This book was okay. Ren, the main character, was compelling, even when her choices were questionable, her backstory and the weight of her grief and guilt did a good job of explaining her actions.

However, I struggled with the pacing. It felt like the story hit a peak way too early, and then kind off strayed off course. The constant flashbacks also became confusing as I often found myself unsure if I was in the present or the past. Sadly, the big twist didn't surprise me at all, and the ending felt like it was rushed through and didn't quite deliver.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This started out really good and while I enjoyed it the end kind of dissapointed me. I think thriller lovers will enjoy this one.

Ren still hears her sister Margo's voice. That's probably because she feels guilty about Margo's murder. Now she's back in town and teaching in the school they attended. And she's seeing, or thinks she's seeing, Bryson Lewis a physics teacher groom a student much the way Margo was. This time,, though, she has power. No spoilers about what she does but know that she does spiral in her thoughts. A lot. It's a quick read because you'll want to know what happens. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It started off okay, then got slow, and while it picked up toward the end, it felt like it took too long to get there. One of the biggest issues I had was the teacher-student relationships. It made parts of the book uncomfortable to read and hard to get into. I know some readers might be fine with that dynamic, but it’s personally a turnoff for me.

Although the book is labeled as women’s fiction/thriller, it really reads more like a YA thriller. The main characters are in high school, and the writing style and tone felt very YA, so I was surprised by how it was categorized. I think I would’ve approached it differently if it had been labeled that way from the start. On the plus side, the last third of the book had a solid pace and some good twists. I just wish it had grabbed me sooner.

Overall, not a bad read—there were things I liked—but it didn’t fully work for me. If you're into darker YA thrillers and don’t mind the teacher-student angle, you might enjoy this more than I did.

Whispers for Dead Girls is a haunting and atmospheric young adult thriller that blends mystery, the supernatural, and emotional depth in a chillingly satisfying way. Jennifer Park crafts a story that's both eerie and beautifully written, with vivid prose and a strong sense of place that draws you into a world where secrets refuse to stay buried.

The novel centers around a protagonist who is both vulnerable and resilient, navigating grief, trauma, and the unsettling whispers of the past. The supernatural elements are woven seamlessly into the story, never overwhelming the emotional stakes but instead enhancing the tension and psychological complexity. The plot moves at a steady pace, with enough twists to keep you hooked without feeling contrived.

What keeps it from a full five stars is that some secondary characters could have used more development, and a few plot threads feel slightly rushed near the end. Still, Park delivers a compelling and memorable read that lingers like a ghostly whisper long after you turn the last page.

Recommended for: Fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, The Dead and the Dark, or anyone who enjoys a moody, character-driven mystery with a paranormal twist.

This was a mystery that tackles the really important and rarely-discussed issue of student/teacher relationships in high school. The shame and trauma that follows young girls targeted by high school teachers is pervasive and the blame is always put onto the girls--even though a 30+ year old man is the one with the power and experience to not be a p-dophile. It also discussed the other side of the coin in a sensitive and nuanced way; that sometimes young girls CAN feel emboldened by their teachers or intentionally provoke them. But the author and book make it clear that this still isn't the girl's fault. Older men should know better and it is their duty to protect them if they make choices like that.

I enjoyed how Ren kept things back and her use of flashbacks. It really helped the pacing and kept me on my toes. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending but only because it's not the one I would've hoped for. I still think it was quite well-written.

a haunting book both from the past and present goings on. the result of the kind of loss Ren had would and does ripple through the very core of this woman. shes messy,she is flawed, she is almost at this point completely shaped by what happened to her sister. her sister was murdered. and now Ren lives her lives with that dug out of her whole present and future self. she also vies to never let it happen to anyone on her watch again.
she is now back in that town. a town where her sister was. well, she still is because her sister is the whisper of the dead girl. she talks to her. all find right???
being a teacher back in this small town isnt easy. and when Ren spots something in this man, this teacher she is on it like a shot. she sees something wrong. she sees how is. she sees what others are like around him. she sees what a student is being like around him. she needs to make sure this isnt another case like her sisters. doesnt she?
this poor woman. i felt so much for her. how could she not be the woman she had become. i dont know how she is even moving with all the raw grief that seemed to move through her bones.
and this small town. ugh.
the tension built throughout this book was on point. it was built and dark and rippling with it throughout. you were tense, you were scared,you were gripped to what was happening and where this was going.
a dark book. but it was really good. there was no other way this book could have gone other than that eerie tense feeling to it all. and i applaud the author for keeping us consistent on our hearts all the way through.

Wow this was a twisted tale. Ren lost her sister Margo when they were in high school, and when she goes back to her old high school as a teacher, history seems to be repeating itself. As Ren investigates and tries to uncover the truth, more and more twists are revealed, and I can honestly say I was continually shocked by where the story was going. Ren is unreliable as a narrator and every time something new about the story came to light, I would wonder if that was the last of the twists.

The way the story unfolded kept me guessing and kept me interested all the way through. I was constantly questioning who was telling the truth and whether everything was as it seemed to be.

I don't want to spoil it so I won't write any more but I think this is definitely worth picking up if you like a story full of unreliable characters, not being sure who to trust, and uncovering the truth over two timelines.

This book is a mystery/thriller with a supernatural edge. The story follows Ren, who reluctantly returns to her hometown after years away to teach at her old high school. From the start, it is clear that Ren feels very uncomfortable being back home but due to personal circumstances she had no choice.
As the story progresses, we learn that Ren carries a heavy burden of guilt over the tragic fate of her sister, Margo. Throughout the story, Ren has flashbacks which reveal dark secrets from her past regarding an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student. Now that she has returned home and is a teacher, she fears that the same thing is happening again.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. You can’t help but feel bad for Ren due to everything that she went through and still continues going through. The writer did a great job of capturing the sense of dread throughout the book. Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions are my own.

Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush is a very formulaic and forgettable mystery that I wish could have just passed the bar but with unlikable characters and a weak plot it fails to even pass an ok.

Ren has tried not to let the murder of her sister as a teenager consume her, but being back in her hometown is bringing it all back to the surface. She has taken a job at her old high school and a fellow teacher, Bryson catches her eye... and not in a good way. She recognizes something in him and she doesn't like it. He is loved by their colleagues and the students alike, but she is convinced she can see through it. She's known men like him...

When Ren sees a too close for comfort relationship between Bryson and a female student, she refuses to let history repeat. With the ghost of her sister following her around, Ren is determined to help this girl and show the world who Bryson is.

Ren has plenty of secrets of her own. Plagued by the memories of her past and the guilt she feels over her sister's death, Ren has to maneuver through all of these really horrible situations. Then, this whole book culminates in such a splendid ending! I am a fan. I really enjoyed this. It was dark and suspenseful. I highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush

When I started on Bookstagram, thrillers were my top genre. Really, thrillers got me back into reading more consistently in general. I loved a good twist and a tantalizing plot line. I loved to dive in and devour.

But I stopped enjoying them as much because there stopped being as many that stood out to me. Plots were ridiculous and unbelievable, I could see twists a mile away, and the market was flooded with a lot of poor writing.

What a way to start a review, right? It’s just this book did cover what I like in a thriller. I devoured it in two days because I needed to know what was going on and the secrets that our MC had in her past. I thought that this is what I liked about thrillers! This was good.

But then all the past story is revealed and the current timeline secrets, and I honestly was angry. I can’t say what made me mad because it would be a spoiler, and maybe you’ll like this book more than I did. I mean I am giving it three stars still, so it isn’t the worst thriller I’ve read. But if you don’t want to read this book and you do want to know what made me mad, you can DM me.

So, for a thriller the twist wasn’t great, and the overall plot was infuriating. It would also jump timelines randomly without warning. The writing was average and nothing outstanding. If thrillers are your main picks and you will devour any of them, pick this up. If you only like to read top tier thrillers, pass on this one.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. RELEASING MAY 27, 2025

Ren moves back home and takes a job teaching at her old high school. But, everywhere she looks brings up memories of her sister, who passed away before she graduated. And everywhere she looks, she sees men who can't be trusted.

Thoughts 💭
The premise was interesting!  The narrator was unreliable, and for a good portion of the book, we're not sure what she's doing or what her motivations are. Everyone we run into seems untrustworthy at some point, which keeps you guessing. Her conscience seems to appear in the form of her deceased sister, who tries to talk her out of a lot of her poor choices. There were lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing, although the ending was mostly predictable for me. There were also a lot of characters and side things going on, so sometimes it was hard to keep everything and everyone straight. Overall, pretty entertaining!

Ren Taylor never thought she’d return to her old high school—not as a teacher, not after everything. But with nowhere else to turn, she hopes that walking the same halls might bring a sense of closure. Instead, she’s met with old wounds. Her older sister, Margot, who was murdered years ago, is still revered like a saint. Meanwhile, Ren is the girl who spiraled—the one everyone whispered about in the aftermath.

Then she meets Bryson Lewis: young, charming, and effortlessly adored by students and staff alike. Ren knows better. She once trusted a teacher like him—someone who left her family shattered and may have played a part in her sister’s death. So when Ren sees Bryson getting a little too close with a student, alarm bells ring. She knows this story too well. And this time, she refuses to stay silent.

Whispers of Dead Girls dives deep into the murky waters of student-teacher relationships, small-town gossip, grief, rage, and the messy bonds of sisterhood. Marlee Bush crafts a haunting narrative that feels both intimate and unsettling—a dark, necessary exploration of trust, trauma, and the lingering echoes of tragedy.

This isn’t just a thriller; it’s a cautionary tale. About power dynamics. About intuition. About the lies adults tell and the ones teens believe.

While I found myself wishing a few threads were tied up more cleanly, the payoff at the end was deeply satisfying—enough to forgive the lingering questions.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This one lingers.

Although I found the twists in this book quite predictable, I still really enjoyed reading Whispers of Dead Girls. It was easy to follow and fast paced. It has been a while since I have read a book that I didn't want to put down. I also really enjoyed how unhinged some of the characters are. It is a great summer thriller binge read! But, I was left a little lacking at the end. I feel like a couple of the plot points were not 100% resolved, i.e. Casey and that investigation. However, I still overall enjoyed the book and will be recommending it to other mystery and thriller readers.

This book had it all it was eerie, creepy and just kept me reading. I haven't read a thriller like this in a while. Loved the old thriller vibes I got with this one.

I had a really hard time getting into this one, and it took me until I was about half way through before I realized why. It had absolutely nothing to do with the writing. It was because it was familiar to me. I had completely forgotten up until that point that the same exact thing happened to a friend of mine in junior high. I had no idea at the time, but she was in a relationship with our PE teacher. How could I not know, you ask? I genuinely had no idea. So it made me a little more sympathetic toward the characters in this story who also had no idea. Not so much toward the people Ren was constantly trying to warn though. And while yes, Ren is unhinged, it was easy to understand what would turn her into that person. She’s an unlikable narrator, but you almost can’t help but be on her side because of that. There’s only so much trauma a person can take from the people who are supposed to protect you, including those closest to you who should believe you. When they don’t, it’s next to impossible not to lash out in some way. Unlike most thrillers/mysteries I read, I genuinely had no idea who the killer was in this one. Looking back on it, the clues were all there, I just didn’t see them. This was a great story, but I can also see how it would be incredibly hard to read for some people.

Huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

The Description

Ren Taylor can not stop seeing her sister, Margo. That would not be a problem, except that Margo was murdered 10 years ago. Haunted by her past and desperate to make peace, Ren moves back to her hometown, Benton, to teach a science class in her old high school.

Here she meets Bryson Lewis, a handsome and charming physics teacher that has all the students swooning. The alarms start ringing when she notices one of the students has a close relationship with him. Ren has been here before, she knows how this could go, but now, she must decide what she is going to do about it.

My Review

So, I have a problem. Reading this was like being on a rollercoaster; a fast-paced ride full of twists, turns, ups and downs that sparks the adrenaline and fills you with anticipation for the next drop of doom.

The main character, Ren Taylor, is a morally grey character with a yearning to redeem herself from her haunted past. With her dead sister constantly whispering in her ear, she goes on this… lets call it a journey… to help save a young girl from the physics teacher who she suspects is much like the one she had encountered when she was a student at Benton High.

So hear me out, my problem is that I am going to need more books by Marlee Bush so that I can devour them. Her writing style was phenomenal. I KNEW exactly what was happening in each scene by the descriptive writing and I FELT every emotion that was portrayed. What I did not know and did not expect, was the ending. I was shocked, not once, but TWICE by the ending. I thought for sure that either Ren and/or the other person (trying not to spoil) was goner but nope, here they are alive and well, keeping an eye on each other.

Absolutely crazy and I love it. I devoured Whispers of Dead Girls and I know, thriller lovers will too.

I am also sorry for this advance but this is one of those things that I just can not miss the opportunity…Why did Ren Taylor and Bryson Lewis not get along? Well, because they had no chemistry.

Haha, get it… both science teachers… Okay, I am done!

Thank you Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity - I will be thinking of this story forever.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted copy of Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush. I liked this one. It was a slow burn mystery that had me guessing throughout. At times I feel like it was really dragged out but overall still enjoyable.

Ten years after the loss of her sister Ren comes back to her hometown as a teacher at her high school. Even though ten years have passed a lot of the same things are going on. Missing teens and student / teacher relationships seem to be a trend in this small town. Can Ren through the ghost and guidance of her sister help solve today’s crimes by looking into a past one?

All opinions are my own.

This book releases May 27th

As a teacher this book did give me a bit of an ick. The girls being put into these situations isn’t what I wanted to read. I went into the book thinking this was a thriller or a ghost story. This book was not what I expected, unfortunately!