16k reviews for:

The Push

Ashley Audrain

4.01 AVERAGE


The only thing about this novel that thrilled me was returning it to the library.
dark tense fast-paced

heyamycarter's review

5.0

Whoa....Super twisty and mysterious book about a mother with a daughter who doesn't ever seem quite right. It spans many years and was so beautifully written. Very different from anything I've ready lately. It's really really good! I couldn't put it down ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Where to begin with this one….

First, this is a debut novel!! I didn’t believe that when I first heard! It is so complex and beautifully written.

I’m not sure I can really put into words what this books is like.

Psychological thriller.
Chilling family drama.
Complex.
Hard to read.
Hard to put down.
Explores the darkest sides of motherhood.
Postpartum depression and grief.
Anxiety.
Trusting your gut.
Not being believed.

This one was a gut punch. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in a day and I’m still thinking about it a month later.
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don’t know about this one … it was good, couldn’t stop reading, but never felt at ease, dreading turning the page . I don’t think this book is for everyone. combining the dark thoughts mothers may have with an actual dark child is pretty twisted as a story.

This was absolutely infuriating.
The thing is, that it pulled me in enough to keep me entertained.
I can't really describe what bugs me about this - it is probably all the people around mother and daughter who seem to form opinions on the daughter and whether she is dangerous or not.
There is a fine line between being mysterious and having an unreliable narrator AND flip flopping so you get a whiplash.
Also - pretty much everyone is unlikable in this book.
WHAT i did love where the multiple timelines. Those made it more fleshed out and gave room to some thought.

To describe as traumatic doesn’t come close!
challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes