A review by genny
The Push by Ashley Audrain

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

4.0

I appreciated the gritty depiction of motherhood (it made me question whether I truly wanted to experience it for myself in the future...) and generational trauma. I'm not sure whether or not I liked the ending.
I had started to believe that Blythe was only projecting her trauma onto Violet. I suspect that was the author's intention, for even the readers to question Blythe's reliability and to side with everyone else who thought she was crazy...the ending was like a bitter "I told you so". I did feel validated for Blythe in a way, even though it's obviously a horrible thing for another child to get hurt.
It's been a while since I finished this and I didn't take down any notes, sadly, so I can't give a more insightful review. I liked it, overall!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings