I received this complimentary book in exchange for an honest review.
Whispers in the Wood by Clarissa Johal follows Rowan the protagonist as she uncovers the mystery of the small town she finds herself in on a backpacking trip through England. Seemingly peaceful and quiet at first, Sheep's Crossing soon reveals itself to be full of deadly secrets. Fueled by the townsfolk's reluctance to talk about it and by her own adventurous spirit, Rowan sets off in search of the whispers in the wood.
What I enjoy most about this book is its natural progression. Events are paced very well, and exposition is provided only when necessary, so the build-up to the climax doesn't feel forced. At the same time, it allows for character development, even of Rowan. I'm usually skeptical of first-person narrative because it's hard to get character development right, and character development is my favorite part of any media, but Johal provides just the right type of exposition in just the right amount at just the right time that we very naturally learn about Rowan and the other characters without feeling like we're being fed exposition fodder just to tide us over to the next crucial turn of events.
A slight, very nitpicky on my part hiccup in this use of first-person narrative, though, is how unnatural some of Rowan's reactions are to the situations she finds herself in. Sure, this book is fantasy with a touch of horror, so there really isn't a natural way of reacting to the situations, but some of her choices seem out of character.
Again, that's a very nitpicky hiccup, so it goes without saying then that I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend Whispers in the Wood to fans of slow-reveal mystery that hints at ecofiction.
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