Review: Whisper

Whisper by Lynette Noni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What book lover doesn't love a great story about the power of words?

Naturally I was hooked from the first page, and completely unsurprised that I read this in a day. (It's why I waited for a day off to start it.) As a fan of The Medoran Chronicles, I was expecting this new offering from Lynette Noni to be pretty addictive and it didn't disappoint. That being said, I'm glad it went in a totally different direction from the fantasy world of TMC, because it made this book that much more refreshing to read.

So here is Jane, trapped in a secret government facility and experimented on. She refuses to speak. When her rigid schedule changes up and she's introduced to a new 'evaluator', things take an interesting turn.

Always fun when the cast involves a handsome, protective gentleman, who only wants the best for our heroine. The best part of YA (or any book, really) is forming unhealthy attachments to fictional characters, right? Ward, Enzo, Cami, Kael ... love them all. They are such a great crew, and really fun characters to get to know. There's also that splash of grey to give them depth, and flesh them beyond typical stereotypes.

I actually rather enjoyed how broken Jane was. There's the whole 'superpowers' angle that's alluded to in the blurb, but there's real pain in Jane's emotions, and how she reacts. I felt quite distressed by her pain, so I really loved the progression of that journey.

This is an origin story that has beautiful development made fun by colourful characters. As a lover of words myself, the theme really spoke to me (see what I did there) and I rather enjoyed that exploration, even if there was a lot to take in. The info-dumps were modulated so it wasn't too much of an overload, but it's still pretty rich in detail.

The Sydney setting was fun, too!

There were a few occurrences that I kind of expected, and the formula of the story seemed familiar, but these things made it no less enjoyable for me. I'll admit it, though - I'm a bit biased by my love of TMC. I'm so looking forward to the next installment, though, because I'm expecting it to get pretty badass.

Lovers of The Medoran Chronicles - Akarnae, Raelia, Draekora, Graevale should enjoy this new series just as much, even if it's a little different. Noni's writing still grabs you and refuses to let go. I'd also recommend this to readers who enjoy YA and dystopian, and suggest 'give it a go' for anyone looking for an easy read with some memorable characters.

I'll be eagerly awaiting book 2.

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