What do you think?
Rate this book
Whispers from the Grave
When Jenna discovers the diary of a girl who was murdered over 100 years ago, she is startled by how much they have in common. Rita looked like her, acted like her, and faced the trials of high school while experiencing the thrill of first love. As Jenna reads of Rita's tragic past, she fears for her own future. Because Rita's history is repeating itself--in Jenna's life.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
14 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Rule
11 books486 followers Leslie Rule's true crime debut, A Tangled Web, covers a frightening Omaha love triangle murder. "I chose this case because I want to warn readers that the female sadistic sociopath may be the most dangerous killer of all."
A veteran author for over three decades, Rule's works include two suspense novels and five nonfiction books on the paranormal, including Coast to Coast Ghosts, True Stories of Hauntings Across America. Rule was only seventeen when she started attending murder trials with her mother, author Ann Rule. "It was my job to shoot the killers, not with a gun, but with my camera," says Leslie. Many of her courtroom photographs have appeared in her mother's books.
A veteran author for over three decades, Rule's works include two suspense novels and five nonfiction books on the paranormal, including Coast to Coast Ghosts, True Stories of Hauntings Across America. Rule was only seventeen when she started attending murder trials with her mother, author Ann Rule. "It was my job to shoot the killers, not with a gun, but with my camera," says Leslie. Many of her courtroom photographs have appeared in her mother's books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 18, 2018
I was fully expecting this story to play out in a certain way, so the fact that it completely throws everything into a different direction made my enjoy this book so much more.
Jenna finds a 100 year old diary in the attic which was kept by Rita, a young girl that looks uncannily similar to Jenna.
Some secrets are soon to be revealed...
I loved the setting for this story, the less you know prior the better the reading experience is.
As I was completely blindsided with the direction it took, it just made me want to keep on reading!
So much that I blasted through it all in one day, highly recommend!
Jenna finds a 100 year old diary in the attic which was kept by Rita, a young girl that looks uncannily similar to Jenna.
Some secrets are soon to be revealed...
I loved the setting for this story, the less you know prior the better the reading experience is.
As I was completely blindsided with the direction it took, it just made me want to keep on reading!
So much that I blasted through it all in one day, highly recommend!
July 2, 2012
"Whispers from the Grave" is the first book I've read from author Leslie Rule, and I actually didn't know this was originally published back in 1995, so it's interesting to see how this story holds in contemporary measures versus back then. The book's cover makes it seem more ominous than it actually is, but it's a story that I think was worth the read.
The story revolves around 17-year old Jenna, who resides in the year 2070. Jenna's your regular future teenager until her world turn right side up with a few significant discoveries. She finds a diary of a young woman named Rita, living in the 1970s who looks exactly like her, and finds a bond in reading her entries. Jenna also discovers that Rita was murdered. Determined to discover the truth about the mysterious owner of the diary, Jenna pursues the thread, only to realize she has a much closer connection to Rita than she could have ever imagined, and that much of what she'd known about her life was a lie.
The story toggles between a murder mystery, time-travel race, and coming of age format. It has so many great ideas, but the execution of them, to me, was a bit off and confusing in spurts. For one, I thought Jenna sounded much younger than her respective age of 17 - she almost made me think she was either 14 or 15 given her respective voice. For another, the story commences on a rocky platform with the introduction of the characters, but once Jenna starts experimenting with her psychokinetic abilities and learns of the truth behind the diary and the secrets kept from her - it becomes much more interesting. I actually liked the time travel elements in this book - made it feel like it had a "Back to the Future" vibe to it. Jenna tries to save Rita's life and prevent all measure of things happening, only to discover that she's a more intricate part of the history than she bargained for and that the events were not as they seemed.
I wish, in a way, that the characters were delved a bit more into - while I could say that I liked the general structure of some of the characters (Shane, Rita, Jenna, etc.), I never really felt that I got to know them in the harrowing sets of events. I understood Jenna's conflicting emotions in spurts, but it was presented in a bit of a harried way - and it wasn't always easy to follow.
The ending somewhat ties off the threads established in the story, but it was more telling than showing, and while I appreciated that Jenna noted the changes in her society from the events altered in the past, I wish it'd come across a little smoother and more intimate rather than distant.
I think young teens probably won't mind some of these qualms as they're reading, because it is an interesting story, but I think it could've been evened out a little more to give it a smoother flow and developed context and characterizations.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing.
The story revolves around 17-year old Jenna, who resides in the year 2070. Jenna's your regular future teenager until her world turn right side up with a few significant discoveries. She finds a diary of a young woman named Rita, living in the 1970s who looks exactly like her, and finds a bond in reading her entries. Jenna also discovers that Rita was murdered. Determined to discover the truth about the mysterious owner of the diary, Jenna pursues the thread, only to realize she has a much closer connection to Rita than she could have ever imagined, and that much of what she'd known about her life was a lie.
The story toggles between a murder mystery, time-travel race, and coming of age format. It has so many great ideas, but the execution of them, to me, was a bit off and confusing in spurts. For one, I thought Jenna sounded much younger than her respective age of 17 - she almost made me think she was either 14 or 15 given her respective voice. For another, the story commences on a rocky platform with the introduction of the characters, but once Jenna starts experimenting with her psychokinetic abilities and learns of the truth behind the diary and the secrets kept from her - it becomes much more interesting. I actually liked the time travel elements in this book - made it feel like it had a "Back to the Future" vibe to it. Jenna tries to save Rita's life and prevent all measure of things happening, only to discover that she's a more intricate part of the history than she bargained for and that the events were not as they seemed.
I wish, in a way, that the characters were delved a bit more into - while I could say that I liked the general structure of some of the characters (Shane, Rita, Jenna, etc.), I never really felt that I got to know them in the harrowing sets of events. I understood Jenna's conflicting emotions in spurts, but it was presented in a bit of a harried way - and it wasn't always easy to follow.
The ending somewhat ties off the threads established in the story, but it was more telling than showing, and while I appreciated that Jenna noted the changes in her society from the events altered in the past, I wish it'd come across a little smoother and more intimate rather than distant.
I think young teens probably won't mind some of these qualms as they're reading, because it is an interesting story, but I think it could've been evened out a little more to give it a smoother flow and developed context and characterizations.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing.
May 17, 2025
2025 review: 4 stars. I forgot how boy crazy this book and Kill Me Again are. But that explains why my preteen self ate these up. Along with the 70s revival happening in the 90s at the time I first read this. I guessed the killer this time around! Really starts to get going around 50% and doesn’t let up. My younger self liked Whispers more but this time around I liked Kill Me Again slightly more. Why were we so obsessed with telekinesis in the 80s and 90s? Small quibble about IVF not really being possible in the 1970s. The ending went all philosophical and really made me think.
2020 review: I remember 5 star-ing this back in the day. It starts out slow. The teen dialogue and futuristic inventions are a bit hokey but once the time travel starts it gets really good. It blew my mind back in the late 90's/early 00s. The title makes it seem like a ghost story but it's actually more sci-fi.
90s review: 5 stars.
Published in 1995.
2020 review: I remember 5 star-ing this back in the day. It starts out slow. The teen dialogue and futuristic inventions are a bit hokey but once the time travel starts it gets really good. It blew my mind back in the late 90's/early 00s. The title makes it seem like a ghost story but it's actually more sci-fi.
90s review: 5 stars.
Published in 1995.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2023
I had to read this book for English class and I didn’t like it that much. The characters were mean to each other, Jenna was rude to nice people for no reason and trusted people she clearly shouldn’t trust. It was obvious that Ben was the killer but even in Jenna’s shoes where she couldn’t know that, she should’ve known that not everyone is nice. The depiction of the future is poor and shows no evolution appart from technology as if humans didn’t change through time. This book was not good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 7, 2019I read this a looooong time ago and recent circumstances have compelled me to write a snarky review of it. Because that's, apparently, what you do when it comes to Bad 90s YA. And this is, indeed, Bad 90s YA. So bad it's, well, freaking awesome! So much that I recommended it to a coworker friend (who, as it turns out, is also a fan of Bad 90s Fiction).
Our story begins in 2070-something. Our heroine, Jenna, is exploring the attic of her creepy old house with her annoying neighbor, Suki, who doesn't get that she's annoying. And Jenna is, apparently, too nice to tell the girl to take a hike (Point Team Jenna)...even though Jenna suspects Suki is a kleptomaniac, something she has no concrete proof of, but her new lipstick did disappear shortly after Suki visited last time. More on this later... Anyway, Jenna and Suki are exploring the attic (I mention the house is creepy and old? It is. Pretty the only "old" house left in her town) when they find an old crate filled with relics from the 1970s. Bell bottom jeans and peasant blouses. To me, this sounds like a treasure trove, but Jenna and Suki think these clothes are redonkulous. Among these relics is an old diary written by a teen girl named Rita who lived in the house 100 years earlier. Oh...and Rita looked exactly like Jenna. The girls learn this from an old photo that falls out of the diary. Convenient? Most definitely.
Jenna is excited by this. An only child, she has no other family aside from her parents, who are kind of cold and distant. She figures Rita might still be alive (in 2070, it's not uncommon for people to live well into their 120s) and she could track her down and have a family reunion. But when she later looks Rita up on the computer, she learns...
...wait for it...
...that Rita is DEAD! Murdered. By her boyfriend!! (Oh, this is getting good)
And Rita isn't just a distant relative. She's (this is the best part) Jenna's twin sister!! Apparently Jenna's mom was a powerful psychic, but the government didn't have the funds to study such things back in 1970. Which is totally bull shit because Hawkins Lab of Stranger Things Fame was totally into it. Also, I'm sure MUlder & Scully's X-Files are overloaded from stuff from that time period. Anyway they convinced real Mom to put an embryo on ice until such a time funds became available. (Ok, did anyone else flash back to My So Called Life and Jordan Catalano's band? Just me? Well, anyway...)
Did I mention Jenna has a job? She does. Her father works at a Secret Government Lab that researches psychic behavior. The very same lab that stashed Jenna's embryo for near 100 years. And Jenna, Suki, and the In Crowd have all been asked to participate in a study about the presence of psychic ability in teenagers. Well...Jenna kind of HAS to. As it turns out, Jenna is VERY psychic. When she learns she has the ability to pull objects (paper clips, etc. oh yeah, Suki didn't steal jenna's lipstick after all. Jenna just accidently 'moved' it with her mind) from different time periods, she immediately begins concocting a plot to send herself back in time to save her sister from being murdered. Now why someone would go to such great lengths to save someone she's never met is beyond my understanding. I mean, maybe Rita was a terrible person (puppy kicking level terrible) and didn't deserve to be saved. But Jenna appears full of teen angst, so there you go. She tricks the son of the Lab Owner, whom she has started dating, to allow her to try a helmet that enhances psychic abilities and then steals said helmet. Personally I'd rather have a time traveling obsolete sports car than a boring ol' crash helmet, but beggars can't be choosers.
Side Bar: Jenna has an old, blind neighbor who falls off a cliff. The only witness to this is her new BF. Suspicious? I think so...but the guy played it off well
Jenna succeeds in traveling back in time where she meets Rita and convinces her of the truth. Well, she doesn't tell her about the murder-y part, but she does tell the rest. She also attempts to break up Rita and Ben (Rita's BF who, supposedly, is the killer). And she meets Sky, her future boyfriend Kyle's grandfather...whom jenna thinks is totally dreamy. Gotta love hippie 70s names!! I found this kind of creepy, like she's semi-cheating on Kyle by sort of lusting after his grandfather... I've read worse/creepier love triangles, but not many. Sky, who is interested in psychic powers and actually founded the lab that studies them in the future, is obviously interested in jenna and her mind.
A bunch of stuff happens, including Jenna learning that Kyle may have murdered the old blind neighbor because, as a child, he was the only witness to Rita's murder (except, being blind, he only reported what he heard). And on that, turns out Ben wasn't the killer after all. The killer was...drum roll...Sky!! SHOCK!! Sky killed Rita because she found out he killed his partner and took credit for all his scientific inventions. Show of hands if you saw this one coming 10 miles away.
*Raises Hand*
And he would have gotten away with it too if not for those meddling teens.
So, Jenna saves Rita just in time, Sky is arrested and given the chair, and everything is peachy. YAY!! But there's still the matter of getting home, because, obviously Jenna can't stay in the past. And when Jenna finally DOES return home, her world is completely different. Kyle is no longer there, because grandpa was put to death before he could spread his murderous seed. But that's ok. Being that he killed an innocent old blind dude, I don't think he was very good for Jenna in the first place. Being a killer is kind of a deal-breaker even for the horniest teen. Suki the annoying neighbor is also missing. TWIST: Suki, whose mom was also psychic, was also put on ice as an embryo. But in this version of the future, she was born when she was supposed to be born and, we hope, lived a much happier life where people didn't think she was an annoying misfit.
I don't know about you, but coming back to a completely different future, while being the only one who remembers how things used to be, would really fuck with me. I could get into a discussion about the Space-Time Continuum, Multi-Verse Theory, The Butterfly Effect, The Mandela Effect, etc, because I'm actually really into that stuff. But this is a lite read, so i'll spare you the details. But all this Butterfly Effect talk did, for a second, make me think about that time I grabbed the last Rainbow Cake at the bakery. I mean, what if that cake was supposed to make or break someone's future and I fucked it all up for them by taking it instead.
Then again, the cake was delicious and I'm glad I got it first.
Our story begins in 2070-something. Our heroine, Jenna, is exploring the attic of her creepy old house with her annoying neighbor, Suki, who doesn't get that she's annoying. And Jenna is, apparently, too nice to tell the girl to take a hike (Point Team Jenna)...even though Jenna suspects Suki is a kleptomaniac, something she has no concrete proof of, but her new lipstick did disappear shortly after Suki visited last time. More on this later... Anyway, Jenna and Suki are exploring the attic (I mention the house is creepy and old? It is. Pretty the only "old" house left in her town) when they find an old crate filled with relics from the 1970s. Bell bottom jeans and peasant blouses. To me, this sounds like a treasure trove, but Jenna and Suki think these clothes are redonkulous. Among these relics is an old diary written by a teen girl named Rita who lived in the house 100 years earlier. Oh...and Rita looked exactly like Jenna. The girls learn this from an old photo that falls out of the diary. Convenient? Most definitely.
Jenna is excited by this. An only child, she has no other family aside from her parents, who are kind of cold and distant. She figures Rita might still be alive (in 2070, it's not uncommon for people to live well into their 120s) and she could track her down and have a family reunion. But when she later looks Rita up on the computer, she learns...
...wait for it...
...that Rita is DEAD! Murdered. By her boyfriend!! (Oh, this is getting good)
And Rita isn't just a distant relative. She's (this is the best part) Jenna's twin sister!! Apparently Jenna's mom was a powerful psychic, but the government didn't have the funds to study such things back in 1970. Which is totally bull shit because Hawkins Lab of Stranger Things Fame was totally into it. Also, I'm sure MUlder & Scully's X-Files are overloaded from stuff from that time period. Anyway they convinced real Mom to put an embryo on ice until such a time funds became available. (Ok, did anyone else flash back to My So Called Life and Jordan Catalano's band? Just me? Well, anyway...)
Did I mention Jenna has a job? She does. Her father works at a Secret Government Lab that researches psychic behavior. The very same lab that stashed Jenna's embryo for near 100 years. And Jenna, Suki, and the In Crowd have all been asked to participate in a study about the presence of psychic ability in teenagers. Well...Jenna kind of HAS to. As it turns out, Jenna is VERY psychic. When she learns she has the ability to pull objects (paper clips, etc. oh yeah, Suki didn't steal jenna's lipstick after all. Jenna just accidently 'moved' it with her mind) from different time periods, she immediately begins concocting a plot to send herself back in time to save her sister from being murdered. Now why someone would go to such great lengths to save someone she's never met is beyond my understanding. I mean, maybe Rita was a terrible person (puppy kicking level terrible) and didn't deserve to be saved. But Jenna appears full of teen angst, so there you go. She tricks the son of the Lab Owner, whom she has started dating, to allow her to try a helmet that enhances psychic abilities and then steals said helmet. Personally I'd rather have a time traveling obsolete sports car than a boring ol' crash helmet, but beggars can't be choosers.
Side Bar: Jenna has an old, blind neighbor who falls off a cliff. The only witness to this is her new BF. Suspicious? I think so...but the guy played it off well
Jenna succeeds in traveling back in time where she meets Rita and convinces her of the truth. Well, she doesn't tell her about the murder-y part, but she does tell the rest. She also attempts to break up Rita and Ben (Rita's BF who, supposedly, is the killer). And she meets Sky, her future boyfriend Kyle's grandfather...whom jenna thinks is totally dreamy. Gotta love hippie 70s names!! I found this kind of creepy, like she's semi-cheating on Kyle by sort of lusting after his grandfather... I've read worse/creepier love triangles, but not many. Sky, who is interested in psychic powers and actually founded the lab that studies them in the future, is obviously interested in jenna and her mind.
A bunch of stuff happens, including Jenna learning that Kyle may have murdered the old blind neighbor because, as a child, he was the only witness to Rita's murder (except, being blind, he only reported what he heard). And on that, turns out Ben wasn't the killer after all. The killer was...drum roll...Sky!! SHOCK!! Sky killed Rita because she found out he killed his partner and took credit for all his scientific inventions. Show of hands if you saw this one coming 10 miles away.
*Raises Hand*
And he would have gotten away with it too if not for those meddling teens.
So, Jenna saves Rita just in time, Sky is arrested and given the chair, and everything is peachy. YAY!! But there's still the matter of getting home, because, obviously Jenna can't stay in the past. And when Jenna finally DOES return home, her world is completely different. Kyle is no longer there, because grandpa was put to death before he could spread his murderous seed. But that's ok. Being that he killed an innocent old blind dude, I don't think he was very good for Jenna in the first place. Being a killer is kind of a deal-breaker even for the horniest teen. Suki the annoying neighbor is also missing. TWIST: Suki, whose mom was also psychic, was also put on ice as an embryo. But in this version of the future, she was born when she was supposed to be born and, we hope, lived a much happier life where people didn't think she was an annoying misfit.
I don't know about you, but coming back to a completely different future, while being the only one who remembers how things used to be, would really fuck with me. I could get into a discussion about the Space-Time Continuum, Multi-Verse Theory, The Butterfly Effect, The Mandela Effect, etc, because I'm actually really into that stuff. But this is a lite read, so i'll spare you the details. But all this Butterfly Effect talk did, for a second, make me think about that time I grabbed the last Rainbow Cake at the bakery. I mean, what if that cake was supposed to make or break someone's future and I fucked it all up for them by taking it instead.
Then again, the cake was delicious and I'm glad I got it first.
April 12, 2021
For some reason I just randomly thought of this book. After dislocating my knee within the first days of summer vacation 1995 (after finishing elementary school—the exact age my kids are now), I was able to pick out a few books to keep me occupied. I read this book twice that June. Devoured it. Finished it, freaked out, and immediately started it again. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting based on the cover, but SO MUCH COOLER! It blew my 11 year old mind! It stuck with me and was a favorite for years. I have no idea what’s happened to my copy, and I’m sure as an adult I’d probably find it cheesy and terrible, but I’m giving it 5 full stars because it made me all nostalgic and happy just thinking of it 26 years later. (26...omg lol) That’s powerful.
January 21, 2025
Great read!
Whispers From the Grave is a captivating journey into the eerie and the unexpected. The storytelling is masterful, blending chilling suspense with well-developed characters that keep you hooked from start to finish. The atmosphere is hauntingly vivid, pulling you into every twist and turn. Whether you're a fan of ghost stories or just love a good thriller, this is a must-read that will leave you thinking about it long after you've turned the final page!
Whispers From the Grave is a captivating journey into the eerie and the unexpected. The storytelling is masterful, blending chilling suspense with well-developed characters that keep you hooked from start to finish. The atmosphere is hauntingly vivid, pulling you into every twist and turn. Whether you're a fan of ghost stories or just love a good thriller, this is a must-read that will leave you thinking about it long after you've turned the final page!
May 10, 2017
Interesting premise! If you expect a paranormal story, you might be a little disappointed. However, by the time you realize it's not exactly what you had in mind from the title, you'll have already been sucked into the story! This book moves fast and is a quick read. You won't be bored. I didn't figure it out until about a second before the protagonist did. Good mystery!
February 5, 2022
good plot twist ; so easy to read and has the enough ingredients that make a book enjoyable and worth-reading.
September 18, 2014
{ I received this as an ebook from NetGalley. Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }
I felt a little misled by this one. I had it shelved as a paranormal ghost story, thinking that Jenna lives in the present and Rita is a ghost from the past. But actually Jenna is living in the future, in the 2070s, and Rita lived in the 1970s. And Rita's not a ghost either. I can't tell if the synopsis is intentionally misleading to make it appeal to a wider audience, or if I just assumed from the cover and title that Whispers from the Grave was going to be a ghost story and then interpreted the synopsis accordingly.
Either way... Jenna finds Rita's diary in her attic and realizes that she's reading the words of a girl who was murdered in the town a century ago. Strange things start to happen in her own time, and Jenna thinks that somehow they're connected to Rita's murder. She ends up involved with a psychokinetics study at a science lab along with her friends Suki and Kyle, where she discovers that she has some pretty incredible powers. As she slowly unravels the complicated history of Rita's life and how it's intertwined with her own, she realizes she has to use her powers to try and save Rita, and at the same time save herself.
Without spoiling too much, Whispers from the Grave does have a paranormal element: Rita and Jenna both discover that they have psychokinetic abilities, meaning they can move objects with their mind. At the science lab, Jenna learns that Rita could move objects not only from place to place, but she could move them through time as well. Jenna begins to wonder, if Rita could do that, could she move herself back to Rita's time to try to change the events that led to Rita's death?
Anything else I say about the plot is probably going to spoil things, so I'll hide the rest. )
I'm typically not into sci-fi, so I can't comment with any sort of authority on the futuristic elements in Whispers from the Grave. I thought some things were a little cheesy (I really hope we don't wear puff suits in the future), but some things I did like, such as the virtual reality program where you can simulate a dream date with your crush or have a picnic with deceased family members (if that actually exists in the future, you'll know where to find me in every waking moment of my free time).
Although it was a little disappointing to start a book expecting a ghost story and end up with a different sort of story entirely, I still enjoyed Whispers from the Grave. The writing is solid and the slow reveal of one secret after another kept me steadily flipping pages. While there are some nice twists, you'll probably be able to figure out most of what's foreshadowed before it comes to pass. Still, it's an interesting time travel read and one that I would recommend to lovers of sci-fi, although not so much to lovers of ghost stories.
I felt a little misled by this one. I had it shelved as a paranormal ghost story, thinking that Jenna lives in the present and Rita is a ghost from the past. But actually Jenna is living in the future, in the 2070s, and Rita lived in the 1970s. And Rita's not a ghost either. I can't tell if the synopsis is intentionally misleading to make it appeal to a wider audience, or if I just assumed from the cover and title that Whispers from the Grave was going to be a ghost story and then interpreted the synopsis accordingly.
Either way... Jenna finds Rita's diary in her attic and realizes that she's reading the words of a girl who was murdered in the town a century ago. Strange things start to happen in her own time, and Jenna thinks that somehow they're connected to Rita's murder. She ends up involved with a psychokinetics study at a science lab along with her friends Suki and Kyle, where she discovers that she has some pretty incredible powers. As she slowly unravels the complicated history of Rita's life and how it's intertwined with her own, she realizes she has to use her powers to try and save Rita, and at the same time save herself.
Without spoiling too much, Whispers from the Grave does have a paranormal element: Rita and Jenna both discover that they have psychokinetic abilities, meaning they can move objects with their mind. At the science lab, Jenna learns that Rita could move objects not only from place to place, but she could move them through time as well. Jenna begins to wonder, if Rita could do that, could she move herself back to Rita's time to try to change the events that led to Rita's death?
Anything else I say about the plot is probably going to spoil things, so I'll hide the rest. )
I'm typically not into sci-fi, so I can't comment with any sort of authority on the futuristic elements in Whispers from the Grave. I thought some things were a little cheesy (I really hope we don't wear puff suits in the future), but some things I did like, such as the virtual reality program where you can simulate a dream date with your crush or have a picnic with deceased family members (if that actually exists in the future, you'll know where to find me in every waking moment of my free time).
Although it was a little disappointing to start a book expecting a ghost story and end up with a different sort of story entirely, I still enjoyed Whispers from the Grave. The writing is solid and the slow reveal of one secret after another kept me steadily flipping pages. While there are some nice twists, you'll probably be able to figure out most of what's foreshadowed before it comes to pass. Still, it's an interesting time travel read and one that I would recommend to lovers of sci-fi, although not so much to lovers of ghost stories.
June 27, 2012
Tossing up between four and five stars... and going for five because I did really enjoy this! My only problem was that I found a part of the ending to be terribly abrupt and not as well plotted out as the rest of the story -
It's a very cool story if you like time travel but aren't heavily into sci-fi, because I didn't find it to be that "high-tech". Jenna's a normal girl living in 2070 - which is mildly futuristic, buses go 300 mph and tall buildings are 3,000 feet high, but not TOO crazily OTT - and she discovers a diary in her attic, written by a girl called Rita in 1970. She finds out a little later on that Rita was actually murdered... and then she finds out that Rita is actually her sister. How? Well, Rita's parents froze an embryo, which sat on ice for 100 years, and that is Jenna. It was frozen because Rita had great psychic abilities (and now I can't remember what PK stands for, but she could move stuff with her mind) and they hoped her sibling might as well, and in the future they'd be able to do more with the abilities. So Jenna does have them, and she can bend paperclips with her mind, and also send her mind forward and back in time to see what's going on. And that's when she gets the idea to try and send her whole self back in time to stop Rita's murder!
Some parts of that kind of bugged me, like she went back and actually managed to get enrolled in the school... I think I'm too logical to believe in the possibility of THAT. (NB: the time travel I have no problem with. :P) But it was a cool type of culture clash to see her trying to fit in with the skirt-wearing, women's lib-wanting teenagers of 1970, and fun to set the bulk of the story in a familiar recent past instead of that fictional future. It was also really interesting the way Jenna first encountered Rita, which fitted in with something she'd read about in Rita's diary - SHE was the "Tight Sweater" girl about whom Rita had bitched! I thought that was neat. Like, she was always meant to go back in time because that incident had already happened for real when she read about it in 2070. But then the next thing is different to what the diary said, because Jenna arrived in the attic and let the cat out... a slight change which started the ball rolling.
There was an awesome twist as well.
A fairly quick and very gripping read that I do recommend :D
It's a very cool story if you like time travel but aren't heavily into sci-fi, because I didn't find it to be that "high-tech". Jenna's a normal girl living in 2070 - which is mildly futuristic, buses go 300 mph and tall buildings are 3,000 feet high, but not TOO crazily OTT - and she discovers a diary in her attic, written by a girl called Rita in 1970. She finds out a little later on that Rita was actually murdered... and then she finds out that Rita is actually her sister. How? Well, Rita's parents froze an embryo, which sat on ice for 100 years, and that is Jenna. It was frozen because Rita had great psychic abilities (and now I can't remember what PK stands for, but she could move stuff with her mind) and they hoped her sibling might as well, and in the future they'd be able to do more with the abilities. So Jenna does have them, and she can bend paperclips with her mind, and also send her mind forward and back in time to see what's going on. And that's when she gets the idea to try and send her whole self back in time to stop Rita's murder!
Some parts of that kind of bugged me, like she went back and actually managed to get enrolled in the school... I think I'm too logical to believe in the possibility of THAT. (NB: the time travel I have no problem with. :P) But it was a cool type of culture clash to see her trying to fit in with the skirt-wearing, women's lib-wanting teenagers of 1970, and fun to set the bulk of the story in a familiar recent past instead of that fictional future. It was also really interesting the way Jenna first encountered Rita, which fitted in with something she'd read about in Rita's diary - SHE was the "Tight Sweater" girl about whom Rita had bitched! I thought that was neat. Like, she was always meant to go back in time because that incident had already happened for real when she read about it in 2070. But then the next thing is different to what the diary said, because Jenna arrived in the attic and let the cat out... a slight change which started the ball rolling.
There was an awesome twist as well.
A fairly quick and very gripping read that I do recommend :D
June 28, 2012
Whispers from the Grave has so much potential, but there are aspects that hold it back. When I decided to read this book, I had no idea it was going to be set in the future (2070). That in and of itself is fine, however, the way the world was depicted is – to be honest – lame. For example, instead of cell phones they have “finger-watch phones” and instead of saying ‘cool’ or ‘awesome’ they say “frazzin”. I don’t know. Maybe people will actually say ‘frazzin’ in the future…
I did like the book; I just had to overlook the lameness. Another thing that bothered me is the ending. It’s too sudden. When you near the end of a book it is usually obvious in the change of pace, but while I could tell it was slowing and the end was drawing near, the last sentence was not a good final sentence. I turned the page and thought, “That’s it?”
Jenna has the gift of psychokinesis (which according to Google is actually another term for telekinesis) or “PK” for short. Twin-Star Labs wants to experiment with Jenna to see exactly what she’s capable of and they eventually give her a “visor” that is supposed to enhance her abilities. Jenna discovers she can mentally travel to another time. When the lab encourages her to try to time travel physically as well, she decides she wants to attempt to go back to 1970 and save Rita.
The only problem is the scientists don’t want her traveling into the past as she might alter history. But that’s exactly what she wants to do: keep Rita from being murdered. Jenna steals the visor one day and before they can catch her she escapes to 1970. Will Jenna be able to alter Rita’s fate or will she end up irrevocably damaging the future?
The mystery surrounding the murder(s) is intriguing and for the most part I enjoyed this story. Being as it was originally published in 1995 and technology has been significantly developed since then, they probably should have updated some of the futuristic qualities before republishing. I also found the book to be pretty predictable. If I'm lost in a story I usually do not try to guess what is really going on, because I'm too busy enjoying what I'm reading. I was finally able to lose myself in the story toward the end, but I already had it all figured out by then. This is a decent read that could have been great with a little more finesse.
I did like the book; I just had to overlook the lameness. Another thing that bothered me is the ending. It’s too sudden. When you near the end of a book it is usually obvious in the change of pace, but while I could tell it was slowing and the end was drawing near, the last sentence was not a good final sentence. I turned the page and thought, “That’s it?”
Jenna has the gift of psychokinesis (which according to Google is actually another term for telekinesis) or “PK” for short. Twin-Star Labs wants to experiment with Jenna to see exactly what she’s capable of and they eventually give her a “visor” that is supposed to enhance her abilities. Jenna discovers she can mentally travel to another time. When the lab encourages her to try to time travel physically as well, she decides she wants to attempt to go back to 1970 and save Rita.
The only problem is the scientists don’t want her traveling into the past as she might alter history. But that’s exactly what she wants to do: keep Rita from being murdered. Jenna steals the visor one day and before they can catch her she escapes to 1970. Will Jenna be able to alter Rita’s fate or will she end up irrevocably damaging the future?
The mystery surrounding the murder(s) is intriguing and for the most part I enjoyed this story. Being as it was originally published in 1995 and technology has been significantly developed since then, they probably should have updated some of the futuristic qualities before republishing. I also found the book to be pretty predictable. If I'm lost in a story I usually do not try to guess what is really going on, because I'm too busy enjoying what I'm reading. I was finally able to lose myself in the story toward the end, but I already had it all figured out by then. This is a decent read that could have been great with a little more finesse.
July 10, 2012
As I started reading this story it became more interesting each new chapter. There was always something new that I didn't get from the summary and was loving how different it was than everything else I've been reading lately.
Jenna finds an old diary in the family home. She lives in the year 2070 and the girl who wrote the diary, Rita lived in the 1970's. My favorite parts of the time difference between the two girls was the descriptions of the 2070's world. Especially the description of the clothing.
As Jenna continues to read the diary she begins connecting a lot with Rita and her life in the house. She soon discovers that Rita was murdered and begins to really get into solving the mystery of what exactly happened to her.
There were a couple of things that the summary does not detail that caught me unaware as I read. I never saw them coming and found them a great twist to what could have normally just been a who-done-it type of mystery.
*small spoiler statements ahead*
I am afraid that I cannot tell you fully what those things are without spoiling the story for you. But I will hint to them. Firstly Jenna finds a photo of Rita and finds they are remarkably similar in looks, almost twin-like similarities to their features. There is also a discovery of supernatural events that take place as well.
It was a incredibly interesting story that kept me intrigued to the very end.
I did feel that the very end fell just a little bit flat compared to the rest of the novel, but I was still very pleasantly surprised with each new chapter and found it to be a unique and imaginative story.
Jenna finds an old diary in the family home. She lives in the year 2070 and the girl who wrote the diary, Rita lived in the 1970's. My favorite parts of the time difference between the two girls was the descriptions of the 2070's world. Especially the description of the clothing.
As Jenna continues to read the diary she begins connecting a lot with Rita and her life in the house. She soon discovers that Rita was murdered and begins to really get into solving the mystery of what exactly happened to her.
There were a couple of things that the summary does not detail that caught me unaware as I read. I never saw them coming and found them a great twist to what could have normally just been a who-done-it type of mystery.
*small spoiler statements ahead*
I am afraid that I cannot tell you fully what those things are without spoiling the story for you. But I will hint to them. Firstly Jenna finds a photo of Rita and finds they are remarkably similar in looks, almost twin-like similarities to their features. There is also a discovery of supernatural events that take place as well.
It was a incredibly interesting story that kept me intrigued to the very end.
I did feel that the very end fell just a little bit flat compared to the rest of the novel, but I was still very pleasantly surprised with each new chapter and found it to be a unique and imaginative story.
June 13, 2017
This is the book I've read the most times out of any book ever. I've recently lost my worn out copy that I've had for over 6 years!
Suki and Jenna are hanging out in the attic one afternoon in 2070 when Jenna uncovers an old diary and a photograph of someone who looks remarkably like her. When questioned, her mother refuses to discuss the matter. Suki, desperate to be popular, invites Jenna and a group of "cool" kids to participate in an experiment on psychokinetic (PK) abilities for her uncle, a scientist. Jenna's PK abilities are so tremendous that Dr. Grady urges her to test a new invention that would allow her to move back and forth between time. And Jenna desperately needs to go backwards in years. The diary she found actually belongs to her sister, Rita, who was murdered by her boyfriend; Jenna was a frozen embryo at the time. She is determined to try to prevent the tragedy. This futuristic romance/drama wanders down a long and involved story line. And while the main characters are absorbing and the events that surround them exciting, the book's tone lacks cohesion. The cover art, with its shimmering colors and raised letters, is designed to attract readers of horrific mysteries, but only truly dedicated readers will find satisfaction in this time-travel tale.
Suki and Jenna are hanging out in the attic one afternoon in 2070 when Jenna uncovers an old diary and a photograph of someone who looks remarkably like her. When questioned, her mother refuses to discuss the matter. Suki, desperate to be popular, invites Jenna and a group of "cool" kids to participate in an experiment on psychokinetic (PK) abilities for her uncle, a scientist. Jenna's PK abilities are so tremendous that Dr. Grady urges her to test a new invention that would allow her to move back and forth between time. And Jenna desperately needs to go backwards in years. The diary she found actually belongs to her sister, Rita, who was murdered by her boyfriend; Jenna was a frozen embryo at the time. She is determined to try to prevent the tragedy. This futuristic romance/drama wanders down a long and involved story line. And while the main characters are absorbing and the events that surround them exciting, the book's tone lacks cohesion. The cover art, with its shimmering colors and raised letters, is designed to attract readers of horrific mysteries, but only truly dedicated readers will find satisfaction in this time-travel tale.
January 10, 2017
I first read this book when I was 10 (I'm now 30). It was one of my favorite childhood books that I read and re-read till my copy was worn. It's always popped up in my mind through out the years to read it again and now with my kindle, it made it so easily accessible I couldn't resist downloading it! It's an easy read and probably considered a teenage- page turner. Needless to say, I still enjoyed it. It was a nice little fiction escape and I read it within a few hours.
Seeing as this book is set in the future (2070) but was written in the mid 90's, it's actually pretty cool to see how technology has evolved. I remember when I read this book when it was 10, I thought how cool it would be to be able to talk to someone on the phone and see them. Granted we don't have "finger watches" but the concept of seeing someone and talking to them is a reality for us today.
I don't dig too much of a judgement into this book, simply because it's a book for young adults. I take it for that. It's easy, light reading that keeps you interested. My only disappointment is that I feel it ends too abruptly.
Seeing as this book is set in the future (2070) but was written in the mid 90's, it's actually pretty cool to see how technology has evolved. I remember when I read this book when it was 10, I thought how cool it would be to be able to talk to someone on the phone and see them. Granted we don't have "finger watches" but the concept of seeing someone and talking to them is a reality for us today.
I don't dig too much of a judgement into this book, simply because it's a book for young adults. I take it for that. It's easy, light reading that keeps you interested. My only disappointment is that I feel it ends too abruptly.
January 7, 2015
Jenna lives in the year 2070 and when she finds a diary in her attic written by a girl from 100 years ago, she can't believe how much they have in common.
But the more Jenna reads of the diary, she begins to fear for herself own life as history seems to be repeating itself.
The title and the cover may lead you to believe this is a ghost story, but it's not. Don't let that discourage you from reading this though because it may not be a ghost story, but it is a very good story that is worth a read.
I had originally thought it was a ghost story, but it turned out to be a time travel and mystery story. It was very good and I actually didn't figure out who the bad guy was until right before it was revealed.
I like Jenna overall, but in the beginning I think she seems a bit immature. However, she seems to mature throughout a story and I think she is a pretty good character.
I really liked the story. It was different and it turned out to be really good. If you're into time travel and mysteries, I'd recommend giving this a read.
But the more Jenna reads of the diary, she begins to fear for herself own life as history seems to be repeating itself.
The title and the cover may lead you to believe this is a ghost story, but it's not. Don't let that discourage you from reading this though because it may not be a ghost story, but it is a very good story that is worth a read.
I had originally thought it was a ghost story, but it turned out to be a time travel and mystery story. It was very good and I actually didn't figure out who the bad guy was until right before it was revealed.
I like Jenna overall, but in the beginning I think she seems a bit immature. However, she seems to mature throughout a story and I think she is a pretty good character.
I really liked the story. It was different and it turned out to be really good. If you're into time travel and mysteries, I'd recommend giving this a read.
February 15, 2021
You’d have to be a spare to think this book isn’t frazzin. Pure 90’s YA cheese.
June 4, 2012
http://addictedtonovels.blogspot.ca/
As soon as I started reading this book, it had my attention. However, it wasn't at all what I was expecting. Jenna finds this old photo of a girl from a 100 years ago, and also the girl's diary. We even get to see entries from the diary, and see things from Rita's point of view. I thought it was going to be more of a murder mystery, possibly with a paranormal twist. It actually turned out to be both of those things, but also had a bit of sci-fi, romance and other elements all mixed into one. There are many unexpected twists, turns and surprises that keep you wanting to read more. I don't really know what else to say without having to give everything away!
While I did enjoy reading it, I think I would have totally loved it if I had read it back in middle school. That said, I would recommend it more for younger readers who like a good twisting mystery story with lots of different elements threaded throughout.
As soon as I started reading this book, it had my attention. However, it wasn't at all what I was expecting. Jenna finds this old photo of a girl from a 100 years ago, and also the girl's diary. We even get to see entries from the diary, and see things from Rita's point of view. I thought it was going to be more of a murder mystery, possibly with a paranormal twist. It actually turned out to be both of those things, but also had a bit of sci-fi, romance and other elements all mixed into one. There are many unexpected twists, turns and surprises that keep you wanting to read more. I don't really know what else to say without having to give everything away!
While I did enjoy reading it, I think I would have totally loved it if I had read it back in middle school. That said, I would recommend it more for younger readers who like a good twisting mystery story with lots of different elements threaded throughout.
September 19, 2012
Whispers from the Grave by Leslie Rule is a time travel mystery. As time travel literature goes, this one was fairly easy to keep up with. There weren't so many jumps back and forth that can leave the reader thoroughly confused.
This book was first published in 1995 and it's nice to find a good Young Adult book that isn't paranormal or dystopian - though I love those genres, too. I was a bit disappointed that the majority of the book was set back in time, the '70s. As it started in the future, 2070, I was hoping for more about the world in that time.
Jenna was a good protagonist, though overall, I felt the characters could use more fleshing out. I found it hard to connect to them.
I think Whispers from the Grave is a good Young Adult time travel mystery. Although, it probably is better suited to the younger readers than older young adults and adult readers.
This book was first published in 1995 and it's nice to find a good Young Adult book that isn't paranormal or dystopian - though I love those genres, too. I was a bit disappointed that the majority of the book was set back in time, the '70s. As it started in the future, 2070, I was hoping for more about the world in that time.
Jenna was a good protagonist, though overall, I felt the characters could use more fleshing out. I found it hard to connect to them.
I think Whispers from the Grave is a good Young Adult time travel mystery. Although, it probably is better suited to the younger readers than older young adults and adult readers.
April 15, 2013
It started as regular young adult book, which if I had known wouldn't have started reading. But I am glad I did, as I found it an interesting and passionate read. The story takes place in the future (2070s) where a girl (Jenna) finds a diary of another girl (Rita) who looks just like her. While reading the diary, she figures out that she is reading the adventures of her sister (Rita) who is living in the year 1970s. But, Rita gets murdered. Jenna learns that she has special powers, and decides to return to the past to prevent her sister from getting murdered.
The story shows the consequences of changing the past. Even small changes can have great effects in the present. When Jenna returns to the future (her time) after having saved her sister Rita, everything has changed for her. Some people don't event exist in the altered time-line. So, conclusion, don't mess with the past!
The story shows the consequences of changing the past. Even small changes can have great effects in the present. When Jenna returns to the future (her time) after having saved her sister Rita, everything has changed for her. Some people don't event exist in the altered time-line. So, conclusion, don't mess with the past!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2013
I knew I would hate this book. Boy am I stupid sometimes. From the very beginning this book is captivating. The characters are so well fleshed out that you feel right off the bat like you have known them forever, particularly the main character. The setting is good and the pace is even throughout the novel. There are unexpected twists in this story that jar you a bit as you are reading, but in a good way.
I was both surprised and delighted that this book was different than what i had expected, especially for middle to upper grade fiction. If you are looking for a book with a good dose of mystery, suspense and some pretty intelligent writing, this would fit the bill nicely.
I was both surprised and delighted that this book was different than what i had expected, especially for middle to upper grade fiction. If you are looking for a book with a good dose of mystery, suspense and some pretty intelligent writing, this would fit the bill nicely.
September 9, 2023
I read this for the first time back in elementary school (not long off from when it first came out…) and still have my tattered, yellowed paperback copy and have read it so many times over the years that I’ve lost count (although not within the last decade). I have to give it 5 stars, I absolutely loved this book and have gotten so much enjoyment out of it in my life. It probably has not withstood the test of time, and I’ll have to give it another reread to be sure about that, but it would take a lot to spoil my overwhelmingly positive memories of it.
January 4, 2008
When Jenna discovers the diary of a girl who was murdered over 100 years ago, she is startled by how much they have in common. Rita looked like her, acted like her, and faced the trials of high school while experiencing the thrill of first love. As Jenna reads of Rita's tragic past, she fears for her own future. Because Rita's history is repeating itself--in Jenna's life.
I read this book in either middle school or high school and loved it!
I read this book in either middle school or high school and loved it!
January 28, 2010
So, if I was 15 I'm sure I would have loved this book. It took 2 hours to read and that's about all it was worth. Young love, hidden family secrets, and a science lab working on time traveling...it's a little much. (Oh yeah there are a couple of murders which really changes into just one with the time travel) Would recommend for any love starved teenybopper...or maybe Jessica?! (Love you, mean it!)
June 19, 2014
The concept of the book was interesting but it was very slow and thus boring. I frequently found myself needing time out from the book and that rarely happens to me. I will give this book 2.5stars because of the concept and good writing.As much as I wanted to like the protagonist of this book, I was sorely disappointed.i did not like her at all and may that makes me biased against any possitivity in the book.
August 20, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
Title is misleading, leds readers to believe it’s a ghost story when it’s more of a time travel history. Interesting nonetheless, and the book certainly isn’t dated even though it was written in the nineties. Jenna is an intriguing protagonist, and the mystery unfolds slowly, leaving for plenty of suspense.
Title is misleading, leds readers to believe it’s a ghost story when it’s more of a time travel history. Interesting nonetheless, and the book certainly isn’t dated even though it was written in the nineties. Jenna is an intriguing protagonist, and the mystery unfolds slowly, leaving for plenty of suspense.
February 28, 2013
Probably would have read the heck out of this book if I were still a tween. But I'm 29. And not interested. It was too juvenile and bored me to sleep. I like to finish books I start but sometimes they become too overbearingly bland I just can't -- this was one of them. They say life is too short for a bad book.
August 12, 2007
I ended up finding this book in a local bookstore as a child and was a little curious about it.
It definitely isn't about anything I'd normally read about, and more leans towards the sci-fi side rather than supernatural (though I'll still label it as that), though I enjoyed it very much anyway.
It definitely isn't about anything I'd normally read about, and more leans towards the sci-fi side rather than supernatural (though I'll still label it as that), though I enjoyed it very much anyway.
June 19, 2008
i purchased this book twice, and after it was not returned to me the second time it made its way around the girls of my 6th grade class, i realized it was best to be left alone. my favorite part was the injectable lip gloss and the books whispering from the ever present bluetooth like device.
February 8, 2009
I loved this book! It is about a girl in the future where they have all sorts of awesome gadgets. Then she learns of her twin sister who died in like 1970 or something and she is determined to go to the past and save her. At least I think thats how it went... I loved in in Junior High!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews