Whisper Network. (Mindscape Reviews)
Posted On November 8, 2019
Hi Readers! Book 36 of the year is read & done. Lately, I have read a lot of GOOD BOOKS! There was a time where I only read bad books, but gladly that has changed. I do miss writing critical reviews though. Anyway, this one is going to overflow with only GOOD THINGS! I absolutely loved reading Chandler Baker’s ‘Whisper Network’. Not only is the story full of mystery, it also sends such an important message on how women lift other women up.
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~~INTRODUCTION~~
Whisper Network is a story focusing on women in the workplace; how they are treated as against men, how their promotions are held off, how one mistake costs their career, how cases of sexual harassment filed by them are not believed or taken seriously. From being judged either as a working mother or a stay-at-home mother to deciding whether women were really harassed by men in power or is it just for attention, this story has it all. It’s also a story where we learn that despite all the injustice against these women, incredible things can happen when women have each other’s’ backs.
~~CHARACTERS~~
The story is set at the workplace of Truviv Inc., which is a top sports brand in Dallas. Sloane Glover is one of the female leads, who is a senior executive in the in-house legal team at Truviv. She has been at Truviv almost 12 years. She is married to Derek & has a young daughter named Abigail. She is the bad bitch of the group. The leader who everyone follows & kind of worships.
Adriana Valdez (Ardie) works in Tax & she has also worked at Truviv for a good 11 years. She is divorced. Her ex-husband is Tony who is with a girl named Braylee. They have an adopted son named Michael. Ardie is the reasonable & logical part of the group. She sees everything to reason, but is also not a pushover. She speaks when it is needed. She seems like Sloane’s right hand woman.
Grace Stanton works in the Compliance wing, but basically they all work together in the in-house legal team. She has worked at Truviv for 6 years. She is married to Liam & has just had a baby named Emma Kate. She is the junior in the college of Truviv. Not as experienced about people’s real nature at the firm as Ardie or Sloane. She is portrayed as the kindest person in the group who can do no wrong.
Katherine Bell is the new joinee at Truviv, also in the legal team.
Rosalitais a cleaning maid in the housekeeping department at Truviv. She has worked at Truviv for about 8 years & has a son named Salomon. She has a good friendship with Ardie. Sloane, Ardie, Grace & Rosalita are the leading women who rock the story. Another important character is Ames Garett, General Counsel at Truviv, who is soon to be the CEO. To put it mildly, he is the villain of the story. Let’s get into the story now, shall we?
~~STORY LINE~~
There are 2 things which I absolutely enjoyed reading in ‘Whisper Network’.
ONE ‘ Story line.
ONE ‘ Story line.
TWO ‘ “We” Monologues.
Chandler Baker has written a thrilling story. There are two timelines. One is the present & then second the future. In the present timeline, we get acquainted to our main ladies. We understand how Sloane is the most dominant & Ardie the most sensible & Grace the kindest. And, soon enough these women start feeling like your friends & you feel a part of the group. There is strong friendship among them. But, there are ups & downs between them too. How else will their friendship cement even more otherwise? Ardie helps out with Sloane’s daughter because she is bullied at school. (ANOTHER IMPORTANT TOPIC.) Sloane gives tips to Grace on new motherhood. Ardie helps Rosalita’s son to pass exams. Rosalita, in turn, becomes a help to them all. We also understand how Ames, who is in line to become the CEO, had sexually assaulted Sloane many years ago. And, so, when Katherine is hired, they all try to keep her away from Ames so the history doesn’t repeat itself. In a way, it is full of office politics revolving around these characters until it is no longer politics, but real lives being portrayed in the most real way possible.
In the future timeline, we already know that someone died. What we don’t know is whether it was murder or suicide or whatever other possibility. In due course, it is also obvious who dies. But, in this case, you won’t feel disappointed that it was so obvious to know that. Because, there are a lot of things that will be unpredictable later on. So this story line is very mysterious & brilliant. It is mostly in the form of interviews conducted by detectives or talks between the company hired lawyer & the women.
And when, these two timelines merge, then is the real climax. There are so many shocking things that you will find out that you had never dreamed possible. It will leave you with your mouth open in surprise & shock. You will feel so many feelings at once. The woman in you, who might (MUST) have faced inequality some time in her life, will roar her way out & stand for feminism!
~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~
I started reading ‘Whisper Network’ as it was a recommendation from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. So far, the book I absolutely loved from her Book Club was ‘Daisy Jones And The Six’ & now ‘Whisper Network’ has beaten that record.
For the first half of the book, I was reading it just because. But, when the ‘We monologues’ started, I knew at once that it was going to be an absolute banger! Also, when the story picked up & went beyond gender inequality to sexual harassment & deaths, it had me gripped. When you mix a genre like mystery with real life issues like gender inequality in the workplace, the result has to be something truly horrifyingly brilliant. You need to read it! I have rated it at 4/5 stars on Goodreads.
Until next time,
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.