Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

162 reviews

alicia_ann_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.5

Whew, this book packed a heavy emotional punch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Suicide

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Grief

dpearson5257's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Yep..just…yep
I honestly didn’t know what to exactly expect, I just knew it had to do with motherhood but right off the bat I got “Kevin” vibes (which I literally just watched for the first time). I really enjoyed the authors writing and the post partum rep, because yes motherhood can be really good but also it’s really freaking hard sometimes  and this is an area that we really just don’t talk about. I wouldn’t even call it taboo, it’s just we as a society want to romanticize parenthood and shame folks who struggle with it. Which in my head I’m like…sooo you’re just a perfect freaking parent, Jesus in parent form huh? 

Anywho, I really enjoyed this, I loved the intrusive thoughts and the real ugliness of what some people can experience. The ending left me a bit unresolved. 

I also feel like there’s a certain responsibility as parents to our kids that some people just really don’t grasp. The whole “my kid could do no wrong”, like come on now, you were a kid once and I’m suuuure there was shit you did behind your parents backs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Emotional abuse

nicole_cob_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Gaslighting

gelbu's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

An insanely gripping read — I literally could not put it down from the first moment I started reading. A story about some of the ugliest challenges that come with motherhood. We follow our narrator, Blythe, as she grapples with becoming a mother and watching her family fall apart while everyone around her refuses to understand her. Would rate this five stars, but I felt legitimately ill at some points out of sheer indignation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

bookishjester's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

I loved the beautiful, simple yet elegant prose that this author used. Her writing inspired me, and so did her candor. The frankness of her writing was shocking but believable enough to keep my emotionally invested in Blythe's story and character development, through the unraveling of her family and partially her psyche. The ending was so well done, leaving it open ended but in such a foreboding way. I'll never forget this book. It comes with tons of content warnings, so proceed with caution if you are not in the right mental space, but it is a book that will make you feel all the emotions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Terminal illness

baileylemoine's review against another edition

I couldn't handle how graphic the depictions of child abuse were, the flashback portions made it feel like an inevitable and unchanging cycle of shame and pain. The writing is gripping - very well done- but I couldn't stomach it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Abandonment

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Self harm, Medical content, and Medical trauma

katiedegrauwe's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Suicide

kirstenw13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

I can’t give this stars yet because I’m still processing. This book was all of my fears regarding marriage and motherhood played out. It carved my heart out of my chest and hit it with an SUV. The book was cathartic as well, there was something comforting about reading the worst scenarios I can imagine. Anyway, I can’t say I liked it but The Push will stay with me for a long time and if that isn’t the mark of a good book I’m not sure what is.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, and Toxic friendship

autumnlutherking's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail