Let me tell you; this was such an addicting read! I started and finished this book in one day, something I haven’t done for awhile.

Whisper opens with the line, “They call me "Jane Doe,” which got me excited right away. Jane Doe or subject 684, has lived in a lab for “two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen months,” tested continuously and experimented on. What are they testing for? She doesn’t really know, but she knows they want a response from her. But she won’t give one. Her daily routine is always the same, until one day, it isn’t. As she is getting ready for bed, she is brought to a strange room where she meets Director Falcon. He tells her that she is going to be working with Ward now and that if she doesn’t show any improvement, she’ll be cut from the program.

The world building was excellent, the characters were hilarious, and the character relationships were perfect!!

When the story starts, the only information given to the reader is about Jane Doe and how she’s been kept in a facility, for more than two and a half years. The only thing she really remembers before entering the facility is that she checked herself into a psychiatric institution. Very soon after, people come to get her and tell her that she’d be better off at their facility. While not a lot of information is really given about the world and the characters at the beginning, I think that it works to the story’s advantage. Whisper is definitely one of those books that raises more questions as more information is given. This is partially what makes it such an addicting read!

The characters. Ahh, the characters were absolutely hilarious and so distinctive. Some of the characters that we have are the persistent psychologist, the motivating trainer, the psycho scientist, the young evaluator, and finally the protagonist, a teenager who is trapped in this prison-like facility, wondering what on Earth makes her deserve the treatment she is receiving. These distinct personalities really helped me to remember every character, as time was taken to develop them as well. I think that my favorite character would probably be Abby, she is super cute and Lynette Noni portrays her perfectly.

“Animals, Abby, not aminals. Animals.’ Abby stomps her foot. ‘That’s what I said, Ethan! Aminals!”

The relationships that the characters also had were so beautiful! The relationships are such a critical feature in the book that the book practically runs off of them, in the best way. And it’s not only romantic relationships, but it’s also the tried and tested friendship of longtime friends, and the wary trust of new people. If these relationships didn’t exist, the story would have turned out to be way different.

The only problem that I really had with this book was parts of the writing. While I enjoyed the story itself, there were some super awkwardly phrased parts. I understood what was being conveyed, however, it just felt really awkward and out of place.

“…over and over, with powerful intent behind your words.”

Out of context, this quote doesn’t seem that awkward, but in context, it just seems almost misplaced and awkward.

The book also ended well, which normally deters me from reading the next book in the series, however, the questions that remained open will motivate me to pick up the next book.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to those who want to read a gripping YA sci-fi book with good characters, character relationships, and an addicting story.

Divergent meets Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. A definite MUST READ for 2018!

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Rating: 5 /5 stars
Recommendation: BUY IT, and while you’re at it buy a copy for a friend.

Would you read another book by this author?:
I will pay full price for her books. I will pre-order them if possible. I am OBSESSED.


Who might enjoy this book?:
Fans of Divergent and Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children.

The book starts off by introducing us to “Jane Doe”, at least that’s what the staff at Lengard call her- but that is not her name. She refuses to tell them her name, she refuses to speak at all. When she speaks, terrible things happen that she can’t begin to understand let alone explain.

Jane has been imprisoned and kept as test subject at Lengard for nearly 3 years. She knows nothing of the experiments purposes, as nobody tells her why is there and why they are testing her. She was told that Lengard was a place for extraordinary people, and she believed them. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

The story builds when Jane is assigned to a new evaluator named Ward. If she doesn’t make progress with him in a month she will be removed from the program. Jane is very cautious of Ward, as he is the only person to show her any type of kindness or compassion in over two years. While she tries to keep her guard up against him, he slowly chips away at the walls she has put up in order to protect herself and those around her.

In a moment of panic Jane shatters her wall of silence and is then introduced to the real world of Lengard and the secrets that the government facility has been hiding from those it claims to protect. She has to decide which side to believe, and making the wrong decision or the wrong moves could have deadly consequences for her.

Being tormented by demons from her past, she doesn’t have faith that she can harness her powers and control them. Her faith in those claiming to help and protect her is tested as the ultimate battle beings.

The ending had me craving a sequel immediately. Action packed and thrilling, a picture was so well painted that I could swear I was watching a movie instead of reading.

Haunting. There's a feeling that "something's not quite right" which goes through the book and keeps you unbalanced - it's supposed to. The flow is good, world building is good, you get a real sense of her isolation and the damage that these people have done to someone who essentially lost her parents and has never had the opportunity to heal from it. I'm looking forwards to the next one because I want to know what happens. I could see this as a TV series too, a little bit like the movie UV in feel (at least in my mind). As far as anything I didn't like, the one real issue I had was that in the last third of the book Wade's character seemed forced. I understand the reasoning behind it, the flip, what the author was going for, but I just didn't think it was wholly believable. Other than that I liked everything, good pace, good ending - enough that you feel it's complete while knowing there is more to come.

4.5 Stars

Does anyone else get the feeling that dystopian YA novels are coming back into fashion?
As my re-entry to this genre, I can say this novel was exactly what I needed. Ngl, there were a LOT of tropes in ‘Whisper’, but they weren’t anything that really bothered me (although I can see others finding them frustrating)
‘Whisper’ was like Shatter Me meets The Young Elites. It was really thrilling in that old dystopian way that I miss. And maybe that’s why I loved this so much, and why many others will too. People my age will reminisce over their favourite dystopians from years and years ago. And in all honestly, this is the best book to do that with!
Y’all who read Angelfall, Reboot and Delirium will salivate reading this one (that sounded weird, but just go with it, ok?)
Reading Whisper was like watching X-Men if they were short episodes with giant cliffhangers at the end. It was intense, and fun, and had all of those cool scenes like a training montage, a slow-burning romance and really, really funny side characters with awesome powers. Plus who doesn’t love a mad scientist/crazy doctor? Ngl, I love me a mad scientist. They tend to be the most scary villains in any sort of show/book (I’m talking to you The 100 s02 and World After by Susan Ee)
And like most dystopians, you always finish up with the best family of characters. By which I mean cast of characters but they’re so sweet, crazy and ridiculous that they make your heart warm and you’re like WELCOME HOME FAM but they’re not really your fam and you’ll never really get to meet them (wow, that’s a downward spiral if I’ve ever seen one). Long story short, buy one book, get one fam free.

publisher synopsis: “Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me.

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster.

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

Wow!! This is one of the best books I have read all year!! I am so excited about it I want to give you every single detail, but then I would ruin your experience reading it. I will tell you it wasn't what I expect, it way exceeded my expectations. I cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out. It was not a cliffhanger ending, but there were a lot of unanswered questions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for allowing me an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

How much power do our words hold? A lot more than you realize.

Whoa. What a book. I'm only slightly groaning over here because book 2 is not out yet, and I need it, like--yesterday!
When I started Whisper I didn't know it was going to turn into mutants or people with special powers, but hey, I didn't mind it when it happened. I was like--hey, cool. I'm digging this.
I loved the plot--I was surprised by all the twists and turns and gaping like a codfish for others. The characters--check. Loved them and their different relationships with J.D.

I very much enjoyed the foray into showing just how much power our words truly have. When I started reading I was thinking to myself "wouldn't it be interesting if someone wrote a book showcasing how powerful our words are?" and then bam. That's what the book is about. I loved how it was written and executed and how it played out. Now I really need to get my hands on book 2!

Wow, is all I can say about this novel.
Jane Doe finds herself immersed in a world, very different from the one that she was promised. Held captive and tortured, frightened by the very sound of her own voice. Then something changes and she is shown kindness and care, her world implodes and nothing is as it seems.

Noni has created a book that I have been waiting for, the book set in Australia, with Aussie characters. It makes their voices and opinions and ways of life so much more appealing to me, as I live it everyday. What I also love is the honesty and rawness to this novel. It feels gritty and like it is history, only it very well could be our future...

The characters are incredible, even the side characters have massive parts to play. The characters growth and progression feels normal and not rushed. Along with the plot twists and revelations surrounding them.

One negative thing, I can see the love triangle forming already, and although I am all for a good 'ship', I don't think this novel needs it.

Can't wait to read more in this amazing series!

#Whisper #Netgalley
A well written mystery, thriller for young adults. Whisper has a great plot and wonderful characters that will keep you guess from the beginning to the end of this book.

Before starting this e-ARC, I had never read anything by Lynette Noni and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I adored this book.

The story is written in first person from the point of view of a mysterious girl. She stays at a secret government research facility named Lengard. The people who work there, call her ‘Subject Six-Eight-Four’ or ‘Jane Doe’. She refuses to give them any information about her name, or about anything else. She has been silent for years.

At Lengard every day is the same for Jane. She eats and sleeps at set times and every day she takes part in various experiments with different evaluators; Enzo trains her physique, Manning assesses her psyche, Vanik pokes at her brain and subjects her to painful experiments. None of these training sessions or experiments succeed in making Jane talk. She keeps quiet.

And then one day the Director of Lengard, Falon, wants to see her. He tells Jane that is she won’t co-operate with her evaluators, she will be removed from the program. It sounds a bit like a threat and she is given an ultimatum. Also she is assigned to a new evaluator, Landon Ward. He is just a year older than Jane and he is different than the other evaluators. When Jane starts to work with Ward, things are beginning to change. Not long before something happens and Jane utters a word.. The silence is broken and something strange and supernatural happens.

The thing I loved most about Whisper, are the characters. I really feel like I got to know Jane and I could relate to her. Also there were a lot of amazing side characters. Landon Ward is loveable, but he also has a mysterious side. Cami is sweet and she is best friend material. Not all characters are sugar-coated. Vanik is an evil being, but this character is well-thought-out too.

Lynette Noni did a wonderful job describing the research facility Lengard. I can picture the white corridors in my mind and they give me chills.

The beginning reminded me of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi; a mysterious girl in a cell-like room and every day is exactly the same, until a guy enters the story. Whisper also reminded me of X-men and Jessica Jones. If you’ve enjoyed any of these, I would highly recommend you reading Whisper.

Subject Six-Eight-Four, also known as Jane Doe, has been confined at Lengard, a secret government facility, for two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes. In that time she has been tortured, pushed to her limits both physically and mentally, all in hopes of getting a response from her...but she hasn't spoken a single word. They tell her that Lengard is a place for extraordinary people just like her, but she knows there isn't anyone in the world like her...she's an anomaly...a monster...no one is safe from her.
Jane is told that she is not progressing in the program and will be assigned to a new evaluator, Landon Ward, for a trial basis. If she doesn't progress in one month she will be eliminated from the program. Jane knows she will never be set free, termination would be safest for all of them.

Whisper is the first book in this action packed YA sci-fi/fantasy series. I don't want to give too much away but this novel takes the power of words to a very literal meaning with characters that have supernatural abilities that are linked to their words. The novel begins by introducing a very mysterious main character Jane. Jane appears to be a prisoner of a secret government facility but you are not exactly sure why she is there or why she chooses not to speak. Jane is given an ultimatum to make progress with her new evaluator or be terminated. She realizes termination would be the safest option for everyone but when she meets Landon Ward, her handsome new assessor, she begins to doubt her choice. I'm a huge fan of novels with supernatural teens and this novel was so wonderfully written it had me hooked by the first chapter. I literally could not put this one down and devoured it over the course of a few hours. There is some romantic tension between the characters but it is kept very PG, perfect for all age ranges of the YA genre. I cannot wait to read the other novels in this series.

This book is as absolutely amazing. I enjoyed Jane, I felt that she was relatable and real. Her fear, her strength, just everything about her was spot on. I can NOT wait until the second installment.

Whisper is the first novel of a new book series.
It's a great sci-fi/fantasy novel in which a spoken or whispered word can change everything from one second to the next.
The focus is on the subject Six-Eigt-Four, who in the course of the plot not only tears down her own protective shields bit by bit, but also that of Lengard; a secret government institution.

The story is exciting, with dark aspects and of course also with a hint of hinted romance.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Synopsis:
For two and a half years, Subject 684 — "Jane Doe" — has been locked underground in a secret government facility, enduring tests and torture. In that time, she hasn't uttered a single word. Not even her real name.

Jane chooses to remain silent rather than risk losing control over the power within her. She alone knows what havoc her words can cause.

Then the authorities put her in the care of the mysterious Landon Ward, and Jane is surprised when he treats her like a person rather than a prisoner. Ward's protective nature causes her resolve to crack in spite of her best efforts to resist.

Just as Jane begins to trust him, though, a freak accident reveals the dangerous power she has concealed for years. It also reveals that the government has been keeping secrets of its own. Now Jane’s ability is at the heart of a sinister plot for vengeance, and she has to decide whom she will trust ... and whom she will help.

Well-known throughout her native Australia, Lynette Noni creates compelling stories that appeal to devoted fantasy fans and general-interest readers alike. This novel's extended metaphor about finding — and controlling — one's voice and power will resonate with teens attempting to do just that. The slow-simmering romance, richly imagined world and unexpected plot twists will hook readers from the very first page.

My Review:
First of all, I love the cover. It caught my eye immediately in the catalog and I wanted to find out more about it. I read the description and felt like it would be something I would like, and I had to read more. Following a girl everyone calls Jane Doe, this book sucked me in from the very beginning and took turns I never expected. At the beginning, she's been imprisoned for two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours, and sixteen minutes. She hasn't said a word the same amount. She's been locked up, under ground, abused, tested on, electrocuted, and malnourished. She's been treated like a science experiment, and she's stronger than ever. She just doesn't know it yet.

Everything changes the day she's taken to speak to the director of the facility. He explains to her that if she can't prove her worth in the next month, she'll be eliminated from the program. And seeing as the program is confidential and underground, she understands that she will be "disposed of". She meets Landon Ward, a breath of fresh air compared to her usual routine. Unlike everyone else, it's not painful to be with him. Or so she tries to convince herself.

This book reminds me a little bit of those Chasing Yesterday books I read as a kid, which I really enjoyed. It's that and so much more. I didn't want to put it down incase I missed something. The characters and the story are just so interesting I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Jane/JD developed so much throughout the book. Though obviously shaken from her time she spent as a prisoner, the family that takes her in is determined to bring her back to life. She's a strong female lead and although she doesn't talk, she's strong enough that she really doesn't have to talk. She brought the story to life without using words.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. It's so different than anything I've read lately. I wish there was more to read but it doesn't even come out until may so I'll just have to wait patiently for more. I'm glad I read it and you should definitely check it out if you get the chance.

Here's a link to the book on amazon where you can pre-order it, and another link to the authors twitter in case you have any questions.

https://www.amazon.ca/Whisper-Lynette...

https://twitter.com/LynetteNoni

Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

“Words are everything to me. They are life. They are death. They fill all the spaces in between.”

Jane Doe knows the power of words, that’s why she chooses not to use them. But there’s so much more that Jane has yet to learn.

Noni employs a perfect blend of real world happenings, with science fiction/fantasy, and with a good vs evil plot. And the end result is this fast paced, action packed, and completely absorbing book. Setting the story in Sydney was also an exciting bonus for this Aussie reader!

The compelling narration makes it difficult to set it down and I found myself trying to squeeze in a few chapters here and there, as I just had to know more!

The set up of the love triangle is...well...a little done to death in YA fiction, but it didn’t take away too much from the overall enjoyment of the story. Hopefully the subsequent book(s) follow the same path.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next one. Thank you to KCP Loft and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning was a bit slow, but once we know a little about Jane's history and what she can do, the book really takes off. I enjoyed seeing Jane slowly begin to trust people again, make friends, and become confident in herself. Will definitely add book two to my TBR.

Leaving reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you for sharing this arc on NetGalley.

Whisper by Lynette Noni
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publish Date: May 2018

Thanks to Edelweiss Plus and publisher Kids Can Press for the ebook ARC of Whisper by Lynette Noni in exchange for an honest review.

I was told that “Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people.” My mistake was believing them.
I am different, there is not anyone else in the world like me. I am a monster. For 2 years, 6 months, 14 days, 11 hours and 16 minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four or ‘Jane Doe’ has been locked away and experimented on without saying a single word.
As Jane starts to crack under the influence of her new and unexpectedly kind evaluator, Ward , she uncovers the truth about Lengard and discovers her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot.
One wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

Wow! This book had me hooked from the very beginning. The last bit of the book, I could not put down! I really like the style of the author’s writing. I really enjoyed all of the characters, they all just seemed to come to life. I give this book a rating of 5 stars and I highly recommend reading it!

I Voluntarily read and reviewed Whisper. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.

First Thoughts:

I didn't know much about this book going into it. I haven't read this author before and I certainly didn't know what to expect. But man was I in for a surprise. I loved this book so much! Though it had the tendencies to be just like any other book but it was so good that I was able to overlook that. I fell in love with the story and for the first quarter I had no idea what was going on, I just wanted to keep reading till I found answers to my questions. There was so much I loved about this book, so let's get started.

Goodreads Summary:

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four---'Jane Doe'---has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane's resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new -- and unexpectedly kind --evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard's mysterious 'program', discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot...and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

Plot:

This is filled with lots of questions and little answers coming right after. This book slowly revealed it's secrets but when it did it was mind blowing. The best part of this book is the way the story was revealed. If the author had chose to reveal who the main protagonist was it wouldn't have been as fun to read. Half the fun is the anticipation. And this book has plenty of that! Also loved how it dealt with issue of inhumane experiments. It really let's the reader get a better grasp on the main character. We're really able to bond with the characters and understand that what is going on is not right. But we're also able to see others who go along with it, so you really get two sides. I liked the paranormal part of this book, it's different in a way that it's not really the same as usual paranormal powers. Though it's the same on how the powers play out. The main character hardly had any trouble mastering different parts of her powers and I wish I could've seen more of a struggle. But other than that the plot was fast and I really couldn't put down this book and when I did, all I did was think about it. I'm still thinking about this book and it's been days since I've finished it.

Romance:

I wouldn't say there was really any true romance in here; though there was a hint of it. I'm sure as the series progresses there will be some. But it was a nice reprieve to get away from a story just focused on the romance. So kudos to you Noni!

Characters:

The main character is referred to, to many names. One of them being Chip which I loved. But most of the book she is referred to as Jane, six-eight-four, or JD. The reader didn't even know her name till almost the end, so I will not be giving you her real name. so you as a reader, you can discover it yourself. But Jane was such a fragile and controlled in a sense character that it was so easy to get attached to. She was such a awesome main character and I loved getting to know her. Wade was a good character even when he made his mistakes. The other characters were good too like Cami. I instantly loved Cami, kinda wish she was my best friend. But the author did an excellent job describing the characters, that you either got to really like them, or really hate them. There is definitely some characters I wish to see die a very slow death, lol.

Transformation of the Character:

Jane did some transforming in this book but I think as the series progresses she will bloom even more and I can't wait to see it. By the end she was still a little fragile and in the unknowing but she was much better off than when she first started. Wade and Cami stayed about the same. So really this wasn't an area in the book that made a huge impact on what I thought of the book.

Description:

Loved how the author described the emotions of the characters and the situations. I was really able to grasp what was going on and how the characters were reacting to the problems and situations around them. I also liked that this book took place in Australia. Seeing as I'm from the USA I don't get to read a lot of books based in Australia, so it was a breath of fresh air. Seeing the zoo described was so fun! And of course where Jane was taken to was described to the tee in a way that I was able to get a lay of the land. The way the author described stress and pain the characters were put through really gave me a grasp on the situation and how serious it was. So kudos to you Ms.Noni!

Style:

This was written in first person and is only in one POV. Being written in first person really allowed the reader to better understand Jane. We didn't know much about her to begin with so we needed all we could get to better understand the makings of Jane. So first person allowed that. Being written in only Jane's point of view allowed the reader to only get her perspective, to better keep the story mysterious; the answers out of reach. I think Ms.Noni made the right choice doing that, the anticipation is the best part of the book, who really likes to know all the answers in the first 50 pages?! Hmmm? Not me. The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat, kept me reading late into the night. I hardly got any sleep with this book! The author's writing itself was easy and fun to read. I had no problems with it, it even had a style with the words. How certain words that were meant to be taken seriously were drooped down, letter by letter. You have to see it for yourself to see what I mean. But this writing was intriguing and awesome.

Quote of the Book:

"My name is not "Jane Doe." But that is who I've become. And that is who I'll remain. It's the safest this way. For everyone."

Last Thoughts:

I'm was so sad to see this book end but at least this is only book one. At least there will be one more book to read (hopefully more!!) I hope, nothing is set in stone but this book ended in questions. I would recommend this to any mystery and paranormal reader. This will be right up your alley! This book is already out so go out there and buy it! I dare you!

Whisper is so stunning! What a brilliant sci-fi debut from Lynette Noni. I went into this book with high expectations, and every single one of those expectations was met.! Whisper had a cast of brilliant characters, with a plot like a mix of Divergent and X-Men, with its own unique twists and turns. Can't rate this book highly enough!

It follows Jane, a young woman who has been kept captive and tortured because of her unique ability, which she herself does not know much about. We follow Jane on her journey about learning who she is, and what she can do with her ability. She makes friends through her trainers and evaluators and is feared by most of the staff of the facility where she is being kept. The story behind Whisper was so imaginative and yet completely believable. It was fast paced, epically awesome, and made me want to read and read and read until I had finished as quickly as possible. The range of characters was sensational and I enjoyed every moment of Whisper. Kael, Ward and Abbey were some of my favourite characters, but really, they were all written so well.

There was rebellion, romance, action, betrayal, fear, mystery and intrigue. All of which kept me on the edge of my seat. I finished Whisper way too quickly and now need so much more from this world that Lynette Noni has built.
If you love strong female main characters, supremely cool sci-fi powers, rebellion and evil masterminds, with a hint of romance, this book is definitely for you!