Whisper To Me by Nick Lake
Thrilling and different, Whisper To Me is completely unlike any other book I've read. It was incredibly difficult for me to put down and it left me feeling like part of me was missing, but I was simultaneously complete. If you're looking for something that is unbelievable but completely real, then this is the book for you. Five out of five stars.
There are so many things that make this book amazing and one of them is the way it is written by Cassie (our main character) as an email to the boy who's heart she broke. You, as the reader, are included in this fantastic adventure of how grief effects people and the terribly important but untalked about subject of mental illness, and it feels like Cassie is speaking directly to you, like you're living the story, not being told.
At every turn of the page I got more and more immersed with this book, not only because of the way it was written and what it was written about, but the characters as well. Cassie, oh Cassie! At times I wanted to hug her and hold her tight, but at others I wanted to slap her and ask her what the hell she's doing! She makes stupid mistakes and reacts so drastically to what's happening, but that is what makes her more than just a 2D person made of printed words on paper. She is a real person who grieves and loves and struggles with something that lots of people don't have to deal with in life but need to be aware of.
Cassie has friends who know about her condition and still treat her like a normal person. Paris is so important to Cassie because she is one of the only people who don't treat her like a freak or an invalid. Her dad though isn't as supportive and I felt that he didn't show his love and need to protect her in the right way, though I understood why he had to keep her safe.
Overall I think that Nick Lake has done a brilliant job of portraying a girl with mental health issues as someone who is strong and capable of the same things that everyone else is capable of. This book is so powerful and heart-wrenching and the whole way through, I just wanted to get Cassie to stop blaming herself. To just tell her mysterious boy about her condition instead of hiding it. To be happy. I never wanted Whisper To Me to end, but unfortunately it did and although it is probably unlikely, I would love for there to be a sequel to it, just so I can live this story a little while longer. It has to be one of the best books I've read this year and for a very long time to come.
Whisper To Me is released on May 5th so go and get it when it comes out because OMG is it great! Obviously you don't have to, but I strongly advise it!!
This brilliant review is courtesy of your resident librocubicularist, Phoebe!!
