters were well drawn, but it failed to have any emotional impact on me or engage me fully.
This is Emma Healey's second novel following her hugely successful debut Elizabeth Is Missing. I still haven't read Healey's debut, but I plan on reading it this year, hoping it will resonate with me more than Whistle in the Dark did.
July 23, 2018
15 year old Lana disappears for 4 days during a mother-daughter trip. She returns bloody and disoriented and claims to have no recollection of where she was or why she was gone. Her parents, Jen and Hugh, are relieved to have their daughter home. Yet...Jen can't put it behind her and needs to find answers. Sounds like the makings of an awesome thriller, right? Wrong. The author explores family bonds, mental illness, it's affect on other family members, and mother-daughter relationships. As someone who has experienced mental illness in my family, I was excited to read Whistle in the Dark. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment for me. The story has great promise but the only reason I continued to read was because I wanted to find out where Lana was for that 4 days. I could not connect with the characters and had an intense disliking of a few of them. I found the ending to be incredibly underwhelming. For me, Whistle in the Dark was ⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @harperbooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
June 20, 2019
3.5 STARS
This has the best and, in my opinion, the most accurate depiction of a family I've seen. I fell in love with their interactions and their time together. This isn't so much a thriller/mystery as it is a look into paranoia and how that affects families. After the youngest daughter goes missing, there are a lot of questions as to what happened, but the daughter refuses to answer. We look at a lot of ideas that the mother conjures and consider the daughter's actions to see what may have happened. I just adored their interactions and found myself laughing at their playfulness even in with dark subjects.
I will say, I thought I was going to give this book a 5 star despite being slower, but the ending was one of the most disappointing endings I've ever read. It was anti-climatic and, though it resolved the main questions, it wasn't satisfying.
This has the best and, in my opinion, the most accurate depiction of a family I've seen. I fell in love with their interactions and their time together. This isn't so much a thriller/mystery as it is a look into paranoia and how that affects families. After the youngest daughter goes missing, there are a lot of questions as to what happened, but the daughter refuses to answer. We look at a lot of ideas that the mother conjures and consider the daughter's actions to see what may have happened. I just adored their interactions and found myself laughing at their playfulness even in with dark subjects.
I will say, I thought I was going to give this book a 5 star despite being slower, but the ending was one of the most disappointing endings I've ever read. It was anti-climatic and, though it resolved the main questions, it wasn't satisfying.
September 24, 2021
Not my usual reading choice, but I really enjoyed this novel. It was a tad experimental in format, no chapters, just titled vignettes and sketches, which at first I had trouble with then admired and enjoyed.
Basically, a light psychological thriller with some hints at supernatural/religious stuff, mingled with the sociological study of mothering, as the main character seeks to find a path, literally, to her daughter's troubled mind. While the ending is not tied up completely, and seems to be reliant on the mother more than the daughter, having written about caves, I loved where the novel took the reader. I'll leave it at that.
Some humor, too. Loved this line: "Jen [the mother] wished lying awake and worrying was an Olympic sport." I'd be a gold medal athlete if this were the case!
Basically, a light psychological thriller with some hints at supernatural/religious stuff, mingled with the sociological study of mothering, as the main character seeks to find a path, literally, to her daughter's troubled mind. While the ending is not tied up completely, and seems to be reliant on the mother more than the daughter, having written about caves, I loved where the novel took the reader. I'll leave it at that.
Some humor, too. Loved this line: "Jen [the mother] wished lying awake and worrying was an Olympic sport." I'd be a gold medal athlete if this were the case!
August 8, 2018
Poignant insights into the intricate relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter. Adolescence is rarely an easy time for the teen him or herself, nor for his/parents, but this situation becomes all the more complex after the teenager goes missing for four days while on holiday with her mother.
September 18, 2019
4.5/5 ⭐️
March 25, 2023
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June 3, 2018
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so it's with a heavy heart that I give it this low rating. Perhaps my own self-inflicted hype even played a part in my eventual lukewarm feelings towards it.
Things in this novel started out really well, with a great concept and a good amount of intrigue. It was very readable, and I powered through the whole thing in a single weekend, which has to say something in and of itself. Though they are very different in content, it has a similar narrative structure to Healey's debut, Elizabeth is Missing, in that a mystery is used as the basis to explore the inner workings of her protagonist's mind. In Elizabeth is Missing, that's an elderly woman with dementia who is worried about her missing friend; in this, it's a mother struggling to understand her teenage daughter, who has just returned following an unexplained disappearance that lasted four days.
The problem I ended up having with Whistle in the Dark, however, was the exact same problem that I had with Healey's debut, which is that it simply tried to be too many things at once, and lost its impact as a result. It begins very well as a character study of the mother and daughter, exploring the ideas of motherhood as an identity, teenage mental health, and a family's attempts to recover after trauma. This was undoubtedly where the novel's strengths and potential were, but it's the mystery element that was ramped up as the story progressed, and I felt this was to the detriment of the character development.
The mystery element itself starts out with a crime-thriller vibe, before rather bizarrely delving into the ideas of the supernatural, and religious fanaticism. It felt to me, however, like there was a lot of going in circles, without much in the way of actual plot progression. And with so many ideas thrown into the mix as to what may have been behind Lana's disappearance, the eventual 'reveal' fell completely flat, feeling both obvious and underwhelming.
On a side note, I also wasn't always entirely comfortable with the way the author discussed physical appearance. Both an overweight character and a character with an apparent facial deformity are referred to in a cutting manner, with needless critique of the way they look. It wasn't anything too extreme, but it felt cold and jarred me out of the story, so I thought it was worth flagging up.
Ultimately, it's a book with lots of potential that is indeed intriguing enough to keep the pages turning, but despite taking on much, it sadly delivers little. The actual experience of reading it wasn't unenjoyable, but it left me with no lasting feelings of interest or excitement whatsoever. To put it bluntly, Elizabeth is Missing was a fantastic character study of someone with dementia that was hampered by a mediocre mystery; Whistle in the Dark is, what could have been, a fantastic character study of a mother in turmoil, once again hampered by a mediocre mystery.
Things in this novel started out really well, with a great concept and a good amount of intrigue. It was very readable, and I powered through the whole thing in a single weekend, which has to say something in and of itself. Though they are very different in content, it has a similar narrative structure to Healey's debut, Elizabeth is Missing, in that a mystery is used as the basis to explore the inner workings of her protagonist's mind. In Elizabeth is Missing, that's an elderly woman with dementia who is worried about her missing friend; in this, it's a mother struggling to understand her teenage daughter, who has just returned following an unexplained disappearance that lasted four days.
The problem I ended up having with Whistle in the Dark, however, was the exact same problem that I had with Healey's debut, which is that it simply tried to be too many things at once, and lost its impact as a result. It begins very well as a character study of the mother and daughter, exploring the ideas of motherhood as an identity, teenage mental health, and a family's attempts to recover after trauma. This was undoubtedly where the novel's strengths and potential were, but it's the mystery element that was ramped up as the story progressed, and I felt this was to the detriment of the character development.
The mystery element itself starts out with a crime-thriller vibe, before rather bizarrely delving into the ideas of the supernatural, and religious fanaticism. It felt to me, however, like there was a lot of going in circles, without much in the way of actual plot progression. And with so many ideas thrown into the mix as to what may have been behind Lana's disappearance, the eventual 'reveal' fell completely flat, feeling both obvious and underwhelming.
On a side note, I also wasn't always entirely comfortable with the way the author discussed physical appearance. Both an overweight character and a character with an apparent facial deformity are referred to in a cutting manner, with needless critique of the way they look. It wasn't anything too extreme, but it felt cold and jarred me out of the story, so I thought it was worth flagging up.
Ultimately, it's a book with lots of potential that is indeed intriguing enough to keep the pages turning, but despite taking on much, it sadly delivers little. The actual experience of reading it wasn't unenjoyable, but it left me with no lasting feelings of interest or excitement whatsoever. To put it bluntly, Elizabeth is Missing was a fantastic character study of someone with dementia that was hampered by a mediocre mystery; Whistle in the Dark is, what could have been, a fantastic character study of a mother in turmoil, once again hampered by a mediocre mystery.
February 21, 2018
Having loved Emma Healey's first novel, I was very much looking forward to reading this one. As a genre it is difficult to pinpoint as it is in part a thriller and in part a family drama. The concept was really intriguing since we meet the characters when Lana - a fifteen year old who has been missing - has already been found. As she settles back into her turbulent life, we begin to unravel where she may have been and meet her family with whom her interactions are awkward. The relationship that she has with her mother is central to the story and provides some of the more tense moments in the book. I love the idea but whilst I was hooked at the start, the pace of the book was a little slow and therefore lost me a bit. The characters were not always easy to engage with and whilst they pushed one another away, I felt distanced from them as a reader too. The book felt a little bleak and although interesting, for me it lacked some of the charm of the first novel. Having said this, I would read work by this author again.
February 17, 2018
Having read some rave reviews for Emma Healey's debut novel, I was keen to read this book.
Whilst being intrigued to find the answer about why Lana went missing, I became frustrated by the convuluted story about the family relationships.
I am aware that my review does not reflect the opinions of many other readers, but I found this book rather hard going.
I didn't warm to the characters, well crafted though they are.
However, as I had to find out what had happened, I suppose a 3 star rating must be awarded.
Oh, and yes there is an answer.
My thanks to Netgalley and Viking for a copy of this book in return for this review.
Whilst being intrigued to find the answer about why Lana went missing, I became frustrated by the convuluted story about the family relationships.
I am aware that my review does not reflect the opinions of many other readers, but I found this book rather hard going.
I didn't warm to the characters, well crafted though they are.
However, as I had to find out what had happened, I suppose a 3 star rating must be awarded.
Oh, and yes there is an answer.
My thanks to Netgalley and Viking for a copy of this book in return for this review.
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