Whisper

by Lynette Noni

Overview

For two and a half years, Subject 684 — "Jane Doe" — has been locked underground in a secret government facility, enduring tests and torture. In that time, she hasn't uttered a single word. Not even her real name.

Jane chooses to remain silent rather than risk losing control over the power within her. She alone knows what havoc her words can cause.

Then the authorities put her in the care of the mysterious Landon Ward, and Jane is surprised when he treats her like a person rather than a prisoner. Ward's protective nature causes her resolve to crack in spite of her best efforts to resist.
Just as Jane begins to trust him, though, a freak accident reveals the dangerous power she has concealed for years.
It also reveals that the government has been keeping secrets of its own. Now Jane's ability is at the heart of a sinister plot for vengeance, and she has to decide whom she will trust ... and whom she will help.

Well-known throughout her native Australia, Lynette Noni creates compelling stories that appeal to devoted fantasy fans and general-interest readers alike. This novel's extended metaphor about finding — and controlling — one's voice and power will resonate with teens attempting to do just that. The slow-simmering romance, richly imagined world and unexpected plot twists will hook readers from the very first page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771389389
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	239,951
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lynette Noni is the bestselling author of the YA fantasy series The Medoran Chronicles. She lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where she is a regular speaker at local and national events, and has a rapidly growing international following. Her U.S. debut, Whisper, is releasing in May 2018.

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—More than two years have passed since a silent, dangerous girl wound up at Lengard, an underground governmental facility. Because of her refusal to speak, her guards and evaluators refer to her as "Jane Doe," and for two years, she has lived the life of a walking corpse. But when her newest evaluator, Ward, turns out to be young, charming, and compassionate, the walls Jane has built begin to crumble. When she finally speaks, she confirms what she already knows; her words have phenomenal power, and what she intends, she can create. But nothing at Lengard is as it seems, and when Jane encounters an external group of Speakers, everything she thinks she understands about her ability changes. Fans of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard will enjoy this fast-paced work of science fiction about a girl with unexpected abilities who finds herself caught in a web of lies. Noni spends a great deal of time creating relationships among her characters, with a particularly solid emphasis on female friendship. While the story is compelling, the romantic elements fall flat, with an ending that introduces a lopsided love triangle, a villain who is little more than a trope, and the obvious segue to a sequel. VERDICT A fast science fiction read that will appeal to avid fans and is filled with twists, betrayals, and an unexpectedly cheesy villain.—Jen McConnel, Queen's University, Ont.

School Library Journal

2018-02-20
For more than two years, Jane Doe, aka subject Six-Eight-Four, has been subjected to daily interrogation and painful medical experiments in a secret government laboratory.Lengard, the underground facility where she's incarcerated, has stripped Jane of all comforts except the invigorating pleasures of combat training with dark-skinned Enzo, one of her captors. She remains silent for the authorities' protection as well as her own, knowing that her voice possesses dangerous powers. Perpetual harsh treatment has made it easy to keep her guard up until she is assigned a new therapist: Attractive Landon Ward, blond, green-eyed, and close in age to 18-year-old Jane, is assigned to break through her defenses using kindness and patience. He arranges for Jane to move into his sister's comfortable apartment in the facility and even takes her on an excursion aboveground with his young cousins. Pale-skinned, blue-eyed Jane is shocked to learn she's been held captive in the heart of downtown Sydney, Australia. In a dramatic incident on a bustling street, she saves the life of Ward's niece, but this changes their relationship in unexpected ways. Ward has manipulated her once; is he doing so again?Readers willing to overlook rubber science are rewarded with appealing characters and an intriguing, twisty plot that builds to a suspenseful, cliffhanger ending. (Science fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews

Compulsively readable, compellingly narrated and so full of twists and turns that I couldn't put it down until I'd turned the final page. I loved every sentence of Whisper.—Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times & USA Today best selling author of the Throne of Glass series

Fans of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard will enjoy this fast-paced work of science fiction ...—School Library Journal

Readers, intrigued by Alyssa and her mystery, will surely beg for more.—Booklist

... appealing characters and an intriguing, twisty plot that builds to a suspenseful, cliffhanger ending.—Kirkus Reviews

... a gripping page-turner with compelling characters and heart-wrenching action.—CM Magazine

Well-written and ultimately fast-paced, this is a strong entry into the world of dystopian fiction.—School Library Connection

... the story of a young woman who discovers love, friendship, truth and her place in the world.—Resource Links

From the Publisher