El rumor [The Whispers]

by Ashley Audrain

Tras El instinto , bestseller internacional y «boom editorial» ( El País ), la reina del suspense psicológico vuelve con un thriller que «no se olvida fácilmente» ( Publishers Weekly ).

El verano se acerca a su fin y Whitney y Jacob han organizado una barbacoa para sus vecinos, a la que asisten Blair, la mejor amiga de Whitney, con su marido e hija; y Rebecca y Ben, una pareja sin hijos. Mientras la anfitriona se divide entre su trabajo, la necesidad de atender a sus invitados y su incontrolable hijo Xavier, la anciana Mara, que ha preferido no asistir al evento, observa la fiesta desde su jardín, buscando los pequeños aviones de papel que Xavier le lanza desde su ventana por las noches. Cuando la madre pierde los nervios con el niño, todos optan por no darle importancia, una decisión que tendrán que revisar cuando, una madrugada meses más tarde, el pequeño caiga misteriosamente desde su ventana.

Mientras Xavier lucha por su vida, las mujeres de la calle Harlow se enfrentan a un continuar como si nada hubiera pasado o hacer caso por fin al rumor de su intuición, que destapará secretos que ninguna quería afrontar.

Ashley Audrain vuelve con una exploración de la amistad femenina, la envidia, los deseos potenciados y acallados por la maternidad y la inexorabilidad de la propia intuición en un thriller estremecedor de lectura urgente.

La crítica ha dicho...

«Audrian sabe lo que [...] un thriller, hay sorpresas y giros, pero bien medidos. Y un respeto al lector, a quien no se le telegrafían las intenciones de la trama. Y así hasta la última línea».
Juan Carlos Galindo, El País

«Un thriller estremecedor que […] te deja reflexionando mucho después de haber cerrado el libro».
Nuria Safont, Hola

«Rompedor y chocante. […] No cabe duda que Audrain es una escritora magnífica y excepcional. Sus palabras dan que pensar en muchos momentos».
Natalia Sagredo Díez, El Generacional

«Escrito con maestría, sutileza y fuerza, [...] a la vez refrescante e inquietante, [...] con un final de infarto que tendrás que leer dos veces para creértelo».
Ivy Pochoda, The New York Times Book Review

«En El rumor, las palabras tienen la fuerza de un golpe o de una cuchilla, y los secretos tintinean en las sombras, como bombas de relojería a punto de estallar».
Robert J. Wiersema, Toronto Star

«Audrain se adentra en las vidas secretas de las mujeres en esta sobresaliente obra de suspense literario. [...] Artística y con el pulso acelerado, no se olvida fácilmente».
Publishers Weekly

«No podía parar de leer. [...] El talento de Audrain y su capacidad para plasmar en palabras la experiencia femenina de forma tan despiadada, dolorosa y bella me dejaron pasmada».
Salma El-Wardany, BBC Radio London

«Provocador y apasionante, se merece todos los elogios».
Heat («Libro de la semana»)

«Un oscuro e inquebrantable drama familiar. Un verdadero page-turner».
Grazia

«Si no tuviste suficiente con la primera novela de Audrain, devorarás esta esperada novela. Un retrato brillante y honesto de familias en crisis».
Woman & Home

«El rumor examina el papel de la envidia entre grupos de amigas, el poder del amor maternal y los lazos que unen a una comunidad».
Zibby Owens, Good Morning America («Uno de los 15 mejores libros de junio»)

«Nadie profundiza en las entrañas de la maternidad como Ashley está en otra liga».
Lisa Jewell

Please This audiobook is in Spanish.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Contemporary, Book Club

Audible Audio

First published June 6, 2023

Reviews

[Emily (Books with Emily Fox on Youtube) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audrain makes me never want to get married or have kids.

I'm not the target audience for this dark family drama but I can acknowledge it's good even though it wasn't really for me.

More book recommendations that will make you want to stay childfree:
https://youtu.be/H_ES-eqbKQs

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so fucking good it gave me the desire and the gumption to relearn how to insert gifs on this hellsite. god. damn. ashley audrain really knows how to write a fucking book.

should you read this? honestly couldn't tell ya. if you like an unflinching look at motherhood and some juicy domestic drama maybe so. if you're sensitive to pregnancy loss or the like, steer real clear.

but this will be a favorite of the year for me. there's a paragraph in here that gutted me and while i didn't ask for it, it's what i needed.

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

The Whispers, in many ways, feels like it could be a companion novel to The Push but I'm not sure I'll be recommending it quite as widely. I found it gripping, but where The Push was a sharp punchy thriller as well as a character-driven psychological drama, this one is firmly the latter.

Audrain writes in such a raw, honest and emotive way that I feel sure she must have experienced what she's describing herself, yet each character, each experience of motherhood and womanhood is so vastly different that she cannot possibly have been all these characters. It's a true talent that she can make them so wholly convincing, so deeply-flawed and often unlikable and yet still make us care about them.

This book follows four very different women who live in the same neighbourhood, whose lives intersect in various ways. Whitney is a working parent, causing both envy (for being the woman who "has it all") and judgement (for not being there full-time for her kids); Blair is a stay-at-home parent who often feels taken for granted, unappreciated, unmoored; Rebecca desperately wants a baby but a series of miscarriages have left her heartbroken; Mara had a neurodivergent son and blames herself for what happened to him.

Audrain shows why different women make the choices they do and depicts how they punish themselves (and each other) for those choices. She shows women pushed to the brink in their desperation to be the perfect mother, or a mother at all. So many times I would read a sentence in this book and my heart would clench because I could feel exactly what the author was describing; it struck me as such an accurate, if horrible, depiction of what someone would feel in those circumstances.

The stories of these women revolve around the event at the centre of the story-- that of Whitney's son fighting for his life in a hospital bed after he plummeted from his bedroom window. Everyone has a theory as to what happened and most of them are hiding something themselves.

I can't wait for the author's next book.

Strong warning to those sensitive to depictions of miscarriage and infertility.

[Dea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Godawful garbage. The first and last chapter tell the whole story. In between is a bunch of very stupid things strung together by a middle-school-level wannabe writer trying to be deep and meet a word count. I present to you:

"Ben's hair is still damp from the shower, and he smells like the morning." WTF does morning smell like?

"Blair sips her coffee and thinks about her husband spreading the thighs of another woman as wide as butterfly wings." LOL no.

"He's on the standby list at Heathrow... He'll be traveling back in time." No, he'll just be flying east to west. They're called timezones.

I gave up on page 63 when Blair enters Whitney's home, finds her vibrator (not for the first time), and lifts it to her nose. "Sometimes the scent of Whitney lingers on the velvety-smooth rubber."

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm taking several deep breaths after reading something that created intense emotional turmoil, leaving me gasping and in awe, rendering me speechless! This book is a remarkable masterpiece about motherhood, the challenges of being a capable woman balancing workloads and family life, navigating miscarriages, and being torn between personal needs and responsibilities, ultimately forcing a choice between them as one cannot have it all.

  We are introduced to four female narrators: Whitney, a mother of three—ten-year-old Xavier and younger twins, a highly accomplished and workaholic career woman; Blair, a stay-at-home mother to ten-year-old Chloe, who has left her successful career behind to dedicate herself to her daughter; Mara, in her mid-eighties, still grieving the death of her son with special needs and battling anxiety issues; and Rebecca, a brilliant ER doctor struggling with recent miscarriages, yearning to conceive and become a mother.

  Each of these women possesses different qualities and several flaws, and they face the cards fate has dealt them in various ways. Their coping mechanisms and survival strategies evolve based on their motives, choices, and marital problems.

  Whitney finds herself at the hospital, unwilling to leave her comatose son who fell from a window in what is presumed to be a terrible accident. Normally a strong-willed woman who always gets her way, Whitney chose motherhood as another accomplishment on her list.   
 
  However, even a few hours after giving birth to her first child, she cannot resist answering work emails, neglecting the baby sleeping next to her. Is her ambition to have it all bordering on selfishness? To truly understand her story and whether she carries guilt over the incident, one must delve into the rest of her narrative. She refuses to speak to any authorities and remains motionless, waiting for her son to wake up. As we oscillate between past and present, we witness her moments of frustration and snapping at her son in front of a crowd of neighbors attending a house party. She can handle tremendous stress and solve work-related problems as if she has a magical wand, but she has no idea how to connect with her children and become an effective mother.

  On the other hand, Blair, who has an estranged relationship with her husband Aiden and suspects him of having an affair, embarks on a quest to discover his secret companion. She envies Whitney's career ambition, her full work schedule, her casualness, and even the intimate moments she spies on between Whitney and her husband. Little does Blair know that Whitney also yearns to be a mother like her, as Xavier's daily tantrums wear her down. However, Blair's fantasy of becoming like Whitney drives her to cross boundaries.

  The other two characters, although loved less, provide additional perspectives. Rebecca, a member of the medical team, carries a weighty secret in the midst of Xavier's life-and-death struggle. She is expecting another child but cannot share the news with her husband Ben, who previously made it clear he did not want to try for another baby. She teeters on the brink of breakdown, fearing another loss, barely clinging to a shred of hope.

  And then there's Mara, the eldest of the group, observing each woman in the neighborhood, knowing their secrets, while dealing with memories of her son with special needs and a longing for her hometown in Portugal. Like any other immigrant, she exists in a state of limbo, never truly belonging in either place she calls home, harboring resentment and simmering anger toward her husband over the years.

  When the ominous Wednesday night arrives and Xavier falls from the window, these four women find themselves interconnected through this tragedy. As the pieces of the puzzle come together, shocking revelations unfold, leading to judgments of some characters and eye-rolling at others for their naivety and a desire to hold some of them tightly, providing comfort and solace. The realistic characterization in this book is truly flawless.
 
However, I cannot say the same for the husbands of these women. The author deliberately excludes their perspectives, relegating them to supporting characters with their own set of flaws, including obliviousness, selfishness, and manipulation.
 
  Upon reaching the final page, I couldn't contain my excitement and unleashed a spontaneous exclamation of admiration. This exceptional piece of fiction has earned my utmost praise and a resounding applause. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally charged reading experience.

  Overall, this remarkable book delves deep into the intricacies of motherhood, the complexities of personal choices, and the resilience of women in the face of adversity. It captivates readers with its realistic characterization, compelling narrative, and unexpected twists. Truly a masterpiece, it deserves its rightful place among the best works of fiction.

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[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last sentence in this book was everything! I loved it!

Four families were enjoying a party in Whitney and Jacob Loverly's back yard. Everyone was having a good time until Whitney could be heard screaming at the top of her lungs at her son, Xavier, through his bedroom window. It's an uncomfortable moment as everyone has just witnessed her losing her cool and her mind on her young son.

Months have passed and people have moved on but have not forgotten. Rebecca was one of the neighbors at the party that night and she is one duty the Wednesday night that Xavier was brought into the emergency room when he fell out of his bedroom window. Rebecca won’t leave his side as things do not look promising.

Everyone in the neighborhood is worried and concerned. They also can't help remembering that evening months ago when Whitney yelled at her son and began to wonder what really happened.

Blair, another neighbor at the party, rushes to Whitney's side. As well as being concerned about Xavier, Blair has her own concerns that hit close to home. Rebecca, the doctor on duty when Xavier comes in, has a secret, and worries about her husband's reaction to it.

Mara is an elderly neighbor that sees all but is invisible to those in her neighborhood. She has her own secrets as well.

This book was juicy and gripping. What a tangled web they have weaved in this neighborhood. Everyone has a secret; some have secrets bigger than others and I was on the edge of my seat wondering if the secrets would be exposed.

There is a lot of food for thought in this book. This touches on motherhood, putting yourself before your child, jealousy, deception, and miscarriage to name a few. There were characters that I liked and those I loathed.

This was my first book by Ashley Audrain and I can't wait to read more of her books! The Whispers was well written, well thought out and perfectly paced.


Gripping, shocking, intense, and hard to put down!

**Trigger warnings for miscarriage, infidelity, child in hospital


4.5 stars


Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking, Pamela Dorman Books 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.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:

Twitter - Amazon - Storygraph - The Book Review Crew

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.

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.

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

[Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a debut novel of an author is that good that everything else they write simply becomes an auto-buy >>>

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s September and the neighbors are “sizing each other up while feigning friendliness” at the catered party in the Loverly’s backyard…

Our hostess, Whitney is pleased with how things have turned out until she goes upstairs in search of her 10 year old son, Xavier, and finds him covered in chocolate with all of the “loot bags” meant for the neighborhood children, emptied around him on his bed.

Furious, she begins berating him-and her profanity laced rant has silenced the party goers outside, who have heard it all through the open window…

Her neighbors are bound to whisper.

9 Months Later…

Xavier has “fallen” out of his third story window-or has he? Is it possible he jumped? Could he have been pushed?

Mara, the elderly neighbor knows more about what goes on than anyone realizes.

Next door neighbor Blair, a nurturing Mom, whose daughter Chloe is Xavier’s best friend, is getting that gut feeling again-She once heard them described as the whispers-the moments when you know something isn’t right.

But sometimes it’s easier not to listen to them. Sometimes you don’t hear them until you are looking back with hindsight, feeling blindsided. Is her intuition correct?

Rebecca, the childless neighbor across the street is the Doctor on staff when Xavier is brought in by ambulance. Everyone thinks this is a choice but it’s actually the PAINFUL reality of INFERTILITY and multiple MISCARRIAGES.

It makes her even more frustrated that Whitney doesn’t seem to appreciate the gift of her three children and has been negligent about putting a lock on the window that Xavier fell from. Her anguish is visceral and heartbreaking to read about.

The Wednesday night when this tragedy occurs will change everything on Harlow Street.

Over the course of three days, as Whitney sits by the hospital bed of her silent son, the SECRETS will come spilling out…

I DID NOT find this to be the propulsive page turner it was described as, until the SECOND half, and even wondered if I wanted to continue on at one point, which is why it didn’t earn all 5 stars from me.

In fact, after the scene at the party, we spend the majority of the SLOW first half getting to know the character’s inner thoughts on SEX, MARRIAGE, PREGNANCY and MOTHERHOOD.

Ashley Audrain is NOT AFRAID to GO THERE, and she tackles these topics in a raw, honest way that may make many readers feel UNCOMFORTABLE.

MUCH LIKE in her debut novel, “The Push” she explores the fact that some women make motherhood look EASY but not all women are natural mothers, and not all women take to mothering.

FINALLY, at about the halfway point, we return to the night in June when the “unthinkable” happens, and from that point on, the quick chapters and alternating viewpoints DO keep the PACE moving at breakneck speed until the last page, with an ending which once again lets you decide what the final conclusion might be….I found myself pondering the possibilities this morning.

With some SHOCKING revelations, Audrain has definitely created a niche with these stories, so if you enjoyed her first book, “The Push” this one will not disappoint! (though I do hope that her next book explores some different themes)

Review for “The Push” : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

AVAILABLE NOW!

Thank You to the Chandler Public library for the loan.

[JanB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

THE WHISPERS: The moments that are trying to tell you something isn’t quite right here. The problem is some women aren’t listening to what their lives are trying to tell them.”

Parenthood is often depicted in idyllic ways in heavily curated posts on social media and in mommy blogs. Ashley Audrain brings us a far different story. The author admits to going very dark and deep but, as she says, it’s fiction.

During a barbecue in an upscale neighborhood, Whitney is overheard exploding in an ugly fury and hurling cruel words at her 10-year-old son. Shortly afterward, this same child falls from his bedroom window and is now lying in the hospital in a coma with an uncertain prognosis. Was his fall an accident? Did he jump? Or was he pushed?

This incident is the catalyst for exposing the secrets and inner lives of the neighborhood women. The consequences of their choices, as well as their insecurities, suspicions, shameful thoughts, deep-seated anger, and envy of one another is explored. Unsurprisingly, it is not always a pretty picture.

Blair: is struggling with her identity as a SAHM, and suspects her husband is having an affair. Her envy of her neighbor leads her to some shocking actions.

Rebecca: a physician who has suffered multiple miscarriages. Her husband wants to quit trying, but Rebecca has a secret and fears her husband’s reaction. She is depressed and in despair at her inability to carry a child to term. I found her the most sympathetic of all the women and my heart broke for her

Whitney: a career-driven mother of 3 who doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body, especially with her son Xavier. Her regret comes too late. She was the character I most wanted to slap silly.

Mara: an elderly Portuguese immigrant who has watched the neighborhood’s gentrification and is invisible to them. She knows their secrets and has secrets of her own.

My children are grown and even though I’m past the stage of life these women are in, I was still riveted and found the topics explored to be compelling and thought-provoking. (Be aware the author’s descriptions can sometimes be quite crude and cringe-inducing, but thankfully a small part of the story. Perhaps it was a device to highlight how ugly their actions were?) When forced to put the book down, I was thinking about it and couldn’t wait to get back to it.

And that ending! There were a few surprises in store and the last line was explosive.

This would be an excellent book club choice, as my reading buddy, Marialyce and I found much to discuss. Do check out her review.

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

When The Push was released, I wanted to stand in a bookstore and hand it to everyone who came in and tell them they had to read it. It was a huge-selling book that needed no push to read. I feel the same about The Whispers, which releases on June 6, and I suspect it will be another one that flies off the shelves.

I loved The Push and the thought-provoking themes of the darker side of motherhood Ashley Audrain explored. Nobody writes about motherhood or delves as profoundly into it with the understanding of the pressures women feel as she does. She is brave, honest, bold, and, at times, heavy-handed with themes of motherhood, exploring troubled children and their troubled mothers, along with the secrets they keep and the things we don’t talk about, and I loved it all.

What is going on between the cover

The whispers begin in the backyard after overhearing a scene between a mother, Whitney, and her child Xavier. Months later, the unthinkable happens, and Xavier is in the hospital, and Whitney won’t leave his side. The whispers start again as the neighborhood women try to piece together what happened and Whitney’s part.

My two cents

Ashley Audrain explores the uncomfortable truths of motherhood and fidelity from the contrasting POVS of four neighbors as she explores their private lives. They are different women from each other but are linked in ways they never suspected, and they all feel the demands that motherhood puts on them. We see their unspoken fears, desires, and shame and how that affects them as mothers, wives, and women. The pace is slow as we are told the story with little dialogue, and it took me a bit to get into it. The tension and suspense increase with the knowledge that something awful happened, creating a compelling sense of dread. I clicked the pages as fast as I could to find out what, and I was left speechless when that final line was delivered.

I loved the dynamics between Whitney and Xavier; that added a thrilling element to the story. None of the characters are likable, and they give us plenty to whisper about. The women are not mother-of-the-year material; nothing is redeeming about the men. Whitney is not your stereotypical selfless mother who would do anything for her kids. I loved the honesty of the uncomfortable truths that confirmed that not mothers put their children first or should be expected to be mothers just because they are women. Ashley Audrain reminds me why I love to read and gives me plenty to think about while challenging those traditional expected roles for women and beliefs of motherhood.

I still remember The Push, and I will remember The Whispers, and both are at the top of my favorite list of stories that explore women’s roles. I highly recommend it!!

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another winner from Ashley Audrain. I’m amazed at how brilliant this woman can write. This book is deep, dark, unsettling, and a true character study of how women and couples really act behind closed doors- and how some get caught out in the open. I’m still processing everything, even as I write this.

In “The Whispers” we have four main women characters. I’ll start with Blair.
Blair was a bit of a neurotic, creepy weirdo. She did a very stalkerish, nasty move early on in the book that almost made me quit reading this. However unnecessary I felt that scene was, I’m thankful nothing that strange happened again. Although, I can relate to her insecurities she was dealing with.

We then have the rich and beautiful Whitney. Whitney is a powerful woman at work, but doesn’t have much of a maternal instinct. She’s thankful to have Blair living across the street to be her only friend and keep her somewhat grounded.

Mara is the elderly neighbor who nobody pays attention to, but she sees and knows everything. My heart broke for Mara. I wanted to reach through the pages and just hug her! Her story was heartbreaking.

Rebecca is the neighbor doctor, who is desperate to have children. How many attempts and failures at motherhood can she withstand?

Also, through this amazing character study we have the terrible tragedy that occurs to Whitney’s oldest son, Xavier. And what a story that was! I just can’t stop thinking about this book! If I had to pick which was my favorite between Audrain’s debut “ The Push”, and this book, I may still lean more towards “Push” but not by much. I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next! I know I will be first in line to read whatever it is!
(4.5 stars rounded up)

[Jayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

A 10-year-old boy is in a coma after falling from his bedroom window.

Did the boy jump or was he pushed?

To answer this question, the author deeply dives into the lives and "whispers" of four affluent suburban families.

Although the book's premise was ultra-compelling, the book lacked the sizzle and readability of the author's debut novel "The Push". 😭😭😭

Quite frankly, this book was reminiscent of a bad episode of "Desperate Housewives", minus Gabrielle Solis' teenage gardener lover.

Explicit sex scenes and graphic details of one of the protagonist's multiple miscarriages were frequently showcased. (TMI!)

At times, the book dragged.

I listened to the audiobook.

Although narrator Jill Winternitz did a fine job with the narration, the book would have benefited from four different narrators narrating the POVs of the four protagonists.

Since I really enjoyed Ashley Audain's "The Push", my expectations for this book were sky-high.

I am not whispering when I say that "The Whispers" was a HUGE disappointment.

1 star, rounded up.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My face right now: 😲

This book had me completely enthralled from the very first page. While others mentioned a slow start that wasn't the case for me at all. Audrain had me HOOKED!!!

Welcome to Harlow Street. Let me introduce you to the neighbors.

Whitney and Jacob, parents to 10 year old Xavier and twins, Sebastian and Thea. A beautiful home anyone would be envious of. Whitney is a successful business woman opting for a nanny to do most of the child care and household duties. Whitney struggles with the children, mostly Xavier, and sometimes wishes she could just up and walk away and leave them all behind.

Blair and Aiden, parents to precious, Chloe. Blair is a stay at home mom that seems to have an endless amount of patience with children. She is also Whitney's best friend. While she enjoys her life, for the most part, she's getting whispers in her head telling her things aren't as perfect in her marriage as she would like them to be. Her husband has an eye for other women and she is positive he is having an affair.

Rebecca and Ben, she's an ER doctor and he's a teacher that is currently taking time off. They want for nothing more than children but she has had four miscarriages so far. Ben wants to give up hope but she won't, she can't. This is all she wants in life.

Mara and Albert, the elderly couple that immigrated to the US from Portugal. Mara spends her days on her porch observing her neighbors and missing her special needs son that died many years ago as a teenager.

Whitney and Jacob are throwing a barbeque for their friends and neighbors. Everything is going swimmingly until Whitney goes upstairs to find her son devouring the party favors in his bedroom. She screams at him a profanity laced rant that is overheard by all the guests in the backyard. It was only then she realized the window was open.

People will be talking, that's for sure.

But it's months later when the real rumors start to swirl.

Xavier has fallen from his 3rd floor bedroom window. Was it an accident or has his mother finally snapped?

He lies in a coma. Whitney by his side and refusing to speak.

All the neighbors secrets are simmering and they are about to boil over!

I found this book to be super addicting and I devoured it in a day. Audrain wowed me with her debut, The Push, and she has done it yet again. A lot of these characters left much to be desired yet there were a few my heart went out to. Rebecca and Mara, my heart broke for. Especially Rebecca. Blair did some creepy things yet I still felt so sorry for her and her feelings of inadequacy. Jacob, the only decent husband in the book, I also felt sorry for. The rest will have you putting up a For Sale sign ASAP!

While I loved this book I do need to warn future readers that there are some graphic scenes of miscarriage that were gut wrenching to read so just make sure you are prepared for this beforehand.

This book has officially been placed on my 2023 favorites shelf and I am giddy with excitement to see what Audrain treats us to next! 5 stars!

Thanks to Overdrive for the loan!

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

I loved ‘The Push’ so eagerly open the pages of this one and I’m so not disappointed!! It all starts at a party in the Loverly’s backyard, the most expensive house on the street. Three children belong here, three year old twins - one of each - and an older boy of 10. He looks a bit of a scruff but Whitney’s husband Jacob wisely counsels her to let it go but Xavier sure knows how to push her buttons. She tolerates him as long as she can and then let’s rip and oh boy, does she ever. Unfortunately for her every single person at the party hears her profane tirade. Fast forward to nine months later and Xavier is brought to hospital having fallen from his bedroom window. He’s in a medically induced coma. What happens? How and why did this happen? Is Whitney responsible? Every key female character has their own theory. There’s Blair, her neighbour, bored and very alone with her thoughts a jumbled mess and Rebecca a doctor. She has a lot going on in her own life alongside her concerns for Xavier. Finally, there’s elderly Mara, who at 82 is largely invisible but sees all and feels much. These three give their perspective and tell their own story which runs alongside Whitney, Before and After.

Phew! Can Ashley Audrain ever write! It’s so intense that you become wrapped up in these characters lives and put the book down with utmost reluctance. It’s an exceptionally well written and accomplished novel which is perceptively observed. All the characters are acutely and deftly portrayed with their interactions and silences telling us a great deal. It’s a powerful and at times chilling psychological domestic/ neighbourhood thriller with a plot that mesmerises me. There’s the white noise of many internal whispers that characters desperately try to combat and the more audible whispers of judgements. There are some uncomfortable moments where you feel the dark thoughts and emptiness of loss or feeling lost or you catch the sadness and raw despair which is very moving. There are several key moments where it’s an emotional heart tugger with everything from tragedy to cruelty. As the pressure builds you find you are anticipating the inevitable explosion but are uncertain of its likely source but are certain in the knowledge that it will detonate lives. When the truth emerges it’s a gut puncher and the ultimate ending is so, so good.

Overall, it must be obvious by now that this is another immersive winner for me. Ashley Audrain is an immensely gifted and talented writer and I look forward to reading her next tour de force. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved The Push, but The Whispers' graphic miscarriage scenes are not for me.

I enjoyed parts of this neighborhood suspense surrounding three couples. The secrets start to come out after a boy falls out of his bedroom window and is in a coma. It was mostly gripping (infidelity and gossip) but the infertility and miscarriage thriller side are too much for me to love.

Most reviews are positive and if you don't mind the above descriptive topics in a thriller then you may find it more enjoyable than I did. 3.5⭐

[L.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A neighborhood party at the Loverlys leads to accusations or (whispers) that Whitney may not be the mom she wants them to perceive after she says cruel and cringing words to her 10 year old. When her son falls out of the upper window and in a coma, each person's story reflects on what could have happened. Whitney sits by Xavier's hospital bed rehashing the moments up to that day. No mother is perfect even though each strives for the Mother of the Year award. Each neighbor struggles within their own walls of security: the Parks are considered their best friends, The Goldsmith's are struggling to have a family and the quiet elderly couple go about their own business, but manage to capture everyone's coming and going until tragedy strikes them.
Behind closed doors, affairs, spousal abuse, verbal child abuse and even bullying in the schoolyard plays out. It is dramatic, sinister and disturbing. Yet, I was captivated by each character's struggles and fear for Xavier's life. The mothers of the story are hurting in their own different way, some are quietly administering their self care while others are blatantly pushing through their suspicions and sacrifices outwardly. It becomes an obstacle course out of control until that last sentence delivers a final blow to the whispers.
Friends are not really friends... Spouses are questionable in their vows... Parents aren't perfect...
The real pain is the connection with the mother who suffers 5 miscarriages and watches another mother verbally abuse her son in less appreciation for his existence. The scene in the schoolyard is all too real and hurts with every hurdle a child must cross to fit into that mold of the imaginary perfection.
Thank you NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for this unforgettable ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved The Push and this one is sure to turn heads for the summer!!

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suburban domestic drama

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of this book for a long time. However, it turned out to be a domestic suburban drama, which was completely different from what I expected, and it left me feeling disappointed.

Despite the unexpected genre, the storyline and plot were well-crafted. The characters were likable enough for this type of book. Although it had a slow start, the pace quickly picked up, and I appreciated how we got to know each of the four women individually, even though their stories were intertwined in some way.

Ashley is undeniably a talented writer, and if I hadn't been anticipating another gripping thriller like her debut novel, "The Push," I probably would have embraced this book more warmly.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A contemporary domestic suspense about four families and an event that reveals their truth. Think ‘Desperate Housewives’ meets ‘Big Little Lies’. Contains all the staples of this genre: unlikeable characters, unreliable narrators, OTT proceedings, a multitude of secrets, and an abundance of questionable behaviour. An entertaining ride as long as you know what to expect.

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Keeping my review somewhat vague as it is best to go in blind.


Plot Preview:

Four families lives close to each other in the suburbs. The only thing common to them is the street they stay on. Their financial capability, the size of their houses, their professional situations, and their personal/marital state of affairs varies.
Now, the ten-year-old son of one of the couples is in coma after a fall from his bedroom window late at night. This event is the trigger for many discoveries and revelations.
The story comes to us from the third-person point of view of the four women of the above families (each a different kind of mother with a distinct mothering problem) over the course of a week, though there are plenty of flashbacks as well.

If you have watched shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Big Little Lies’, then you can expect the same kind of content from this book. It is a total page-turner, not in a ‘Wow! This prose is marvellous!’ kind of way but in a ‘Wow! These people are nuts!’ kind of way. So if you are ready to toss the requirement for likeable characters and relatable human behaviour out the window, this novel is for you.

If you are the kind of reader who needs likeable characters in your fictional picks, steer clear of Ashley Audrain’s works. All the adult characters are toxic to varying levels. Some appear to have redeeming qualities, until we learn that the truth is something else altogether. The only characters towards whom you might feel some sympathy are the children of these families.

Given that our narrators are women and that the key suspense revolves around a little boy and the circumstances behind his fall, much of the drama centres around marriage and parenting. Whether working mothers or stay-at-home-mothers, wannabe mothers or frustrated mothers, the book explores all dramatic angles of mothers and mothering from the perspective of these slightly-bitchy, highly-judgemental women.

The four female leads might have varied professional and personal backgrounds, but they have one aspect in common: they all believe their decisions and choices to be right even when the world around them crumbles. As you can guess, this adds the ‘masala’ to this domestic suspense plot. (At times, too much masala in the form of hyper drama, spicy scenes, and crude words.) We probably know milder versions of such ladies in real life. But as these are fictional, every flaw is focussed upon and magnified. After a point, reading the story feels almost voyeuristic. I wish the language had been a bit toned down. The domestic drama was popcorn-thrilling enough, but the vulgarities brought down my enjoyment. Inserting crass words to highlight the thinking of one particular character might have still been understandable as it went with their brash personality, but seeing it for another character was off-putting.

As is usual in the domestic genre, the male characters hardly get anything to do for the most part. They are there mainly for physical appeal and marital tension.

Remembering the characters and their families might seem a bit overwhelming at the start, but the author keeps the writing crisp and the character backgrounds detailed and distinct. As such, it is easy to follow the storyline without muddling up the cast. However, the story does go back and forth several times, with the time references coming in somewhat vague points such as “September” or “Nine hours before”. Easy to understand, but might be tricky to keep track, especially on audio.

The character-focussed nature of the plot means that the pacing is on the slower side, though I didn’t find it slackening at any point. However, my engagement level wasn’t the same throughout. The first 60-70% of the book was OTT, but to the level expected in this genre. The final 30-odd% went OTT of OTT, if you get what I mean. With the abundance of sudden new revelations, ad hoc behavioural changes in characters, and exaggerated reactions in these chapters, my interest and investment in the outcome dipped somewhat. The final scene is a good one, though.

I had thoroughly enjoyed this author’s debut work, the mind-blowing psychological drama named ‘The Push’. Rereading my review made me realise that both books contain several aspects in common even beyond being books about problematic mothers. Both have a stark, filter-free depiction of the travails of motherhood. Both contain no wasted lines justifying the abhorrent behaviour of the characters. (They just are the way they are!) Both offer an excellent study on human psychology. And both are best read going in blind. (Oh, and both aren’t thrillers but tagged as such on Goodreads – no idea why!)

However, while I was quite blown away by ‘The Push’, ‘The Whispers’ left me merely entertained. I think the main reason for the diluted response this time is that there is nothing innovative in this book. ‘The Push’ actually pushed the boundaries of intergenerational trauma with its complex narrative structure and the clever use of the second-person writing. ’The Whispers’, with its OTT suburban families and situations, feels like standard domestic fare in comparison, though it handles the content decently enough.

Overall, this is a popcorn-entertainer book in the domestic suspense-drama category. It might not offer you thought-provoking quotes or lyrical prose or realistic scenarios, but if you enjoy mindless soap-opera-style entertainment that makes you feel better about yourself (and your spouse and your kids and your neighbours and your life in general), you might enjoy this one. Pick it up after tossing aside your logical cap and your need for normalcy and believability. Do note that the plot has several triggers related to pregnancy, parenting and matrimony.

3.75 stars. (4 stars for most of the book, but the final quarter was more like a 3.5.)


My thanks to Penguin Random House - Michael Joseph for providing the DRC of “The Whispers” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ “best book I’ve read all year” stars!

The Whispers is the perfect title for this phenomenal book!

You know those deep, dark, hidden thoughts us wives, mothers and longing-to-be mothers have? The brutally honest ones we whisper to ourselves when we are alone and would never dare say out loud? This novel explores these female secrets and normalizes the not-so-pretty parts of being a woman. The beauty and burden of motherhood. The love and sacrifice of marriage.

This story revolves around a tragedy that has the neighbourhood on edge. A young boy is in the hospital after a freak accident as thoughts, concerns and questions whirl in everyone’s mind.

Told through multiple perspectives, this delves deep into the dark, disturbing, raw, vulnerable parts of being a woman. Stay-at-home mothers, career mothers, women longing-to-be-mothers, mothers who have lost a child. This multi-layered book is heavy hitting and explores a variety of female relationships. Hope, privilege, settling, societal expectations, judgement, infertility are among many of the topics explored within these exceptionally well-written, mesmerizing, unforgettable pages.

This won’t be for everyone. The heaviness is gut wrenching. It needs to be read in the right mindset. There are a multitude of triggers. It isn’t easy or happy. Yet it completely consumed me from start to finish and is the most impactful book I’ve read this year. The pace was solid, never once leaving me feeling less than fully invested. I was blindsided by shock after shock.

This authors’ debut, The Push, is on my All Time Favourites List. This novel has easily been added to that list as well. This author knows how to write unique, memorable, uncomfortable, impactful, thought-provoking storylines and characters revolving around the intricacies of being a woman. I was quite literally hanging on every word, completely glued to these pages.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys books about female relationships and womanhood. It is one I will never forget!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

[Sydney Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a 3.5 for me until that ending. Captivating writing. VERY flawed characters but at the same time this felt so honest and raw. If you like psychological dramas with themes of motherhood, I think you’ll be into this.

[Pam Gonçalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Só tem mulher maluca aqui.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Quite intense at times. Many characters are.not.very likable but this author can certainly pen family dramas from the women's viewpoint. This time the focus in on three women with different viewpoints on mothering and and their place in life. Their satisfaction with motherhood, life, happiness and personal expectations. Can a woman have it all?. There are suspicions, marital strife, adultery, and
for one young boy, what I would call emotional abuse. Are all women meant to be mothers?

Narrative is related by each of the women in turn, A very effective way to tell this story. Anytime a child is involved it is heartbreaking. Ones actions oftentimes have unintended consequences. It does, in this story, in harmful ways,

Second book I've read by this author and her endings in both have left me speechless.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, this book often befuddled me with its host of unlikeable characters that seemed to have secret, lies, and betrayals that created tension not only in their lives bit also for those within their circle of friends.

The story starts with the Loverlys, a family of a wife, Whitney, her husband, Jacob, and their three children. Hosting a party for the neighbors, Whitney finds her oldest son, Xavier, has absconded with the goody bags and eaten all the chocolate. Xavier is described as a difficult child who constantly seems to annoy and bother Whitey who flies into uncontrolled rages at her son, making the reader suspect he is not loved by her. Then when the partygoers are privy to the screams and yells from Whitney against her son, they are shocked, but hide their feelings. When under suspicious circumstances, Xavier tumbles from the second story window of his bedroom, it gets the tongues waging.

Their best friends are the Parks who also have issues. The Goldsmiths are trying for a baby and after five miscarriages, we can feel the frustrations and bitterness that occurs. Rachel Goldsmith is a doctor and she is there who Xavier is brought in and put into a medical coma. I will admit she is the one I least understood.

Mara, the next door neighbor, is in the know about the goings on in the Loverly household and knows that things are certainly not loverly! She was the mother of a disabled child who has died, and holds things close to her heart, but does have a dark secret as well.

All of these people have problems, all are troubled in ways that one can imagine, but all of them have that hidden side which make them unlikable in many ways. The men are all pretty low on the good husband scale so of course that produces the anxiety and hate we see emanating from the women. It's a sad telling and one that covers many trigger topics, like adultery, miscarriage, child abuse, unfaithfulness, and the fact that some people just should not be mothers.

Of course, one can be judgmental, and I realize that I am one of the some, but could there not have been one decent person among the fold? It's a depressing book, certainly one that will not lift one's spirit, but the book does hold the reader's interest until it ending with the feeling that everyone often gets their just reward.

Jan and I had quite the discussions over this one, so take a look at her review. It's quite the story, but sadly, it just might be a commentary on society.

[Mary Kubica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Driven by desire, jealousy and revenge, everyone is under suspicion and guilty of something in this powerful, edgy and addictive novel by the queen of psychological drama, Ashley Audrain. An honest, uncensored look at women and motherhood in the wake of a mysterious tragedy, THE WHISPERS is a must read.

[Sadie Hartmann]

THE WHISPERS by Ashley Audrain (The Push)

Release Date: June 6th, 2023
General Genre: Literary Thriller, Domestic Drama, Women, Suspense
Subgenre/Themes: Motherhood, Marriage, Parenting, Neighbors, Friendships, Tragedy, Infidelity, Infertility, Miscarriage
Writing Style: Short chapters, Multiple POV, Compelling, Intricately plotted

What You Need to Know: Audrain reverse engineers a thriller starting with a specific event that happens at a neighborhood, backyard party and then tells multiple stories from different perspectives leading up to that event that eventually plays into an ever bigger situation involving multiple people. The chapters are short and sweet. I read it on my Kindle and could devour fifty pages or so like *that* (snaps fingers) That's all you need to know going into this book.

My Reading Experience: Well let me just start by saying I know *exactly* which readers this book will appeal to and all I have to do is start off by saying, you know that book, GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Langan? THE WHISPERS is like that in the sense that the main characters, four women, are all neighbors. Their lives intersect by proximity but also in other ways too. There's a backyard party and something scandalous happens. There is escalation. So this is a lot like GOOD NEIGHBORS in that sense but it's different because this is more intimately told to the readers through all four women. We get to know them very well.
All their feelings, doubts, insecurities, and...the pitch black darkest, most horrible thoughts.
This book exposes some of the most explicit, selfish, and dangerous thoughts women could have about their own shortcomings, their marriages, and their kids...I mean, wow. The author does not hold back. There are some scenes that are so uncomfortable and shocking...I was dying for a reading buddy.
And sometimes these women have thoughts that I've had too when my kids were young and I was a stay-at-home mother and sometimes my husband was working late and I was overwhelmed--those kinds of thoughts. One character is going through infertility and miscarriages, it's very emotional and heavy and I think it's important for readers to know that's there in case that's a trigger for you.
This book is littered with intrusive thoughts, secrets, and lies. Bad, bad behavior. Taboo topics. The ugly side of desperation. Honestly, I couldn't get enough.
Not quite five stars for me like The Push. It's my feeling that The Push centered on one family so the characters became fully fleshed out whereas this book has several main characters and families so some of them didn't quite make the cut. The husbands and kids especially. I think the side characters needed more time in the oven so that when certain things come to light, the impact hits even harder, it hits, just not as much as it could. That's my only minor criticism. Otherwise, I loved my time with this domestic thriller.

Final Recommendation: You need this book. You know you love it when you get invested in scandalous drama that feels like it's none of your business but the author is giving you permission to look into the private lives of people actively doing very bad things. You love it.

Comps: Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan, the show Desperate Housewives

[Summer]

I really really tried to love this one and I had high expectations going into but but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.

Aside from one character, The Whispers is just another suburban drama featuring, wealthy, white women who complain about their privilege and don’t respect anyone’s boundaries. As a mother myself, I found the whole story to be a very nihilistic view of motherhood and children in general(just like The Push).

I wish the book had included a trigger warning in the synopsis. There is a very disturbing and vivid description of miscarriage in the book that was nothing short of brutal to get through.

[emilybookedup · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally finished this on audio and holy smokes was it intense and full of drama to the very last sentence 😅🫢🤯

this is another author i decided to give a second chance to and i’m happy i did! unlike mostly everyone, i did NOT like THE PUSH and i heard THE WHISPERS was also centered around mommy drama so i was nervous. idk what made me pick this up on audio, but i’m glad i did!

since there are so many characters, it was hard to follow at first. but when i got going and listened to it in chunks, i became invested. i think it’s around 3.5-4 stars for me.

this book is FULL of drama. like really juicy crazy drama. loved the neighborhood setting. it always makes me so paranoid though, like one day everyone in my neighborhood will know all my business and be super intertwined like you read in neighborhood book tropes 😂

my major complaint was that it felt a bit repetitive. after reading both her books, i think this is just the author’s writing style? bc THE PUSH was insanely repetitive. this one wasn’t as bad but about 60% through, i was ready for this to start wrapping up.

the ending was WILD! really loved how it ended.

thanks to PRH Audio for the audiobook—deff recommend this format for it. the narrator was good and it was a quicker audiobook (under 10 hours).

[Flannery Bloom · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a PSA to not waste your time reading this. If you’re curious you can literally just read the last chapter and that will tell you the whole story. The rest is so unnecessary and stupid you’d think it was an essay written by me in high school trying to meet a word count. Thank you to NetGalley for the E-Arc so that I didn’t waste my own money on this.

[Jaidee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 "voyeuristic, gratuitous, clunky" stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Viking books for providing me with an ecopy. This was released June 2023. I am providing an honest review.

What this might and could have been: An insightful look at privileged womens' dark psychologies with a dive into their experience of sexuality, marriage, work and motherhood. A dark drama with psychological and sociological meaning.

What this is Instead: A rather maudlin and sensationalistic and schlocky and rather disgusting soap opera of some horrid women and their paper doll husbands. Fuckin Disappointing !