It’s okay, not really a thriller more of a mystery. Very anticlimactic, not really my cup of tea, got half way in and it really felt pointless, the beginning was really strong and did a great job of building it up. For me, it just kind of fizzled out

Whispers of Dead Girls follows Ren Taylor, who returns to her hometown a decade after her sister’s death to teach at her old high school. What starts as a search for closure quickly turns into something darker as she begins to suspect a teacher’s inappropriate relationship with a student, echoing her sister’s past. With a slow-building sense of dread and a touch of the supernatural, the story pulls you into a small town filled with secrets and buried trauma.

Ren is flawed, messy, and incredibly human, which made her a compelling narrator. The eerie atmosphere and steady tension kept me hooked, even when the middle dragged a bit. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but the story takes its time unraveling the mystery in a way that felt satisfying. It’s a slow burn that builds to something intentional. 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Whispers of Dead Girls is Marlee Bush's sophomore novel. After reading her debut, When She Was Me, I was excited to receive an ARC for her next book.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Whispers of Dead Girls as much as I wanted to. It was just as compulsively readable as Bush's debut, and the characters were just as dynamic. I enjoy that particularly about Bush's novels: her main characters are people you have to root for, but you don't necessarily have to *like* them. Sometimes they make bad decisions and jump to conclusions. They are unreliable narrators and they have agendas. It's realistic: real people are messy. Bush's narrators are messy. I like it.

What I didn't like was the ultimate twist in this book, and the message it seemed to send. I can't talk more about it without spoiling the entire book, but let's just say it felt disingenuous and borderline dangerous in our current climate. It was also a predictable twist, but I can forgive predictability when it's good. This... wasn't that.

Ultimately, the book was fine, but I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone.

I feverously read this book in 26 hours. It wasn't one I could put down, and truly it was a quick read.

This psychological thriller follows Ren who has come back to her high school to teach biology. She has a past everyone knows and a fixation on making sure it doesn't happen to anyone ever again.

This story is spooky. There are literal ghosts and a topic that is dark (I don't want to ruin anything). Missing girls. Teacher relationships. It's a dark story. One that kept me turning page after page. I saw a lot of the twists coming, but the ending I did not. It was well written where I truly despised the main character and narrator when I was supposed to and rooted for her in other places. The way Bush weaves the story did feel a bit amateurish. I knew things through foreshadowing before it was revealed and the reveal didn't lead to anymore shocking twists. I did enjoy this one, but I can't put my finger completely on why.

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

✨ The Vibes ✨
A thriller with a familiar trope but plenty of twists

📖 Read if…
✨ You want a book you can easily read in one sitting
✨ You enjoy thrillers with big ‘I support women’s rights and wrongs’ energy
✨ You are looking for a book with plenty of twists

Whispers of Dead Girls really caught me off guard.

The basic premise is that Ren Taylor returns to her high school to work as a teacher after a tragedy. When she arrives, she starts to notice suspicious behavior from a male teacher that reminds her of the scandal her sister was caught in years earlier.

While the book follows those general beats, it’s really so much more and I was genuinely shocked while reading it. I flew through most of the book in one night, largely because I was so caught up in the story that I lost track of time. The short chapters and cleverly paced reveals had me saying ‘one more chapter’ until it was way too late.

There’s a lot of moral ambiguity woven into the story, with many of Ren’s decisions calling into question the difference between what’s right and what’s just. For that reason, I think this would be a great pick for book clubs or buddy reads, because it will spark a lot of discussion.

I won’t say too much else for fear of spoilers, but Whispers of Dead Girls shares a lot of DNA with movies and TV shows like Promising Young Woman and Cruel Summer. This does mean it deals with heavy topics like harassment and grooming, so use care when reading.

Whispers of Dead Girls is out May 27th. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were aspects that I was not a fan of, mainly her seeing her sister and talking to her, but I was able to look past it and focus on the story.

I had a feeling something wasn't right with Olivia but the ending still came as a shock.

As someone who likes tropes dealing with teenagers this was a book that was right up my alley and I definitely will be recommending it to people that I know enjoy books similar to this one.

Thank YOU so much to @poisonedpress for this ARC as a part of your influencer partnership program! I am so thankful 🖤 PUB DATE: May 27th, 2025⁠
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Whispers of Dead Girls is one of those books that settles into your bones and lingers long after the final page. I don’t think I was prepared for the emotional roller coaster this story would take me on— but wow, what a ride.⁠
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Ten years after the devastating loss of her sister, Ren returns to her hometown for the first time, taking a job teaching at her old high school. What she hoped might be a therapeutic fresh start quickly becomes something much darker. Memories resurface, wounds reopen, and Ren finds herself caught in an unsettling situation. Across the hall is Bryson Lewis— charming, well-liked by the students, but something about him feels...off. When Ren starts to notice a concerning connection between him and a female student, her instincts kick in. She’s determined not to let history repeat itself.⁠
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There were moments in this book that were so heavy, I had to pause and take a breath. But that’s part of what makes it so powerful— Marlee Bush doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, and the emotional depth of the story is what makes it unforgettable. It’s chilling, haunting, and heartbreakingly real.⁠
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This is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers with strong emotional cores. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.⁠
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So in other words… add this one to your TBR!

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it pulled me in nonetheless. With the title, I was expecting more than one "dead girl" to be whispering, but the MC's sister took the lead on those. I found myself pulled into the mystery that revolved around these problematic male teachers and it made me reflect on how easily charismatic people can be overlooked.

The story was as thought-provoking as it was intriguing, and I think thriller lovers will be enjoying this one this summer.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a slower paced thriller but had short chapters that kept me going. Also the seemingly never ending secrets from these characters kept me intrigued. I really did not like Ren as a character at first but as I learned her story I felt more and more sympathy for her. There were also some great twists throughout the book. I did not ultimately guess the final twist and I really liked that part of the story. This was a quick read and I would definitely recommend it!

This was an interesting thriller! The plot was intriguing and the ghostly presence of Margo gave the story an extra kick. I didn’t see the ending coming! It was a fun read.

Characters: 3.75⭐️
Setting: 4.50⭐️
Plot: 4.25⭐️
Themes: 3.75⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.00⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3.75⭐️
Overall rating: 4.00⭐️

When Ren Taylor decides to accept a teaching position at her old high school, she decides to return to make peace with her past but instead becomes fixated on revenge and resurfacing secrets best left buried. Her murdered teenage sister is still immortalized in her hometown and Ren cannot stop seeing her ghost wherever she goes…literally. When Ren feels like the past is starting to repeat itself, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Ren is an interesting character from the start. Her sister was murdered and had a relationship with a teacher when they were in high school. Her parents blame Ren and she has to live with the ghost of her sister. When Ren sees similar habits repeating themselves in a student and a teacher she decides to look into a little more. She is out for vengeance, but Ren has more secrets that she is leading onto.

This book is fast past and it did keep me guessing until the end. The plot twist at the end of the book was something I was not expecting. There were a lot of moving parts within the story, but I think it all worked out perfectly together. If you are looking for a quick, thriller palette cleanser, I would highly recommend this book.

Would I recommend this book? Yes.

Whispers of Dead Girls was a really enjoyable read. I loved the small town setting and how interconnected the entire town was, which we're introduced to from the very first chapter. Ren Taylor is back in her hometown after accepting a job at her old high school, where her murdered sister is immortalized.

This was definitely a slower burn and the middle of the book was a bit repetitive, but it never lost my interest. The novel jumped back and forth between current day and past timelines, and there were a couple moments where it was difficult to distinguish the two from each other. Even so, it didn't take me out of the story too much.

I often hated the decisions that Ren, and honestly everyone else, made. Some of the decisions were unrealistic and just didn't make any sense. Despite being a teacher and an "authority" figure in the book, Ren acted so impulsively and acted much younger than she was. On the other hand, I absolutely loved Margo. She was, by far, my favorite part of the book. I thought she added so much depth to the pages and provided a lot of emotional insight into Ren.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Marlee Bush and Netgalley for my eARC!

I found that this read a bit more like a YA thriller than an adult one. And I can't quite put my finger on why. Something about how it was structured and how the characters interacted maybe.

This is definitely a more slow-burn (or dragging, depending on how you like the pacing of your thrillers) read. You were kind of forced to guess and think about what was going on since it took so much time between big moments. I know some people like that, I personally, do not. I like a very fast-paced thriller to keep me interested and invested.

I also was weirdly confused about the all of the ages of the characters. Some of the adults were super annoying and immature sounding and some of the younger characters felt more like adults. It was strange and confusing (to me, at least).

We've got mysterious happenings that span a long period of time, missing people, suspicious student/teacher relationships, being haunted by one's past, and a small town atmosphere.

I can see a lot of people enjoying this book, it wasn't too long and did have some good moments. It just was not the perfect thriller for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

A woman who lost her sister years ago is starting a new job at a high school. She soon becomes suspicious of another teacher's intentions with his students, forcing her to come to terms with her past and the secrets she has kept.

I have mixed feelings for this one. It makes both points of women not being heard and the reason why they aren't at the same time. For my own personal reasons, it was frustrating. Attempting to set that aside, this was a unique story. The protagonist, Ren, sees and hears her dead sister. Knowing it isn't real and all in her mind, she converses with her when no one is around, bringing her subconscious to the forefront. This was gripping, displaying the good and bad in men and women alike, giving it a realistic touch. The twists at the end have me undecided, making the realistic become far-fetched. Overall, this was enjoyable and addicting and I give it three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC

Nature vs. Nurture... what an interesting question for this book.
Marlee Bush's novel, Whispers of Dead Girls, was a read I was not expecting. This was my first by Bush and I did not expect to end with questions of what just happened and did I read that correctly. When being gifted this as an ARC, I read the synopsis being fully intrigued. However, I will say I forgot what the book was about an went in blind. Morally gray FMCs are a not the norm and I feel as though Ren Taylor may be one for the top. I struggled with Ren, and I don't necessarily think that was a bad thing. She had me questioning what am I doing, who do I trust, and what is going on in my mind as if I were her! Then you add drama-filled teen girls on top, giving it that YA thriller field; sky's the limit on where this could go.
Everyone should have their eye on Marlee Bush and what her criminal mind will come up with next.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this opportunity to provide my honest opinion in this review.

Whispers Of Dead Girls
by Marlee Bush
Poisoned Pen Press
5/27/25

This was an average book in my opinion. It was unsettling at times and makes you feel slightly off-put, however it was written in a way that is easy to read and I would recommend it to those who enjoy darker thrillers.

Whispers of Dead Girls is a suspenseful story brought to life by a sardonic narrator and her snarky, undead sister. I was captivated by the relationship between Ren and Margot, and was pulled to the explanation of Margot's death by Bush's succinct, insightful prose. There were moments where drifting into the past while still in the present made it hard to keep track of where Ren was/what she was doing, and I occasionally didn't understand why she made the choices she did, but I also feel like these parts aided in showing how stuck in the past she was.

Fans of YA thrillers and, as my friend Steph has coined, dead who are along for the ride, will devour this one!

This book was just an average read for me. The writing style felt more like young adult fiction, though the themes, particularly the inappropriate teacher/student relationship, were more mature and somewhat unsettling. That aspect made it hard for me to fully enjoy the story. It started off strong and engaging, but the pacing slowed considerably around the halfway point. That said, the ending wrapped things up well, and overall, it was a decent read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted copy of this novel!

This was quite the interesting read. I went into this one pretty blindly, but picked it up because I had read one of the author’s previous novels. I was hooked from the first few chapters, and ultimately finished this book pretty quickly. For me, the pacing here was done well, as I didn’t find any points that lagged or were mundane. I also did not see the ending coming at all, and applaud the author for the creativity while still feeling seemingly realistic! In terms of characters, I did struggle with the MCs POV. As the novel is mainly told from this one character’s POV, at times I didn’t care for her thought process or actions at all which takes me out of the story as a reader. Overall though, this is a book that I may recommend depending on the reader, but please check any trigger warnings before picking it up!

Ren has returned to her old school, only this time, as a teacher; a place she hasn’t returned to since her sister, Margo’s death.

Alarm bells start ringing in her mind the moment she meets the teacher across the hall. As she sees him form an overly close relationship with a female student, Ren begins to see similarities between this situation and what happened to her sister. The question is; should she step in before it’s too late, like it was for Margo?

This was a fantastic read! I loved the moral dilemma Ren found herself in in certain situations, because it really does beggar the question on where the line is to step in unsettling situations.

I did not predict the twists either which is always a bonus for a thriller book, and the author wove a perfect web of suspicion and conspiracy.

The bond of sisterhood factored heavily in the plot, and her seeing Margo when situations needing decisions or times of heavy emotion was very poignant. A gripping read all round.