Secure Whisper Network Produced By Chandler Baker Rendered As Manuscript

"By whispering, whose secrets were we keeping anyway ours or theirs Whose interests did our silence ultimately protect, . . 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, "

So while this book definitely speaks to an important and timely issue for women, I simply did not love how it was executed here.
It's billed as a thriller that is part murder mystery and part manifesto it is not, If you go into this expecting a thriller, you will be disappointed by the execution in my opinion, it doesn't live up to the genre.
I'd definitely classify this more as women's fiction with a whodunnit death thrown in,

Unfortunately, I had a hard time with this book, The characters never fully resonated with me and I kept putting the book down in favor of others I was reading, The Whisper Network definitely has a slowburn build up and I'm generally not a fan of those, I did enjoy the end and despite having some thoughts on it, I didn't have the whodunnit figured out exactly which I appreciated.
Still, the book was overall just an okay read for me, While I appreciate Chandler Baker's intentions definitely read the author's note and her desire to be a voice for women and support the brave women who have stopped whispering this is not a book I'd wholeheartedly recommend to friends or try to thrust in a fellow reader's hands.
In Whisper Network a group of inhouse women attorneys come together to challenge the promotion of their boss, Ames Garrett, the General Counsel, when the companys current CEO dies unexpectedly.
Sloane, Ardie, and Grace are among the inhouse legal team at Truviv, an athletic apparel company, and have all had their own issues with Ames, a sleazy guy with a bad reputation.


I didnt like Sloane It felt like there was an attempt to sell her as a strong female leader and I didnt get that vibe.
While Ames was grimey, as I read the book I also thought, I would not want to work for this woman, She made a lot of poor decisions in my view, I was most indifferent about Grace She was going through a lot personally but I didnt necessarily like or dislike her, Out of the three main female characters, I liked Ardie the best, mostly because I seemed to share some of the same thoughts she had at multiple points as the story progressed.
I didnt care for the second person narration style used in this book, the mystery narrator who was ultimately never revealed, Its just not my preference and in this case, felt unnecessary,

I understand and appreciate what Chandler Baker was going for in Whisper Network but it only resonated with me to a limited degree.
While women have historically endured so much, and yes, still do, Ive always been a strong proponent of women having a responsibility to speak up when something isnt right Not let it slide for years, unchecked.
I recognize this is a sensitive topic for many so Ill leave it at that for now, “When one of us spoke up, it was never just for her, It was for US. ”

A subtle and nuanced book about female friendships in the corporate world and the ubiquitous and demoralizing experience of sexual harassment.
I really liked the theme of this book, which I think was influenced by a real news story a spreadsheet circulating among working women, listing “bad men” who treat women poorly in the business world.
This is just a tangible representation of the “whisper networks” that have been around for centuries in which women warn other women in private about the men to watch out for, while traditional legal and other channels fail to help us.
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This book focuses on a closeknit group of friends who work for sports corporation TrueViv, We learn that each woman has had a different experience with Ames, the “bad man” at issue who is just about to ascend to the CEO position just before his name appears on the list.


This book is more womens fiction than thriller, although there is a death and plenty of intrigue, Less appropriate for thrill seekers and more appropriate for anyone who wants a little insight into sexual harassment and not only harassment, but all the daily indignities and inequalities towards women in the corporate world.
I liked the way this book focused on the

complexities of female friendships and the different reactions of various women to sexual harassment, especially when its made public.


I thought the narrator did an excellent job, The book was somewhat slow at times, but always thoughtful and I was particularly drawn to the second half of the book when the drama picked up speed.
There were a couple of interesting twists some I saw coming, and some I absolutely did not predict, Chandler Baker is a smart and funny feminist author and I immediately picked up her next book to listen to after this one!

Thanks to Simon amp Schuster, NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this interesting audiobook.
We knew we shouldnt be ashamed, We werent ashamed. We were grownass womenwhich is obviously why we paraded to the restrooms with tampons secretly stuffed into our cardigan sleeves as though we were spies delivering encrypted information.

. We pretended that all of this was a myth, That we had neither fallopian tubes, nor menstrual cycles, nor breasts, nor moods, nor children, And then we took it as a compliment when one of the men in the office told us we had balls, So, tell us again how this wasnt a mans world, ”
Chandler Baker, Whisper Network


My review:

This book sinks its teeth into you and does not take them out until your finished.


Whisper Network was a sensational read, It had been on my radar but not strongly, Now I do wish I'd read it sooner,

I agree with everything GR fans have said about how timely this book is in the age of the Me Too movement.
But I also have to give props for how WELL she nails EVERYTHING, Everything about being a woman,

I am currently not working but I used to work in the corporate world, I do not mind admitting I LOATHED it, Everything about it. The "corporate culture", the office politics, the brown nosing, I am not made for that world and it never came easily to me,

I however was not sexually harassed at work, I actually had wonderful bosses for much of my career, I know people that have been though,

The atmosphere of SAMENESS and the repetitive aspect of office work are nailed down perfectly even without the harassment element.
I love the quotes, the social commentary, I can relate to hating Sundays and the upcoming dread of the work week, And the misery.

But the power imbalance, . . and how effectively men utilize it, . . is just done flawlessly were, Ames could be the carbon copy of the Rich and spoiled Boss, the wealthy man who does not give a shit about anybody and is to world weary to even attempt to hide it.


Of the women, they all had good and bad aspects, I liked Ardie very much and related to her greatly, I was a bit touched by Grace and her obvious innocence, I could not stand Cathryn,

This is not for everybody, It is long and wordy and rather gloomy, . . but it is also so visceral in that any woman who has suffered the corporate world and looked around and thought "is this all there is" will no doubt love this.
It is a long read, I read it in one night,

I do not really give five's all that much but this is a well deserved five, Yet I get why some would not like i t,

I also like that the book showed the good and bad in most of its characters, All men are not portrayed as evil, Which is good. Although I love the movement I do sometimes wonder if it has gone to far, I remember many years ago when the North Carolina Duke University students were accused of gang rape and I was outraged and calling for their immediate arrest.
Then we learned it was not true, It shook me up and I don't mind saying I have been a bit more cautious since, I know the majority of accusations are true but not all, I do hold the belief that not all men are evil and some are wrongly accused, We cannot forget that aspect,

But women are discriminated against in so many ways, I remember in one of my jobs I would make up excuses not to go tho the holiday parties because I was the only single person in that office.
I have seen competent women who are also spectacular workers not get promotions, and I have seen women are ARE harassed and I have seen it destroy their lives, Whisper Network shows readers the good, the bad and the VERY ugly about the ins and outs of corporations,


I cannot recommend this book enough, It is so compelling and shows more than almost any book I have read, what it is to be a woman, and sometimes it isn't pretty, Whisper Network may anger you, or sadden you or empower you but it will also make you feel KNOWN and any book that can do that is an easy five.
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