Member Review

The Price of a Whistle

“I whistled at night outside the Cadow house,” he reasons. “I think that’s when my haunting started. My whistle must have attracted something wicked, something that had been lying in wait since the night it stained Jackie’s bedroom carpet red.”

Don't whistle at night. Whether you believe in evil spirits, superstitions, or ghosts is irrelevant. Just… don't whistle. This conviction is not limited to various Native American beliefs, it’s a primal, shared across cultures. Don’t invite what waits in the dark.

“The Whistler” opens with an eerie prologue, a fictionalized account of the true crime story of the Phantom Whistler of Louisiana. Following that we meet the protagonist, Henry Hotard, whose story unfolds across two different timelines. In one timeline, Henry is an ambitious 23-year-old running a ghost hunter YouTube channel with his devoted girlfriend, Jade, and best friend, Toad. They collaborate on his videos until a fateful day when their investigation takes them to the wrong site... and somebody whistles…

Whether the cause is supernatural or merely a cruel twist of fate, Henry sustains an accident that results in his becoming a quadriplegic. These events are narrated in the alternating chapters of the book. Now resentful and completely dependent on his grandparents, he directs his anger at both Jade and Toad, harboring suspicions that the two are developing a romantic relationship.

Thankfully, the use of a quadriplegic character serves as more than a convenient plot device. Author Nick Medina has taken great pains to go into the character’s psyche, interviewing subjects to provide insight into the challenges they face. The bond between Henry and Rhett, another quadriplegic who cautiously mentors him at a rehabilitation center, is particularly compelling.

Henry is difficult to like. He is a dick. While his initial manipulative behavior is off-putting, even his subsequent, more comprehensible demeanor is difficult to bear. Fortunately, the story maintains momentum—especially as patience with Henry wanes—through the rising tension of an inevitable confrontation, amplified by the presence of a menacing entity, whether it exists in reality or solely in his mind. And trust me, you want to stick around for the end.

Interspersed between chapters is the lore about Double-Face, or Two-Face, including the parable "The Boy With Two Faces," which serves as a foreshadowing element. The work also establishes a connection to two of Medina’s previous books, “Sisters of the Lost Nation” and “Indian Burial Ground.” Readers of “Indian Burial Ground” will finally learn the reason behind Roddy’s actions—why he jumped in front of that truck—but that is just a bonus. This does work perfectly well as a stand-alone, although it is fun to see where the stories intersect.

Nick Medina's "The Whistler" blends ancient folklore with the modern world. The novel's fictional horror, if you are a non-believer, is deeply connected to the very real pain of losing personal control and autonomy. The chilling presence of whatever the whistle summons is out there, not just on the fictional Takoda reservation, but out in the darkness of the real world.

Thank you to the Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheWhistler #NetGalley