3.5- I love middle grade fiction, especially when the protagonist is trying to overcome bullying. I’m sure it’s because I was bullied in elementary and middle school and didn’t have the strength to defend myself verbally (and physically too, but that’s a story for another time). Anyway, this book called out to me and I’m glad it did!
Amber is going into 7th grade and is super excited. She’s always loved school and she has always been accepted by her peers even though she is different. Amber had cancer when she was 3 and while she beat it, she lost her eyes and has been completely blind since. Amber quickly discovers two things are different from elementary school to middle school. Firstly, she has to change classes, which is no easy feat when you don’t have to worry about a cane in addition to your backpack and the crowded hall. Secondly, she is no longer accepted by the other students. While she isn’t able to see them, she can definitely still hear them and all of their whispers about her begin to eat away at her self esteem. Amber needs to figure out how to stand up for herself before she ends up as a 7th grade dropout.
While this is a work of fiction, it’s based on the author’s life. In her note, she explained that while some scenes were dramatized the bulk of the story actually happened.
I commend her for writing a book that brings bullying to light, but I think she should have expanded it to include how Amber learned to stand up for herself. According to the author, she’s hoping to turn this into a series with the other books focusing on children with other disabilities, so hopefully she’ll do that in the other books.
Like I stated earlier, I didn’t know how to use my voice when I was getting bullied and had there been a book in which I identified with and learned from the protagonist, it would have made my subsequent years so much better for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own."


I very much enjoyed Whispers, and I'm looking forward to reading/acquiring any new books from the series..

Going from elementary to middle school is hard enough, but Amber is not only going to a different school as her friends, but she is also blind with 2 prosthetic eyes. I can't imagine being in that scenario, and most kids likely never thought of it.

A wonderful series to open kids (and adults) eyes and hopefully build compassion and understanding that kids with abilities that differ from their are still kids.

This is a very boring book. Nothing interesting happens in this book at all. I couldn't even finish it. I know I'm not the targeted audience but this book will not keep you interested in finishing

When I saw this was a middle grade Own Voices story about living with a disability, I immediately downloaded it! "Whispers" follows Amber through middle school, an environment that is not kind to her. The teachers don't know how to teach her and the other students bully and ridicule her. I was genuinely so upset for her at what she went through! I think the goal of this book was great, but it fell short in a few places. Some parts were confusing, pacing was uneven and characters not fleshed out. The ending resolution was fantastic though, and I learned a lot about technology use for blind individuals!

Whispers (Extraordinary Book 1)
by Feather Chelle
Pub Date 17 Jul 2022
DLD Books
Biographies & Memoirs | Children's Nonfiction | Middle Grade


I am reviewing a copy of Whispers (Extraordinary Book 1) through DLD Books and Netgalley:


Have you ever overheard someone whispering negative things about you?



Now imagine if you had learned to depend on your ears and could hear even better than the average person.


To start her series about extraordinary preteens overcoming a variety of challenges, the author shares what it was like coming of age as a totally blind student in West Texas.



I give Whispers five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This is the true story of a blind girl growing up in Texas. It covers the hard transition to middle school, when Amber's two closest friends go to a different middle school and she struggles to fit in. It was a very vulnerable story, and it gave me a greater understanding of what it is like to be blind as a child. I think this is a great book for children to learn more about people different from them and the impact that we can have on others in how we treat them and talk about them. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy! I really enjoyed this story.