Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

25 reviews

j_strath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Self harm, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit and Suicide

clarahooyer's review against another edition

dark tense 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

4.25

Really, really liked it, but was a little offput by the pacing.

The book starts off making me think every problem is the result of the main character being a bad mother. Eventually I started to realize the book meant for the child to be evil. It felt like the book changed halfway through from being a story about generational abuse, to a story about an all out evil child that the mother can't be blamed for. It was very thought provoking( which I like), but I was left wondering how the author intended me to interpret the story. I think that, as a book about abuses cycles, it is almost too extreme in its evolution. However, if viewed as a book about an evil child, than it properly explores all the environmental factors that cause the child to become the way she is.

Definitely a book I will be thinking about for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Death, Abortion, Grief, Mental illness, and Cursing

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Infertility, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Self harm, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

risemini'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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Death, Violence, Child death, Murder, Infidelity, Grief, Vomit, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Suicide

stacylaughs's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Blood, Abandonment, and Body shaming

Moderate: Misogyny, Infidelity, Suicide, Sexism, Child death, Mental illness, Violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Vomit, Blood, Stalking, and Infertility

cathuluu's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Grief, Infidelity, Child death, Pregnancy, Self harm, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Stalking, Medical content, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Abandonment, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Body horror, Vomit, and Sexual content

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Abortion, and Sexism

emeraldjulep's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

*Audiobook

I can hardly breathe having just finished this book. Like so many other reviewers I spent every free moment I had in the last day and 1/2 completely engrossed in this deeply unsettling, but moving story. She delves deeply into nature vs. nurture but allows the reader to question which wins out without spelling it all out.  I was with Blythe the whole way-hoping but unsure of whether or not she had a grip on reality.   It’s probably a better read for seasoned moms who can relate to the complexity motherhood. It’s never exactly what one expects- and it works out better for some than others.   I agree with another reviewer that if you are pregnant or have very young children, don’t go here.

It’s an incredible work for a debut author. The characters and the plot are both so layered, the twists and pacing right on. I thought the ending was perfect. 

I would have rated it higher becaue although it is very plausible that these things could happen, it’s improbable that all of it would happen to one woman and her lineage. It made me desperately sad for Blythe having had such an unfortunate childhood followed by such a sad adulthood - so unfair. 
Highly recommend if you are up for a dark, intense read. (Narration was really great too).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Suicide and Murder

cuddlygryphon's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Self harm

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, Miscarriage, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical content, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship

ericaburns1's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Kept me reading because I was invested in what was going to happen. Although certainly shocking things happen, I wanted it to go further. The writing was well paced and brutally honest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit, Dementia, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

autumnrevisited's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

5.0

wowowow this book is insane. I was skeptical at first but it draws you in in a way you don’t expect. The ending was both open ended and darkly rewarding. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Self harm, Child death, Vomit, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Cancer and Sexual harassment