Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Șoaptele

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Șoaptele by Ashley Audrain

12 reviews

adorableneurotic's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I hate every single character expect for Xavier and Rebecca. I want to punch Whitney in the face. I want to punch Blair in the face. Rebecca is cool, sad as hell. I hate all the nondescript coward husbands that blended together in a quilt of disappointment. Only a great author could make you hate character throughly and completely.

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emmajh91's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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pegdigitalis's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A bit too messed up for me to enjoy!! Didn't really find anyone likeable.

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lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A small neighbourhood domestic thriller, with the added Ashley Audrain signature of commentary on motherhood. This one follows four different women, all mothers of different sorts, and the complexity and messiness of each of their lives that is uncovered following a tragic accident.

The plot and drama of the story felt slightly lacking in this one, and it definitely took a while to become invested. As unfair as it is to do so, I can't help but compare it to the Push by the same author, which still stands as one of my favourite books. This one felt much more domestic thriller, with themes around motherhood woven in, whereas the Push felt, in its entirety, a book about motherhood and intergenerational trauma, without needing to deliver this through the medium of a domestic thriller.

That said, the Whispers did deliver on the themes discussed, and I loved the conversations on what it is to be a mother, and the pressures and expectations that come with motherhood. The Push is a deep dive into one woman's experience, and the Whispers shows us four different experiences of four different women. I enjoyed these multiple perspectives and how these expectations and stories of motherhood interact, but it was definitely a trade off on the level of depth we see from each perspective.

I think the Whispers will appeal to a wider audience, but I think it will be on fewer favourites list than the Push. If you don't connect with the themes and commentary in this book, you have the drama plot to fall back on that will still entertain you, but for me this made it feel slightly diluted.

Thrillers and what you're looking for in them, will vary from person to person. For me however, I do think I would've loved this more if it focused less on withholding truths for the sake of drama and mystery, and more on the raw details of the inner lives of these women.

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