β Scribed by Phoebe Kitanidis
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Like her mother and her sister, Joy can "Hear" the "Whispers" of others, thoughts just barely in their consciousness. Now that she is 15, her gift enables her to know not only the lighter side of internal monologues, but also the darker onesβthoughts of violence, lecherous impulses, and criticisms of Joy herself. As she works to navigate her new "Hearing," she must also cope with increasingly intense headaches, an antagonistic relationship with her sister, and friendship problems. There is also the mystery of Jamie, an unusual boy with a secret of his own. When Joy is at her most confused, her sister goes missing, and only Jamie can help her. Despite the fantastic premise, it's hard not to read this novel as an analogy for maturity, the archetypal move from innocence to experience. Joy has been a pleaser, working hard to use her power to make others happy. But when she can "Hear" the good and the bad, and even her parents are unable to help her deal with her overwhelming feelings of frustration and insecurity, she must strike out on her own to do what needs to be done. Despite a somewhat typical YA story structure and an ending that may have been tied up a bit too easily, these common conflicts are nuanced by Kitanidis's intriguing construction of Joy's powers, unexpected plot moves, and strong characterizations
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