While I appreciate this book for its subject, I cannot quite recommend it.

It shows the emotional roller-coaster of someone who lost hearing quite accurately IMO.
But the rest of the relationships are too simple - more middle-grade than YA. Romance especially was of questionable quality. And the drama with the job seemed to have come from the left field.

So it's nice enough read but... BUT.
Nice isn't what I'm looking for in these kinds of books. ( )

this was a thoughtful, kind and quick read about deafness, anxiety, and self acceptance. very touching. ( )

Bought this really for the book cover collection at work, but wanted to read it as I know nothing about being deaf and very little about living with or interacting with people who cannot hear. On the surface it is a typical YA book, although well-written, with none of the lazy characterisation or vocabulary that sometimes plagues writing for this audience. As far as I could tell it would engage such an audience in terms of its concerns, context and language. The main character's deafness (the result of an illness, not something she was born with) is important, in the same way that any particular difference is important to a story about growing up. The author carefully and (I think) sensitively explores the myriad ways in which people deal with being different from the social norm, without it feeling preachy or tick-box. And I felt I did learn quite a lot about how different people in the community (deliberate use of the word, as this is an important concept in the book) of the deaf might feel.
BTW the cover is just brilliant! ( )

I loved this. Demi is a strong, believable character who is juggling her two worlds, sometimes stumbling and falling, but always getting back up. It's an interesting exploration of the meaning of friendship and the importance of seeing the person and not the disability. This is a really insightful book which gave me new perspectives into the world of the deaf. ( )

The protagonist of ‘Whisper’ is 16-year-old Demi. Two years before the story began, she became profoundly deaf. She has a supportive family and some good friends, but she has been struggling in her school, finding it very difficult to lip read and to keep up. So, rather to her mother’s dismay, she has decided to move to a college for the Deaf.

Demi comes across as human and likeable; seeing the world from her eyes helped me understand just how difficult an ordinary bus journey would be for someone with no hearing. It’s not a long book, but the characters feel three-dimensional and real, and the message is a powerful one. There are some thought-provoking scenes, some which moved me to anger, and some which were moving in a different way. Demi’s three-year-old nephew is an utter delight, and Demi’s growth in maturity is believable, as she begins to find a balance between the two communities in which she now belongs.

Highly recommended for older children or teens, or indeed adults. There’s nothing inappropriate for a thoughtful child of eight or nine who reads fluently and doesn’t mind some low-key romance. It would make an excellent discussion starter for any group wanting to think about the ways disabled people are sometimes treated.

I shall be looking out for other books by this author in future. ( )