The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
amplawrence's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Gaslighting, Medical content, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Confinement, Car accident, Grief, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Abortion
cuddlygryphon's review against another edition
- 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
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
thepennotthesword's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Blood, Stalking, Self harm, Confinement, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Child death, and Abandonment
edie_erkens's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Mental illness, Child death, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Abandonment, Self harm, and Infidelity
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, and Confinement
ressicajicks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Child death, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide, Abortion, Body horror, Confinement, Stalking, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Vomit
thelibraryofanolive's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Car accident, Child death, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, Stalking, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Blood
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Dementia, and Confinement
kelsokake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage, Mental illness, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Confinement
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Author: Ashley Audrain
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: January 5, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Visceral • Unsettling • Complex
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Blythe is sure she will be the nurturing and comforting mother she never had. But in the midst of the exhausting early months, and incapable of connecting with her newborn daughter, she is convinced something is wrong with Violet. When she shares her concerns with her husband, he dismisses her claims.
When Blythe gives birth to her son, Sam, the situation is very different, and it's everything she always imagined a mother/child relationship to be. When their lives change on a dime, it will force them to face the truth.
💠T H O U G H T S
The hype had definitely subsided when I finally picked up The Push, unfortunately it stilled influenced my reading experience and it ended up not living up to all my expectations.
What I like:
- I appreciated the honest insight and portrayal of the expectations versus the realities of motherhood, yet as a childless woman I didn't connect to the plot line.
- The plot line of multi-generational trauma
- Written as a letter, I thought the format was clever. And it was obvious that Audrain is a strong writer.
What I didn't like:
- The plot delivers quite a few stereotypes but I don't know that it leaves us a whole lot further ahead in our understanding, but rather upholds stigmas that can be detrimental to mental health awareness.
- I believe I'd have liked it more if the ending was different. For me, the ending felt like it was used for shock value rather than a natural resolution.
At the end of the day, I wouldn't call this a thriller, rather it's a psychological drama that is sure to spark discussion. But because the plot has been so overdone, The Push is easily forgettable to me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for a compulsive read
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"A mother’s heart breaks a million ways in her lifetime."Â
Graphic: Death, Child death, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Miscarriage, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Bullying
Minor: Blood, Sexual content, Cursing, Stalking, Death of parent, and Car accident
postpartum depressionkeijiwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Stalking, Physical abuse, Suicide, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Excrement, Abortion, Car accident, and Dementia
reddeddy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Abortion, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Dysphoria, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Body horror, Child death, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Car accident, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Alcoholism, Confinement, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Incest, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Dementia