🗣️Review 🗣️
The Whispers- Ashley Audrain
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book was good. However, this book was very unsettling, and at times difficult for me to read. Let me explain…

I found the event that the story centred itself around was horrifying and was hard to read about. Having said that, Audrain does an incredible job of building tension and discomfort for her readers while also keeping a tight grip on them through her story and character building. Multiple times I questioned whether I could keep reading, but I truthfully needed to know how things would unfold.

I found that this story had quite a lot going on. It is told from the POV of 4 different women ( neighbours). Each woman is struggling with something personal & “The Whispers”, those dark, dreadful questioning thoughts that slip into your head every now and then, won’t leave them alone. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding each character, and how their stories overlapped. All the scandal, drama and devastation that these women face, made for an eventful read.

As a mom, as a woman, this story was a toughy. I didn’t like to sit and think on it too much as I was reading. I think that Audrain is talented ( this is my first book by her), her writing was incredibly well done, and I appreciated the way she pulled things together in the end. I just found this book to have a lot of intense & upsetting moments that I struggled with.

This is a good book, but I do not think it will be for everyone.

I definitely recommend checking into the TW before jumping into this read. ⚠️

Thank you so much to @netgalley, @penguinrandomhosu and of course the talented Ashley Audrain, for the e-reader copy of this book.

DNF - I will revist this book at another time but, for now, I am setting it aside; I just wasn't jiving with it.

I was looking forward to reading this book after LOVING The Push… but this was a disappointment. I thought it was interesting that Audrain took a deep dive into four suburban families and their individual struggles with marriage, infidelity, and other drama of being in a seemingly close-knit group. The first chapter hooked me, but after that, it got boring… I didn’t stop reading even though I really should have.. I just wanted to know what happened to the kid who landed in the hospital and how..I should have just skipped to the last chapter.

After reading The Push buy Ashley Audrain I was left speechless and have been anxiously waiting for her to release something new! It's finally here, and the last line of this book had my jaw on the floor!

This story follows four families within a neighbourhood, who are all dealing with very different stages and struggles of motherhood. When one of their sons falls from a third story window, we start to realize that everyone is keeping secrets are are interconnected in ways you wouldn't suspect.

It is so impressive how Audrain manages to write about such different variations of motherhood and really airs out a lot of the bad. She brilliantly writes unlikeable characters, has them do unlikeable things, and yet I can still empathize and understand why each of them are making the choices they are (even if they are awful ones).

You won't want to miss this! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

There are all different types of mothers. Those who make their children their entire lives and personality. Those whose children are now gone. Those who long to be a mother. And then there are those whose children are a nuisance, easier to pass off to someone else, those who whispers follow. The whispers that, maybe, they shouldn’t be a mother.

All these mothers coexist on the newly gentrified Harlow Street. Blair and Whitney are total opposites. One a dedicated stay at home mom, one a dedicated working mom. But when the Loverleys’ moved in across the street from Blair and her husband and daughter, they became fast friends. Each longing for what the other found so easy in their lives. When Whitney and Jacob Loverly host a summer backyard BBQ all is well, until it isn't. Having let her perfect façade crack and unknowingly giving her neighbors a peek into their real lives, Whitney must deal with the repercussions. Nine months later, the same boy who was verbally abused by his mother, falls out of his third story bedroom. The whispers start. Was it an accident? Had Whitney finally let her anger get the best of her? Were the Loverleys’ just neglectful?

The Whispers is a fast-paced, page-turning, neighborhood drama that will have you cringing and gasping throughout the book. A great summer read, with a jaw dropping final scene at the end.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin random house Canada for the advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

What did I just read!! The Whispers by Ashley Audrain is probably the darkest page turning, psychological drama I’ve read. It was disturbing, gut wrenching, emotional and all consuming. I could not put it down. Somehow it seems wrong to say I loved it, but I did. A definite 5⭐️ read for me.

The Whispers follows the lives of four very different women who are neighbours. Whitney, a married high powered business woman and mother of three. Mara an elderly Portuguese woman who sees everything but is all but invisible to her neighbours. Blair, a quirky devoted anxious mother, married to a husband with a wandering eye. And finally Rebecca, a married paediatrician who wants nothing more than to have a baby. At first glance it’s difficult to see how four very different women could be connected but when the unthinkable happens and Whitney’s 10 year old son falls out of his 3rd story bedroom window, The Whispers begin and the bizarre connections come to light.
The women’s lives are a messy tangle of lies, deception, secrets and conscious choices that have devastating consequences.

Thank you so much Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and Ashley Audrain for my arc of The Whispers in exchange for my honest review.

I have DNF'd at 16%. I just cannot for the life of me care about these people and the story is so all over the place that I can't get a beat on where it is headed or why. I think it could be interesting if it followed a single train of thought for more than a chapter, but I can't keep anyone straight. Also - Blair is creepy. The scene of her in Whitney's house - ew.

"She’d once heard them described as the whispers—the moments that are trying to tell you something isn’t right here."

I just finished The Whispers and I’m immediately thinking “Whoa that was an intense ride!” Despite being a slow-burn domestic thriller, reading it felt like a sprint, rather than a marathon. This is my first Ashley Audrain book—I haven’t had the chance yet to read her debut novel The Push, so I walked into this novel completely blind to Audrain’s style of storytelling. Audrain definitely has a style that is entirely her own, and I found the writing to be a refreshing welcome from my other recent reads.

The story itself was edgy, dark, and oh-so-addicting. Whispers of gossip hungrily shared between friends and neighbors and those niggly internal whispers one hears in their own thoughts—seeping in and causing one to question everything they believe to be true. The Whispers is told in alternating narrations of four women from one neighborhood after a misfortunate event occurs late one Wednesday night. While everyone reels from the event, the tiny cracks of doubt in their own minds grow into chasms leading to an ending that made me gasp out loud.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for this ARC. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Audrain and penguin Random House Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I went back and forth for a few days honestly on how I felt about this one. It’s solid but I think now that I’m a mom some of this is really hard to read and some moments were cringy. I did love the twists and loved the different perspectives from the moms and neighbours. I did enjoy this one way more than The Push and it moves much faster.

Hello Desperate Housewives! I expected more spooky/scary/sinister, but was pleasantly surprised that it was more dark soap opera drama. It was eery and suspenseful and packed with suburban drama. It covered some heavy themes (check TW before reading), but I think it handled them well. I also thought it was particularly well done in how the stories overlapped and you never got too much information at once. I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen until the end, and how it was all going to play out.

I would recommend!!

I couldn’t wait for this book, I was a huge fan of The Push and told all of my friends and family to read it. I dove right into The Whispers, eager to become immersed in the idyllic suburban thriller.

There were a lot of relatable messages in here, and I definitely couldn’t wait to get to the end and unravel this story more. But for me, the characters were unlikeable, the story was more of a slow burn (which isn’t always my favourite with a thriller-style book), and the ending didn’t satisfy me.

I’m one person though and there’s plenty who loved it! For me it was 3 stars, but I’ll definitely still pick up whatever Audrain writes next.

Thank you netgalley for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
The story is about four families who live on Harlow Street.
The four women are - Rebecca, Mara, Whitney and Blair.
Rebecca is a doctor having difficulty staying pregnant.
Mara is an elderly neighbour who lives next door to Whitney.
Whitney has three kids and a husband and her own business.
Blair is a mother of one and a wife and wants to be everyone's friend.
These four women all have secrets of their own.
Whitney and her husband Jacob are having a party in their backyard. Things start to esculate out of control.
The partiers start going home and in the middle of the night there is an accident. Whitney and Jacob's older son is found sprawled out on the grass from an apparent jump from his bedroom window.
Each of these women have lost something and some have found out that they are mentally stronger then what they thought they were.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Whispers in exchange for an honest review, ALL THE STARS!!! The Whispers is absolutely my favourite read of 2023 so far! So real, so raw, it brings forth so many feelings and emotions. The Whispers ~ a woman’s intuition about herself and her life. Should they be ignored or confronted and what will be the end result? An absolute must read.

This was a highly anticipated read for me after reading The Push last year and absolutely loving it. Unpopular opinion alert, but this one wasn’t on the same level!

I initially had a hard time getting into it but eventually the story picked up and I loved all the drama and secrets! Audrain is a really talented writer and it definitely showed in this book. The characters were captivating and I liked the multiple points of view. Here were my problems with it.. I feel like some storylines didn’t really add to the story and felt unfinished. I also was waiting for something big to happen in the end and while the end was good, it wasn’t great and that’s what I went in expecting after how incredible The Push was. Overall, was this an entertaining, well written read? Yes. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t my favourite and that’s okay! A lot of people loved this one so I still recommend giving it a try!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐈𝐟…
✨You love neighbourhood dramas
✨Motherhood interests you
✨You like multiple POVs

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🫶🏻Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC!

I enjoyed this well-paced and suspenseful, character-driven novel about a group of neighbours in an affluent area, and the secrets they keep. Some months after Whitney loses her temper with her son, Xavier, at a neighbourhood BBQ hosted by her and her husband, the boy is found lifeless under his open bedroom window at night. As days pass without Xavier regaining consciousness, and Whitney remains silent, questions and suspicions swirl, not only about what happened that night, but also about the friendships, relationships and possible infidelity among some of the neighbours. The novel explores themes of motherhood, desire, envy and the modern obsession with keeping up appearances. Although there were some minor parts that I found unbelievable, and an older woman neighbour whose purpose in the novel remains a mystery to me, overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Wow just another great book by this author. I absolutely loved The Push so I knew this would be a must read. I was not wrong. I could not put it down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🏠 neighborhood drama
🏠 multi-POV

This book took a whiiiiiiiiiile to get going… I don’t really love that 👎🏻 The book was supposed to be about a boy who fell from a window and is in a coma, and what exactly happened to him, and why his mom won’t talk to anyone in the neighbourhood. I honestly kept forgetting what book I was reading. There was way too much back story and not enough about the actual event. This was much less exciting than I was anticipating for this book.
This was a multi-POV book which can be awesome, but can also be a little bit confusing in the beginning trying to keep all the characters straight.
I have heard many good things about this book and I was excited to read it, but I just cannot agree with the reviews. I did not enjoy this book and I really had to force myself to finish it.

Thank you to Penguin Random House of Canada and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest reveiw.

Four couples, living as neighbours and friends, are coming to grips with a tragic accident that occurs on the night of a summer BBQ being hosted by Whitney and her husband Jacob. Their son Xavier has fallen out of his bedroom window to the ground below, or was he pushed? After the entire group of party goers has heard Whitney screaming at her son, this question remains in all their minds. Whitney isn't the only one with secrets, each couple has secrets of their own. In the days after the BBQ we are drawn back in time to follow events leading up to a night that will change everything.

I couldn't get enough of this story. Just when I thought I knew what all the lies and coverups were, I get to the last page and was blown away by the conversation between Whitney and her son. Xavier asks his mom what will happen and Whitney is not sure what he means. Xavier then says "To you, when I tell them everything"

EVERYTHING!!! Now my mind is reeling, wanting to know what that means! I will be coming back to the story, again and again, thinking about all the consequences and reactions of each and every one of these characters for a while to come.

I felt like this was more Women's Fiction with suspense elements than a thriller, per se. It was well written and the author is very talented. It left me feeling sad about people in general. Definitely needs trigger warnings for miscarriages, abuse, etc.

I was immediately drawn to Ashley Audrain’s latest release, eager to recapture the same gripping intensity that I experienced with her previous work, The Push. That book left me sleepless, teetering on the edge of my seat, and consumed by a potent mix of unease and anxiety—a testament to the author's mastery of the thriller genre.

However, I soon discovered that The Whispers defies easy categorization, veering away from the thriller genre while remaining true to the thematic depth that made The Push so compelling. Although unexpected, this shift in genre did not diminish the book's quality; on the contrary, The Whispers stands strongly on its own merits.

I would classify The Whispers as literary suspense, drawing parallels to the works of Liane Moriarty. While there is an obvious inciting incident where someone's life hangs in the balance, the majority of the book delves into the inner thoughts of four suburban women. As the reader, we are left guessing about what truly transpired and who bears the responsibility. The women themselves are trapped within their own perspectives, grappling with their own guilt while questioning the motives and actions of those around them. It is within this realm of simmering suspense that both the characters and readers find themselves immersed.

Audrain has masterfully crafted Whitney, Blair, Rebecca, and Mara, endowing them with remarkable depth. Through their individual narratives and the lenses of the other women, we gain a multi-dimensional understanding of each character, recognizing that reality's truth lies somewhere in between. These women are the protagonists of their own lives, much like we are in ours, and it is within this exploration of character that the book's magic truly shines. Flawed and capable of making seemingly unforgivable choices, they force us to reflect on our own motivations and question whether, in our own quests as main characters, we too make choices that may cast us in a villainous light. Audrain intentionally presents these characters as partially unlikable, inviting us to confront ourselves in their reflection.

The setting of The Whispers in suburbia is deliberate; the meticulously maintained gardens, backyard barbecues, and school mom group chats all serve to capture a way of life familiar to many. It not only provides a backdrop for the story but also unveils the hidden secrets simmering beneath the surface, glimpsed through the windows into the lives of neighbours whom we often keep at arm's length.

One thing is abundantly clear from reading two of Ashley Audrain's books: she fearlessly explores the gritty aspects of motherhood and marriage. In a culture that often romanticizes these roles, showcasing flawless children in perfectly staged photographs and gushing about marital bliss, Audrain pulls back the curtain to reveal the dirty laundry, the decaying food in the fridge, and the smouldering resentments and fears harboured within women's hearts.

As I reflect on The Whispers, I find myself grappling with mixed emotions. It is undeniably a well-crafted and beautifully raw piece of work. Yet, it defied my expectations, particularly in terms of its genre (thrills are not to be expected from this book). Experientially, The Push held a stronger grip on me, but thematically and literarily, The Whispers surpasses it. Needless to say, I greatly appreciate Audrain's ability to venture into different creative territories, and I will continue to pick up her books.