Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

135 reviews

ssbassill's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Stalking, Death of parent, and Abortion

cjones12's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Miscarriage

caoimhe_fleming's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Addiction, Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Self harm

breanneporter's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

This is a hard book to rate; I devoured it, finishing in just over a day, but now that I’ve finished I’m struggling to understand what to take away from it… it follows our narrator, Blythe, as she recounts her experience of motherhood with her daughter, Violet, and her son, Sam, and her tale is interspersed with memories of her own mother as well as her mother’s history with her own mother. It is very dark, so be sure to check content warnings. More than the darkness, it is unsettling. I felt anxious reading it, but was compelled to continue. The pacing is fast, the chapters are short, and it’s very easy to be immersed in the narrative (even as it makes you increasingly uncomfortable).

I kept waiting for evidence of Blythe’s untrustworthiness as a narrator, something to redeem Violet, but I didn’t really get that… and the ending is (horrifyingly) validating to Blythe’s perspective, but there’s no recognition of why only Blythe was seeing this side of her / was the target of her derision for so long…. Idk.

I’m not sure I would recommend or say that it was an enjoyable reading experience but it was certainly an immersive and memorable one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Child death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Miscarriage, and Suicide

_chelseachelsea's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

While The Push doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the genre (and its ending will leave you a bit dissatisfied) it’s certainly fast-paced and tense enough to keep you locked in. A tight, quick read that explores the choice of motherhood (and how often women feel as though it is not a choice) and the crushing responsibility of it. An excellent pick for your year-end list.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Car accident, Suicide, Death, Child abuse, Dementia, Grief, and Child death

Minor: Miscarriage

rebecca_77's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Grief, Suicide, Self harm, Child abuse, Death of parent, Child death, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Infidelity

cdingler07's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Struggling with how to rate this. It’s SO good but it’s also so complex and deep that it almost feels wrong to rate it so highly. One of the best books I’ve read at conveying complex feelings. I couldn’t help but take on the hurt of the main character.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Child death, Suicide, Self harm, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abortion

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

ms_sarah621's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

Wow, this was dark, painful, and tense. The different feelings in motherhood and the struggles that are faced. This book was a quick read, and the flashbacks really had my attention. About 50% through the book, I started to hate where things were going. However, I was really satisfied with the ending. A very complex look at sanity, raising a child, and marriage. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Car accident, Abortion, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Blood, and Self harm

hollaylonn's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy