Althea K. Helbig and Agnes Regan Perkins wrote in the
Dictionary of American Children's Fiction: "Typically, [Whitney's YA suspense novels] are from the point of view of a young adolescent girl who feels unloved or inferior because of a lack of talent and who, with a boy her age or slightly older, unravels a series of mysterious events, often involving crime but not murder, and in so doing comes to self-understanding."
Another distinguishing feature of Whitney's work is the incorporation of a variety of exotic locales and cultures culled from her own international travels. In Secret of the Samurai Sword, for instance, Whitney infuses the text with hints of the Japanese traditions and customs she experienced as an American child growing up in Japan. Her stories also have been set in the Virgin Islands, the Isle of Skye in Scotland, China, and South Africa. While her mysteries and romances have been occasionally criticized for formulaic and artificial plots, reviewers applaud their swift action and vivid settings and atmospheres. Thematically, Whitney has touched upon such issues as apartheid, race relations, and the plight of Native Americans; in addition, she is concerned with the social and emotional problems of adolescents.
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