A review by tayahmarie
The Push by Ashley Audrain

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I FINALLY read one of the most favored/hyped books of last year and it was absolutely insane and quite honestly, heartbreaking. It’s been weeks since I finished this and I’m still having trouble articulating my thoughts for this one. 

What I can and will say is that, Audrain did a scarily good job on confirming some of my worst fears regarding motherhood, lmao. I’m sure a lot of women have similar thoughts about wanting to be a ‘good’ mother and possibly failing at it or having a difficult time connecting with your child, etc. but to actually read about someone living that nightmare to an extent was extremely unsettling.

The main thing that threw me for a loop was the use of 2nd person. I don’t read many books written in that style, so it took some time for me to get locked into the story, but once I switched to the audiobook I was gripped and needed to know what happened next! I flew through this book and was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Final Thoughts: Overall, I enjoyed the story for what it was! I feel like this is one of those books that can be challenging to just recommend to anyone, because it won’t be for everyone. There are a lot of trigger warnings and it’s not your typical Psychological Thriller. However, I think this book does lead to great discussions surrounding motherhood, unfair expectations placed on women/mothers, women not being believed, and so much more. 
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