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Whisper

by Heather Hildenbrand (Goodreads Author)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 63 ratings · 23 reviews

The Cherokee believe when a person dies, their soul is reborn. Life is repeated. An endless cycle of lessons to be learned, love to be found, destiny to be fulfilled. For the past six months, in every flower, every bird, I’ve imagined my parents, relieved of their human forms.
Now, after five months at the Skye View Wellness Center, it was summer. A time for parties and fr...more

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Published April 19th 2012 by Accendo Press

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Indie Young Adult – May New Releases

4th out of 23 books — 17 voters

The Wayward Gifted - Broken Point by Donna K. Childree

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Jun 05, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, arc, colorado, for-review, kindle-copy, mythology, paranormal, romance, young-adult

Before reading: A large portion of this review is under a spoiler tag. There was something I needed to discuss that impacted my rating and review quite a bit, and I couldn't discuss it without a few spoilers. You have been warned.

Heather Hildenbrand has a way with words that makes me fall in love with her writing every time. This is my third Hildenbrand book, and while it was my least favorite, I did enjoy the writing very much. She's great at writing emotions and characters and making you feel...more Before reading: A large portion of this review is under a spoiler tag. There was something I needed to discuss that impacted my rating and review quite a bit, and I couldn't discuss it without a few spoilers. You have been warned.

Heather Hildenbrand has a way with words that makes me fall in love with her writing every time. This is my third Hildenbrand book, and while it was my least favorite, I did enjoy the writing very much. She's great at writing emotions and characters and making you feel something for them. I was very impressed with her characterizations. The problem is is that this book was fairly formulaic. And by that, I mean that I saw everything coming. Nothing was a surprise. It didn't stand out as an original story and it pretty much just fit the paranormal YA pattern. Unfortunately. I hate to say that.

There were a lot of good things though. It's still an enjoyable book. It just didn't go as deep as I would have liked. The Native American mythology was fascinating. So was the setting of Colorado. I loved that animals played a big role in the story. The sensory language and descriptions were well-written and not overdone. It was definitely easy to read as well. It flowed in a beautifully poetic way. Would I recommend it? Definitely. It's an enjoyable read that handles loss of a loved in an appropriate and beautiful way.

Some of the characters' motivations were suspect though. And I'm not sure what happened there. Let me explain. To do that, I need to talk about a particular moment in the book. (view spoiler) I couldn't understand HOW this made sense until I got to the end of the book and then realized that there was a reason the author had her characters behave this way. It was necessary for the foreshadowing and progression of the story. But. It didn't work. It just made her characters' actions seem unrealistic. I must note that this is a small portion of the book I am talking about. It's like it derailed for a few chapters and then picked right up again and redeemed itself. I'm just sorry it happened at all. Because it really dampened my enjoyment of the story.

Before I go, I want to leave you with my favorite couple of paragraphs from the book. It's an odd choice, but I really liked the writing and the way it was worded. Also, you should know that although I complained a lot, it was still an enjoyable book. If you like paranormal romance with strong characterizations, you will enjoy this one. The pacing is a little slow, and this is definitely more about the romance than the paranormal, but I did enjoy it. Oh yeah. So here's that quote.

When I was eleven, I watched my dad kill a chicken. We were at the reservation, visiting my cousins, and I happened to walk up as the axe came down to sever the neck. I let out a scream that abruptly cut off again at the shock of what happened next. With the head lying on the ground and blood spilling out of the open wound, the chicken jumped free of my dad's grasp and ran.

Yes, ran.

It was only for a few steps and it was a jerking, convulsing, and off-balance sort of run. But it was a run. Somehow, the sight of that disturbed me more than the killing itself. I didn't eat dinner that night Seeing nature react in such an impossible way to something as final as death left me shaken for days.
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Feb 20, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Whisper feels like she is waking from a choking black cloud of sorrow. It has been six months since her parents were killed in a car accident, and she is slowly trying to learn to live again. She busies herself with the animals at the care center where she works. Helping injured animals gives her some peace and satisfaction. Her best friend, Erin, constantly encourages her to get out and try to socialize, but Whisper just isn't ready. She finally agrees to attend the bonfire with Erin. Unfortuna...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Maryann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, just wow! Words really cannot express how wonderful this novel was. I sat down to read, not knowing what to expect, and was blown away. The story is poignant and moving, especially when Whisper speaks of her loss. Loss for any one is a hard burden to carry, but Whisper is unfortunately doubly cursed as she loses both of her parents in one night, the victims of a tragic vehicle accident…or is it?
Whisper comes to find out that magic is real and still exists in a multitude of ways, especially...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Paranormal Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Whisper loses her parents in a terrible tragedy and is sent to the Skye View Wellness Center to get help with her feelings and thoughts. When she returns home to help with the animal rescue/fostering place Tinker runs she spends all her time with the animals. Her best friend talks her into finally going out to a bonfire one night and that is when she meets Dylan. She finds him knocked out in the woods and gets him help. She stays near him at the hospital and when he wakens she takes him home wit...more

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May 13, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Read the original review on my blog http://bookhoardermom.blogspot.com/20...

Whisper has lost so much. For the past six months she has been trying to deal with her parents deaths. So it's no surprise that when she comes across a boy unconscious and bleeding in the woods that she refuses to leave his side. She refuses to let him die. But could it be more than just an act of rescue? When the boy wakes with amnesia but starts having mysteriously real visions tied to himself and Whisper, they must as...more

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Apr 25, 2012 H.Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I stood on the porch, trying not to look at the police cruisers parked in the driveway. And when I did look at them, I tried not to let the memories come. But that was like trying to stop water with your hands. Enough of it got through that you were going to get wet.

As I expected, I was totally engrossed in this book until the very end. I absolutely love Heather’s writing style and anytime she comes out with new work, I have to read it!

I must say that the feelings that I had in the beginning of...more I stood on the porch, trying not to look at the police cruisers parked in the driveway. And when I did look at them, I tried not to let the memories come. But that was like trying to stop water with your hands. Enough of it got through that you were going to get wet.

As I expected, I was totally engrossed in this book until the very end. I absolutely love Heather’s writing style and anytime she comes out with new work, I have to read it!

I must say that the feelings that I had in the beginning of the book were very dark and sad. When Whisper explains all that has happened to her surrounding her parent’s accident, I could not help but tear up. Heather uses such powerful words that I found my heart breaking for Whisper.

Whisper is a great character. She is a lot stronger than she thinks she is and I think by the end of the book, she was learning that! Dylan, oh sweet Dylan! Who would not love him? He is sweet and caring. Although, there were a couple of times throughout the book that I wondered what the heck he was up to? I know what he did was all for Whisper, but, geesh, give a girl a break.

I really enjoyed the Cherokee aspects of the book and I liked learning about the different legends. The rituals were very interesting and it made me want to research into it further.

All in all, I can say that it did not take me long to finish reading. It captivated my attention and I used every free moment to keep going. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series!

“How would you know I was there?” His gaze locked on mine and I stilled, barely able to breathe. All trace of laughter disappeared from his expression. His stare was heavy to the point of paralyzing. “My soul would recognize you and wake me.” His voice was gravelly and low, barely above a whisper, but it filled my ears and raced straight to my heart. I felt a keen familiarity with this moment and with Dylan himself. It was more than déjà vu. It was something inside me recognizing something inside him.

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May 02, 2012 Amy The Book Diaries rated it 5 of 5 stars

www.the-book-diaries.blogspot.com

This book blew me away. I am a huge fan of Heather’s writing and this was I think her best ever. I could re-read this 10 times over and still love it every time. Heather does such a wonderful job describing the emotions that Whisper is going through to a point that you almost feel what she is feeling. It rings so true to anyone who has had a tragic loss in their life. She brings hope when you feel there is no hope left or reason to go on. In Whisper’s story Heath...more

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May 11, 2012 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whisper is certainly a different read compared to Heather's Previous Dirty Blood series. I was not disappointed what so ever and thoroughly enjoyed the Cherokee background and storyline that Heather has put forth.

The book is About Whisper - she has suffered severe depression due to the death of both her parents. She finally leaves the Wellness Clinic and comes home to try and start her life. She is finding it hard to move on. Luckily for Whisper she has Tinker and her aunt and Best friend to he...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Jamie Kline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-review

The choice to read this book was an incredibly simple one to make. I absolutely fell in love with the author's Dirty Blood series; if you haven't read them yet, you definitely should. Not convinced? Check out my reviews for Dirty Blood and Cold Blood. Anyway, back to my review of Whisper. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!

The main character is Whisper and when we are introduced to her she is still trying to come to terms with her parents dying. There is so much to admire about her:...more The choice to read this book was an incredibly simple one to make. I absolutely fell in love with the author's Dirty Blood series; if you haven't read them yet, you definitely should. Not convinced? Check out my reviews for Dirty Blood and Cold Blood. Anyway, back to my review of Whisper. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!

The main character is Whisper and when we are introduced to her she is still trying to come to terms with her parents dying. There is so much to admire about her: she's caring, intelligent, witty at times, and extremely passionate when it comes to rescuing animals. The family farm serves as a reserve for these animals that have nowhere else to go. It's obvious that Whisper has always had a love for animals, based on her memories, but I suspect it became more important to her after her parents died, since it was a big part of their lives as well. It certainly served to help her feel connected to them, by continuing their work. Her grandfather, Tinker, is a huge part of her life. They are very close and he's really the only person that knows exactly how she feels about her parents; he lost them too. There's a guy, Taregan, who works at the animal clinic and seem so to have some sort of romantic interest in Whisper. When we first meet him he seems innocent enough; just a boy with a crush. Things soon change though, which I'm not going to elaborate on. Mystery and intrigue enter the picture when Whisper happens to find a young man, Dylan, in the woods. He can't remember anything about who he is, but the connection between he and Whisper was very apparent early on. The characters were all so detailed and such great care was taken to develop them, that it was easy to forget that they don't really exist.

Let's talk a little more about the connection between Dylan and Whisper, shall we? I'm not sure there were ever two fictional book characters more right for each other. Even though Dylan couldn't remember a thing, the way he was with Whisper made me fall in love with him. He understood her without even knowing much about her, something most people who had been in her life for years could not do. I had a lot of respect for him from the beginning, especially after Whisper tells him what happened to her parents. There are so many sweet moments like this that just cement the fact that these two were meant to be together. Their relationship is actually much more complicated than it seems (yes that's an understatement, and yes, I realize I'm being cryptic). You'll just have to read it for yourself to find out what I mean.

I loved the mystery that surrounded Dylan. Who he really was, what he was doing in the woods that night, who might have wanted to hurt him. It made it impossible for me to put the book down. I enjoyed the ending immensely. Not only was it intense, but some mystery still remained as to how everything would work out.

It was hard to write this review, simply because I didn't want to give too much away. All you really need to know is that the characters and story are absolutely amazing and you will love the romance between Whisper and Dylan.

If you would like to see this review on my blog, Bookerella, CLICK HERE. You'll not only find my review, but some other fun stuff (including an eBook giveaway!)(less)

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May 02, 2012 Stacey (Sassy Book Lovers) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to recieve this book for review from the Author, I was so excited since I'm a huge fan of Heather Hildenbrand's Dirty Blood Series.

Heather truly know's how to capture her readers from the very first page and keep them on the edge of their seats through the whole book.

Right from the very beginning your taken on an emotional ride, I myself have never suffered such a loss but for Whisper to have suffered such a tragic loss and still find the courage she needed, it's just amazin...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: immortal, magical, native-american, ya, romance

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Myth/Romance/Native American
RECEIVED: Received for Review from Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
As a big fan of Heather Hildenbrand’s Dirty Blood series I was excited to dig into her latest book Whisper. She crafted a wonderful story full of emotion, growth and romance that I enjoyed to the very end.
Whisper is a character full of strength, loosing her parents in one tragic day affected her in every way. She is no longer social and takes shelter in her ow...more GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Myth/Romance/Native American
RECEIVED: Received for Review from Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
As a big fan of Heather Hildenbrand’s Dirty Blood series I was excited to dig into her latest book Whisper. She crafted a wonderful story full of emotion, growth and romance that I enjoyed to the very end.
Whisper is a character full of strength, loosing her parents in one tragic day affected her in every way. She is no longer social and takes shelter in her own home, where her grandfather and the animals on their ranch comfort her. But one night after finding a boy, who has no memories, she becomes determined to help him and figure out what brought him to her.

Whisper pretty much went through hell and back; there are no words to describe loosing both your parents. Her best friend tries to bring her back to life by helping her get socialized. But her heart just can’t seem to care to be around others. I really felt for Whisper and loved how her safe zone was comforting animals who needed to be rescued, taking over where her mother left off.

Dylan came into Whispers life in an abrupt way and she was determined to not let him be alone. She wanted to help him, almost in a way since she couldn’t be there to help her parents. Their connection was strong and so sweet, I loved how he cared for her and was frustrated with not only his memories but also not wanting to hold her back from people. He’s pretty mysterious as the book goes on and trying to figure out who he was made the novel that much more captivating.

Then there was Taregan, boy was this guy frustrating and you really just want to hate him. I had no idea what this guy was up to and he seemed to really enjoy making it hard for Whisper instead of helping her like he says. The background behind him was really interesting, to see how he connected to both Whisper and Dylan. He brought a lot of the drama and tension that keep me on my toes.

Overall I this was really enjoyable, adding a unique story behind a Cherokee legend, I was curious on how everything was going to be pulled together and I was definitely happy in the end. With my family having Native American on my mother side, this story really makes me want to know more about my own culture. This is definitely a book to read and something you don’t want to miss out on.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that focuses on Native American Legends. Fans of authors Angeline Kace author of Descended by Blood and S.R. Johannes author of Untraceable will absolutely love Whisper by Heather Hildenbrand.
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Aug 12, 2012 Kristy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

4.5 stars.

I loved this book! Whisper is a teenager who has suffered through the loss of her parents and is just beginning to face life again; just in time to stumble across her destiny.

This book is well written and I enjoyed the originality of the story. I loved the Native American (Cherokee) aspects interwoven with the story. This added extra depth and made for a wonderful love story that transcended mortality. The characters are good and I especially loved Dylan and the animals; animals always...more

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May 23, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, young-adult-paranormal

Over the past year I've read several Heather Hildenbrand's books. I believe WHISPER makes book number four. And each time I begin a new book, I'm consistently struck by her talent. Hildenbrand's writing is simply pure, a true pleasure to read.

WHISPER is the story of a young woman, Whisper, struggling through the depression that follows her parents' tragic deaths. Withdrawn from the friends, activities that once occupied her life, Whisper honestly just wants to be left alone, away from pity. Whe...more Over the past year I've read several Heather Hildenbrand's books. I believe WHISPER makes book number four. And each time I begin a new book, I'm consistently struck by her talent. Hildenbrand's writing is simply pure, a true pleasure to read.

WHISPER is the story of a young woman, Whisper, struggling through the depression that follows her parents' tragic deaths. Withdrawn from the friends, activities that once occupied her life, Whisper honestly just wants to be left alone, away from pity. When she happens upon a young man in the woods, injured, with no memory or family, Whisper's life is set on a new path of love, loss, and destiny.

What I found interesting about WHISPER was the use of the Native American, specifically Cherokee, culture and beliefs. I must admit, I've read very few books with Native American characters. My knowledge about the culture is very limited. (Although I think every kid I ever went to school with claimed their grandmother was half-"Indian". Always Cherokee.) So with that limited knowledge in hand, I was fascinated by the legends employed in the story.

The use of the Native American legends made me consider an entirely different train of thought. Which is, while I would technically classify WHISPER as a paranormal story (based on events throughout the last half of the book), if you believe in the Native American culture, that's not necessarily the case. The events would be considered entirely possible. Granted, this whole line of thinking has gotten a bit off point, but I'm hoping someone will think that is as cool as I did.

I did find the pace at the beginning of the story to be a bit slow. A lot of that can be contributed to the effort of laying out the background to Whisper's story; her parents' deaths, the depression that followed. Once Whisper and the boy she rescues begins to piece together the whole story, that's when the story really began to gel and move for me. I loved the revelations, the struggles, and the conclusion. And I am always happy to find a nice stand-alone story.

I found WHISPER to be a really good, beautifully written story. Heather Hildenbrand never disappoints me.

Favorite Quote:

"If there was ever a moment so sweet, so brimming with life that I knew I'd never forget it, this was it. Our breath hung on the air. There was a collective pause that seemed to include, not only the house itself, but the entire universe. As if every existing thing hung in the balance under the weight of our joined gaze." (ebook, 46%)

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Apr 21, 2012 Jackie -Sated Faery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, other-paranormal

Oh Wow..I really loved this story! It was so beautiful & unique! I loved all the Cherokee traditions & rituals that were incorporated into it. Whisper is such a loving, caring soul. She suffered through a terrible tragedy but somehow finds a way to survive & help others. And Dylan, Oh Dylan.. he's just perfect. So much mystery surrounding his life, yet he's still strong & compassionate. And even though Dylan & Whisper both have experienced so much sadness, this story is one o...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh where to begin with this review... My mind is still reeling from the amazingness that is this story! The author has this way of writing that just captures a little bit of your very being and holds it hostage until the very last word. This is a great story for anyone who has suffered a tragic loss. The main character is catapulted into a life she never thought would exist, a life no one should ever have to endure. While this is not so much a "paranormal" story, it does have that mystical quali...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Kathy Harrington rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Absolutely a fantastic book. It kept you engrossed the whole time. I liked the Cherokee heritige angle that it had. I also liked that it was only 1 book. Sometimes 3+ books get hard when the rest of the series isnt out yet. Bravo Heather!!!!

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Aug 04, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, mythology, nook

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have had it for awhile, and wish I had gotten to it sooner. It is a story of hope, and curses, and love.
Whisper is a 17 year old Cherokee girl whose parents have recently died. Since then she has had a hard time moving on with life and being social at all. That is until she finds Dylan. Dylan brings hope back into her life. But everything isn't all happiness. Heather Hildenbrand spins a tale of magic and curses that had me anxiously turning pages to uncover the mystery. Ther...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: will-read-and-re-read-over-and-over

I absolutely adored this book! It kept me on my toes and I didn't want to put it down. Certain scenes were breathtaking and others were so full of tension I was ready to start biting my nails and reciting "no, don't do that" and "oh my god. oh my god. oh my god!" You will not regret this book if you read it.

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Jun 06, 2013 Farzana rahmann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good book I expected a better ending though

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Apr 27, 2012 Heather Robbins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review to come!

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May 18, 2012 Tricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely fell in love with this book from the beginning. The story line is amazing. You fall in love with the characthers from the very beginning and you are continuously rooting for them to achieve their goals. This book made me dry, laugh, and sit on the edge of my seat all at once. I would definitely urge people to pick this book up and to read it!

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Jul 04, 2012 Jessica (Taking It One Book at a Time) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finished this awhile ago, review coming VERY soon!!!

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Nov 25, 2012 Haley ~ YA-Aholic marked it as to-read-i-own · review of another edition

How have I not heard of this until now!??! MUST READ THIS SOON! Love Heather's books!

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Jun 15, 2013 Amber Driver marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 15, 2013 Maya marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 13, 2013 Amy Davis marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 12, 2013 Holly Smith (Geek Glitter) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 12, 2013 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jun 11, 2013 Sujitha marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 07, 2013 Ale Rose marked it as eoa · review of another edition

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About Heather Hildenbrand

Author of Across the Galaxy, Whisper, and the Dirty Blood series. I write, read, and fuss at my kids. Oh, and I do laundry, lots of laundry. I'm pretty good at it, too. Sometimes I even read WHILE doing laundry - and fussing at my kids. I'm a multi-tasker.

For more information on my books, release dates, or just general stalker material, um, I mean FAN material, visit my website. www.heatherhilden ...more

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