Island of Whispers

Milo's father is the ferryman who takes the souls of the dead from the island of Merlank to the Island of the Broken Tower. While Milo has expressed an interest in his father's work, he's deemed unsuitable for the job because he's too sensitive – the ghosts of the dead are dangerous, and their look and touch will kill. But when the lord of Merlank's daughter dies, events spiral out of control, and Milo must find his courage if he's going to survive.

This is a very strange book: while it's suffused with loss and grief, there is also Milo's story arc filled with warmth and hope, and finding one's courage and purpose in life. Frances Hardinge's beautiful and imaginative prose is the thread that weaves the story, and Emily Gravett's show more lovingly detailed and atmospheric illustrations support the narrative and help to build an image of a world very different and at the same time very similar to ours. Wonderful. show less

Milo's father is the Ferryman, who takes people's souls to the Island of the Broken Tower, the passing place of the dead. Milo's older brother Leif will be the next Ferryman - or at least, that is the plan, until a distraught father and local lord tries to keep her from going. The Ferryman is killed, Leif is tied up, and Milo is the one who escapes the lord and his men with the shoes of the dead and sails away. During the tense journey, Milo tries not to look at the six dead on his ship, but he realizes that the lord's daughter is trying to communicate with him, and instead of ignoring her like his father taught, Milo listens, becoming a different type of Ferryman.

Emily Gravett's beautiful illustrations use a limited palette of black, show more white, and pale blue.

Quotes

"Too imaginative...You imagine the way everyone else feels. It puts you in danger....No. Kindness is not weakness. To be kind in this unkind world is walking through a battlefield without armor or sword. It takes courage and strength to be kind." (74)

The worst thing about losing somebody is that, even after you survive a difficult day, the next morning the person you miss is still gone, and you have to get through another day without them. (100) show less

23 September, 2025

Hardinge creates uncanny worlds and slowly reveals that which is truly human. She's a kind and empathetic guide through a haunted house: she is too crafty and too skilled to stoop to the literary equivalent of jump scares. Most likely to appeal to middle grade readers, but easy to read with or to younger. Creepy enough to please much older readers, as well.

Gravette's art is well-suited to the feel of the text, and unexpected. This doesn't quite resemble the work I associate her with, including [b:The Ogre Who Wasn't|139470255|The Ogre Who Wasn't|Michael Morpurgo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1682868200l/139470255._SX50_.jpg|155444948]. Her palette is the black and white of the show more woodcut style she uses, with only a very few blues.

It's a beautiful book with custom endpapers and thick, glossy pages. It makes a lovely Halloween gift if one enjoys that sort of thing. If I was doing Halloween Bingo this year, it would be a perfect pick.

Library copy show less

For younger readers who are ok with creepy things—the story of a young boy forced into his father’s job of ferrying the dead’s shoes to an island, so they won’t become dangerous ghosts. It’s got Hardinge’s endless imagination (the headless birds are quite something) and gentle illustrations.

After the lord of Merlank causes Milo's father's death because of losing his daughter, Milo must become the Ferryman of the Island of Merlank. The Ferryman is responsible for taking the Dead to a place where spirits are free to go; otherwise, they stay and kill the living with their sight. After meeting the Lord's daughter's spirit, Milo realizes that his dad's advice about not listening to the spirits might not be right, and it might be a skill he needs to learn. In his journey, Milo learns to confront his fears and embrace his responsibility as the ferryman.