Whisper to Me by Nick Lake
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Date Read: April 16, 2020
Length: 544 pages
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
★★★★☆
A remarkable story of strange beauty and self-discovery from Printz Award winner Nick Lake.
Cassie is writing a letter to the boy whose heart she broke. She’s trying to explain why. Why she pushed him away. Why her father got so angry when he saw them together. Why she disappears some nights. Why she won’t let herself remember what happened that long-ago night on the boardwalk. Why she fell apart so completely.
Desperate for his forgiveness, she’s telling the whole story of the summer she nearly lost herself. She’s hoping that love—love for your family, love for that person who makes your heart beat faster, and love for yourself—can save both of them after all.
I thought that this book was very well done. I have had this book in my review pile for years now but for some reason never picked it up. I decided to finally give it a try and went into the story rather blindly since the only thing that I remembered about the book was that it was a YA story. It turns out that this is a story about dealing with mental illness, grief, romance, and even a bit of a mystery. I am glad that I finally read this emotional story.
This is a rather long book at 544 pages and it tells a big story. I started reading this book as I went to bed and planned to read one chapter before setting it aside to go to sleep. This book is not broken up into chapters like I am used to seeing. The book is broken up into two sections but there are breaks within each of the sections. The story is told as if it were a letter that Cassie is writing to the boy she hopes will give her a second chance.
There is a lot that happens in this book. A lot of those things don’t occur until the second half of the story so it would be a bit of a spoiler to discuss those plot points in this review but I did appreciate the way that many later events were foreshadowed in the first part of the book. The first part of the book focuses almost entirely on the evolution of Cassie’s mental illness. She describes when the voices start and exactly what they make her do. I felt her anguish and couldn’t imagine living with that kind of pain. She has quite the journey as she receives treatment for her condition.
The book also follows Cassie as she deals with moving forward in her life with her illness. We do learn more about her past and the trauma that may have played a part in the development of her condition. We also get to see Cassie making friends and even getting to know the boy that she is writing the letter to. I loved getting to see Cassie having some fun and experiencing some of those typical teenage milestones. The relationship between Cassie and her father wasn’t perfect, not at all, but it felt genuine. They both have a lot of pain, and more than a few issues, and don’t always know the best way to interact with each other.
I would recommend this book to others. This was quite the emotional journey and I thought that the mental health aspect of the story was very well done. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of Nick Lake’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books via NetGalley.
About the AuthorNick Lake is the much-acclaimed author of In Darkness, winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, Hostage Three, which received three starred reviews and was named a Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Boston Globe Best Book of the Year, and There Will Be Lies. He is also the Publishing Director for fiction at HarperCollins Children’s Books UK. Nick lives near Oxford, England.
Ah yes a rather long one but I'm glad it was also a good one
I see you had a good time with this one.
I have avoided lengthy books in recent years, but a book that reels me in would be an exception. The mental illness aspects are a big draw for me. Good review! Thanks for sharing.
I had to read your review, because I can actually see this book, right over my shoulder. I won it in a giveaway, but I am pretty sure the size of the book put me off. I am always skeptical of contemporaries coming in over 500 pages. You definitely have reignited my interest in this book. I knew it was about mental illness, but I like hearing that there was a lot more to the story.
To be honest, it probably could have been trimmed down a bit but it was a good read.
I understand the structural need to refrain from chapters, but it can make it difficult to find an appropriate stopping point. You almost have to just keep reading!
Exactly! I always read one chapter before going to sleep and after 45 minutes I just had to give up.
I do wonder what happened
Yay for getting to an older arc. I do love these tough stories when the main character is coping with mental health issues. Neat that its also a mystery.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm not much for YA type things. It's always so exciting to tidy up an ARC too.
Anne – Books of My Heart
The length is off putting but the story sounds thoughtful and engaging. Very nice review!
Oh I hope Cassie gets a second chance with the boy she's writing to. I do always want a happy ending! Glad to hear you enjoyed the story, Carole. 🙂
wow that is a long book but it looks really good and tackles some important topics
I don't mind long books as long as they're engrossing. Sounds like this one is. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the rec!
Wow this is a seriously hefty book for YA! That's quite the page count. This does sound good and like it tackles some really serious issues.