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lcm_xo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
grettypop's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The story follows Tom, who is a recently widowed single father, and Jake, his son. After the recent loss of Tom's wife, he decided to move him and his son to a small town, not knowing the town's dark history. About 20 years ago, there was a series of murders, done by the Whisper Man. The Whisper Man targeted little boys, whispering to them in the night before stealing them away.
Pete, an elderly detective, has caught the Whisper Man all those decades ago, and Carter, the killer behind those murders is still in prison. But now, the disappearances are starting anew...
The story was told from multiple point of views. It had an element of supernatural, where Jake sees people who aren't there. Or are these characters just the imaginations of a lonely child?
The book was fairly fast paced. There were a LOT of twists I didn't see coming. This also raises the question of evil - is evil made or born? And what is worse? A scary story kids whisper about between ourselves, or a flesh and blood murdered on the loose?
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Violence and Blood
add_a_little_spook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
megelizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
For the first half, or even two thirds, of this book, I was absolutely obsessed with it and thought it might end up being a five-star read. The atmosphere created is incredible - so so creepy and unsettling - and the premise is super intriguing. I loved getting to know the characters, even though for the most part they weren't particularly likeable, and I found myself feeling equal parts terrified and heartbroken, which is a sure sign of a great thriller. There are some great twists and turns, and there's one plot twist in particular which absolutely floored me and which is just so, so brilliantly done.
However, for me, this book unfortunately started to go downhill a bit in the last third or so. There's such great build-up, and I liked the concept of what ends up being revealed, but it's just revealed far too early and too simply and it just meant that so much of the great tension that had been developing was gone. There are also a few unanswered questions left by the end. There's one thing that happens towards the end of the book which did shock me, but when it came to the main 'Whisper Man' plotline, I did feel ultimately a bit let down.
I was therefore a bit conflicted when deciding on my rating, but ultimately I still feel it deserves a high rating just because of how much the earlier part of the book got under my skin and how brilliant one of the earlier twists was, and also because of the way it deals with some of its themes. There are really great conversations about generational trauma, grief, addiction, and memory, and about some of the psychology behind crime and policing, and I also loved the way it explores and looks at fatherhood and father-son relationships. And overall, while I did feel disappointed by the conclusion of the central mystery, I was still left feeling haunted and uneasy and, above all, sad. It's definitely a book that hits you in the gut and makes you think; I just wish the actual main thriller plotline had been better-executed.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Blood
mysterymom40's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Bullying
weatherd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Child deathd0505's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Blood
ebb_and_flow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol