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A review by sighsborg
The Push by Ashley Audrain
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I finished this in one sitting, I’ll give it that. The Push is a very fast read and a bit of a page turner. The beginning had so much suspense and tension I was wondering where the book would go. However, the farther I got into the book, the less I found myself in suspense. Maybe this book was mismarketed, but to me this isn’t as much as a thriller as it is the analysis and dissection of motherhood and what it means to be a mother. I found myself empathizing with the main character at times and not at all in others. The flashbacks to Blythe’s mother, Cecelia’s childhood, I found unnecessary and really ruined the flow of the book for me. I think some of the wording she chose uncomfortable at sometimes, and maybe that was the author’s intent, however it just didn’t work for me. The ending was a bit of a let down. I think the way the book is narrated is a strength and a weakness of this book at times. All I can say is that at times, I found this to be a weak knockoff of You. Wish we could have gotten the POV of Violet or Fox somewhere in this story in order to give us a breather from this narration.
Not quite sure how I feel about this book.
I found the ‘evil child’ element of this story really weak and a bit… wrong.
Not quite sure how I feel about this book.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Blood, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship