Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - The Push

Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

5 reviews

sighsborg's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.25

I finished this in one sitting, I’ll give it that. The Push is a very fast read and a bit of a page turner. The beginning had so much suspense and tension I was wondering where the book would go. However, the farther I got into the book, the less I found myself in suspense. Maybe this book was mismarketed, but to me this isn’t as much as a thriller as it is the analysis and dissection of motherhood and what it means to be a mother. I found myself empathizing with the main character at times and not at all in others. The flashbacks to Blythe’s mother, Cecelia’s childhood, I found unnecessary and really ruined the flow of the book for me. I think some of the wording she chose uncomfortable at sometimes, and maybe that was the author’s intent, however it just didn’t work for me. The ending was a bit of a let down. I think the way the book is narrated is a strength and a weakness of this book at times. All I can say is that at times, I found this to be a weak knockoff of You. Wish we could have gotten the POV of Violet or Fox somewhere in this story in order to give us a breather from this narration.

Not quite sure how I feel about this book.

I found the ‘evil child’ element of this story really weak and a bit… wrong.

Content Warnings

hhwanghyunjin's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-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

4.5

As someone who has read and enjoyed many books that explore complex family relationships and the weight of past trauma, "The Push" by Ashley Audrain was a book that I found to be both compelling and emotionally resonant. The novel centers around Blythe, a woman struggling to come to terms with her own past while also grappling with the challenges of motherhood and her relationships with her daughter and her own mother.

What I appreciated most about this book was the depth of the characters and the complexity of their relationships with one another. Blythe is a multifaceted character whose experiences and emotions are explored in depth throughout the novel, and her daughter Violet, while often difficult to understand, is also a complex and intriguing character in her own right. I also found the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationships in the book to be particularly well-done, with Audrain deftly exploring the complicated dynamics that can exist between mothers and their children.

While the book can be dark and intense at times, I appreciated the way that it tackled difficult subject matter with sensitivity and nuance. The writing is excellent throughout, with Audrain crafting vivid and evocative descriptions that bring the story to life. Overall, I would highly recommend "The Push" to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read, and I would rate it 4.5 out of 5.75 stars.

Content Warnings