Lin Thompson

A marvelous story with the uneasy feel of a horror tale, but it turns out to be something very different haunting the Bradleys.

The House That Whispers is a marvelous story with the uneasy feel of a horror tale, but it turns out to be very different. Dealing with gender identity, family dynamics, how relationships transition over time, and even the realities of aging, the book touches on so many life changes that readers of all ages can relate to something within its pages.

Simon’s inner dialogue bounces around in much the same way as that of those struggling with ADD/ADHD. From the start, I sympathized with him, and that was just during the car ride getting to grandma’s. Readers are also privy to how his gender identity is in conflict, and middle-graders will get a glimpse into how he is affected.

With Talia at 13, Simon at 11, and Rose, a precocious eight-year-old, the three siblings are quite young to carry the weight of their parents’ uncertainty about their future together. But that’s just true to life. The kids know something’s up, but both mother and father keep the truth to themselves, thinking they are preventing them from worrying. Still, the children know deep down, and their minds are working overtime, creating even more dire scenarios for what is going on.

Grandmother Nanaleen is also declining before their very eyes, and it is confusing when the children notice some of the manifestations. The author does a stellar job revealing Nanaleen’s struggles and the children’s reactions and fears.

I recommend THE HOUSE THAT WHISPERS to readers of contemporary middle-grade fiction, coming-of-age, or facts-of-life stories. With its immensely relatable characters and the life changes they are witnessing or experiencing, this wonderful book kept me glued to its pages. It offers something for everyone, even after the reality of what is really haunting the Bradley family comes to light.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.… (mehr)

Let me say upfront that this is an excellent choice for any library, public or school, where fiction that addresses the toxicity of bullying and/or gender issues is important. This book covers both while wrapping an intriguing story around them. Many will figure out what both Aubrey and Joel are hiding/afraid to tell each other early on, but that hardly matters. They've been best friends for years, but now that they're at the end of sixth grade, things are changing and neither feels like they have any control.
Aubrey was too intimidated to speak out when another boy continually bullied Joel, with the words and actions getting more hostile and vile as the year progressed. The school administration resorted to mild verbal hand slaps and platitudes, leading both kids feeling like they're not safe.
One way they deal with the hostile school environment is by skipping school and roaming through the woods behind it, playing imaginary games and crafting a running away plan. Aubrey doesn't think either of them will ever implement it until the night they have an argument during their first camp out of the summer. The next morning, Joel is gone.
While Aubrey thinks she knows where Joel went, her own secret and what they said to each other that night freezes her, making her unable to tell her parents, Joel's mom, or the local law enforcement officers what she thinks Joel has done. It's that combination of guilt and worry that causes her to coerce her older sister and Mari, the only friend she shares with Joel, to search for clues supporting her suspicion. That leads the trio on quite an adventure. Anyone liking issue oriented fiction mixed with adventure and the gradual revelation of secrets, will devour this one.… (mehr)