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A sweet, well paced book for Tweens, WHISPER is perfectly written for young readers. Noel handles fundamentally heavy subjects with humor and grace, allowing her heroine to come of age in the afterlife. Riley struggles with crushes, forgiveness, body image, and romance, all while trying to rescue the long tormented ghost of a Roman gladiator.

Though I appreciated the morality tales woven into Riley’s story, it was only the parts regarding forgiveness and lost love that resonated more than intellectually. Perhaps because these themes are as pertinent to adults as they would be for young readers. And though Riley’s crush was sweet and age appropriate, Noel puts a new spin on the genre trope. As a new reader (WHISPER was my first book in the Riley Bloom series), this was a compelling change that made the story all the more readable. Depending on how heavily Noel build up expectations in prior books, returning readers may not be as thrilled with this novel twist.

Despite this being my first book in the series, Noel’s characters and mythology were accessible and charming. Even the sticky issue of a heroine coming of age in the afterlife was handled with aplomb, neither downplaying death nor harping on darkness. While the story tone was a bit too young for my tastes, WHISPER is note perfect for a young reader who is already trying to find their place in a teenage world.

Sexual Content: Kissing.