My Rating: 3.5 stars
Written as a response to the #metoo movement and the
various sexual harassment scandals that have made headlines over the past few
years, author Chandler Baker’s propulsive new book The Whisper Network
is an interesting look into corporate elite culture and a male-dominated work
environment where “whispers” and rumors abound.
The story’s powerful opening line sets the trajectory of the narrative
into motion: “If only you’d listened
to us, none of this would have happened.”
The narration alternates between the perspectives of 4 women – Sloane,
Ardie, Grace, and Roselita – all employees of a fictious sports brand
corporation in Dallas called Truviv, Inc. who are affected to varying degrees
by the sudden death of the company’s CEO Desmond Bankole. As the next in line to take over the CEO
role, Ames Garrett is used to having things go his way in both his personal as
well as professional life and is looking towards this highly anticipated
promotion to cap a decades-long illustrious career. Things go according to the expected
trajectory for Ames…that is, until the “whispers” that have surrounded him
finally come to a head amidst accusations of sexual harassment by the women in
his workplace who are tired of their complaints being ignored. As Ames’ world comes crashing down, so too
does that of the 4 women who decided to speak up against him, as long-held
secrets come to light that threaten to hinder their efforts.
This was an interesting read, also a timely and relevant one
given what has been happening in society the past few years. The author Chandler Baker did a good job
depicting the struggles that many women encounter in the workplace, especially
in the corporate environment where majority of the highest-ranking executive
positions are still largely dominated by men. In addition to the core narrative surrounding the
4 women at the center of the story, there were also snippets of police
interviews interspersed throughout that provided clues as to some of the events
that happen as well as some background information on the characters, which I thought
was cleverly done. Another aspect that made this story so
relatable was the way Baker incorporated real life events into the narrative, things
that I had read about in the news (such as “the spreadsheet” that had been
circulated around a few months back) or had either experienced or witnessed personally
in the corporate business world that I’ve worked in for many years. Sexual
harassment can manifest itself in different ways in the workplace, especially
in an office setting, where sometimes the lines can easily become blurred or situations
such as being subject to a hostile work environment are less recognizable as an
offense that can also constitute harassment – for me, it was refreshing to finally
see an author bring these issues to the forefront in the form of a fictional
story, which I feel is more powerful in terms of raising awareness than a
non-fiction format.
With all that said, the aspect of this book that didn’t
work too well was classifying it under the “mystery/thriller” genre, as I felt
the suspense element was truly lacking throughout the story. This was not a book that kept me on the edge
of my seat wanting to find out what happens and to be honest, the plot was
actually quite predictable (even the ending I already saw coming and had
already worked out most of it by the time I reached that part of the
story). Regardless though, this was
still a worthy read in my opinion, one that has a strong message delivered in a
way that hit all the key points but didn’t come across as overbearing. I’m
glad I read this and would readily recommend it, especially for those who work
in a corporate setting currently.
Received ARC from Flatiron Books via NetGalley
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