Whisper to me

By: Nick Lake
Location: FIC LAK
Genre: Mental Health- Youth Fiction

It’s weird. I’m writing this to you, and you haven’t walked into my life yet. But I guess you already know when you first saw me.
It’s like a wood in ancient Greece, a leafy glade. I’m here, and the voice is here—the echo—and we’re just waiting for you, for the real action to start.
Which is soon.
Things are going to go fast from here.
Are you ready?

Cassie is writing a letter to the boy whose heart she broke. She’s trying to explain why. Why she pushed him away. Why her father got so angry when he saw them together. Why she disappears some nights. Why she won’t let herself remember what happened that long-ago night on the boardwalk. Why she fell apart so completely.

Desperate for his forgiveness, she’s telling the whole story of the summer she nearly lost herself. She’s hoping he’ll understand as well as she now does how love—love for your family, love for that person who makes your heart beat faster, and love for yourself—can save you after all
 
"Whisper to Me is one of those special books that will stay with you long after you put it down. Nick Lake paints a vivid picture of grief and a teen girl's fall into the depths of mental illness. From the first page, Lake captured my attention with Cassie's distinct voice and thrilled me with the story's unique blend of mystery, thriller, and first love.This book is a character study, focusing on human connection and self-acceptance. A candid account of how grief can wreak havoc on one's mind and how it can break down one's ability to connect to others and even to yourself. Each character was multi-faceted and layered, even if they played a small role. I really loved "You" and his unwitting desire to help the girl with a thousand secrets. He was pure and good and had his own set of problems.

What made this book stand out among all other books that speak on mental illness is just how respectful Nick Lake deals with the subject. He doesn't try to romanticize it or let the love story side of things put a band aid or fix Cassie's problems. The portrayal of Cassie's unraveling is honest and real. Even though I've never gone through anything like that, the careful and intentional way Lake handled the subject matter made me feel Cassie's struggles deeply." -Megan- Goodreads.com