Have you ever wondered how authors brainstorm about their ideas to help them write their novels? In the book “Whistling in the Dark” by Lesley Kagen, she relates this novel to her own life experiences. “Whistling in the Dark” is a great and exciting book to read because Lesley Kagen is very detailed in what she writes about. While reading her novel, it feels as if you are there, experiencing the tragic moments yourself. In my opinion, when reading this novel there was never a time that I wanted to stop reading it or felt bored. There was always something surprising in every chapter and the conclusion of the novel had an ending you’d never expect.
While reading “Whistling in the Dark” I experienced each event with mixed emotions. For example, in the beginning of the book, Sally whom was the main character had lost her father due to a car accident. I felt her pain, and I felt all the weight of responsibility that her dad had asked of her. Although this novel is fiction, I felt very sad for Sally. She was only a child, but she was left with so much responsibilities and not only that, she hardly had a chance to experience childhood like other regular little kids do. In addition, she had to keep an eye out for her little sister. In the novel “Whistling in the Dark,” before Sally’s father took his last breath, he asked Sally to take care of Troo. Sally said “I promise. I’ll take care of Troo. Crossed my heart (Kagen p.7).” This right here helped proved to us that Sally was a little girl who understood her job as an older sister and a daughter. A lot of kids who are the same age as Sally only understand the concepts of playing and having fun. Although I did not go through the trauma that Sally went through, I believe that I started taking responsibilities at a young age too. I was able to play and live a moment of my life out as a kid but because I had a lot of younger siblings, I had a huge responsibility. I looked after all my younger siblings and took care of them. This is one reason as to why I couldn’t stop myself from reading the next chapters.
The next thing about “Whistling in the Dark,” and why this book never made me bored was because in each chapter, Lesley Kagen provided so much details to help us readers visualize the place and setting of the chapters. For instance, in chapter thirty, Lesley Kagen wrote “On the ride home from the hospital the windshield wipers were going back and forth and back and forth like the metronome… (p 228).” While reading that I can feel my eyeballs moving along with the windshield wipers. When you read a book and you feel like you are in that zone, it pretty much shows you how interesting this book is to its reader. This book is also easy to read and understand. I came to realize that there were times when I came upon some books that I had previously read and note that I was able to read it but not visualize as much as how “Whistling in the Dark” made me. For some people, they like to read and focus, but for me I like to read and see a clear image in my mind as if it was a movie. Therefore, I believe that “Whistling in the Dark” is a book that would not lose its reader’s focus.
Lastly, as mentioned there is always something exciting happening in every chapter. The one thing that really put me as ease was that the murderer was finally caught in the end. But that wasn’t the most exciting part of it. Even though, Sally went through a lot in her life, she was one of the people who got the murderer, whose name was Bobby, killed. Although he died, Sally went through some trouble, but she was brave enough to help catch Bobby and she saved all those future kids from Bobby. Not a lot of child murderers are caught in real life. I cannot relate myself to Sally because I never experienced that part in my life, but I know for a fact that I will fight for my life if that was to ever happen to me. The ending of this novel was great. The murderer was caught, and Sally was able to visit her mother in the hospital. “The Vliet Street kids went back to playing red light, green light, even Fast Susie Fazio, … (p.284).” As kids, you’re always excited to play outside when you get the chance to. When you are given the chance to play outside, it’s free time to do whatever you like as a kid.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that “Whistling in the Dark” is an interesting book that will not cause its readers to drift away. Not only that, but the author who wrote this book name Lesley Kagen based her novel off from real life situations. I feel that even though Lesley Kagen based this novel off from true events, not a lot of authors are able to write novels using the traumas that went on in their life. “Whistling in the Dark” caught my attention because the author is unique person; she used strong details to write her chapters in her novel. Not only that but she concluded the ending of her novel with a surprising ending. This book may be able to help those who went through the same tragic situation grow from their guilt or even help release others who had lost someone they loved. This novel also help shows us readers that not a lot of kids get to experience life as a normal kid, but to live up to its expectations.
