I was terrified to read THE WHISPERS by Ashley Audrain. Her debut was the celebrated and horrifying THE PUSH. But THE WHISPERS is a different-ish kind of horrifying and so excellent. Organized around a tragic event involving a 10-year-old kid, we get a look into the complexities of the women and mothers on one street in could-be-anywhere-ville. While Audrain pushes her characters to extremes, each perspective is understandable and often empathetic. She is an absolute expert at drawing out all the things that make motherhood and womanhood hard, joyful, competitive, and finds space to say the things we're never supposed to say out loud. Also stayed up past midnight to finish this.

The last line of this book 🤯 I couldn’t wait to see if I loved The Whispers as much as Ashley Audrain’s The Push & I did!

I love her writing style & also books that run in multiple timelines. In The Whispers we get glimpses of the present from multiple characters view points which gives us bits of information & also past timelines so we see the lead up to the tragic event.

Xavier Loverly has “fallen” from his bedroom window during the night and he’s trying to survive in the hospital. While he’s in a coma, we start to get pieces of information from various couples who all live on the street and find out how all of their families lives are intertwined.

After reading this, I think I’d like to have Mara’s view of the current neighborhood drama

Thank you to @netgalley , the author and @penguinrandomca for the eARC. This title recently published June 6th (& if you live near @indigobayandbloor I saw some singed copies there last weekend)

#bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #bookwormsofinstagram #igreads #booksofinstagram #crimewithaclaw #thepageflippers #bookishbabesengagement #bookishgroup #bookishbunch #booksfriendswithbenefits #thewhispers #netgalley #netgalleyreview #kindle #penguinrandomhouse

I was honestly shocked by the last pages but this book was a little bit hard for me to get into because we as readers are introduced to so many characters in the very beginning so it’s kind of hard to keep track and differentiate them as the book goes on. Because the book is so character based it was hard for me to see the thriller/mystery aspect of it because we’re focused on what the characters are doing rather than what happened to Xavier before his accident. Overall I did enjoy this book but not as much as other mysteries or thrillers i’ve read in the past.

The Whispers - Ashley Audrain
When Whitney's son is in a terrible accident, Blair can't help but take advantage of the empty house and do some snooping. She never would have expected to find such a scene. She knew Whitney had very little patience, but is she to blame? Upon further snooping, she finds something that catches her so off guard, her husband's set of keys. Blair is fueled by her anger and ready to snap.
Rebecca is at the hospital working when Whitney's son is brought in. She watches over Whitney from a far, dealing with her own emotional trauma, desperately wanting a baby, but reeling from miscarriage after miscarriage. She feels her husband drifting, and she mourns the life she thought they were going to have.
Mara still deals with the pain of losing her only son, filled with hatred towards her husband for the way he treated their son. But when her husband suddenly passes,she finds herself very alone. She waits for the other neighbors to notice, but no one does. They don't see her, but she sees them.
What really happened that fateful night and how far will these ladies go to protect themselves and the lives they built.
The Whispers was a drama filled book with alot going on, in a good way! There was never a dull moment as you tried to figure out what really happened to Whitney's son, why did Whitney have Blair's husband's keys, and will poor Rebecca finally get the family she dreamed of. I feel like neighborhood dramas can be hit or miss but this one got it right. The characters were full of faults and all our to protect themselves, not hesitating to take anyone down in the process. You see little glimpses of honest genuity here or there, and it added to the vibes of the book. I think our of all the characters, Mara's story was enticing, wanting to know what happened to her poor family.
This book has been in stores for 10 days now and I know it's going to be a hit! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/4!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Ashley Audrain knows how to write a book. Damn. Literally my only thought after reading the last line of this was just dammmmn. This is an ensemble book, every character POV needed and necessary for the final effect. It starts a bit slow for this reason, but the payoff is immense. You really get involved in their twisty little neighbourhood lives. An incredible second novel and domestic thriller that I’d highly recommend.

Really great character driven psychological thriller, I'm excited to go back and read her previous novel (The Push).

With little nods to Big Little Lies, set in a charming (Dundas West Toronto-ish) neighbourhood, and a bit of back & forth timeline following four neighbours through strained friendships, infidelities, loss, caregiving, and messy bits of life.

Mic drop of a last line, just - gut-wrenching and perfect.

tw: miscarriage, suicide, abuse, bullying

I love the construction of this novel, beginning with a neighborhood party where we're introduced to the families, the husbands, wives, children. A horrible thing happens, and then the chapters rotate through the various characters' perspectives. Utterly immersive with believable (which is not the same as likeable) characters. Everyone has their own drama going on and they all fit together like a puzzle. This book is a slow burn drama with a cast of authentic characters who bring out the worst in each other. The ending was perfect.

I feel like this is one of those books that people are going to love and adore or, on the other hand, just wish they hadn't spent their time on it. I fall into the latter category.

First, this is not a thriller. Perhaps calling it a domestic drama would make more sense. There was no mystery, no suspense and no thrills. There was drama.

I feel like what Audrain was going for was a look at the underbelly of suburban motherhood, the "whispers" of what lies beneath and the stories that we'd rather not tell. She was reaching for a commentary on the worst assumptions about motherhood and the lies that we tell ourselves or society tells us or we believe by accident. In her characters, I'd say she was editorializing how those lies, those whispers, make us worse, not better.

It's a message I can get behind EXCEPT that it was decidedly dark. On purpose, sure, but it felt like it was trying too hard to be dark.

Read if you like stories including:
adultery
lost characters
trauma involving children
miscarriage and infertility (Trigger warming: some of the scenes and conversations around miscarriage were quite descriptive and graphic)
women who feel inferior
death of a spouse

I was not the audience for this one. Someone will be. It wasn't me and I know I'm not alone. If you love it, cool.

The whispers

“Well, in any event. Fuck. It’s not for the faint of heart, is it? - Whitney Loverly”

When I read this quote (from the book) I knew I had to include it in my review. In a few words, it perfectly describes the book. Not for the faint of heart.

The story feels like it’s hitting you from every angle. Like a fight scene from an action movie but instead of being kicked and punched you are being hit with catastrophic heartbreaking reality. We are constantly hit with grief and despair as four women tell their tragic personal stories as well as the events of the annual neighbourhood BBQ in this psychological thriller.

Audrian develops the characters in such a way that each woman’s personal journey feels like a story on its own. It feels like we are reading four books in one. We are cheering for these women as we live in their disparity. The women have very different beliefs about what is, or should be, important to her and her family. The way the characters communicate with each other felt so real, I had a hard time not being annoyed with certain opinions or aspects of their lives. It was raw and honest and made you hurt for these somewhat unlikeable women.

The events that take place throughout the story are gritty and real and at times hard to read. For that reason I feel this book will not be for everyone. It is filled with so much grief. Audrain truly captures the struggles women go through.

Content warning: graphic language around miscarriage and fertility.


Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin Random House Canada and Ashley Audrain for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ (4.5 stars rounded up)
This was my first book by Ashley Audrain but it won’t be my last. I loved it! It’s dark, twisty and unpredictable. Ashley Audrain has a knack for writing about motherhood: the good, the bad and the ugly. I appreciated her candor and connected with each of the characters on some level. It is a total page turner with an ending that left my jaw on the floor. 😮

Well done Ashley Audrain! 👏🏻 Thank you to Tandem and Penguin Canada for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. 🥰

#bookadoration #bookstagram #canadianbookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer #candianbookstagrammers #ashleyaudrain #thewhispers #psychologicalthriller

Ashley Audrain’s second book, The Whispers is a suburban domestic thriller that focuses on the lives of four women who are neighbours in an unnamed North American city. Where it takes place isn’t relevant – the focus is on the people and the events tied to this small suburban area. These are people who live close enough to gaze in their neighbour’s windows and can hear conversations in the yard next door. Living in such close proximity has given the neighbours the illusion that they know a lot about each other. But that false sense of familiarity is fractured after something unpleasant occurs at a neighbourhood party.

The party is being hosted by Whitney and Jacob in the garden of their massive three-storey house. No expense has been spared on catering. Whitney takes pleasure in noticing that her guests are impressed and somewhat envious of her attention to every perfect detail. The only thing she’s unable to control is Xavier, their ten-year-old son, who insists on wearing a stained T-shirt. Although he was instructed to take care of the younger children, he has not followed through with Whitney’s request.

When Whitney finds him in his third-floor bedroom eating all the treats that were in goody bags for the other young guests, she loses her temper and begins yelling and swearing at him. It’s a nice warm day, the windows in his room are wide open, and everybody at the party hears the angry exchange between mother and son. Within minutes Whitney’s image as the woman who has it all is ruined. The moment is saying, “Something isn’t right here.” A whisper.

Other neighbours at the party are key characters in the story, including Blair, Whitney’s best friend, Blair’s husband Aiden and their seemingly perfect child Chloe. Blair envies Whitney’s lifestyle and attentive husband. Whitney envies Blair’s ease with motherhood. Then there are Rebecca and Tom. With no kids, their lifestyle seems free and easy to the others, but they desperately want to be parents. An older couple, Mara and Albert, were invited to the party but chose not to attend. However, they can hear everything through their hedge.

The narrative of the book goes back and forth between the time of the party and nine months later when Xavier ends up in the hospital after a fall from his third-floor bedroom window in the middle of the night. His condition is critical. He’s in a coma and it’s not clear whether he will survive the fall. He is the victim in this suburban domestic thriller.

Jacob was away on business at the time of the accident, leaving Whitney alone for a while by Xavier’s bedside. The details around Xavier’s tragic accident are unknown. Canadian author Ashley Audrain tells the story from the perspective of those living in the neighborhood. As the book opens with a man returning to his marital home after being with another woman, you will be looking for signs of Whitney having an affair.

Although there is a sense of what the men are feeling, the primary focus is on the women and the challenges and expectations they face around friendship, career, marriage and motherhood. Audrain pulls open the curtains and shows us what is going on behind closed doors. Sometimes it’s not a pleasant image but the views provided feel authentic, especially regarding the grief caused by miscarriages. We see how elements from past relationships can inform the present, whether it is neglect, extramarital affairs, or controlling, belittling behavior to a spouse or child. We also see the damage that children can inflict on one another through bullying.

The action in The Whispers is character-driven and it’s a slow burn as we gradually learn the truth about each of them. Like the characters in the book, we don’t immediately see the truth for what it is. Not until the end can we look back in hindsight to finally understand those whispers.

Fans of domestic noir will also want to read Audrain’s first book, The Push.

@ashleyaudrain has done it again! Wowwwww this was so good! I loved her previously novel, The Push, and knew had to get my hands on her newest release. I had absolutely no idea which direction this book was going to go. I had so many predictions in my mind and none of them came true (which I love in a thriller). That last sentence though… 👏🏼 🤯 I loved this. Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca

The Whispers kept me gripped from start to finish. A domestic thriller that brings the reader in and leaves them wanting more.

A perfect fit for bookclubs! 4 Stars.

I really love Audrain's dark writing, her debut novel (The Push) is one of my recently favorite books. However, I did enjoy The Push a bit more than The Whispers. I feel The Push was more of a thriller and had more suspense/tension throughout. It took a little bit longer for The Whispers to become truly engrossing - once it did though I was unable to put it down and read it in one sitting. The Whispers is certainly more of a psychological drama so I would bear that in mind before reading this story. The Whispers also covers similar themes of The Push, however I feel that The Push did this in a more unique and unexpected way. This may be a personal critique though, as I admit that I have read the "all your neighbors have secrets" trope a lot and am a bit tired of it. Comparisons aside- I do think The Whispers was still very well written book and I recommend it.

Multiple POVs and alternating timelines sometimes do not work for me. Throughout this novel though Audrain expertly handles the shifting perspectives and time jumps. I was never confused at any point. Each character has a very different voice and I felt each brought an unique perspective on motherhood. I would argue that none of the characters are without fault, and are all morally grey. This gave these characters a greater level of complexity and unpredictability. I really never knew how the characters in The Whispers were going to act or react. This uncertainty is why the ending was quite impactful for me. The characters are also varying degrees of unlikeable. I find it a testament to Audrain's writing that I can find sympathy still with these more unlikeable characters.

Overall I recommend this book and I cannot wait to read what Audrain writes next.

Following The Push, Ashley Audrain proved to be a promising author with domestic psychological thrillers and picking up this read had me anticipating for something fun and eerie to dive into!

After a freak accident with her child Xavier, Whitney is left distraught and hanging by a thread in the hospital already grieving and questioning her maternal conscience. Blair, her closest friend and neighbor, tries to console and help Whitney but develops strain and distance from her when she learns of new information that threatens her weakened marriage even more. Rebecca, another neighbor and doctor looking after Xavier has her own plate full with issues she's kept under lock. Her own longing for an impossible future is reflected when she finds out about the accident. Mara, the oldest neighbor and a passerby to the other ladies is about to go through another life change, one that she's not too sad about but reminds her of her biggest loss in life, one that has her meddling in the present day's conflicts between the other women. The women are all interconnected in ways unexplainable and they will soon realize it while waiting for Xavier's progress.

I went into this one with great interest. As the story developed, it weaned out and left me in mixed feelings. There was always a buildup for something more and in the end the suspense relief only give us sprinkles of things I had suspected already. Because of the tension that I had built up in my head, the last bit of the book and the ending fell a bit flat for me. The characters weren't out of the ordinary with their build, though their individual feelings with motherhood and what they wanted for themselves kept me engaged. I enjoyed how the author always dives into topics and feelings a mother has. No mother is the same as another and the author conveys this wonderfully with the destructive thoughts a mother easily have and then wipes it off with her everyday responsibilities.

I didn't love this one but I can appreciate what Ashley Audrain wanted to explore into with this novel.

Four women.
Blair, the devoted wife and mother.
Rebecca, the doctor struggling with infertility.
Mara, the elderly neighbour harbouring a deep heartbreak.
And Whitney, the career driven, bad tempered mother who takes center stage when the whole neighbourhood witnesses an epic outburst at her son Xavier.
So when Xavier end up in the hospital later that night, everyone is left wondering if this accident was an accident at all.

From the first chapter to the very last word, this book had me. I loved the multiple POV chapters, these women… so messed up. A deliciously dysfunctional neighbourhood that made for a great read.


While mysterious and entertaining this book hits on some pretty tough subjects, primarily infertility and miscarriage, so be aware before picking this one up, it can get pretty graphic.

Wow, another hit from Ashley Audrain. I loved her first book The Push and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one.

Briefly a synopsis of the book. The Whispers is a dark tale of motherhood woven throughout a group of neighbours. At first I was a little confused with the alternating POV's but after a few chapters I got used to it. Each characters story was so important to the overall plot. Ashley's writing is so raw and propulsive, I found myself consumed. I wanted more and the book hangover after was awful.

Trigger warnings: miscarriage, infertility, child in hospital

Thank you to Penguin Random House Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s hard to follow up a book like The Push, which had me second-guessing and holding my breath. Still, I expected the same level of plot.
The book explores different women’s experience of motherhood but winds up being more judgemental than exploratory. I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller but rather a domestic drama.

The good: this book has excellent character development, interconnected story-lines that work really well together.
The bad: the author definitely has a consistent writing style which worked really well for The Push but not nearly as well for this story. While the individual stories went well together, there were too many of them that weren’t explored deeply enough and I finished this with more questions than answers.
The ending was also pretty anti-climactic.
Without giving too much away, I may have liked this book if I wasn’t expecting a thriller and another Push.

The Whispers is a page-turning, drama-filled domestic thriller that is told from the perspective of four housewives. This was my first Ashley Audrain book and surely won't be my last. This was also my first advanced reading copy which was so exciting!
What I liked:
-The story flows very well for a book written from four perspectives and love how they all intertwine
-The characters are expertly crafted and feel like real people with real emotions
-The last chapter (especially the last line of the book) is gratifying.
Oh look, if it isn't the consequences of your own actions!
As a warning, this story contains detailed descriptions of heavy subjects such as miscarriage and infidelity.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!

As soon as I read The Push and saw that Ashley Audrain was releasing another novel I immediately put it in my list to read. The Whispers did not disappoint! I loved the different point of views from each character. I also really liked the neighbour hood drama aspect of this book. This book kept me in my toes and made me want to keep reading all the way until the end.