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kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Author: Ashley Audrain
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: January 5, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Visceral • Unsettling • Complex
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Blythe is sure she will be the nurturing and comforting mother she never had. But in the midst of the exhausting early months, and incapable of connecting with her newborn daughter, she is convinced something is wrong with Violet. When she shares her concerns with her husband, he dismisses her claims.
When Blythe gives birth to her son, Sam, the situation is very different, and it's everything she always imagined a mother/child relationship to be. When their lives change on a dime, it will force them to face the truth.
💭 T H O U G H T S
The hype had definitely subsided when I finally picked up The Push, unfortunately it stilled influenced my reading experience and it ended up not living up to all my expectations.
What I like:
- I appreciated the honest insight and portrayal of the expectations versus the realities of motherhood, yet as a childless woman I didn't connect to the plot line.
- The plot line of multi-generational trauma
- Written as a letter, I thought the format was clever. And it was obvious that Audrain is a strong writer.
What I didn't like:
- The plot delivers quite a few stereotypes but I don't know that it leaves us a whole lot further ahead in our understanding, but rather upholds stigmas that can be detrimental to mental health awareness.
- I believe I'd have liked it more if the ending was different. For me, the ending felt like it was used for shock value rather than a natural resolution.
At the end of the day, I wouldn't call this a thriller, rather it's a psychological drama that is sure to spark discussion. But because the plot has been so overdone, The Push is easily forgettable to me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for a compulsive read
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"A mother’s heart breaks a million ways in her lifetime."
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent
postpartum depressiontoofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- 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
5.0
So what I want to say first is that I think going into this book expecting a thriller is a mistake. Even on the inside flap, it says it's more of a psychological drama. *Drama.* Anyone who goes into this expecting jump scares and some mystery to solve is going to be disappointed. I, however, went into it without any real expectations, other than that I knew it would be fucked up because every single person I spoke to who read it told me so. There are definitely horror elements, I would say, but I wouldn't say that it's a true horror or thriller.
The writing was so rich and haunting, it had me horrified even throughout the mundane parts of it, which I think takes a certain skill - a skill that I certainly don't possess. I also really enjoyed the themes within pertaining to generational trauma, found family, and how our parents - even if they want us to be different than they are, sometimes can't help but rub off on us. I also loved reading from Blythe's perspective - what an interesting and flawed character to get to be inside the mind of!!
I don't want to talk too much about what this book is actually about because I think you're better off going in at least partially blind. Be mindful of triggers and take care of yourself as needed.
I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long, long time.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Excrement and Fire/Fire injury
jennyjin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Death of parent
ashlyreadsevrythg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
coffiishot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
reddeddy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, Dementia, and Mass/school shootings
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Pregnancy and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicide
sunsetcity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
sib_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, and Alcohol
dorsetreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship