Sutherland, Joel A. The Whisperings. Tundra, 2025. 978-1-774-88101-9. 305 p. $17.99. Grades 9-12.

The nomadic Guest family have settled in a dilapidated Victorian house owned by the equally decrepit Mrs. Cracknell in Burlington, Vermont. For thirteen years, seventeen-year-old Joana and her fourteen year old brother, Peter, have followed their father around the state, trying to escape the painful memory of their mother’s murder at the hands of their deranged Uncle Roman. Now, in this cozy town, the trio finds some semblance of normalcy in their basement apartment in Mrs. M’s home. Joana catches the eye of her classmate, Willem, and joins the rugby team; Peter finds a friend in Ash; and Mr. Guest keeps himself busy making repairs on the house. Joana, though, has overheard her father in a verbal battle with no one in his room; she names it the Whisperings. When Joana recuperates after a fall from a cliff, she becomes privy to the Whisperings also. Since the family has moved in, odd things have been happening. Legend has it that the Keil family was murdered by their father before killing himself. Joana is visited by the imploring children ghosts and lured by the parents. Gross insects invade the basement apartment at night. A secret room that threatens to pluck Joana into oblivion is revealed. When Mr. Guest gets injured falling off a shaken ladder, Joana and Peter seek out their original home, where their mother was murdered. Like the old television show, The Ghost Whisperer, Joana sees ghosts and brings them to the other side. Joana releases her mother from her nightly reenactment. This success prompts Joana to use the same method in freeing the ghosts at the basement apartment. With her friends, she engages in a tryst with the ghosts to uncover the true murderers of the Keil family. Author Joel A. Sutherland takes readers hungry for a gothic horror story on a wild ride. Bloody eyes, mysterious footprints, clawing hands, and even death await the reader. Though the plot has many spooky episodes, the dialogue among the family members and the teens sounds like realistic, often humorous, banter. Ash’s older sister, Triss, is the typical mean girl, while Willem provides an appealing romantic touch. The ending hints at a sequel as Joana–now in a more settled life–realizes she still bears the gift of Whisperings.

THOUGHTS: Like the book, Frozen Charlotte, this one should come with a warning: not for the faint of heart. I believe The Whisperings received a starred review in School Library Journal because the reviewer knew this book would be in high demand. Anything guaranteed to scare the pants off a reader will be swept off the shelves. I think the ending dragged a bit, and Sutherland keeps the ghost going even after the finale, but I doubt that will make a difference to those seeking authors who write in the same vein as R.L. Stine. Occasional foul language probably and teenage protagonists–not to mention the constant scariness of blood curdling descriptions–bump this book up to high school level. 

Mystery
Fantasy (Horror)