The typical tale of power and manipulation gets a spin in Lynette Noni’s “Whisper” which explores a world where power is only held in one person- our main character- who goes by the alias of Jane Doe.

The plot of the novel revolves around Jane and her “imprisonment” in Lengard where she has been passed from person to person in an effort to make her speak. Her vow of silence to herself is broken, however, which leads to chaos. The book follows her as she discovers the fact that she is alone with her powers and that the people of Lengard have been trying to use her to gain power for themselves.

The book has a unique divide between the first and second half. The first half of the novel leaves readers clueless about almost everything that is happening, almost mimicking Jane’s cluelessness about Lengard. The second half, however, is marked by Jane’s first words and everything is finally revealed to the readers, which leads to the true action beginning.

The most distinctive aspect of the novel is Jane and her power. Her power has to do with the influence of her words and how every word she mutters has a consequence. It’s a power that has not been explored in similar sci-fi novels and is a breath of fresh air for readers. Her power also influences the dialogue of the novel since she only replies in one word sentences.

Even with its successes, the novel does fall short with many typical YA sci-fi novel cliches. It follows a rebellion plot line with Jane trying to escape her captors and even includes an evil villain whose one goal is to rule the world. It also has a love triangle like every other YA novel, but thankfully it isn’t too overbearing.

Overall, “Whisper” is a great read for lovers of the sci-fi genre and is recommended for people of all ages who enjoy tales of powerful teens and can ignore some of the more typical cliches.