Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

98 reviews

space_corgi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

1.75

Forced myself to finish this book because I received it a gift. The first 75% of this was very difficult for me to read. It felt like a cheap way to represent a mother’s insecurities and discomfort. The last 25% was better but still with a cheap and unoriginal end. There was plot added at the last second without resolution which would be fine if it served a purpose. Yeah it didn’t? I don’t know… I don’t think I would let my enemy read this let alone a friend… cheers!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Child death

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Miscarriage

parkyparkpark's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Suicide, Sexual content, and Child death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault

walskishere's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book was really, really good. I think it had a lot of important themes related to motherhood, however

I feel that Violet's behavior was wrongly used as a reason for the narrator's feelings on motherhood in the early years of motherhood. I get that this was a thriller, and it was a great one, but I feel like this had negative effects on normalizing the feelings the narrator was having after having Violet.

So, a star knocked off for that.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Blood

caregorman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

NEVER having a child 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Self harm

Minor: Abortion and Panic attacks/disorders

chlo_reads_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, and Miscarriage

Minor: Abortion

elled's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Self harm

kimveach's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I couldn't put this book down.  It covers the dark subject of when a mother doesn't bond with her child and how that affects the relationship with her husband.  Much of the mother's problems come from her history of how her grandmother treated her mother and how her mother treated her.

This doesn't sound like it would be a "fun" book to read, but it's well worth it.  The writing is excellent and I kept wanting to know what would happen next.

It has flashbacks to her mother's and her childhoods which can make it a little confusing if you prefer a more straightforward and linear story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Miscarriage

spazk27's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Love at first sight. That's how many mothers feel upon seeing their baby for the first time. But what if this doesn't happen to you? What if you don't have that instant connection? What if you never feel it for your child? Does that make you a bad mother? Blythe struggles with these questions when Violet is born. She doesn't see in herself that unconditional love she sees in other mothers. That is, until Sam is born. Blythe and Sam have that connection she dreamed of. And she'll do anything to keep it that way. 

Love, motherhood, a tragic accident, and loss. Written from a unique perspective. Characters you won't love, yet will pull strong emotions from you. A psychological thriller that will keep you reading all night. And an ending that you won't forget...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Suicide

Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Violence

sylvestra's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Car accident, Death, Grief, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Body shaming, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

robbiclaire's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book. Phew. I read it in only two days, unable to set it aside until I had read it in its entirety. It’s one of those thrillers that leaves the reader questioning the reliability of the narrator, wondering just how true this story is as it unfolds. The book  explored the impact of motherhood on a woman’s identity but it did so through the lens of this imperfect narrator who was - quite honestly - often very unlikeable but somehow still relatable, redeemable. 

Fwiw, it’s also very difficult to read as a parent. Folks with infants or younger children at home should consider whether it’s the right time to take this on. Lots of digging into the role of generational trauma, too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide