Wow. This book was incredibly gripping, disturbing, and triggering (watch out, moms.. especially those to young babies/expectant mothers). I couldn’t put it down but I also sort of hated just about every page. I already struggle immensely with content like this as someone who’s never experienced anything resembling the postpartum lack of connection/love to their baby, so it should come as no surprise that this wasn’t a fun read for me. That being said though, I simply HAD to know how it ended and was completely enthralled despite how unsettled it made me feel.

I am having a hard time figuring out what the author meant for us to believe. Are we really supposed to accept that there’s such a thing as an inescapable “bad mother gene” that has been passed down for generations? Or was it more of a red herring so we’d distrust Blythe’s opinion of Violet? I struggle more with whether or not I should believe that Blythe’s mothering in the first year (mainly her neglect/lack of love) contributed to Violet’s murderous behaviors. I personally feel that it at least worsened them, but I’m not sure that was the intention. Perhaps she meant for it to be an open interpretation.

I wasn’t surprised by the ending. In fact, I was white-knuckled the majority of the time reading it just waiting for the worst to happen and I think it ended perfectly (although horribly). I guess I feel unsettled over the fact that it seems like we’re supposed to treat Blythe as the victim in all this since she was proved to be right in the end. Her daughter was, in fact, a psychopath, but Blythe’s treatment towards her (especially in her first year of life) was not forgivable to me. I get that the husband should have listened to her and treated her better, but honestly... I get it. If all I saw was a sweet daughter when I was around and a mother who showed no love and lots of neglect towards said daughter I doubt I’d believe her too.

This book was incredibly chilling and a really good, dark thriller. The author does not shy away from the discomfort and disturbing thoughts new mothers can have and the heartbreak and fear feel painstakingly real. I completely understand the high reviews, but it’s definitely one that should come with trigger warnings printed on its cover. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an early copy! I won’t stop thinking about this for a long time.

The Push by Ashley Audrain . Psychological family drama with a dynamic ending. Didn't much like Blythe at the beginning of the book. As the story progressed, the author brought to life the emotions, struggle and heartache that Blythe was experiencing and the book was next to impossible to put down. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

They scream. They bite. They push. They cry. They throw things. No, I’m not talking about your spouse or your significant other. I’m talking about the bad side of your kids.

Have you ever sat there pulling your hair out and thought, “I really am at my wits end with this kid!” Your patience tested to the limit...

What if that feeling was justified? You saw your kid doing terrible, awful things. Evil things. Yet no one believed you. They saw a sweet, loving kid. You saw the monster. What would you do? What could you do? Would you still love them? Could you still love them?

<i>The Push</i> is visceral, provocative, compulsive read that hooks you from the first page and refuses to let you go, throwing you neck deep into a tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and eventual breaking of a family, and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for; instead, it turns out to be everything she feared.

It is a look at the dark side of motherhood, and all the things that can go wrong. It addresses motherhood taboos and paints a vivid picture of how mothers sometimes feel towards difficult children.

The main character, Blythe, takes us on a journey that explores deep issues. What are the generational implications of being raised by a deeply damaged mother? Can parenting be inherited? Mental illness, neglect, failure to bond all resonate through the generations of mothers and daughters in this story. The author relates in excruciating detail the experiences of childbirth (with one of the most raw and realistic childbirth scenes that I have ever read!) and those early weeks and months of motherhood that take all new mothers by surprise in their intensity, beauty and pain. The complexities of love and the breakdown of a marriage in the wake of tragedy are revealed in the small details of domestic life. The crushing weight of grief at the center of the novel is palpable! Blythe’s healing journey is surprising in the path it takes, almost to the edge of madness and back.

<i>The Push</i> makes us question the very nature of reality. It makes you look at things like nature versus nurture. Our protagonist vacillates between what she believes to be true and what she so desperately wants to deny. Her foundation and entire belief system has been ripped from under her feet and she no longer trusts her motherly (or personal) instincts. As readers, we struggle with trusting the narrator not because she wishes to deceive us but because she does not trust herself.

<i>The Push</i> will grab you, shake you, pull you to places you aren’t sure you’re wanting to go, and stay with you and haunt you long after the final sentence leaves you gasping for air.

I absolutely recommend rushing out and grabbing your copy of <i>The Push</i> today! This is a thriller you don’t want to miss.

My absolute thanks to #NetGalley, @PenguinRandom, and the beyond talented @audrain Ashley Audrain for the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. ​

You can see my reviews at http://oceansofbooks.com

This is a hard book to rate because I thought it was excellent, but it was really hard to read. This novel raises the age-old question of nature vs. nurture in raising children. It would be a great novel for discussion on many points. I felt the construction of the novel - going back in time to two previous generations at various points - made it even more fascinating. The mothering stories are strange and raise a lot of questions about what causes certain behaviors or if any of the relationships can be explained. Audrain does a great job in painting a picture, or many pictures, of different families and relationships which are curious and invite further exploration. As a mother, it's hard to read about children who are raised to feel unworthy and also about children who are sociopaths (?!), but I admire Audrain's clear and undramatic prose and the careful way in which she slowly reveals the story.

I really loved this book. In reminded in a lot of ways of “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” The psychological conundrum of is the mother a bad mother or is there something wrong with the child. Very hard to put down.

This book has such a quietly sinister and disturbing quality that makes it extremely captivating. The complicated relationships that Blythe, her mom, and her grandmother all had with motherhood were so interesting, and it was heartbreaking to see how the cycles of pain were passed on through so many generations. Also I love books that feature sociopathic children characters, so I’m not sure what that says about me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an advanced copy of this book.

A psychological family drama that you cannot put down! This is easily a weekend read or even a one sitting read. I had to know what was going to happen to this family. This story is intense and depressing. A thought provoking mother and daughter relationship that triggered me on all levels. As a mother and a daughter, the book will stay in my mind for a long time.

Blythe and Fox are a young couple with a new daughter, Violet. Even though Blythe wasn't sure she wanted children, she did feel certain that when the baby came, their bond would be immediate. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Fox and Violet are the perfect pair, and try as she might, Blythe can't seem to muster up much motherly love for this girl. As Violet gets older, Blythe notices how cold Violet seems to be, and there are strange things that happen at PreK and on the playground. Blythe thinks she must be a horrible mother. Until she has Sam. The sun shines and birds are singing. He is the perfect boy for her, and she becomes even more certain about her fears that Violet is not quite right. Anything more about the plot would spoil the fun! The writing is sharp and smart. One major plot point requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief, but for the most part, the reader can totally see where Blythe is coming from. I'll definitely watch out for more from this author!

Really love this Author. She can write no wrong.. Simply BRILLIANT. I highly recommend this unputdownable book. Run, do not walk, to get your hands on this!!!

One of the best books I have read I couldn’t put it down! I loved the twists and the Turns. The ending left me stunned. Can’t wait for another book by this author

The plot on this one intrigued me. From the very beginning of this read, there was a very ominous tone to the story. This never let up throughout. I had so much sympathy for Blythe as she struggled with motherhood, how to be a good mom to a child that was troubled, and then on top of that to not be believed about what she saw in her child.

At times difficult to read, this complex and uncomfortable account of motherhood deftly explores the dangers of societal expectations and the concept of nature vs. nurture. The story will have readers feeling slightly off balance throughout in the best way possible as the psychological drama toys between thrilling leaps and heartfelt devastation. The novel’s most powerful moments are those that explore the pull between reality and perceptions crafted from viewing others through a mirrored lens. The Push will leave you with a lingering uneasiness long after you finish the last page.

The eternal nature or nature question gets another treatment her in this well written and fast paced book.

Whoa!! This book literally had me on the edge of my seat until the end. Blythe and Fox are madly in love and when their daughter, Violet, is born Blythe is convinced that something is off. They have a second child, Sam, and immediately she connects with him but still questions her relationship with her daughter. In an instant their lives change and their family crumbles around them with a major plot twist about 3/4 of the way through that you won’t see coming. Do yourself a favor and read Audrey Audrain’s debut book, The Push, you won’t believe the ending! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

This is one of the best suspense novels that I have ever read. There were times that I put the book down, only to immediately pick it back up.
The story is told from a letter that the main character Blythe is writing to her husband. She tells her side of the story starting with how she and her husband, Fox met with flahsbacks to what her childhood was like. The bulk of the story is about Blythes pregnancy and motherhood to their daughter Violet. Blythe is sure that there is something different about Violet, but when her husband and everyone around her insist that she's normal, Blythe can't be sure if it's all in her head.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes dark suspenseful books.

Such a disturbing but thought provoking story. What would you do if you suspected your child wasn’t “right”, or you couldn’t bond with them? And nobody believed you? As a parent, it gave me anxiety on so many levels. But I really enjoyed it!

This book I kept hearing really good buzz about so I was really excited to be able to dive right in. To me the description of the book really didn't fit in with what the book covered. It was really a deep dive into anxiety and depression and dealing with the loss of a child and way more depressing than I was anticipating! That being said it was a decent book. It held my attention and kept me wanting to read to find out what was going to happen next. I didn't love the flashbacks to different time periods/generations - while I see what the author was trying to achieve with this I felt it pretty distracting and hard to keep up with what plot line followed what person. Overall though it was a decent read and I enjoyed it. It is unlike anything else I have read before.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I love books about “bad seed” children and this one definitely fit into that category. Blythe is terrified to raise a child due to her upbringing and her mothers upbringing, and when she doesn’t bond with her daughter Violet, she is concerned. She is convinced that something isn’t right. So when she immediately bonds with her new baby boy, Violet can sense that her mom shows more love to her sibling...and something terrible happens. I loved this one but am SICK and tired of gaslighting husbands in these sorts of books. Husbands, if your wife tells you somethings wrong, somethings fucking wrong. Stop questioning her and acting like she’s crazy. Bleh. A solid 4 stars.

This is book is what suspense books are supposed to be like. Whiplash fast and so surprising. I cannot wait to see the film adaptation of this one! Definitely on the top of the recommendation list!

Every so often a perfect thriller comes your way, one that keeps you turning pages all night long, as desperate to look away as you are to race to the end. THE PUSH is that thriller. Equally as good as --- if not better --- than bestsellers like THE WIFE BETWEEN US and THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, THE PUSH is horrifying, nuanced, and insidious in its basis in real, everyday fears. But besides being a damn good thriller, THE PUSH is a compassionate and keen-eyed exploration into motherhood and all of its complexities. Audrain is a near-perfect writer: she ends every chapter on a cliffhanger and keeps her readers on her toes as they question everything they know about every character. THE PUSH announces an incredible new voice in the thriller genre and I know that I am not alone in saying that I will be first in line to buy whatever Audrain releases next.