'WHISPER TO ME' - Nick Lake

Funny story about me receiving this book. I was browsing through the Bloomsbury website when I came across the cover for Whisper to Me (which is gorgeous!) and when I read the synopsis I was really interested in reading it. When I emailed Bloomsbury, they said they don't send review copies out after the release date (since it was released in May), but it was my lucky day since they just received a box in the mail with review copies. It must have been fate - because if it wasn't for that box I probably never would have read this amazing book!

"Cassie is writing a letter to the boy whose heart she broke. She’s trying to explain why. Why she pushed him away. Why her father got so angry when he saw them together. Why she disappears some nights. Why she won’t let herself remember what happened that long-ago night on the boardwalk. Why she fell apart so completely.

Desperate for his forgiveness, she’s telling the whole story of the summer she nearly lost herself. She’s hoping he’ll understand as well as she now does how love—love for your family, love for that person who makes your heart beat faster, and love for yourself—can save you after all." - Goodreads


CHARACTERS: Cassie obviously goes through a lot of highs and lows (mostly lows) in the book. She's not only hearing a voice in her head, but this voice is making her do some pretty insane things. At the beginning I was kind of scared for Cassie and felt like I was reading a thriller! However, I loved reading about Cassie's development and transitions throughout. I loved Cassie and she is probably one of my favourite book characters ever! She isn't your 'typical' YA character, and this isn't your 'typical' YA book. She goes through a lot, just like any real human, and this made her feel like a real person as opposed to a book character.
And can we talk about the boy that the letter is written to (I just read some reviews on Goodreads because I couldn't remember his name, and I realised for the first time that we never learn his name!). Because the letter is written to 'you', Cassie only ever refers to him as 'you'. I LOVED him. He was sweet, patient, and really added to the story line. Plus their romance was adorable.
Cassie is friendless at the beginning of the book and the readers are able to witness Cassie making new friends throughout the book. There's the boy and his friend Shane who are renting Cassie's father's apartment, Paris who gets herself into a bit of trouble, and another girl who starts with a J (I'm really good at remembering the names of characters) and she is the first person that makes an effort with Cassie.
I also want to talk quickly about Cassie's dad who is still suffering from PTSD after being a SEAL in the army. He has anger issues and I found myself confused with how I felt about him. When he lost his temper and was acting lick a **** I wanted to throw the book at a wall, but sometimes he would open up and was really nice.

STORY LINE/ PLOT: The story line specifically is what drew me in the most. Whisper to Me would have to be the best book about mental illness that I've ever read. Nick Lake covered the topic really well and the entire story was really eye opening. However, it covered more topics such as romance (without romanticising mental illness), mystery, and family relationships. It was different to anything I've read before and I love that in a book.
I also loved how the book was written as a letter to the boy. The format was different and I enjoyed reading it in this way. Although this lead to certain limitations, it added a sense of mystery and creativity to the other characters.
The book is long (almost 600 pages) so it took me a few days to read. But I was hooked on the story from beginning to end. There was never a point where I was bored or thought that it was slow paced. I honestly cannot fault any part of the plot.

ENDING: Although I liked the ending as it continued on with the theme of mystery and allowed the readers to interpret and decide for themselves what would happen after the letter is sent. But I just wanted to read about Cassie and the boy meeting after he reads the letter. But I liked how the letter ended with wrapping up a majority of the events that occurred throughout the book.


RATING: As you can probably tell from this review, I'm giving this book 5 stars. This would have to be one of the best books I've read EVER! I want everyone to read this - and I highly recommend you reading it if you haven't already. If you have read it, comment below what you thought!

Check the book out on;

Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/26030238-whisper-to-me

Dymocks; https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/whisper-to-me-9781619634565/#.V4id1vl97IU

Amazon; https://www.amazon.com.au/Whisper-Me-Nick-Lake-ebook/dp/B01DB0GURW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468571067&sr=8-3&keywords=whisper+to+me