I requested this book because the description sounded so good.

But I have to admit that I was struggling to get into it and picked it up and put it down a few times. This time I pushed through and it was worth it. At about 20% it started picking up and I became invested in the characters. I needed to know the little secrets that every one seemed to have and that were slowly starting to come out.

I sped through this book. All the secrets were slowly starting to come out. All the characters were just horrible people, which is fine with me because I like books with characters that aren’t likeable.

But then all that, and THAT was the ending we got? There was no closure. So many things left open. Such a let down. I was very disappointed with this ending. I probably will not read this author again.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic book by Ashley Audrain. Thank you #netgalley for this arc. I didn’t think I could be drawn into this book more than the Push but I could not put this one down. Audrain has a way of tapping into intrusive thoughts and feelings that’s most parents feel uncomfortable sharing which makes her books even more interesting. It was fast paced and thrilling and although I did guess some of the plot twists they were still very clever.

I truly enjoyed this book. It had me engaged from the opening paragraph and never let my interest wander.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who is child-free by choice, I always enjoy a book with subversive views on motherhood, and The Whispers certainly delivered that. The Whispers tells the recent history of a group of families that are neighbors. Each family has their issues, but Whitney and her family are at the center of the story, whose son Xavier has fallen out of his bedroom window and is gravely injured. Whitney is not your stereotypical mother - she doesn't seem to enjoy spending time with her kids and appears to love her job and extracurricular activities more. All the families on their street are dealing with what it means to be a mother, and Ashley Audrain again does a great job exploring this theme. Added to that is the interconnectedness of the neighbors' lives and how we stumble along with the characters to try and figure out what happened the night Xavier fell out his window. The Whispers was compulsively readable, and I'm very thankful to NetGalley for the chance to read the eARC. My only complaint is that there were some errors with the author's name and the title of the book being interspersed throughout the text as I was reading. All of a sudden, "ashley audrain" would be there in the middle of a sentence, and then "the whispers" would be on another page. I understand that these are uncorrected proofs, but if you provide a copy for people to review, maybe ensure that these types of things aren't in the copy to take away from the story's overall flow.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Ashley Audrain for this ARC!

"The Whispers" by Ashley Audrain is a powerful and chilling examination of the complexities of motherhood, unraveling the dark underbelly of the maternal experience. With its gripping narrative and psychological intensity, this novel delivers a thought-provoking exploration of maternal instinct and the profound impact of generational dynamics.

Ashley Audrain's writing is both elegant and haunting, immersing readers in the emotional turmoil of her characters. With her evocative prose, she captures the complexity of maternal emotions, delving into the feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and doubt that can plague a mother's mind. The author's ability to tap into these raw and vulnerable emotions creates a deeply empathetic connection between the reader and the characters.

Audrain masterfully builds tension throughout the story, keeping readers on edge as they grapple with the psychological twists and turns. The narrative's non-linear structure adds to the sense of mystery and heightens the impact of the revelations, making for an engrossing reading experience.

"The Whispers" is a compelling and unsettling novel that examines the complex and often harrowing nature of motherhood. Ashley Audrain's exploration of the dark undercurrents of maternal instinct is masterfully executed.

Overall, "The Whispers" is a gripping and emotionally charged read that will resonate with fans of psychological suspense. Ashley Audrain's ability to delve into the depths of human emotion and explore the intricate dynamics of motherhood sets this book apart. It serves as a testament to the author's skill in crafting a chilling narrative that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

Also, that final sentence… *insert applause emoji here*

Really enjoyed this one! Absolutely love this author. This book had me staying up all night and turning the pages.

AHHH - I love Ashley audrains writing it is just so enticing and vivid and leaves me hanging on every word. This book was such an interesting look at the variations of motherhood and marriage that work concurrently and against one another at all times. While not better than the Push in my opinion, it was still so well written and compelling and I honestly will read anything of this author going forward - 4.5

This is a story more about people than an event.  A young boy falls from a bedroom window.  There is speculation around the circumstances.  From this point we are introduced to all the players on the street who are supposed to be friends. 


These are not my kinds of people.  They remind me of the Real Housewives TV shows.  If you like these sorts of people then this is a good read. You learn everything about these dysfunctional people in a well written way. I thought the author really grasped how children think. 


I was surprised by the ending and thought it was absolutely perfect.

I loved The Push so was excited to get an ARC of The Whispers. Wowzers! For the longest time I had no idea where this story was going. It was fully character driven and delved deeply into the lives of four women living in the same neighborhood. The book focused on the challenges of motherhood.

Whitney is a woman who has it all - a big beautiful house, a powerhouse job, a handsome husband who adores her and three healthy children. When her oldest child Xavier is seriously injured, questions arise concerning her parenting. Rebecca.is a doctor who desperately wants a baby. After five miscarriages, her husband Ben is done trying. Blair is the perfect mom to ten year old Chloe but her suspicions rise to catastrophic heights when she discovers what looks like a piece of torn condom in her husband’s things. Mara is the invisible older neighbour next door to Whitney. No one pays her or her husband Albert much attention but in her everlasting grief of losing her son Marcus, she sees everything going on in the neighborhood.

These four lives were intertwined beautifully. Each woman carries a burden related in some way to motherhood. The author did a fantastic job creating dichotomies between each character. Yet, the prose sometimes went too far off course for me. It focused too heavily on backstories about these women. It was during these tangents that the plot stalled for me-and I skimmed chunks of narrative. At about the 70 percent mark, the story really comes together though and I was absolutely glued. It rockets along at that point. The ending was interesting and I’m still unsure how I felt about it.

Definitely a thoughtful read but not as captivating as her last book. Thank you #NetGalley.

Set in an affluent neighbourhood, THE WHISPERS revolves around four couples.
One summer day, the Loverlys host a barbecue for their neighbours and their children.
Whitney Loverly appears to be the perfect hostess and also a successful businesswoman. Blair is a stay at home mom and Whitney’s best friend. Rebecca is an ER doctor who is struggling to have a child of her own. Mara is their elderly neighbour who immigrated with her husband from Portugal many years ago. Despite all the changes to the neighbourhood Mara and her husband remain in their home on Harlow Street.
During the barbecue, Whitney sets out to find eldest son Xavier. She discovers him in his room playing video games. Their strained relationship is clearly evident when Whitney looses her cool and yells at Xavier with such venom the barbecue below goes silent beneath Xavier’s open window.
Nine months later a tragic event occurs involving Xavier. He has been rushed to the hospital after falling out of his third floor bedroom window. Whitney is in shock and refuses to talk to anyone. Rebecca is on duty in the ER when Xavier arrives and performs the initial treatment.
Unaware of what has happened Blair and her daughter Chloe wait for Xavier so they can walk to school together. When he doesn’t show up Blair goes ahead and takes Chloe to school. Being Whitney’s best friend, Blair is puzzled as to why she hasn’t heard from Whitney and wonders what is going on.
The story is told from the four women’s perspective over the course of the next few days. Secrets and past are revealed bit by bit leading up to the tragic event.
I thoroughly enjoyed THE WHISPERS. The pacing was excellent and characters were engaging. I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Definitely would recommend THE WHISPERS to readers who love a well written suspense novel.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me early access to an advanced digital edition of THE WHISPERS by Ashley Audrain.

I was engaged and also very uncomfortable in some parts. Audrain is very open and honest about the struggles of motherhood- including the parts that most dont talk about. The story was very interesting, but i found it slow at parts.

The premise, the blend of storylines, the characters ... I enjoyed; but the problem I found is after the initial set up and suspense in the beginning set up, the actual story evolving, although intersting, was slow. Also, all the characters became unlikable, with the exception of Mara maybe. The actual reveal of what happened was good and I it did surprise me as I had thought it was going to be something totally different, but it came so close to the end that by then I just wanted to finish and was over it because it sort of just ended right after that and I almost wanted to know how the characters lives had changed. So the first 5% of the book and the last 5% were great. The whole 90% in between had moments but also was almost like who cares when the end comes. I think if the reveal happened sooner and there was more about after the reveal this could have been great. Also, Whitney and Blair are just messed up and really need help and they made me uncomfortable and I didn't really get them. If it was just one of them ok, but the fact that both of them really had issues was just too much.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Oh my gosh, this book was amazing. It made me feel all of the emotions that the women/wives/mothers experience..the love, the guilt, the hatred, the jealousy, the anger…ALL OF IT. I really have no words to properly explain my thoughts (maybe I should’ve let it digest a bit instead of immediately providing this feedback?!!) but I was hooked.

Motherhood is complicated, this book paints a dark and raw picture of that!

When a boy from an affluent family falls out of a window into a coma, the families in the neighborhood reflect on their lives and their role in what lead to this boy being on the precipice of death.

TW for miscarriage! Whether women are desperately trying to become a mother or loathing the idea of it, this book is very honest about the martyrdom of motherhood.

This was a pageturner for me, subtracting a star because one of the characters (Mara) didn’t quite fit into the story IMO. While her story is interesting, her observer role wasn’t a highlight in the story.

Ashley Audrain knows how to write a book that keeps you extremely engaged and uncomfortable, all at the same time. Her books are darker topics, that will make you want to stop reading, but at the same time you won't be able to because her writing is just that good.

I was nervous that The Whispers wasn't going to live up to how amazing The Push was but I was EXTREMELY wrong. The Whispers is another one that will stick with you and have you screaming at that ending. It's like, I seen it coming, but I didn't see it coming, but I seen it coming, and then was completely shocked when it came 🤣. These are going to be some characters that you're going to love to hate. Definitely a must read

3.5 stars

The premise was intriguing, and while I didn’t dislike it, this book unfortunately just didn’t live up to my hopes. Like many of the other reviewers, I really enjoyed The Push and, because of that, had high expectations for this next book, but it just wasn’t as good. The last line, though, was impactful. Beautiful cover, okay story; I’m still excited to see what her next book will be, though.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC!

This domestic suburban drama brought me back memories of watching Desperate Housewives which is, in itself, not a bad thing. I think that my expectations for this novel were high simply because of my enthusiasm and enjoyment of Audrain's debut. I was expecting something a lot grittier and more fast-paced than the reality of The Whispers.

That being said, this novel is quite cinematic and the pacing and time jumps were easy and enjoyable to follow. Each of the women had their own distinctive personality, making them both realistic and likeable, save for their obvious flaws.

I would recommend this for anyone who loves neighbourly drama, those who peep out their windows, and for readers who love a little anticipation.

i feel a bit bamboozled because the push was this immersive, terrifying thriller about mother/daughter relationships. and this seemed like it was going to be a suspenseful domestic thriller with a similar plot surrounding mother & child but this was so boring. the first 50% i spent wish for it to end and when i finally got into the last 50%, the story just leaves you feeling like you wasted your time.

i'll read more from this author in the future but this was sadly a disappointment.

Wow. As a mother who lives in a close neighborhood, I was deeply moved, nay disturbed, by this book. It is very well written and contains many many grains of truth. A working mother whose children are secondary to her work, a perfect mother who does everything right, a woman who didn’t want children until she found that she couldn’t carry a pregnancy to term, and an older woman whose life has been very unloving and unfulfilled. All were seeking greener pastures, albeit in different ways. An accident in one of their families with a child brings things to a head in the neighborhood, and all are involved in some way. In the end, they all reconcile their reality with their unreality. For all, ther are no happy endings.

After reading and loving Ashley Audrain's debut novel "The Push" I was thrilled to read her second novel "The Whispers".
This story is about motherhood and four women who live on Harlow Street, in an upscale neighborhood. When tragedy occurs secrets are revealed involving their relationships, insecurities and everyday lives.
A compelling domestic drama and mystery with an "OMG" ending!
I highly recommend this page-turner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Viking for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.