Pan's Whisper

by Sue Lawson

When you’re fighting to forget, what would make you remember?

Pan Harris is brash, loud and damaged. Ordered into foster care, Pan is full of anger at the mother who abandoned her, and the older sister who kept her from her father. Pan is certain that she knows the reality of her past – until she meets Hunter, the boy who understands her story better than anyone else, and who just may be the key to unlocking the truth of Pan’s memories. But are some memories best left forgotten? And is Hunter worth Pan breaking her most important rule – Never. Trust. Anyone.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Mystery, Australia

346 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Sue Lawson is an award winning young adult and junior fiction author, with a passion for
young people, writing and reading. Her books are recognized for the sensitive way they
explore the exciting and heartbreaking complexities of adolescence.
A former teacher, Sue has also worked for both ABC and commercial stations and currently
works part time for Geelong's BAY FM.
Her book Pan’s Whisper was shortlisted for the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards,
Young Adult Fiction, won the 2012 Australian Family Therapist Award, Children’s Literature
and was shortlisted for other awards.
Her latest young adult novel, based on real events, is Freedom Ride.

Reviews

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just say upfront that I’m probably not going to have much to say about this book because I know I’ll run the risk of sounding repetitive. Maybe I should qualify that statement by clarifying that Pan’s Whisper is written by Sue Lawson, an Australian author. For those of you that know my reading preferences and the fact that I declared Aussie books as their own genre in 2011 that should say heaps about how I felt about this story.

I loved it to pieces! The characters felt real, the storyline was full of raw emotion, and right about now I miss just about everyone in this book.

I want to tell Pan she’s not self-absorbed and her erratic jumping to conclusions is okay by me… I understand. I want to know that Morgan will be okay. I want to just say to Hunter that he’s a great guy and an awesome friend to those that need him. I want to hug that little hurricane Zara and tell her to settle down and relax, she’s safe. Oh! And I want to wish Livia good luck on her play. See, that’s what Aussie books make me feel… connected to the story and Pan’s Whisper is no exception.

A must read for those that love Aussie perfection. It was everything I expected and more. That is all...

Oh no! Wait! One more important thing....THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH Flannery for sharing this book with me. ((HUGS)) :D

[Reynje · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Seems to me, we all have these places, like rooms, deep inside us where we lock away everything we can’t or don’t want to face. Some of us have something so big, so terrifying inside us that it takes up a whole room. I reckon ignoring that thing only feeds it, making it grow so huge that it spills out of the room to search us out, sucking up all our light and joy as it goes.”

We often talk about catharsis in terms of its benefits, and the good that comes of opening up things held tightly inside. We talk about the relief, the release, the freedom that comes with letting go. But we don’t always talk about the process, how hard it is to let things out, how it can feel more painful than anything else. We don’t always talk about how much it goes against the grain to fight our own defences, like resisting the urge to clamp down on a wound and watching it bleed out instead.

When Pan Harper arrives at her foster home, she is holding her past tightly inside, wrapped up in layers of anger, pain, and denial. She wears her distrust like armour, believing that to be open is to be vulnerable, to accept her situation is to negate everything she knows about her life. So she holds the world at bay with her aggression, her clothes, her black eye makeup. And she clings to her memories, or rather, the version of events her memory chooses to retain.

Pan’s Whisper is the story of just what it takes to open up, and to realise that the truth is not always what we believe it to be.

From the outset, Pan’s anger is palpable. Her voice is hard and clear in the short, blunt sentences as she relates her arrival at the McMinn’s home and her start at a new school. Yet from beneath this, through the fragments of information she reveals about her childhood, her pain seeps through, raw and stark. While Pan fiercely pushes away those around her, as a reader it’s hard not to want to draw closer, to sense that she is damaged and needs to be loved. Honestly, when Smocker makes his first appearance around page 21, I was already fighting a lump in my throat and wiping my eyes.

Pan’s unfolding is told from her own perspective, the letters she writes to her older sister Morgan and fragments of the past where Morgan appears. The pieces come together gradually, the past layering with the present, to bring the full picture of Pan’s history into focus. It’s not always easy to read. It’s occasionally confronting and often painful. But the clearer the image of Pan’s life becomes, the more emotionally engaging the story grows.

One of the themes that runs throughout Pan’s Whisper is that of family – what it means to us individually and how that definition can change and expand. This was definitely one of my favourite aspects of the story, especially how Lawson developed the relationship between Pan and Morgan through their respective memories of their Mum. The complex bond between the sisters rang true for me and was incredibly moving. Having two protective older sisters myself, the difficulty of Morgan’s position and her courage was really resonant, along with Pan’s need to reconcile the versions of Morgan that existed in her memories and in reality.

While the story is pretty emotionally intense, and deals with some tough subjects, it’s prevented from being overwhelmingly heavy by the style it’s related in. Lawson’s writing is clear and understated, and the emotion bleeds through without the need for overblown emo-prose. Pan’s voice feel authentic, and there is a distinctly Australian style to the dialogue and he interactions between the teenagers. While I occasionally find some high school settings in US YA hard to get a handle on, this felt familiar and realistic to me. A very small exception to this was the role Hunter played. I loved him as a character, and the subtle way Lawson approached the tension between he and Pan, yet I have to admit that occasionally I found the parallels in their situations to feel a little too.. coincidental? The fact that two people feeling similar pain might be drawn to each other is fair enough, but I don’t necessarily think his backstory was pivotal to Pan’s being unlocked.

That said, the climax and ending of Pan’s Whisper were brilliant. I read the final few chapters with my heart in my throat, half afraid, half already heartbroken, completely invested. It was powerful and honest and basically the perfect note to end on.

Pan’s Whisper is a strong, gorgeous book that backs quite the punch. This is contemporary Aussie YA on its game: honest and achy and unflinching. Read it.

Thank you to the lovely Shirley Marr for proving a copy of Pan’s Whisper. No vegemite scrolls or cat-shaped cakes were exchanged in return for this review Although I’m pretty sure she owes me a dink on her BMX.

This review also appears on Shirley Marr's supercool blog, where a copy of Pan's Whisper is up for grabs! Go join the party!

[oliviasbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Stayed up much, much too late to finish reading it.

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching. Emotional. Raw.

Pan's Whisper is another great Aussie experience!
These characters felt so real. Each and every one of them.
Pan's story is heartbreaking. I don't even blame her for being the way she is. If it was me I'd probably push away harder. I'm glad that she had good people to look out for her. You can't ask better then Rose and Ian or even Livia and Nate. Hunter is another one who could really relate to Pan's problems and for once I'm glad that this didn't focus on romance but more about friendship. It just wouldn't have felt right.
My heart went out to Zara even though she came late into the story, but her presence sure did make an impact.

Basically I really loved this one. It's both beautifully and hauntingly told, the writing was pitch perfect and the characters were made to be unforgettable!

An Amazing read!

(Special thanks to Flann for touring this and Arlene for sending it!)

[Watermelon Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pan’s Whisper is possibly the most heart-wrenching book I’ve read this year.

The main character is a definite change from the Damsel in Distress females we see in YA. She, just like the description states, is loud and angry. But she has full right. Her story is one which I won’t forget.

This book was skilfully woven because it carries a lot of different morals. For one, when you’re trying to forget things, you truly do make up memories/avoid the bad parts and focus on the good. It’s what our human mind perceives life as.

The ending was magnificent, because it showed great insight into the switching of roles between the two sisters.

To be honest, this kind of plot is one which can’t be endured without reading about it. Like, if it said in big letters “GIRL NEGLECTED BY MUM” I would’ve scoffed. But I loved the back-story, and somehow Lawson made this a beautiful yet haunting story.

Oh, and though the pitch hints a strong romance aspect, this is untrue. There’s no romance between Hunter and Pan –just friendship. So if you’re a romance-lover, you might want to put this a little bit down your to-read list. But that’s it: you simply must read this book.

Overall, a beautiful book. Pick it up today!

[Sarah]

Research indicates that this is yet another Aussie title not available in the US.

You know what would make a lot of sense? If there weren't georestrictions on ebooks. Because I would buy a hell of a lot more foreign titles if I could buy from ebookstores. I'm just way less likely to buy from Fishpond (which sucks ass) and wait a million years for the paper book to actually appear.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

This book was so heartbreaking and beautiful. The summary makes it seem like it would be all about Pan's relationship with a guy named Hunter, but it's more than that. It's about her desperately trying to remember her past through the memories she has of her sister Morgan. Morgan was such an amazing person, and their relationship was precious, yet gut-wrenching because of their circumstance. Hunter was also a wonderful character. Sometimes a damaged girl like Pan needs a perfect guy who is patient and understanding. This book was another example of how great Australian YA fiction is, and I would highly recommend it to contemporary fans.

[Jaide · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read.
I really liked Pan, but she could be a bit of a jerk to Hunter sometimes, who was just trying to help her. (and you know, Rose, Ian, Livia, Nate... she was a jerk to quite a few people). I feel like Pan thought that if something was happening in her peripheral vision then it was about her. Aside from all of that, I did like her as a character.
And Hunter. I like Hunter.
I ship Pan and Hunter. I want more Pan and Hunter!! XD
*Sadness* I wanted Pan and Hunter to kiss. I was rooting for it since page 54. Oh well. I think they're together. The ending doesn't really clarify that though. You know, except for this line "I expect Hunter to pull his hand away, but he doesn't. He moves closer to me."
Awww they are so cute. :P

[Saj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart wrenching story that had me sobbing by the last page- the last sentence! An emotional book on the effects of mental health in the upbringing of a family, And the importance of perspective. Emotional, raw and realistic.

[Izzy Rizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah aunty sue

[Bohdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. Emotional, powerful YA novel that tells a poignant story of finding one’s self after losing one’s self.

[burnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am extremely sad. Like too sad for words. Oh my lord am I sad.

[Ernie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pan’s Whisper
by Sue Lawson
ISBN 978-1-742032-06-1
Black Dog Books, 2012. 346pp
Pan (Pandora) is a very angry teenager dressed and made up as a Goth hiding a scar under her hair fringe and beneath threatening eyes. She is taken by a social worker into middle class suburbs which she scorns as Legoland where she is cared for by plastic people, experienced foster parents Rose and Ian who also have tow other foster children, Livia, the same age and Nate who is in year 6.
Lawson gives her story the immediacy of Pan’s first person present tense narration varied with her brief letters to her older sister Morgan which link with a third person narration of Pan’s memories of her chaotic life with her mother, Kylie. The mystery of Pan’s anger develops with problems in the new school where she seeks to hide herself between angry outbursts triggered by mistrust and misinterpretation of peoples’ motives. This links with her intelligent responses to Romeo and Juliet with which she is familiar from her previous school but she can only see that she is fated to always stuff up her life.
Her talisman is a soft toy cat with a zippered pocket into which she has put the few toys and photos that had not been lost in the many house moves that her mother Kylie made in her manic-depressive mood swings. Lawson controls the pace of the revelations by making her character suppress most of her past so that clues given to the readers emerge from the various crises she suffers at school and in foster care. Detention with the art teacher who is painting the backdrops for the school production of West Side Story becomes the main support for her rehabilitation as younger readers might not recognise the skilful patience of the foster parents. Hunter, a talented musician in her class was too good a character for me but he provides another character who is rejected then gradually trusted and befriended.
Lawson mediates the chaos and violence of Pan’s past life and the final crisis which took her away from her mother and older sister and into care. This I found totally believable and convincing as it encourages readers to interpret the younger Pan’s experiences as she is protected by her older sister from Kylie and the men in her life.
The result is an accessible text that would appeal to most students in years 8 – 10. Wide reading links: families, kids as carers, living on the edge, friendship, outsiders, school life.
Ernie Tucker
Choices for English

[L. E. Armbruster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, that I devoured this book quickly and without any hesitation and it was the structure and the way that the narrative was managed that really helped in this.

The structure is dictated by the relationship between the two girls and more importantly by the intensely incongruous images painted of Kylie. It isn't hard to piece together that the main difference was birth order and age, but because Pan controls much of the narration, I was always filled with a sense of anticipation and relief that her vague memories would be drawn out and explained by Morgan's insights. Especially when I realised that this was a recurring pattern. I think I would have lost interest, not to mention my sanity, if I only had Pan's fallible memories to help me construct the character of Kylie. She was, after all, tragically flawed but so revered.

I felt the main theme of memory and perspective were vital in the structure. The final few chapters had Pan's memories finally intruding into her narrative space pg 324- 327, and this almost feels like the build up of pressure leaking into her narrative. I applaud the way that Lawson utilises Morgan's narrative as a third person account because that way, we feel that her narration of objective and reliable, when first person is not. Pan mentions several times in her thought patterns about her lack of memory, and this also helps to create the three act structures because of the lack of detail we receive about Morgan. I was sure she had died and that "visiting Morgan" that Rose keeps suggesting would be a grave. I was pleasantly surprised that she was still alive, albeit a vegetable. (Although I was not clear about how damaged she was and felt that this was dealt with too quickly. I mean, if she is going to recover well and be Morgan again, then it's a happy ending, but if she is permanently brain damaged or disabled, then I felt a real sense of rage towards Kylie, and I would like to know which one to feel)

In some dual narratives, one perspective seems to eventually take over the other (novels like Cormier's After the First Death and We All Fall Down are like that), so I was surprised that Morgan's voice never really dominates. Whilst I appreciate this, I feel that, in many ways, Morgan's story then is made less important than Pan's and I am not sure I agree with that balance.

Really loved this book....Love, love love!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Sue Lawson. Her books are intelligent, complex and insightful, and she is not afraid to deal with big issues. "Pan's Whisper" focuses on mental illness, foster care, family relations and friendship. After a horrific accident, Pandora (Pan) Harper finds herself being moved from foster home to foster home, the latest being the McMinns. She is angry, confused, wary of kind advances, outspoken and a rebel, and it took me a while to engage with her. However, gradually the painful circumstances of her childhood are revealed and I found I couldn't help but empathise with her and feel her vulnerability. Morgan, Pan's older sister, is a wonderful character. She is generous and caring, trying to protect Pan from the neglect and dangers that faced them both as children. The reader learns about her through the letters Pan writes to her and through Pan's recollections, but it is only in the final chapter that we actually meet her. The reunion between the two sisters is incredibly touching. This is a great read from a wonderful author!

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pan's Whisper is a very good book. The characters are well-developed and interesting, and the story is fantastic.
Basically, the story is this:
Pan (real name is Pandora) is put into yet another foster home. She is a teenage rebel who hates everything and doesn't trust anyone. She keeps having strange flashbacks and bits of memory floating into her mind, but she can't make sense of them. When she starts at a new school, she instantly becomes an outsider and a freak, to everyone but Hunter, a kind and charismatic boy who seems to understand her. But is he worth breaking her ultimate rule: "Never trust anyone"?
Pan's Whisper is written pretty well and overall it's an interesting book. I think the novel would lose some of it's appeal the second time around though because of the numerous plot twists and mysteries involving the memories. The best feature of this book is that it has a good pace, convincing dialogue, and interesting characters.

[Sean Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pan has been taken into foster care but all she wants is to go back home to her mum and sister. She just doesn't understand why everyone is making such a big fuss. But as she goes along she starts to remember things. At first they elude her, then come in flickers, and then they hit her with full force. This is about her journey to figuring out and accepting that her life has not been as rosey as she thought and she needs to thank her sister for protecting her, if it's not too late.

There are 3 facets to this book, written in different fonts. There is the main story that is written in first person from Pan's perspective, of modern day.
There are the letters that she writes to her sister, Morgan about what is going on and things that she is remembering.
And there are the chapters following the letters that are written in third person from Morgan's perspective, showing the event that Pan just remembered, but without the rose-tinted glasses.

[Lynda Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I have never devoured a book like this before. This is not the sort of book I would normally pick up to read but it was a set text for my Uni course on YA literature. once I picked it up I had to read on and on and on and on! It was an easy read and the changes in voice and focalisation from Pan in story telling style to her letters to her sister, Morgan, is compelling. Pan is such a damaged girl, yet she is so lovable and her harsh exterior really is just that, an exterior, and her internal voice is so broken and you just feel for her and everything she has been through. And, yet, the author really gives few clues, at first, about what has occurred and so you read on trying to put the pieces together. Compelling reading, particularly if you have broken teens in your life. It just makes you want to love them more, but not so obviously because they will back off.

READ THIS!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, what can I even begin to say about this beautiful book? When I started it I wasn't expecting too much, but then a few chapters in and I was hooked. The flashbacks in Morgan's POV were so heartbreaking and the ending was so emotional for me! I loved every moment reading this and I grew to love all the characters - Pan, Rose, Ian, Hunter, Nate, even Livia (I guess..haha). And Morgan is such a wonderful older sister ; the flashbacks were among my favourite scenes. Towards the end of the book, I somehow realised that I had previously read one of Sue Lawson's books three or four years back, 'Allie McGregor's True Colours', and I remembered that I loved it and it was also very heartbreaking.
Overall rating: 5/5 stars!! I highly recommend this novel! (:

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pan’s Whisper is a captivating novel of family & memories. Pandora, or Pan as she likes to be called, just wishes she could go back to before, with her sister Morgan & her living together to get away from their abusive, alcoholic mother. But when her mother comes back to taunt them, something happens, something Pan has blocked out of her memory, and suddenly she finds herself in a foster home with strangers, struggling with her repressed memory. Can Pan trigger the memories back to move on with her life?

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally picked up this book while sitting in the library during a lockdown drill - and i couldn't put it down. I finished it that night.
Was well written, each chapter gave you a little bit more background into Pan's life and what she had been through. You can tell that Sue has worked with children as the voice was very realistic.
Sue has been to our school to do a workshop with some of our kids and it great!
Even though this is a teenage/YA book it is still a great read for adults as well.

[Shirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was such an emotional book. All the flash backs were all cute, and interesting. Some parts I cried a lot at, especially in the end (and i dont cry when i read most books so)
The main protagonist, Pan (Pandora) did kinda annoy me when she kept pushing the people who loved her most away.
I got so excited when I realised her birthday is the same as mine (October 26, whoop!)
Highly recommend it for, teens, pre teens, and people who are currently going through a lot.

[Mya Lilly ❊ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pan's Whisper was beyond amazing. Such a touching, hard, loving and sad book all at once.
I'm the eldest sibling to two younger, and the whole time I was thinking that if I were Morgan, what would I do?
I knew that I would do everything exactly the same.
Gosh, I just want to cry!
It was unbelievable!

[Michael Earp · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Amreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written story and couldn't be written any better. The story is really interesting and I found the end really depressing. :) I can really connect to the story and it's easy to understand Pan's moods and what she must be going through.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in a day - very moving and authentic. Pan is a troubled girl about to meet her new foster family. She is angry, angry, angry. Why? And what has happened to her protective half-sister?
Bravo to Sue (again).

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to rate this book, whether I thought it deserved 2 or 3 stars.

At first I really struggled with the book, I found it hard to get into the story, but eventually the story began to unravel somewhat and caught my interest. Then I found I enjoyed it more.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Touching. Deeply moving. I finished this book in a single sitting.

"Pan's Whisper" enthralled me, drew me in. So much so that this has become one of the few book that have actually made me cry.

5 stars, I fully recommend it.


*Lissa

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Pandora who is put into foster care. You are not entirely certain of why, but as her memory comes back it all becomes clear. The way in which Pandora remembers childhood events and how her older sister remembers them is intricately woven through the book. A great read.

[Jenny Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have tissues handy