INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER“Utterly addictive.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train“Written with an unflinching eye and a stylistically sharp, tight economy The Push is a single-sitting read, as suspenseful as any thriller, as thoughtful as any literary novel, with an almost physical force behind each of its turns and revelations.” —Toronto StarA tense, page-turning psychological … revelations.” —Toronto Star
A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family, told through the eyes of a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.
Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, supportive mother she never had to her new baby Violet.
But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe doesn’t find the connection with her daughter she expected. She’s convinced that something is wrong with Violet–the little girl is distant, rejects affection, and becomes increasingly disruptive at preschool.
Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she is imagining things. Fox doesn’t see what Blythe sees; he sees a wife who is struggling to cope with the day-to-day challenges of being a mother. And the more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity…
Then their son Sam is born–and with him, Blythe has the natural maternal connection she’d always dreamed of. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth about herself, her past, and her daughter.
The Push is a rare and extraordinary gift to readers: a novel about the expectations of motherhood we’re taught not to challenge and what really happens behind the closed doors of even the most perfect-looking families. It’s impossible to put down and impossible to forget.
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WTH did I just read?! I should hate this book because Blythe Connor hates being a mom to Violet and reading about that made me cringe, but I couldn’t put this down either. Blythe is excited about her pregnancy and has thoughts of being a loving and attentive mom. She wants to break the cycle of the mothers on her side of the family. Those nice thoughts have changed, Blythe believes there’s something wrong with Violet – acts out and misbehaves at school, but no one believes her. A tragedy occurs and her family is not the same ever again. This is intense & suspenseful, a wonderful debut!
Not for everyone
When I heard The Push by Ashley Audrain being compared to the book Baby Teeth I was incredibly nervous. That book was a DNF for me and I just didn’t jive with it at all, and while I did get some similar vibes from this book it is definitely a completely different story. I thought the writing style was very unique and gave a very interesting vibe to the book. I also liked the way Audrain went back and forth between Blythe in present day and the story of her mom and grandmother. This gives the reader an idea of the line of women Blythe comes from, and each time we jump into the past I got more and more uncomfortable. This is not an easy read by any means, but it was also gripping, and I was hooked from the very first page.
The narrator of the audiobook is Marin Ireland, and she was absolutely perfect. I started by reading this one but switched to the audio since I’m still having issues concentrating, and you don’t lose any of the tenseness by listening to it. I was wrapped up in the world of this book, and terrified to see what Violet was going to do next. I can see how a mother would connect more to this story, and while this book didn’t wreck me like it probably would have if I were a mom, it was certainly still a heavy hitter. Hard to believe this is a debut, and it is a fresh addition to the psychological drama subgenre. Highly recommend!
Intense and addictive. THE PUSH is psychological drama on overload that you’ll rush to finish just so you can discuss it. This one will stick with me for awhile, and those are the best sorts of books.
I was tense for most of this book. Physiological drama to the max dealing with mother/child relationships.
Holy moly but this one was intense. As a mother myself it was hard to read. There are natural fears that parents have about their children, are they going to be healthy, kind, smart, etc but this story took it into the darker thoughts. What happens when you suspect your child being capable of horrendous things? How do you reconcile yourself to what they do and your love for them? So many of the worst fears parents have for their children are present in this book and the way they were displayed was horrifying and impactful. I just couldn’t stop reading. It was like watching a train wreck. That last line made me gasp out loud. I want to know more. I wanted to keep reading it after it was over. That was one of the most intense books I’ve read in a long time. Amazing.
I really loved this book for many reasons but mostly as a writer myself I admired the tightness of language and discipline Audrain brings to maintaining theme.
WOW! Wow just wow! This book was a wild ride from start to finish and I actually gasped out loud at the end! I enjoyed how it told the present and the past so the reader gets the full picture. I read it in one sitting and I am past exhausted today but it was well worth it!
3.5 stars
I must say this one had me guessing right to the very end!!
Blythe and Fox have been married for some years now and naturally the subject of children come up. Blythe knows that Fox will be the best father but she questions whether she will be the best mother. They have a beautiful little girl; Violet but Blythe just cannot make a connection with the little girl no matter how hard she tries. Violet starts exhibiting some strange behaviors which Fox pushes aside as Blythe just adjusting to motherhood but she thinks there maybe something wrong with the child; or is she conjuring things up in her mind and she’s really the one with the problem.
Soon the two have a little boy; Sam. He is the light in her life and the feeling she had been searching for with Violet is finally there and she cannot imagine her life without this perfect boy in her life.
Suddenly tragedy befalls the family and everything spirals. Were the happenings with Violet really just delusions made up by Blythe or was her daughter really the bad guy in the story. All we know are that not everything is as it seems.
Kudos to AA on this debut novel. I have to say it did drag a little too slowly at times and while the flashbacks added a bit to the storyline I felt that the story would have been fine if that was added just a bit more vaguely. Sometimes it did make the story a little confusing.
**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**
The Push is a well written dark psychological thriller that is a compelling read.
The subject matter is not for the faint of the heart and yet the author draws you in from page one.
It is a story of multi generation abuse, trauma and lack of nurturing.
Blythe is desperately trying to break this cycle .
It is a tense read and yet I could not put it down.
I don’t want to say too much in order not to give anything away.
The Push will be the talk of 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House, Viking for a compelling read.