Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

101 reviews

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

pookiee's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

a chilling novel about a mother who suspects her firstborn is a sociopath who

killed her second child

, and the effects this has on their family as she is not believed. there is a lot of domestic drama and generational trauma. I wish it went a bit harder with what it wants to say, but the writing is good and it doesn’t read like a debut. I love short, vignette-like chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Murder

micaelacccc's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Suicide

sarahmalopia's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, and Dementia

floralvinyls's review against another edition

4.75

the rating might be off, but i just read this in one sitting basically and i loved it. not quite what i expected, but i found myself to be so invested in the characters and i loved the exploration of motherhood and intergenerational trauma. definitely be sure to check the trigger warnings before though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Vomit

rachel7588's review

sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion, and Death of parent

hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I’m kinda over killer kids tbh, it’s just a little boring. It’s the same formula— kid hates mom, kid grows more violent but only mom notices, dad refuses to believe mom, mom ends up being right. But this was a fun little read to get me out of the rut I’ve been in. It was also refreshing to not hate the other woman. I did really appreciate that!

At the end when Fox tells Blythe that he covered for Violet destroying her clothes AND HE LAUGHS ABOUT IT— yeahhh. Yeah. You’re done. She gets it from him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt

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

leaettaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

5.0

Ashley Audrain's debut novel, The Push, is a gripping psychological thriller that will have you questioning everything you know about motherhood. With its compelling narrative and unflinching exploration of familial trauma, this book is not just a read but an experience that lingers long after the final page.

The story centers on Blythe Connor, a woman determined to be the loving mother she never had. However, her journey into motherhood is anything but smooth. From the outset, Blythe senses something is wrong with her daughter, leading to a harrowing exploration of nature versus nurture. Is her perception accurate, or is it skewed by her own troubled past?

Audrain masterfully crafts a narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat, questioning the reliability of Blythe's perspective. The tension is palpable as the story unfolds, revealing the complexities and dark undercurrents of parenthood. The psychological depth of the characters makes you empathize with their pain and struggle, while also leaving you unsettled by the ambiguity of their experiences.

The trauma that permeates the Connor family is depicted with such raw honesty that it will haunt you, keeping you up at night as you ponder the devastating impact of unresolved emotional scars. Audrain's prose is both beautiful and haunting, drawing you into Blythe's world and making it difficult to put the book down.

At just over 300 pages, The Push is a quick read that you can easily devour in one sitting. Its fast-paced plot and compelling characters make it impossible to look away, ensuring that every moment is filled with suspense and emotional intensity.

In conclusion, The Push is a five-star novel that will leave you questioning the very foundations of motherhood and the hidden darkness within family dynamics. Ashley Audrain has crafted a debut that is both thought-provoking and heart-wrenching, solidifying her place as a powerful new voice in psychological fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Self harm and Death of parent

katrinarose's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

I really liked this book. It was heartbreaking and honest and raw. I just want to give Blythe the biggest hug and tell her she’s doing amazing. The character development was incredible and very convincing, and I love that it covered multiple generations. I’ve read a few literary fiction novels that covered themes of motherhood but this book discussed darker things - the fears and doubts that nobody says out loud. I did think that this would be more of a psychological thriller than it was, for me it was more of a literary fiction with some dark themes. I was expecting to have more doubt about Blythe’s mental state and thought she was meant to be an unreliable narrator, but I never doubted her for a second. Overall this was fantastic and I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fast-paced character studies and topics related to generational trauma or motherhood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, and Blood

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Dementia