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sandiet's review against another edition
2.0
Another psychological thriller and my opinion of this genre still hasn't changed. I don't like the anxiety I feel reading these types of books. I read for enjoyment and this was not enjoyable for me. It also reminded me way too much of We Need to Talk About Kevin and I couldn't help but feel the author was influenced by that story. Thankfully the chapters were short, making it easier to get through. I understand this has been optioned for a movie but I'll be giving that a miss. Didn't like this.
afroditi's review against another edition
2.0
Great commentary on motherhood with complex characters. But it is not a thriller. I went in expecting some twists, so I was greatly dissapointed. It is a quick read and most enjoyable but predictable.
popgoesbitty's review against another edition
4.0
CWs: death of children/infants, miscarriage, suicide
This was... interesting to read while 20 weeks pregnant. Sheesh.
In all seriousness, this was a dark but gorgeous read. I blew threw it in two days, but could've easily knocked it out in a single sitting. It asks tough questions about womanhood, motherhood, and feels particularly poignant for women of my generation. I loved the split narrative between the three generations of women. The undulating wave of generational, unchecked, undiagnosed postpartum depression that permeated the novel was powerful.
As I read The Push and maneuvered the more "thriller-y" pieces of it, it felt important to constantly analyze who I was to believe. But by the end, I realized I was missing the point. Whether the narrator was actually correct or just *thought* she was correct, she wasn't being heard, wasn't being given a choice, and wasn't being cared for the way women in postpartum so often aren't. And the consequences carry on for decades.
It lost a star simply because the trend of unreliable, gaslit women narrators is getting stale in this genre and honestly, I feel myself avoiding domestic thrillers simply for that reason. But the remaining 4 stars are strong ones, and Audrain did something quite special here and for the genre as a whole.
This was... interesting to read while 20 weeks pregnant. Sheesh.
In all seriousness, this was a dark but gorgeous read. I blew threw it in two days, but could've easily knocked it out in a single sitting. It asks tough questions about womanhood, motherhood, and feels particularly poignant for women of my generation. I loved the split narrative between the three generations of women. The undulating wave of generational, unchecked, undiagnosed postpartum depression that permeated the novel was powerful.
As I read The Push and maneuvered the more "thriller-y" pieces of it, it felt important to constantly analyze who I was to believe. But by the end, I realized I was missing the point. Whether the narrator was actually correct or just *thought* she was correct, she wasn't being heard, wasn't being given a choice, and wasn't being cared for the way women in postpartum so often aren't. And the consequences carry on for decades.
It lost a star simply because the trend of unreliable, gaslit women narrators is getting stale in this genre and honestly, I feel myself avoiding domestic thrillers simply for that reason. But the remaining 4 stars are strong ones, and Audrain did something quite special here and for the genre as a whole.
buntatamilis's review against another edition
challenging
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
5.0
manderzreadz's review against another edition
3.0
I’m always hoping to be psychologically consumed by thrillers like this, but the ending was very anticlimactic with the revelation you saw coming from the first page. Though, this book is still compulsively readable with the short chapters and easy writing style.
tmsresolute's review against another edition
4.0
I should have listened to those reviews saying that this book solidifies people's anxieties about having children. I really thought I would DNF the book after the first 50 pages or so because it was so difficult to read. And then halfway through, I realized that this was a thriller and that it was meant to disturb and frighten you.
3.75/5 stars
3.75/5 stars
ariannazylstra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-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
3.75
ashbethindia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
This book is not easy, but it’s worth it. It’s almost a meditation on motherhood. It’s dark and many of the characters are unlikeable. But I couldn’t stop listening.
evaromero's review against another edition
5.0
Madre mía, nunca mejor dicho. Me ha ENCANTADO este puto libro. Me parece súper crudo y real, he amado que estuviera escrito en segunda persona. La historia ha conseguido calarme porque tiene un mensaje importantísimo e invita a la reflexión y al debate. Lo han vendido como un thriller, pero yo lo he sentido más como un drama. Hay algo de sádico en esta lectura, he sentido todo el tiempo una especie de tensión empañada de tristeza, todo lo que nos cuenta Blythe desprende una extraña melancolía que no ha hecho más que atraparme. Lo releería una y mil veces.
dedicated_reader's review against another edition
3.0
Liked ✅
- Generational Cycles with Mothers
- Questioning on intentions of characters
- Makes your brain work for answers
Didn't Like ❌
- Left with questions
- Psychologically draining/emotionally exhausting
- Generational Cycles with Mothers
- Questioning on intentions of characters
- Makes your brain work for answers
Didn't Like ❌
- Left with questions
- Psychologically draining/emotionally exhausting