This is one of those books where I can not say I actually enjoyed it as I felt a sense of anxiety and sadness the whole way through but I can honestly say it is a great book. The thing is that this book is so well written, and the fact that it can create this sense of intensity and anxiety is testament to how well it is written. This story is one that reflects accurately at times if not comfortably on motherhood, the argument of nature vs nurture and how each individual’s own childhood can impact on their own parenting. It also has a psychological thriller kind of vibe about it which adds another element of edginess. This is definitely a 5 star read.

Is it ever possible to break a familial cycle of cruelty and neglect in order to build a happier life for one’s own children? This is the dilemma facing the protagonist of this tautly-plotted novel. Blythe certainly tries her best when her daughter Violet is born, drawing on the kindness she has been shown by a neighbour, Mrs Ellington, rather than by her own mother Cecilia. What role does Blythe’s partner Fox play in the family and its gradual breakdown? And how do the flashbacks to the traumatic pasts of Blythe’s mother Cecilia and grandmother Etta affect a woman who strives so hard to do the best she can? Blythe herself tries to get to the bottom of these questions in a long letter she composes to Fox.
Audrain succeeds in depicting a range of believable flawed, and therefore utterly fascinating literary characters in this novel. She certainly deconstructs any preconceptions about motherhood we may have had as readers – I was absolutely spellbound. The fact that the novel's prose is flawless and accomplished only adds to the book's appeal. I wish to thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.

I will be releasing a longer review on my blog but in short I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more from this author

A raw, harrowing story of cross-generational motherhood and the actions, omissions and mistakes that tear families apart and leave gaping wounds

Akin to The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold, this was a story that did not hide behind rose covered archways but instead carved out a blood-stained and sorrowful tale across three-generations of motherhood. It is a story that may shock, that may provoke thought, but it is bleak and harsh: it is not a fun read.

The Push is an arguably honest portrayal of what happens behind closed doors of not-so-happy-families, and people. The grittier content (view spoiler) was undeniably raw: graphically depicted, painful and unsettling. I did not enjoy this book.

Firstly, the writing style was unusual. It was written in a mixture of second-person and first-person with short, choppy sentences that I found jarring. I disliked the character to whom the book was directed at "the You", but not in a here's-a-good-villain kind of way. Secondly, the cliffhanger ending was expected but unsatisfying. Finally, I found its lack of hope to be the nail in the coffin. I don't need a happy-ever-after in every story, but I need something.

I can see that other readers might appreciate this story, but it's not my cup of tea.

Loved this book, couldn’t put it down.

The subject matter isn’t easy and I felt the emotions with the main character, I really cared about her.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the ARC of this book.
Sorry but this was not a book I enjoyed reading. Obviously the subject does not make for an easy read but I felt nothing for any of the characters. I tried hard to find something in Blthye and Fox’s relationship but I didn’t find anything to make me feel more comfortable with them they both were to blame in letting the cycle of cruel mothering perpetuate itself yet again.
A very unsettling book but it does make you think about mother / daughter relationships.

The Push is a gripping and thought-provoking read, perhaps even controversial in places. It covers many difficult issues, such as parenting, child abuse, mental health, relationships... The story is told by an unreliable narrator and until the end we are not sure what has actually happened and who to believe. I did find it a little jumpy and dragged out but overall it was an interesting and intriguing book.

This was quite a disheartening and sad book to read. It was refreshing to read the perspective of women who didn't find motherhood coming to them as naturally as society expects.

This is such a scary book examining the good and bad relationships between parent and child. Reading the story is a scary experience as you realise how possible the problems are.
The story explores the possibility of a child being intentionally violent and the consequences of this.
Some of the happenings are so shocking that they provoked outloud exclamations and the end is a huge surprise even though the reader has been almost prepared for it.

It is a compelling book but also could be deeply upsetting.
Recommended.

This book is an excellent, very intense read. I couldn’t put it down! It’s beautifully written and the way that Blythe narrates her story really drew me in. She and her husband Fox seem to have a perfect life until their daughter Violet is born and then the past - in particular Blythe’s relationship with her own mother, and her mother’s relationship with her mother - comes back to haunt her. I love books with a possibly unreliable narrator so this was an exciting read that held my attention throughout. It has some sad and uncomfortable moments but if you want a gripping, well-written novel, I would highly recommend The Push.

My thanks to Ashley Audrain, Penguin Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the ARC of THE PUSH.
Riveting, compelling and difficult to put down. This novel questions the premise that every birth is a welcome one, that every mother should fit into the idea we have of perfection. Most of us know it's not like that at all, but we are still fed images of the way we're expected to be and feel. This sharply observed novel challenges those expectations and throws them up in the air. No spoilers here!

What a roller coaster of a novel. Disturbing and thought provoking the characters are believable and well written. Told mainly by Blythe as she embarks on motherhood with hope that she can break the cycle of poor parenting from previous generations. It also flashes back to her mother and grandmother.
Nature versus nurture which of these determine how a child develops? Although Blythe has her own demons and flaws I felt incredibly sad for her. Will the cycle be broken and if not how much blame should she accept.
A psychological thriller which draws you in and keeps you there right to the end !

This book is one of the best I have read this year - wow - I absolutely loved it - I devoured it and couldn’t put it down. I thought the ending was very satisfactory after all the uncertainty within the novel. Highly recommended.

Blythe & Fox meet at College & are inseperable. Love, marriage & Violet is born & all begins to go wrong. In Blythes family, the women have all found motherhood a difficult thing, so is this Blythes fault or is there more to this child? Excellent read that keeps you gripped to what the outcome will be.

This is a gripping, well-written story with believable characters. It starts with Blythe and Fox, parents of Violet. Blythe cannot seem to bond with her daughter and she witnesses a couple incidences of Violet's actions which are deeply disturbing but not provable. Fox does not see it. and Blythe has her doubts. When her son is born things start to unravel. Blythe's mother and grandmother's stories are told in flashbacks, which have some bearing on the situation. The story hots up and I could not put it down from this point. Excellent.

OMG – WOW – WOW – OMG – WOW

Now I’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about The Push – the debut psychological thriller by Ashley Audrain who was the publicity director for Penguin in Canada. HOLY SH*T this is good. In fact I would say it’s even better than good – it’s OUTSTANDING!

If you follow my blog you will know how much I love dark, twisted and disturbing thrillers especially when they feature young children and potentially unreliable narrators.

It’s so hard to talk about The Push without giving anything away, however I knew by the end of the first chapter that this was my kind of book. It didn’t just get under my skin, it burrowed so deep that I literally couldn’t put this book down.

This is a very raw and brutal look at nature vs nuture and the darker side of motherhood. The main character Blythe, a new mother whose own childhood was deeply damaged by her own mother is so open and honest about her feelings and emotions it’s impossible not to connect with her and feel her pain throughout the story.

The Push is so deep and personal that it’s actually painful to read in places . Without doubt this goes into my Top Ten books of 2020 and for once I agree with the books marketing tag “2021’s Most Astonishing Debut”

Five huge stars from me and one that will stay in my head for a long time. Highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A beautifully written novel which will disturb you and hypnotise you at the same time. I do not recommend reading it if you are hormonal as it manages to stir so many emotions and reflect the struggle that some mothers can go through. It grabbed me, made me shiver and left me uncomfortable but is definitely a story worth reading!

So well written, in a deceptively simple style that conveys everything and more and makes the story so much more chilling. Blythe comes from a line of terrible, neglectful mothers. She has deep fears that this is a hereditary trait and will impact her own mother-daughter relationship. She second-guesses her every maternal response until the disturbing realisation that she might be normal but her daughter might not be.
I loved the way the author captures motherhood, the small moments that only a mother would recognise. The story explores the relationships impacted by a new baby and cleverly builds the suspense of the horror unfolding. The story is both predictable and unpredictable with many nuances and complex questions and I couldn't put it down. Very memorable.
*

This is a compelling, unputdownable book. I loved Blythe, the main character and enjoyed her complex story. At times you laugh, at times you get annoyed and at other times, you shout at Blythe whilst reading with a sense of dread and unease.

This novel tackles a gritty subject. A taboo for most women around motherhood; what if you are forced into motherhood and your child and your feelings for that child are not what you expect?

I loved it. It's evocative, uncomfortable, thrilling and raw and the ending took my breath away.
I would definitely recommend this book.
Thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you for the advance copy. I was intrigued to read this book after reading the buzz around it. I certainly wasn't disappointed. The writing is wonderful and sings hauntingly off the page. This book is both gripping and disturbing and I'm sure it will do superbly.