Whisper Network: A Reese's Book Club Pick

This was a thrilling book that will leave you gasping at the end. Make sure you start it in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed because there are several main characters who all have a different impact/story to tell and focus is key.

Loved this book. Keeping the characters were rate at first was hard. But those plot twists and that ending were °chefs kiss°.

Overall I liked this book. I think it was a bit slow getting started, but finished strong and was well written. I’d recommend this book!

I feel like Reese’s picks never let me down. It’s a compelling and empowering story that kept me guessing throughout. It has its cliche moments but they are worth the ride. I will definitely read other books by this author.

This book was okay, but i probably wouldnt read again. i feel the message is a great one, but it could be hard to relate to if you were a man or a woman who has never experienced a professional work setting outside of the home. there are 3 female coworkers who are all having different experiences while balancing their professional careers and trying to be a mother. Aside from the typical and oh-so-common discrimination towards women, the women are also faced with the devastating loss of their boss and the "whodunit" drama amongst their coworkers. Many surprises and secrets are revealed throughout the book, some are predictable, others will make you gasp. Overall, it wasnt a very strong read. Again, the message of equality in the workplace is an important aspect of the story, but i wouldnt recommend this book very strongly.

This book…Wow. What do you say about a fiction book that covers so much important information that it is relevant in today’s world? I can definitely see why Reese Witherspoon choose the WHISPER NETWORK by Chandler Baker for one of her Reese's Book Club picks. It’s an incredibly timely and honest thriller that is full on in the #MeToo Movement and keeps you enthralled as you read it.This was our most recent book club pick and, just wow again, did it give us some good discourse. I highly recommend this for book clubs because the thriller aspect is great to discuss, but the elements of the moment and women’s right expanded our conversations so much. The thing I liked best about WHISPER NETWORK is that Chandler Baker didn’t make every person - female or male - likable, she just made them human and showed what actually happens in real life and what people experience, especially females. At times, it was a very uncomfortable book to read, and even though it was a fiction, knowing that these situations happen right now today in our world does not sit easily.I’m thankful that I read this book. I think WHISPER NETWORK is an important read whether or not you like thrillers as it makes you think about your place in the world and what you are doing to improve it. I don’t work in a 9 to 5 office environment, but it helped make me aware more of my surroundings and what I hope to do better that Baker emphasized - listen.Content Warnings: just know going into this book there are a lot as it’s regarding the Me Too Movement. I’ll list the few major ones, but please be aware there are many more: suicide, rape, sexual harassment in the workplace, bullying, postpartum depression, cheating.

I enjoyed this book as a quick read with interesting characters for which I wanted to know how their stories would come together in more than surface ways. The underlying issues related to workplace sexism and sexual harassment were important but read like an afternoon soap opera. I understand the role of soap operas; thus this aspect of the book did not turn me off, but it was noted. In particular, the end of the story where the reader finds out what actually happened to Ames seemed a little contrived. Again, I still enjoyed the book for what it was. If I could, I would give this book 3.5 stars.

I’m so glad that I stepped away from psychological dramas of husband stealing crazy women to pick up this book. A good reflection of the #metoo movement. It’s so very true that women in all areas of the workplace have to be aware of what’s going on around them. And honestly, weaker sex, that’s crap. But, as this book shows, women have to also be accountable for their actions. Not placing blame, just pointing out that one character had to accept her actions/responsibility also.

The writing feels like it came out of my head and my heart if I was more witty and profound. Thankfully, the plot does not mirror my life but kept me wanting more. A smart, wry take on what many women experience in the world, but often most specifically at work. One example of her but-punch Greek chorus:"We will say this: none of us thought that motherhood and work could exist harmoniously. If anything, they were two forces, diametrically opposed. We were the prisoners, strapped to the medieval stretching device, having enjoyed the rare privilege of both loving and having chosen our torturers. There was only the small matter of our joints being pulled apart and our hearts spilling out from our rib cages. We woke in the night to the sound of small voices and trudged half-asleep down halls to faces that didn’t care whether we had a draft due by lunch tomorrow. We held our breath as we checked for fevers, rifling through the earthquake a sick kid would wreak on our schedule, and then making urgent calls to friends and family in a last ditch effort to piece together childcare or whatever the minimum requirements were to keep someone from calling protective services. We told our kids to “pretend not to be sick” so that we could send them to daycare to get everyone else’s kids sick. We figured the favor had often been returned. We told ourselves, as our noses ran and our heads ached and our stomachs refused food, that we were fine. Because, whatever happened, we were the defaults, the ones stuck with the task of figuring out what to do about, well, everything. "

This was an excellent book. It wasn't engrossing in the fast-paced-can't-put-down way. I'm kind of a book snob, and it also depends on my mood: such stipulations that determine a reading marathon of sorts. Nonetheless, this book was a book I kept going back to every day. I kind of predicted the twist at the end, which may have be intended; however, that wasn't problematic. The way in which the twist presented itself; how the truth was revealed, regarding one of the characters and her son, was excellent. I was a little confused as to the exact cause of the fate of Ames, nor did I like his name. I thought, as far as character names go, there could have been hunting for a better one, not that the character deserved and excellent name, of course not. I just found it strange that his name was a nickname. Overall, the stories told, from different perspectives of womanhood, of mothering, were excellent. I just wish the single woman of the group hadn't been portrayed as this betraying, not a woman's woman. I thought that was in poor taste, the fact that the "warriors" of the book were all mothers. I think being a mother and being a woman is far more complex, than such binaries. Thus, I was disappointed as to how the only single woman was depicted, and the role the character played in the book, how she was written. Thus, three stars for that. Excellent prose, over all. Just disagreed with certain significant choices.

This story gets its point across. A little slow at first. Story line picks up in the middle of the book. But once it does its hard to put down. The lack of safety and respect, as told in this story, is something most women experience in many different types of situations. Reading about it, hearing about it in the Me Too movement, etc., tends to stir up old memories. Be prepared to go down unpleasant memory road. That said, I enjoyed the book.

As I started this book, it took me awhile to get into it. As the story unfolded, it became a very relevant narrative that is quite prescient in today's climate. I challenge any woman to read this and not identify with at least one of the characters. This novel expertly shows how nuanced and complicated a woman's struggle is in a man's world. Also, in a fun note...I am from Dallas and enjoyed the references to local landmarks and culture.

The author is a lawyer and you will be too after you've read this book. Not really, but she takes you inside a law firm and gives the reader a schooling on the kind of personalities you're likely to meet, at least in the world of the midwest and south. The subject matter of the book is, of course, very timely and significant. If nothing else, that's reason for all of us to ingest what this book talks about. The idea of a spreadsheet traveling around secretly is very intriguing in itself and might have been used more effectively than it was here. There are no big twists, but really, this book is only very tenuously a thriller. The writing is top notch, the characters vivid, and the narrative impossible to walk away from once you're involved. Just know the book is a slow-burner, not a fast-paced whodunit-type thriller.

Whisper Network is a complicated novel that left me with complicated feelings. It is simultaneously a ‘ripping good yarn’ that kept me up until 4 a.m. and a deeply nuanced look into female friendships and empowerment in the age of #MeToo. It is fantastic and flawed. It is a sign of how far women have come and how far we have yet to go, even within our own minds and hearts.There is so much good about this book, especially the home truths it tells about being a woman, how women have looked out for each other through the centuries, and what we’ve had to do to survive and thrive in a male-dominated world.And yet the writing troubled me. The problem I had with Whisper Network is best illustrated by the unnamed narrator at the beginning of each chapter. The author explained in her note that the many stories of sexual harassment she heard from other women became the collective “‘we’ narrator, a means to talk about the working woman experience”.“The working woman experience”... as if only working women experience sexual harassment. And there it is: in this book that was supposed to strike a blow for women around the world, the author only wrote from the viewpoint of a young, blond lawyer from Austin, Texas. She heaps disdain on the only stay-at-home mom character. There are zero African-American characters. The two Latinix characters are a divorced, socially awkward, frumpy single mother and a stereotypical uneducated cleaning lady, also a single mother. The two white main characters are rich, pretty, successful, happily married, and Southern.I also found reading the book rather choppy, as it jumped between depositions, police interviews, the unnamed narrator, and the actual story. It didn't flow between these seamlessly.Even with these problems, I absolutely recommend Whisper Network. It was good, very good, and the author managed to do what she set out to do despite herself.

3.5 Stars rounded upI’ll start by saying that I loved the way the book is set up initially. There’s deposition transcripts/witness testimonies that are present time, after an event has occurred (someone has either jumped or been thrown off a building). Then there’s chapters that start three weeks prior to the event, and the dates of the chapters increase as the reader is given a window into the scenarios leading up to the cause of the depositions and witness testimonies. There’s only three weeks between the past and the present; I like stories where a lot happens in a short period of time, so I appreciated this element.“The thing we would articulate, far too late, as it turned out, was that when a building’s burning, no one just whispers, ‘Fire!’”I had some theories I developed within 15% of the novel (kindle count). I was torn between reading faster to see if I was right, and taking my time to let everything sink in. The webs that exist within the confines of this particular office’s dynamics are intricate. There’s so many layers to what’s happening. It’s apropos that it’s called The Whisper Network, because it’s a quiet delivery; I really enjoyed the slow-burning elements. There’s five women featured (Sloane, Ardie, Grace, Katherine, and Rosalita), but they’re featured at varying degrees. I found all of the women interesting and multi-dimensional.To me, I found the author’s writing style to have a dry wit in its delivery. Many of the characters’ inner thoughts and the author’s descriptions of women’s experiences in the modern workplace are dripping with sardonic commentary and underlying sass. Do note that this book is heavy on delivering the message regarding unfair treatment that occurs in some workplaces (it’s the crux of the entire story), so those points are made time and time again.We catch up to present time at 65% (kindle count, page 223). From there, things kind of free fall for awhile *no pun intended, since someone did indeed free fall off the side of a building* as the situation gets worse before it gets better. The fact is, I was rooting for these women, particularly Sloane, Grace, and Ardie. These women are flawed, but each of them has something relatable or understandable to varying degrees. I found each of them to be likable, even if some of their individual traits weren’t always likable. I think that’s the cornerstone of good women’s fiction, being able to understand why the women are doing what they’re doing even if you don’t agree with everything.I had a lot of things figured out by the time I reached the end, but there were a couple things that surprised me slightly. Now that I’ve finished, I’m not 100% sure how I feel about how everything wrapped up. Nevertheless, it was a complete story in terms of the concept and follow-through, so I don’t regret reading it.

Ok. This book was not for me, and I almost DNF’d it, but I stuck with it and my opinion did not change and here is why. This really had the potential to do what I think the author was trying to do, based on her author’s note at the end. There were too many twists in here that were not necessary, if the plot was kept a little simpler it would have been better.Also, in trying to tell this story and line it up with the #metoo movement, the author takes some liberties that are so out there it is absurd, and I get that she is trying to point out how women are made to look in these situations, but this one was just way off in left field. I should have put the book down at this point and walked away, but I finished and it really did not redeem itself for me.Again, as I said, there was a ton of potential with this storyline as a whole, it was just the many little rabbit holes it kept going down that made it too much for me. Which may have been the point, but I am moving on to the next book.

* A MUST-READ FOR HUMANITY * “Women walked around the world in constant fear of violence; men’s greatest fear was ridicule.” “When we failed it was because of our chromosomes, it wasn’t because of a market dip or an ineffective advertising campaign or plain bad luck.” “As we grew tired of whispering because what were we hiding, after all? We had stories, all of us. Would speaking up cost us? Maybe. But maybe it would cost them, too.” “And so, when one of us spoke up, it was never just for her. It was for us. If anything, she was the willing sacrifice. Another log on the pyre stoked by us, our stories, our voices.” “By whispering, whose secrets were we keeping anyway—ours or theirs? Whose interests did our silence ultimately protect?”+ • + • + • +That ending... OMG!!!I am speechless, emotional & so very grateful for this journey... This is an emotional & entertaining story with characters that are so authentic they truly become like real people that live in your world & a compelling, riveting & (unfortunately too common!) believable plot lines that draws you in so effortlessly & subtly without you even noticing.Wonderfully written, beautifully developed, powerfully portrayed, transparently honest, thoroughly enjoyed… unapologetically critical, undeniably necessary—PROUDLY #METOO

I devoured this book and I had a feeling I would when Reese Witherspoon announced it as the July book pick. Sloane, Ardie, and Grace are the three main characters in this story and man are they relatable to today's culture of women. I found myself nodding my head and laughing out loud while reading along to their individual stories. I appreciated how she intertwined their relationships and their lifestyles with real world problems including post-partum depression, weightloss struggles, online dating after divorce, and financial challenges. I would say this book definitely speaks to feminism however does not try to shove it down your throat. I really enjoyed it and look forward to future books by this author.

Overall: A mystery told from multiple women’s (mainly lawyers) perspectives who all work for an athletic wear firm. A fun, light, mystery, perfect for the beach that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Though there are themes relating to the #metoo movement, I expected more from all the hype surrounding this one. Still, an overall fun beach read, just do not expect anything too deep from this one. 3/5 or 6/10Summary: This book is told from multiple women’s perspective (dynamo Sloane Glover; easy going and recently divorced Ardie Valdez; overwhelmed new mom Grace Stanton; new hire Katherine Bell; and custodial worker Rosalita) who all work for an athletic wear company called Truviv that is based in Austin (I kept relating this company to something like Under Armour or Nike).The CEO dies suddenly and the next in line happens to be a sketchy man who has a dubious and dark history when pertaining to women.There is a BAD man list that women from the area have put together and it details information about men in the area and various sexual harassment and abusive details relating to the individual. Women are able to add to this list and share it among themselves, but it somehow gets out and all hell breaks loose.The Good: This book is written pretty well with moderate to good character development on all levels. Most of the main characters were likeable in their own way but I found myself rooting for Aride and Rosalita the most. Though there are predictable parts, I did find myself surprised (somewhat) and guessing pretty close up to the end. The author does a good job with lots of cliff hangers that leave you wanting more and feeling like you can’t put this down. This book succeeds as a fast-paced mystery that delves into themes relating to gender inequality and sexual harassment in the workplace.The Bad: The best summary for the negative is that… I just expected more. I felt let down by the end and just wanted more to the book as a whole. Predictable, huge generalizations (especially about women in the workplace), somewhat superficial, and just did not quite hit the mark for me on all levels.

LISTEN! You would be hard pressed to find a more insightful, articulate, or truthful portrayal of what it is like to be a woman in 2019 than Whisper Network. The premise is obviously timely given the MeToo movement and super interesting to me as a professional woman, but after absolutely devouring the book in just under 48 hours (squeezed in between working full time and caring for two tiny humans!) I can without a doubt add Whisper Network to my sacred pedestal of favorite stories. It is not just an incredibly powerful story about women, it is an incredibly powerful HUMAN story. It should be required reading for every man and woman on this earth! The writing is beautiful, the characters are engaging and flawed and wonderful, and the insights into the female perspective are painfully accurate and so perfectly articulated that it will make your heart ache. A truthful perspective, I should add, that feels sorely absent from the narratives that most female characters are given in entertainment these days. I literally cannot wait for the inevitable TV/Movie/Sequel/ANYTHING to spin off of this book. Put this one on your must-read list and get ready to hear what "we" have to say!