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.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

A boy falls from a window. Is he pushed? Was he thinking of ending his life? Is something else a foot? As he lays in a hospital bed, the layers are peeled back.

Three women's lives are examined through the lens of their relationship with motherhood.

One, a doctor at the hospital treating the boy, desperately wants to be a mother-- and so what does that mean? How much is she willing to endure to get there?

The boy's mother, who was heard screaming at him during a backyard party, struggles with being a mother. She loves, however, her work. So how should we think of her? Do we pity her? Is she horrible? Is she a bad mother?

The neighbour across the stress is the perfect mother--has put her life on hold to be the best mother for her daughter. But... is she happy?

This book, and writer, are excellent. 4.5 stars rounded up and the only thing lacking, for me, was the ending. But maybe that's the point as there are no easy answers here.

Ashley Audrain's newest book "The Whispers" is the book of the summer. A domestic thriller that walks a similar path as her 2021 breakout "The Push", while breaking fresh ground with four points of view from characters that feel familiar and real. "The Whispers" takes the intense, almost character study, nature of "The Push" and applies it to a more accessible, twisty, summer thriller beach read -although make no mistake, this is no romantic comedy. Audrain continues to write beyond the barriers of comfortability in an effort that provides a very real portrait of the deepest and darkest parts of humanity that are far more common than many have or like to admit. 5/5

To be honest, I was underwhelmed with this one. I thought the premise sounded fantastic – a child fall’s out a bedroom window….how does that happen? Who’s to blame?

Unfortunately, the story focused on a small group of neighbors. Out of the 8 adult characters, I found only 2 that I wanted to root for. The rest were the type of neighbors I would do my best to avoid.

But I kept reading, waiting for some kind of redemption that never fully came for me. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate the book….just felt more ambivalent about it overall.

***Received with thanks from Netgalley and the publisher***

I am so glad I loved this. Audrain being a friend of a friend and a Canadian author I have always wanted to champion her books. Although I loved the writing in The Push, I found it to be extremely visceral and triggering. The Whispers was also visceral but much easier on my psyche to read. I enjoyed the multiple POV's and the few twists, but most of all once again, the ending delivers a gut punch and leaves the reader breathless.

I loved Ashley Audrain's compelling debut novel "The Push" so I was very excited to receive a digital ARC of "The Whispers" - it did not disappoint. This book has all of Audrain's trademarks - slow-to-unfurl dramatic narrative style, subversive discourse about motherhood, complex and multi-layered characters. That said, it's not for everyone - it is definitely triggering with respect to a host of domestic topics including miscarriage, infertility, mistreatment/misunderstanding of a child with a disability, death of a child, and infidelity.

Thank you Netgalley, Ashley Audrain, and Penguin Random House Canada for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Whispers is so multi-layered - just when you think you have figured it all out, another kernel of truth slips out. Ashley Audrain's ability to bring characters to life, allowed me to really understand their compulsions - to understand why they behaved as they did. Even the unlikable ones. Harlow Street (which coincidentally is the name of the street that I grew up on!) is full of secrets, lies, and desires. Perhaps because we sometimes envy our neighbors' s "lawns", it certainly made me water my grass just a little bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Whispers, by Ashley Audrain - much-acclaimed author of The Push (which I loved!) - I really enjoyed this well-paced and well-written novel about suburban neighbours who are put to the test when a ten-year-old boy falls out of his bedroom window in the night. I found it a little more subtle but still highly readable and enjoyable.

what a whirlwind this book was. I found it very hard to put down, which is a struggle when you’re participating in a readalong!

I went through many feelings on my reading journey. it was very emotional, uncomfortable, and not all that farfetched, which amps up the uncomfortability. I’ve heard it has similarities to her previous book, THE PUSH (which I haven’t read) so if you’ve read that then I’m sure you’ve experienced some of the same feelings.

⚠️ there are many triggers in this— if you have difficulty reading about miscarriage, death of a child, domestic abuse, or ableism… skip it.