WHISPER

Just like her older sister, Jessica, her mother and every female ancestor before her, 15-year-old Joy Stefani can “Hear” people’s innermost desires, which her family calls “Whispers.” While pessimistic Jessica remains a loner and dabbles in drugs, Joy feels compelled to fulfill Whispers as best she can, becoming popular in the process. After she temporarily loses her Hearing and the social insights it brings, it returns full force, allowing her to Hear her friends’ true thoughts and causing her to question their motives. When she discovers that Jamie, her crush’s younger brother, has a similar talent, she begins to trust an outsider with her secret and learns how to use the power of her Hearing when Jessica, whom she’s pushed away over the years, needs saving. Joy narrates the story in the first person, and her responses to her classmates’ Whispers will strike a chord. Although the too-tidy ending feels rushed and the story is not as solid as Lisa McMann’s Wake trilogy, fans of the genre will likely enjoy it. (Paranormal. YA)