There was some disconnect and flatness to this story and I honestly couldn’t make it through. I liked the blurb but for me ghost stories just don’t usually hold weight or my attention. I just think I wasn’t the right audience for this book which I’m surprised by because I was interested in the blurb but the story just wasn’t for me. It was a bit to literal paranormal for me but I know people love stories like this, I just think I wasn’t the right reader for this!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted E-arc!

I loved the feminine rage that burned HOT throughout the book and the morally gray characteristics of the FMC. But I’m not going to lie, I kind of struggled with this one. I enjoyed the idea of it and I really liked the eeriness of the beginning, but the twists were predictable and it almost read more as a YA than anything else.

I’ve read the authors previous work and absolutely loved it, but I just wasn’t as crazy about this one. The FMC was frustrating at times and I felt like the slow burn was a little too slow. During separate story lines I found myself confused on if it was happening in real time or if it was a flashback to before. Timelines were just a little bit confusing.

Unfortunately I don’t think I was the perfect target audience for this one, but I do think those who enjoy slow burn thrillers with feminine rage will love this one!

I went into this book blind, not knowing anything about the book/author but was very intrigued. It read more YA than I was expecting and felt similar to "A Good Girls Guide to Murder" (which I loved, btw). This book was an easy read but check your trigger warnings as it certainly morally gray and explores guilt/grief. Overall, I can see some really connecting with this and some perhaps finding holes in the writing. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, this was about a 3 star for me. **I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this mystery! A woman becomes a teacher at her old high school, and gets embroiled into a mystery. A teacher seems to be having too close a relationship with a student and with some research realizes that same teacher has been accused of this before. When our Main Character begins to investigate, and finds two bodies she is determined not to have history repeat itself and takes it upon herself to learn the truth. But she isn't ready and neither are you! 🥕🥕🥕🥕.75 and I'm super looking forward to what this author has up their sleeves next.

This is one of those books that I really don't know how I feel about it.

I liked the MC, Ren. She was very unreliable, and overall suspicious and I just new there was more to her from the beginning. This was also a pretty easy read. I read it within a few days, and I didn't want to stop. There was one point were I was so intrigued that I stayed up way to late! But... The overall plot was pretty predictable. I wasn't really shocked by anything. And the ending left me with more questions than answers. This is just one of those books that really depends on the reader. I still thinks it's worth reading, but It didn't give me the twisty feeling that I love in thrillers.

Marlee Bush brings another dark and sinister slowburn mystery thriller that’s unsettling and yet unputdownable at the same time. The small town setting with everybody knowing each other’s business made me suspect the reliability of each one. I didn’t quite trust MC Ren nor did I fully warmed up to her character even until the end. The story is told in dual timelines, and while I usually love this format, I found myself quite confused this time as the events of the past closely resembled those of the present ones. The names of the teachers and students all blended together! I realized that this must be the intent of the author because this was exactly what Ren was going through —- unable to untangle the webs of her past from her current situation, rendering her forever stuck to her history. I did enjoy the unexpected final reveal and the twists that came with it. As for the ending, I am still unsure what to think — I guess I just didn’t agree with Ren’s choices that’s why I felt dissatisfied and still looking for closure. But storywise, this was a compelling psychological thriller —- one that makes you wonder how far will you go to right the wrong and make amends to atone for your guilt? And of course, the million-dollar Q: nature or nurture?

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of Whispers Of Dead Girls.

Ren has returned to her hometown to teach at her old high school. The school brings back all the horrible memories of her past and the death of her sister that she feels partly responsible for and many people feel the same way. When she sees a young student upset after leaving a male teachers class she vows not to let what happened to her sister happen to another young girl.

This story had potential but the execution fell flat for me. The story especially at the end seemed way too far fetched for me.

This was the first book I have read by this author. It was good, but came of as being more YA. The plot was interesting and I liked the character development.

4.5/5 🌟
Trigger warning: student teacher relationships

For the first half of the book I was totally sure about it. Ren seemed like an out there character for me, always seeing her dead sister and trying to connect things that happened to her sister to students in her current school.
But then the story took off in the second half and got so good! And the ending was absolutely wild! I really didn’t see parts of it coming at all! I thought this was a solid 4 star read but that ending earned it an extra half star!

Another one of those books which sound like they have so much potential……this story feels familiar. We can’t trust anybody (even our narrator) and the inevitable train wreck we can see coming.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a perfectly averagely good book for me. I enjoyed the read but felt no desire to read it again or to want to remain in the story.
I received an ARC Of this title. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 36%. This book had great potential but fell short for me. I truly loved the writing, but the way it was laid out was very confusing! The constant flashbacks with no indication on the chapter it was a flashback made it hard to understand where I am in the book and connect to it!

"Whispers of Dead Girls" by Marlee Bush was not what I was expecting, but in the best possible way. This book pulls you into a dark, twisted narrative that keeps you hooked from the very first page. The plot is masterfully crafted, filled with unexpected turns that make it impossible to put down.

The characters are exceptionally well-developed, each with layers that unfold beautifully as the story progresses. Their depth and complexity add a rich texture to the chilling, atmospheric storyline. The plot twists are genuinely page-turning, keeping me on the edge of my seat, eager to discover what would happen next.

If you're looking for a novel that surprises you, challenges your expectations, and delivers an intense, gripping experience, "Whispers of Dead Girls" is a must-read. Marlee Bush has crafted a darkly enthralling masterpiece that will linger in your mind long after the final page.

3.5 ⭐️

Last year I read Marlee Bush’s, When She Was Me, and was utterly engrossed in the narrative. The story itself combined with Bush’s writing style was expertly plotted. Now, having read her newest book, Whispers of Dead Girls, I was partially underwhelmed.

Ten years after the death of her older sister, Ren Taylor returns to her hometown for a teaching position with the hope of mending her relationship with her parents. However, the moment she meets the handsome and charismatic physics teacher, she knows she's getting a second chance to right her past.

This story started out very slow that I contemplated stopping a couple times. It wasn’t until half way through, that the dialogue picked up and I was completely engaged. In fact, at that point, I didn’t want to put the book down.

What collectively drew me in was a few elements. First was the academia setting. Being a teacher, I’m naturally attracted to book’s with a school and/or teacher premise. Similar to other dark academia books I’ve read, this had a disturbing and gripping plot. Another element that drew me in were the themes addressed. Bush explored the themes of grief and loss, trauma, and the endearing bonds of sisterhood. After the tragic loss of the main character’s sister, the story focused on the aftermath and the lingering emotional scars it left behind. Additionally, the characters had to navigate many emotional and psychological challenges of trauma while a series of secrets and unexpected revelations forced the characters to confront some uncomfortable truths. All said, the depth of the themes Bush focused on, made this an entertaining read. Despite the slow pace at the beginning of the story and the predictable plot twist, I’d still recommend this book. This is most suitable for those who enjoyed Marlee Bush’s debut novel, When She Was Me, and/or dark academia psychological mysteries.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Ten years after the death of her sister, Ren returns to her hometown to take a teaching job at her old high school. Haunted—sometimes literally—by her sister’s presence, Ren is driven by a fierce need to ensure no one else suffers the same fate. But when she notices unsettling similarities between a charismatic teacher down the hall and the man who once destroyed her life, Ren realizes the darkness in her town never really left. As girls go missing and inappropriate student-teacher relationships come to light, she must confront the past and decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the girls who remind her of her sister—and of herself.

This was a medium-paced read for me. The beginning hooked me quickly, though it did settle into a slower burn through the middle before delivering a satisfying ending. I appreciated Ren’s drive for justice—she’s a fierce and flawed protagonist, unafraid to get her hands dirty when the system fails. Her loyalty to the girls in her community, and her own personal form of justice, made her a compelling narrator.

✨ Thank you to Marlee Bush, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an eerie read—it kept me hooked with its dark secrets and suspense. Ren’s journey back to her old high school only made the tension stronger and had me completely invested.

I went into this book mostly blind and was pleasantly surprised by the supernatural element, though it didn’t end up having much impact on the plot. While the story had a few intriguing twists, the pacing felt slow overall, and it took a while to really get going. I had mixed feelings about the main character—her morally gray nature and drive to uncover the truth were interesting, but her impulsiveness and avoidance of emotional confrontation made her frustrating to follow. I also struggled to connect with her, and some of the plot developments felt either too convenient or oddly out of place. The ending had a small twist that bumped it up slightly for me, but overall, it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
Okay, I always try to give authors two chances: sometimes, just because I don’t vibe with one book doesn’t mean I wouldn’t vibe with anything else. In this case, I just can’t get into her writing.

The pacing, my god. I didn’t get very far into the story but it felt like nothing happened - I didn’t even have a clear idea of where the book was going. Ren is an unreliable narrator, suspicious of everything, meaning the plot moved slow as molasses. If I can’t really figure out where your book is going 17% of the way in, I can’t keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marlee Bush, and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ren comes back to her hometown still pained by her past, her sister was killed when they were teens, and she has been keeping a secret about it ever since. Ren accepts a job at her old high school in hopes it will make peace with everything, but then she meets Bryson Lewis. A charismatic physics teacher all the female students and all the teachers seem to be drawn too. She knows these men too well. Will history start to repeat itself and can Ren stay out of it? Or will she have to reveal some dark secrets along the way of not letting another girl be taken before her time?

This book was very good. I liked the shorter chapters in this book. It kept me very engaged and wanting to keep reading more. The twists were well placed and I definitely had my opinions going in a whole other direction. Ren had a lot of character development that seemed like you should not like her, but I feel like she just had so much pain and anger to work through that made her who she is. She has an obsessive personality when it comes to helping women and girls with men which makes her do some unsavory things and sometimes unnecessary things. I really liked her, but I can see where some people may find her too much.

Overall if you love dark academia type of books this is for you. There are definitely some trigger warnings for this book so check those out before reading.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this Arc. I was in a complete reading slump and this pulled me right out of it. I love the premise of the FMC returning to her old HS as a teacher in a small town. I knew something was going to go down. The twists and turns had me flipping through the pages like a mad woman lol. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll post my full review once the book hits the shelves. It was great, and I suggest reading.

This was one of the best thrillers I've read this year. This book starts off with such an uneasy atmosphere as we learn about Ren coming back to her hometown to teach at the school where her sister died. I really liked how quickly the story progressed and how we also immediately felt uncomfortable as Ren met Bryson.

I also enjoyed the slightly supernatural element in this novel, which I don't always resonate with. However, it was masterfully done to show the prevalent themes of trauma, grief and survivor's guilt and was another way of us getting to know Ren.

The plot moves at a brisk pace and I always found myself eager to keep reading. This is one of those rare novels where I didn't predict the ending, and once I did learn the twist, I thought it was perfectly done.

I am extremely eager to read Marlee Bush's future novels and pick up her backlist.