The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
lostinthepaigeofabook's review against another edition
I can’t bring myself to rate this book. I honestly didn’t 100% read it. I skipped complete chapters. I just couldn’t handle it. It got too heavy for me and I literally felt sick to my stomach reading. For sure very good writing and story telling but too disturbing for me.
drewcy5a's review against another edition
5.0
“She was hysterical. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” you told her. You were so sorry I was her mother. That’s what you had meant.”
“Just accept her for who she is. You’re her mother. That’s all you’re supposed to do.”
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I hate fox.
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A sickening, horribly sad, thought provoking book. The characters toe the line between trying their best and destructive behavior. It’s an unsettling book but it is so so good. This book is addicting and I want to read it continuously. the writing quality is fantastic.
and that ending.
i recommend rereading the first chapter to get a better understanding of the ending.
THE ENDING😩😩😩 WE KNEW something like this was going to happen to gemma’s kid. Gemma always told her that she had made up what happened to sam and that violet would never do that. then look who gives her a call. now, i was doing some light googling to see other people’s thoughts on the ending and one person mentioned that in the first chapter is from the scene right before the 1 year later segment. it’s just wild. that violet did not only have resentment for her mother but just everyone? everything? it was so heartbreaking to read about violet being so hateful towards her mother. in the scene when they are coming back from the zoo, and violet throws her lion out of the car window because and she says she doesn’t want the mother lion because she hates her mother. blew me away. this whole book blew me away. it was so heartbreaking and yes litteraly every chapter is toxic but the ending UGH THE ENDING. also i hate fox. ik he was cheating/going to cheat from the beginning. i mean it was obvious. the fact that fox and gemma had a child right under her nose. before they had talked about splitting. fox was so full of himself the whole book. i have so many thoughts on this book. it was just so crazy. definitely recommend. writing was amazing.
nicolelynn802's review against another edition
5.0
I found myself bouncing between pitying Blanche and not being able to stand Blanche. This book was an emotional roller coaster. I had to take a break at times to step away from the ride quite a few times. I became so emotionally invested in Blanche it drove me mad.
Absolutely loved it.
Absolutely loved it.
booksofmyown's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
brianlarson's review against another edition
4.0
An evocative family drama that will have you on the edge of your bed with each turn of the page.
There are a few things I wish I knew before I dove into Audrain’s debut novel:
The entire novel is is written from the perspective of Blythe Connor, a mother still reeling from personal loss & a childhood of neglect. Blythe is writing to her ex-husband, Fox.
Chapter titles would have been helpful and made for easier reading. It was, at times, confusing jumping between 3 different decades.
Last, fellow bibliophiles will appreciate the narrative arch of the story but it’s important to keep in mind that since the story is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator, it’s up to the reader to ultimately decide the outcome of the story (and this involves more than just reading the last sentence of the book jacket- which sadly gives away the ending).
Overall, “The Push” is a unique and well-rounded debut novel that will likely harken readers back to “We Need To Talk About Kevin” (and, in the inter-generational narrative sense) “East of Eden.”
There are a few things I wish I knew before I dove into Audrain’s debut novel:
The entire novel is is written from the perspective of Blythe Connor, a mother still reeling from personal loss & a childhood of neglect. Blythe is writing to her ex-husband, Fox.
Chapter titles would have been helpful and made for easier reading. It was, at times, confusing jumping between 3 different decades.
Last, fellow bibliophiles will appreciate the narrative arch of the story but it’s important to keep in mind that since the story is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator, it’s up to the reader to ultimately decide the outcome of the story (and this involves more than just reading the last sentence of the book jacket- which sadly gives away the ending).
Overall, “The Push” is a unique and well-rounded debut novel that will likely harken readers back to “We Need To Talk About Kevin” (and, in the inter-generational narrative sense) “East of Eden.”
trinasaurus33's review against another edition
3.0
I found the story a bit slow to my liking, but on the other hand, I'm used to really fast-paced thrillers and this just didn't hit the spot personally.
brooke_review's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1956 film, The Bad Seed, about a precocious, seemingly charming little girl, who is hiding a murderous dark side. Debut author Ashley Audrain's first novel The Push is an utterly compulsive novel in a similar vein. Fans of Zoje Stage's Baby Teeth should not miss The Push, which merges suspense fiction with literary fiction to create an absolutely horrifying, yet reflective tale. I absolutely loved this novel. After a series of recent lackluster reads, The Push reignited my love of reading and inspired me to find more intriguing books that spark my curiosity.
Blythe Connor is no stranger to bad mother-daughter relationships. Abandoned by her own mom at an early age, Blythe is hoping to foster a lifelong connection with her new baby girl, and cultivate the type of intimacy that she and her mother never had. But something is not quite right with Blythe's daughter Violet. As the years go by, Blythe can't quite put her finger on it, but in her eyes, Violet is one violent, manipulative, and vindictive little girl. The problem is no one believes Blythe's fears, and she finds herself living in trepidation of the daughter she is raising, while also being viewed as a hysterical and troubled woman by those she loves most. Everything comes to a head one fateful afternoon when in a split second, Blythe's life changes forever. Is Violet responsible, and if so, why does no one believe Blythe about her dangerous little girl?
The Push is told by Blythe, but the entire book is addressed in second person narrative to her former husband. This is Blythe telling her side of the story to the man she loved who wouldn't believe her over their daughter. While this narrative style seems to be off-putting to some, I found it to be incredibly intimate and compelling. I wanted to hear what Blythe had to say to the former love of her life, and I relished the fact that this was her account of things. Now the question is, can she be trusted? That's for the reader to determine as they peel back the layers of Blythe's life and get to know her personality and her family's long history with mental illness.
The Push is a story in threefold. There's, of course, Blythe's fragile and tenuous relationship with Violet, but the narrative also features Blythe's relationship with her husband, which becomes increasingly more and more tense as he continuously sides with his daughter over his wife. Furthermore, the book occasionally dives back into Blythe's family tree and explores the lives of her grandmother and mother and how the sins of the mother are inflicted on the child. Altogether, these pieces come together to paint a complete picture of Blythe, leaving the reader to decide for themselves if she is the reliable narrator she purports herself to be.
I listened to an audiobook production of The Push, which absolutely pulled me in and absorbed me in this horrifying story. Narrator Marin Ireland was believable as Blythe, and her excellent nuanced voice work made me feel as if I was actually listening to Blythe telling her story. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this novel for anyone who loves to listen to intimately-told novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking, Pamela Dorman Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Blythe Connor is no stranger to bad mother-daughter relationships. Abandoned by her own mom at an early age, Blythe is hoping to foster a lifelong connection with her new baby girl, and cultivate the type of intimacy that she and her mother never had. But something is not quite right with Blythe's daughter Violet. As the years go by, Blythe can't quite put her finger on it, but in her eyes, Violet is one violent, manipulative, and vindictive little girl. The problem is no one believes Blythe's fears, and she finds herself living in trepidation of the daughter she is raising, while also being viewed as a hysterical and troubled woman by those she loves most. Everything comes to a head one fateful afternoon when in a split second, Blythe's life changes forever. Is Violet responsible, and if so, why does no one believe Blythe about her dangerous little girl?
The Push is told by Blythe, but the entire book is addressed in second person narrative to her former husband. This is Blythe telling her side of the story to the man she loved who wouldn't believe her over their daughter. While this narrative style seems to be off-putting to some, I found it to be incredibly intimate and compelling. I wanted to hear what Blythe had to say to the former love of her life, and I relished the fact that this was her account of things. Now the question is, can she be trusted? That's for the reader to determine as they peel back the layers of Blythe's life and get to know her personality and her family's long history with mental illness.
The Push is a story in threefold. There's, of course, Blythe's fragile and tenuous relationship with Violet, but the narrative also features Blythe's relationship with her husband, which becomes increasingly more and more tense as he continuously sides with his daughter over his wife. Furthermore, the book occasionally dives back into Blythe's family tree and explores the lives of her grandmother and mother and how the sins of the mother are inflicted on the child. Altogether, these pieces come together to paint a complete picture of Blythe, leaving the reader to decide for themselves if she is the reliable narrator she purports herself to be.
I listened to an audiobook production of The Push, which absolutely pulled me in and absorbed me in this horrifying story. Narrator Marin Ireland was believable as Blythe, and her excellent nuanced voice work made me feel as if I was actually listening to Blythe telling her story. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this novel for anyone who loves to listen to intimately-told novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking, Pamela Dorman Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
ecw47's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
caityp94's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0