Book Review for The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen

 

The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen

Published:  July 28, 2026 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Witches, Young Adult

Taken from Goodreads:  Rule 1: When the trees whisper, listen. 

Rule 2: Don't go into the woods alone. 

In the small mountain town of Whisper Ridge, the girls were inseparable. Joey, Quinn, Sophie, and Elena. Together, they channeled magic in the woods, living by six simple rules. The first when the trees whisper, listen. 

But all rules are forgotten, all bonds broken, when Quinn is found dead in the trees. 

In the aftermath, the friends scattered. All except Joey, who still can't move on. Until now, over a decade later, she again hears the trees whisper. 

Those woods remember some of Quinn's last words, and for the first time, Joey realizes she may learn the truth of what happened to her best friend. And so, the friends return to Whisper Ridge, to the woods that once held their magic and their secrets. But unearthing the truth about Quinn puts them all in danger, and in order to survive they'll need to channel their power for the first time in fifteen years to finally put the past to rest.

 

My Thoughts:  Four main characters that are chosen to hold magic.   There is a book with the spells that gives them magic.  One of them dies, the others all go their separate ways in their grief.   When pulled back together, secrets are shared, lives are intertwined, and answers are found.

The Whisper is unique.  It is not your typical witchy book.   There are glimpses into the spells they do but most of the story is about who killed Quinn.  There are twists and turns, I had no idea who the killer was until close to the end of the book.   With each turn, I would learn more about a character and the surrounding characters which would make someone else look guilty.   I enjoyed the not knowing.

I would label this as young adult, but not too young.  There is some more adult topics such as suicide, alcoholism, and death that is a touchy subject.   These are done carefully but they are all a big part of the story. 

Thank you Sourcebooks for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon