This was disappointing :( I loved the Push because it had a mystery running through it and some great suspense, but the whole time I was reading this I was like "what is the point, I'm bored". I think there's a place for domestic dramas like this, but this was marketed as a thriller and didn't come close enough to the people who have nailed dramas like Lianne Moriarty. I like Audrain's style but this one just missed the mark for me!

I wasn't sure about this book when I first started. Because this starts at the party where Whitney yells at her son, we are introduced to every character, but they have nothing to tether them to the story. Once the story gets going, there are basically four storylines, and those nine characters introduced at the beginning start to fall into place, both within the story and within the family groups.

This is really a story about secrets, about fitting in (or not). About Whitney and Blair (primarily) do when they don't fit in. How Whitney especially tries to change the narrative and how people view her. She isn't the kind of person I would like if she was in my circle of peers. I'd be the one waiting for her facade to crack and the real person to show through. The one who wouldn't be surprised she yelled at Xavier. The one who would wonder what she actually did to him to make him fall from that window.

It is a good thing that there were those three other storylines. For they sympathy felt for Blair and Rebecca, or I wouldn't have enjoyed this story much (mostly because I didn't like Whitney at all). I would have read it mostly to find out if she got what she deserved in the end.

But this story turned out to be much more complex and much more enjoyable than I'd expected at the beginning and turned out to be a very satisfying read.

A neighbourhood drama that kept me glued to my seat. In the middle of the night, a ten-year-old boy falls out of his window and ends up in a coma. There is a mystery surrounding this possible accident. POV alternates between various people who live on the street and as the plot develops we learn the goings on in their lives. Eventually, they all touch with one another in some way.

The ending was fantastic and gave me a little chill. I loved the various characters; they had depth even those with small roles. There isn't too much plot as the story is character driven. I'll be back for more from this author.

When the email came in that this book was available, I never hit download so fast. I feel so fortunate that I was able to give this an early read.

This lady knows how to write and boy does she deliver! The way she can develop characters so well is a true art. My words will not be able to express my love for the way she writes and the storylines that are just so darn real and delivered with such fluidity. Give me more! I will just be here, waiting, not patiently, for the next release.

A hundred thanks to NetGalley, publisher and, of course, the very talented, Ashley Audrain, for this advanced digital copy. Note: I will be buying this book on release day as well!

I fear my review may not do the novel justice. Every word, every sentence is heavy - it creates it's own atmosphere, one that is thick with impending doom.

I'm conscious of spoilers so I'll try to be careful and speak generally but I want to acknowledge there is A LOT going on. After the catalyst (boy falls from window) the story unfolds in a series of alternating perspectives and time periods.

The first 50% - 60% of the book is context and backstory, the plot isn't moving forward but it's being enriched with each page. We get to know the core group of neighbors and slowly and started to build a picture of what may have happened.

About 2/3 into the novel it starts to reveal itself. We learn about the interwoven betrayals that exist between all the characters. There are some twists and surprises - some that are choreographed earlier on but executed so well.

This book is the very definition of one that peaked at the end. I was close to four stars throughout, slowly crept upwards and in the literal final sentence, clinched five stars.

It was intimate, provocative and graphic. There are a lot of scenes that will likely be triggering but wow, what a story.

Huge thank-you to Ashley Audrain, Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Viking for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I was in my 20s, I briefly dated a woman named Whitney who had a five-year-old son. At some point in this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it relationship, we had a conversation predicated on the idea of who would Whitney rescue if me and her son were drowning. She said she would go after her son, no question, and leave me to fend for myself. Now, I’m not sure how this conversation came about, but I do remember being gravely hurt by her comments. However, age has granted me the wisdom to see from her point of view. Of course, she should go after her son first. After all, he spent nine months in her womb and she fashioned him from her loins, not to mention all the time that she spent looking after him and nursing him as he grew from being an infant to a toddler to a kindergartener. What does this anecdote have to do with Ashley Audrain’s new book, The Whispers? Well, its antagonist is named Whitney and she appears to be the exact opposite of the woman I had dated. Given a choice to save her offspring, this career woman will choose to let them perish. Or will she?

This novel — which is set in the near future to cover the fact that its characters need to act socially outside of the confines of the recent pandemic — starts with a children’s birthday party on a September afternoon. Everyone in the neighbourhood has been invited to the gig at Whitney and Jacob Loverly’s backyard (and that surname is seemingly used ironically because there’s not a lot of love to be had here if that’s not giving too much away). The party is for one of her children (we don’t know if it’s for the three-year-old twins she has or her 10-year-old son Xavier). Her eldest son is something of a difficult child — he is doing poorly in school, is being bullied, and has behavioural issues. Xavier acts up at the party and this leads Whitney to berate her son, and even though it’s behind closed doors inside, the guests are embarrassed for them. Flash forward nine months later, and Xavier is in the hospital in a coma suffering from a fall from his bedroom window. The question, to paraphrase Richard and Linda Thompson, is did he jump (after being called names at school by his best friend), or was he pushed (by Whitney in her usual flash of anger)? Whitney’s neighbours in the suburban neighbourhood spend the next three days trying to piece together what happened, including Rebecca, the nurse tending Xavier who has also been trying and failing to conceive with her husband Ben, and Blair, whose husband is seemingly having an affair with Whitney. Also in the mix is an elderly neighbour named Mara, who seethes at her husband Albert for his role in mistreating their autistic-like son, Marcus, who died as a teenager during the 1970s.

The Whispers is a challenging book — but this has nothing to do with vocabulary or the language used. It’s because, if you couldn’t already figure this out, the characters are not very likable. The beginning of the book is a bit of a trod, and it isn’t until halfway through the read that Audrain begins to tighten the screws and the tension begins to mount, turning a book that starts as a domestic crisis type book into an outright thriller that you can’t put down. There’s a sense of kitchen sink realism to this work — the type of book that features characters who could very well have doppelgangers in real life. And it’s apt that I’m publishing this review around Mother’s Day 2023 (even if the book won’t be released for another few weeks yet) because this is a novel about mothers and the bond that they have with their children — sometimes tenuously in the case of Whitney, as she’s anything but the selfless mom who will do anything for her kids. Instead, she wants it all — the adoring husband, the high-powered executive career, the magnificent house in the ‘burbs. And the thing with Whitney is that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants, no matter who stands in her way. Even, perhaps, if it turns out that that person might be her very own son. Maybe.

If you’re going to read The Whispers, this is a book that is going to require some level of patience on the part of the reader. I know this can come across as being a cliché in my reviews, but I’ll say it again as it pertains to this book: if you stick with it, it will yield rewards. The ending is quite just and devastating in its way, and there’s a bit of a plot twist (or two) that readers probably won’t see coming. Still, The Whispers can prove to be demanding, as most of the dialogue is internal — there aren’t a lot of spoken bits in this book. However, once the tension starts to ratchet up, this turns out to be a highly superlative work of psychological fiction from the point of view of women. As a result, this book winds up being about what it’s like to be a woman in modern society and the demands that motherhood — or, at least, the desire to be a mother in Rebecca’s case — places on families, sometimes causing them to shatter. In any event, this is a book that some women may find to be self-evident in terms of what it has to say. However, The Whispers is a book that we need, even if it sometimes feels that it might state the obvious for some people. At the end of the day, this is a tightly wound book that will keep you on your toes guessing to the very end. It’s by no means perfection, and it does take some time to warm up to but stick with this one and rescue it from your To Be Read pile. Think for yourself, and don’t want around for me thrashing in the water to pronounce my judgment. This book is younger than me, after all, and needs your attention first.

This was a great book hat kept me up at night! It centres around a tragic event, but is about so much more. I especially connected with Blair who is an overwhelmed mother who thinks her husband is having an affair. There are three main women in the story and a nosey old woman on the street, all with secrets and complicated feelings, regretted actions and interactions with each other. I felt each woman's personality was so believable and relatable and I loved how the story progressed and slowly revealed so many hidden truths.

Audrain takes us on a journey into the lives behind close doors of 4 families. All desiring what the others have. A horrific accident happens with a ten year old boy and all of their lives unravel. We are kept guessing until the end and beyond. A very thought provoking story.

For some reason I thought this was a sequel to Ashley Audrain's first novel, The Push, and that turned out to be incorrect however, The Whispers is a gripping domestic thriller/mystery that you will consume just as quickly as you did her first novel. You follow four women who all live in the same neighbourhood and who seem to really have it all together. As you could imagine, the intricacies of their relationships with their families and each other start to unravel alongside tragedy.

This book was incredible. Audrain is an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

It has taken me a day or two to compose my thoughts about this book, but I'm still reeling. I haven't been immediately obsessed with a book like this since I turned the final page on The Push. This author is an absolute powerhouse. The market is flooded with "okay" thrillers, but it is writing like this that sets the bar for the five-star read.

To be clear, The Whispers isn't a thriller, but more of a domestic drama. Don't let that make you think you won't like it the way you did with her first novel because I would be shocked if you didn't like this one even more. In less than 350 pages, the author has expertly crafted a neighbourhood filled with characters who are each created with so much depth that you're never confused about who is who. On the surface, everyone is friendly and caring toward each other, but nothing is ever as it seems. As you turn pages, you discover how each character hides their own secrets and insecurities which drive them forward through a story filled with betrayal, anger, sex and violence.

I preordered a copy of this book months ago, and then got the notification that Net Galley had approved my request for a digital ARC. I can't wait for my copy to come because I'll be lending it out and insisting my friends read it immediately. The Whispers publishes on June 5. You NEED this book!

The above review is entirely my own. Thank you Net Galley, Penguin Random House Canada and Ashley Audrain for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I knew it! I just knew that Ashley Audrain would Wow me again! The Whispers is so dang good! I could not stop. Every chapter drew me in so far I could barely stand it near the end. These wives! These husbands! Omg these Kids! This is a phenomenal ‘oh what a tangled web we weave’ read about a small neighborhood of ‘friends’ with secrets coming out the wazoo!
5 freakin’ stars for The Whispers

I loved The Push by Ashley Audrain, so I was very excited to read The Whispers. It did not disappoint! I devoured this book in two sittings!

When I first read the synopsis of the book, I was worried I had read this plot before: a bunch of neighbours full of secrets, and a get-together that sets events in motion (like Megan Miranda's Such a Quiet Place, which I also enjoyed). However, Audrain has her own spin on things and my worry was completely unfounded.

Audrain is skilled at making her characters seem real, with all their attributes and flaws: you empathize with some, and are disgusted by others. The book is told through the eyes of the women in the neighbourhood. The plot is fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and the ending, like The Push, AWESOME.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Viking for giving me the opportunity to read The Whispers in exchange for my honest review. Well done Ashley Audrain!

#NetGalley #TheWhispers

The Whispers was not what I expected. I had difficulties engaging with the novel to begin with. There were a lot of storylines to follow and keep track of who was doing what. I was finally able to keep the various storylines in my mind and follow the story. I felt there was too much explicit sexual experiences reported on it too much detail. I have rated this book as having 3 out of 5 stars.
I would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of The Whispers which is to be published June 2023.

3.5 ⭐

Audrey Audain helps readers unpack the myth of the perfect mother. She takes us to the upscale neighbourhood of Harlow Lane and shows us that motherhood is not an idea, it’s a real relationship and reminds us that no human relationship is perfect. Marriages, nor friendships. She encourages us not to see things in black and white, good and bad, but rather in gray … and realize that sometimes there are things we can’t control. Audain points out that our lives get off track when we listen to and place importance on the whispers. The real and the imagined. The ones we give in to and the ones we silence. Whispers - we all hear them.

This story is a tapestry of points of view and characters and this is what makes it relatable. We are all struggling, all imperfect and all have secrets. Many of us will see ourselves in the neighours and for some of us, it will be confirmation that we are doing just fine. For others, it will be an eye-opening look in the mirror. There’s something in our human nature that craves attention and confirmation. Audain gives it. Regardless of which neighbourhood woman we see when we look in the mirror. Audain has dug deep and revealed the nice and not-so-nice side of the desperate struggle to become the perfect parent, the perfect spouse, the perfect friend and the perfect neighbour. The raw emotion is over-riding and the multiple POVs add to the value of the reading experience.

There’s nothing quite like trauma and stress to reveal our hidden personalities. You’ve got a front-row seat to it all. Enjoy!

Readers, please familiarize yourself with trigger warnings and be prepared for graphic descriptions on the same topic. The author doesn’t shy away from taboo subjects, either.

I was gifted this copy by Penguin Random House Canada, Viking and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

But more than any proof she has, is a feeling. She'd once heard them described as the whispers-- the moments that are trying to tell you something isn't right here.

We have all heard them - those small voices in our heads that let us know we should be paying attention, that there is danger or that things are not quite as they seem. This novel is expertly built around those "whispers" and how 4 vastly different women listen or ignore them. Each of the main characters has the life they lie in public and then their private thoughts, fears and jealousies.

As a character based thriller it is masterfully crafted. The reader often feels as though they are just another neighbour watching the four families go through the days leading up to the event that the story is built around.

I found myself both rooting for and annoyed with each of the women in turn and realizing that they were created so well that they seemed quite real while I was reading the novel. The teasers about the event were subtle enough that I was still surprised when the evening was finally recounted.

I know this is the author's second novel and I am very interested in reading her first work.

I am all about the juicy neighbourhood drama/scandal/suspense books. I absolutely LOVE them. And that’s exactly what this book is all about.

The tension just builds in this book.

Neighbours gather at the Loverly’s for a end of the summer barbecue. When they hear Whitney lose her temper at her 10 year old son in the bedroom upstairs through his opened window, it’s also not the first time Whitney has lost her patience with Xavier. But that same window leads to Xavier falling from his bedroom in the middle of the night.

Was it an accident? Did he get pushed? This book will have you guessing until the very end. With all the drama, scandals, and secrets in between with friends, husbands, and neighbours.

I just wish we found out a bit more with the other families at the end.

In my opinion this was much better than Ashley’s other book “The Push”.


Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a DRC. The Whispers is available June 6.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Ashley Audrain is an incredibly talented author and if you read and enjoyed The Push, you’ll likely enjoy this too. She nails down the slow build of a domestic thriller and the shock factor that lots of people look for.

Personally, I found this book tough to get through. There are some series TW/CW and, as a parent, a lot of the content was hard to stomach at moments. That being said, every character has some deeply flawed/human and unlikable qualities and were still relatable in ways.

This book gave me a bit of Desperate Housewives vibes just with the neighbourhood happenings but was overall a strong read. I can see people really enjoying this one!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for honest review.

A good read about motherhood and the choices we make set in a suburban neighbourhood. The story is effectively told from four points of view and touches upon issues of motherhood, infertility, lost pregnancies, loneliness, guilt and the balance between motherhood and independence. None of the women are really likeable but their stories do shed light on why they behave the way they do. This is a character-driven story so it is more of a slow-burn read. The ending is good and the epilogue is satisfying. This is good women’s contemporary fiction that explores the role of women as women, mothers and friends.

Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Push by this author when I read it in 2020 and The Whispers has that same feel. This is the proper way to do a slow burn psychological literary fiction that is very character driven. It helps that the writing is captivating, it pulled me into the drama of the neighbourhood. There are a lot of secrets between the residents of Harlow Lane and what are they willing to do to keep them? I liked the way the book delves into the backstories of the characters and how unique the plot itself is.

There are really difficult topics dealt with in the book and Audrain doesn’t pull any punches writing about them. The characters aren’t very likeable and I don’t usually enjoy books with this many asshole characters but it works here because the story, plot and writing are so engaging you can’t stop reading until you find out what happens next. If you enjoyed the author’s debut, The Push then do yourself a favour and read this one as well because Audrain manages the same magic in her sophomore release.

Four women in a well to do neighbourhood find their lives inexorably bound when one of their children has an accident and all of their secrets are thrust into the open.

While I imagine it must be difficult to write a book following the success of “The Push”, Ashley Audrain did not disappoint with this one. Written in the same vein as her first book, “The Whispers” is a psychological thriller, with many unexpected surprises. Her books are raw and she deftly exposes all of the characters deepest, darkest feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!