Whisper

Author: Phoebe Kitanidis
Publication date: April 27, 2010
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Copy Provided by: Around the World Tours
Summary (via Goodreads):

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Why I read this: This book first caught my attention because of the paranormal plot and I only wanted to read it more when I found out Phoebe was a debut author this year.

Plot: The dichotomy of two sisters having the same power fuels this plot. One uses it to push herself away from others, while the other uses it to learn how to make friends - to give people what they want from her as a friend. There's a nice twist in the plot where you discover why the sister who is distant and angry at the world has become such and what she plans to do with her powers. The plot is mainly emotional and relationship based with some slight adventure and travel involved.

Characters: The sisters Icka and Joy have become quite different as they grew up. Joy became friendly, using her power to gain popularity and keep her friends nearby. There's points in the book in fact where Joy cannot cope with her friends without knowing what they are thinking about her. She relies heavily on her power but her sister seems to hate her power. Icka is almost violently opposite of Joy - always sabotaging her relationships and birthday parties and trying to drive her into loneliness - the same loneliness that Icka has to endure.

And then there's the boy. Jaime is an interesting character, one that seems to be right in between the two girls. He makes a great sidekick to Joy when her sister goes missing and is not a perfect male character - which gets a little old. Jaime struggles with his own problems and overcomes them the same way anyone else would - through necessity. Definitely a cast of interesting characters and ones I hope to learn more about in later books.

Relatability: I can definitely relate to this book. Having an older sister and having that tear in a relationship like Icka and Joy had definitely made me able to understand this book and all the emotions being tossed around. Also, I could find a bit of myself in each of the sisters - I remember my moody dark times in high school and then the lighter more friendly times. I can see both aspects of their lives and understand where they come from as characters. It's nice to be able to relate well to both sisters instead of just one.

Cover commentary: Gorgeous. Definitely one I want on my bookshelf eventually.

Rating: 5/5 Roses

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