Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

7 reviews

lizreaderhold's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

zoiejanelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

(another library audiobook rental) 

jesus mary and joseph this book was a mindfuck. motherhood is so scary and this book only worsened my fear. this was a thrilling examination of generational trauma and, as the summary says, what happens when women aren’t believed. 

it was admittedly very slow and takes place exclusively in this woman’s mind, so anyone looking for action or plot should not turn to this book. however, i found the internal monologue, paired with the flashbacks, very entertaining. i was on the edge of my seat the entire time, begging for some closure, some truth. 

not my typical read but totally worth it. 

hashtag mommy issues, amirite?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child death, Self harm, Misogyny, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Stalking, Abandonment, Drug use, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

Minor: Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Body shaming, Vomit, and Death of parent

thelibraryofanolive's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

THIS BOOK HAD ME CRAZED OMG IT WAS SO GOOD CANT EVEN PUT INTO WORDS HOW INVESTED I WAS

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Car accident, Child death, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, Stalking, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Blood

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Dementia, and Confinement

maevebm's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I could not put this book down. The Push was complicated, upsetting, honest, and human. The dynamic between Blythe and Violet was intense, often leaving the reader guessing what was true and what was bias. Interweaving the grandmother and mother’s stories helped see the roots of Blythe’s fears and give way to understanding how trauma seeps through generations. More than anything, I applaud this story for showcasing a woman who wasn’t enamored by motherhood without casting her as a villain. Not everyone likes everyone, which includes parents not liking their kids and vice versa, but obviously, there is a duty for parents to parent their children. What Audrain was able to do was show someone fulfilling that duty despite the loneliness and fears that accompanied her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Grief, Child death, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

fictionlostandfound's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Push is a story of one woman trying to break the cycle of multi-generational dysfunction and trauma associated with motherhood, specifically the relationship between mothers and their daughters. But the cycle is harder to break when your concerns are dismissed as typical new mom jitters.

This psychological drama is a tense read that had me feeling uncomfortable from the very beginning as the author dives into the darkest fears of parenting with a first person narrative; instantly going where your mind refused to travel because it is so dark. This book left me emotionally drained, uncomfortable, and yet oddly satisfied. Would definitely recommend!

I highly suggest checking trigger warnings before diving in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Self harm, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Blood, Addiction, Grief, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Abortion, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Dysphoria, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Body horror, Child death, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Car accident, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Alcoholism, Confinement, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Incest, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Dementia

sminnick's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief