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A review by whatsheread
The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
THE WHISPERING NIGHT, the Luminaries series finale, by Susan Dennard is a book I eagerly awaited, for good reason. The mystery, the will-they-or-won't-they aspect of Jay and Winnie's relationship, and the world of Hemlock Falls are all compelling reasons. Thankfully, Ms. Dennard does not disappoint her readers.
While I devoured every page and enjoyed myself doing so, that is not to say THE WHISPERING NIGHT is not without its issues. For one, the story wanders all over the place. Quite literally, Winnie runs from one end of town to the other and back again. Plus, Ms. Dennard introduces what turns out to be a major character that changes the direction of Winnie's research, and this character never sat right with me. Her addition feels too last-minute, even if we first meet her within the first few chapters. It's a major twist the story didn't need and another thread for Winnie to track.
As for Winnie, apparently she is the only one in Hemlock Falls who can discover all the clues, piece together the puzzle, and save the day. There is a literal manhunt for her at one point in the story, yet not a single adult latches on to the idea that there is a bigger problem in their world than one girl. Even the few adults who go out of their way to help Winnie end up dropping the ball or fail to see what Winnie sees. I get that this is because it is YA, but do all of the adults have to be so damn incompetent?
My other niggling issue is the fact that Jay always, and I mean ALWAYS, asks Winnie for permission to kiss her. Even after they declare their feelings for each other, he still asks. It is odd and awkward. Winnie is odd and awkward, and we love her for that. But asking your partner if you can kiss them after having spent hours making out irks me. I'm all for obtaining permission, and I like seeing that in romance novels. It's just I've seen permission executed in other novels in ways that are far more conducive to romantic interludes and less cumbersome, and the permission became less explicit the longer the couples were together.
All in all, I did love THE WHISPERING NIGHT. The ending was not at all what I expected, and Ms. Dennard leaves room for future books if she wants. I feel there is so much of Winnie's world we don't know or understand that the possibilities for more stories set either in Hemlock Falls or the larger world of witches and nightmares are endless.
While I devoured every page and enjoyed myself doing so, that is not to say THE WHISPERING NIGHT is not without its issues. For one, the story wanders all over the place. Quite literally, Winnie runs from one end of town to the other and back again. Plus, Ms. Dennard introduces what turns out to be a major character that changes the direction of Winnie's research, and this character never sat right with me. Her addition feels too last-minute, even if we first meet her within the first few chapters. It's a major twist the story didn't need and another thread for Winnie to track.
As for Winnie, apparently she is the only one in Hemlock Falls who can discover all the clues, piece together the puzzle, and save the day. There is a literal manhunt for her at one point in the story, yet not a single adult latches on to the idea that there is a bigger problem in their world than one girl. Even the few adults who go out of their way to help Winnie end up dropping the ball or fail to see what Winnie sees. I get that this is because it is YA, but do all of the adults have to be so damn incompetent?
My other niggling issue is the fact that Jay always, and I mean ALWAYS, asks Winnie for permission to kiss her. Even after they declare their feelings for each other, he still asks. It is odd and awkward. Winnie is odd and awkward, and we love her for that. But asking your partner if you can kiss them after having spent hours making out irks me. I'm all for obtaining permission, and I like seeing that in romance novels. It's just I've seen permission executed in other novels in ways that are far more conducive to romantic interludes and less cumbersome, and the permission became less explicit the longer the couples were together.
All in all, I did love THE WHISPERING NIGHT. The ending was not at all what I expected, and Ms. Dennard leaves room for future books if she wants. I feel there is so much of Winnie's world we don't know or understand that the possibilities for more stories set either in Hemlock Falls or the larger world of witches and nightmares are endless.