Blythe Connor wants to be nothing but the best mother she can be to her daughter Violet. But when Violet is born, Blythe doesn't feel the connection she feels when her son Sam is born. And when tragedy strikes their family, Blythe questions everything. The concept of the book was innovative and phenomenal, and I loved the ideas it introduced. I also found reading a thriller written in first-person with an unreliable narrator really interesting. Unfortunately, I found the ideas and mystery could have been executed better. There is clearly some form of mental health issue for Blythe, one that can be traced back in her family, but it is never really clearly addressed. Also, the ending was abrupt and didn't really seem like a twist in the end. Throughout the book, we get a clear indication that there is something going on with Violet, and having her stepmom start seeing that right at the end isn't really much of a twist. In fact, it takes away from Blythe and Violet as a character.

I loved this book. Very well written, kept me engaged from the very first page. Some reviews have said that The Push was hard to read, but I loved the untrustworthy narrator. Would absolutely read more from this author.

Wow for once at book that lives up to the hype. I could not put this emotional and raw book down. I was literally at work counting down the time until I could get back to reading and I am still thinking about that ending!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Ashley Audrain and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this fabulous book.

Meet Blythe Connor, a new parent who is desperately excited to be a warm and supportive mother, unlike her own.. But for some reason, the connection with her daughter, Violet, just isn't there. Violet seems to be acting strangely - distant, disruptive, almost.. calculated. Blythe's husband, Fox, says it's all in her head, and Blythe doesn't know what to believe. Audrain's debut novel blurs the lines between the real and the imagined, and leaves the reader guessing the whole way through.

cw: child death, grief, child abuse, mental illness, murder, infidelity, car accident, stalking

Thank you to Ashley Audrain, Penguin Random House Canada, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For all my psychological thriller fans out there - this one's for you! Impossible to put down, this book dives into the nature vs. nurture debate through flashbacks of Blythe's family history. Audrain does a wonderful job of hinting at facts, thoughts and feelings and leaving the reader searching through the haystack of possibilities to try to find the needle of truth. Also - there's just something way more creepy about thrillers when they involve children.

This one does have some seriously dark content, so here's my two cents for prospective readers: I would skip this one if you are a new mother, are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant.. If you are looking for a deep dark dive into a raw side of motherhood, however, this novel is sure to please!

Great read! It was a tragic story and I could not decide if I was getting the version from the main character's point of view and getting it twisted or if there was something wrong with her daughter. The book has The Good Son vibes except there is little you can do when no one believes you.

I enjoyed this book, despite lots of presumable triggers for lots of people (readers should think carefully about this before picking up this book). I liked the exploration of motherhood and of marriage with a little bit of The Bad Seed thrown in there for good measure. Lots of people don't like open endings, but I'm a fan of them, so that didn't detract from my enjoyment.

This much talked about and highly publicized book (before it was even released) is a book about relationships between mothers and their children and between families.

I can see how many people will like this book and Book Clubs across Canada will be talking about it this year. It wasn’t my cup of tea. I found it predicable and would not have classified it as a thriller.

That being said, there is a lot to talk about in the book and will definitely have some book clubs and people talking for hours and days about the topic. Thank you for the advanced copy NetGalley and the publishers.

Blythe and Fox are a young couple that decide to start a family. They couldn’t be more excited when they get pregnant and give birth to a girl, Violet. However, Blythe soon realizes that being a new mother is even harder then she expected. Violet is not an easy baby and doesn’t sleep or seem to like her mother.

As Violet grows up Blythe starts to notice she has some evil tendencies and may not be the sweet little girl she hoped to have.

I really do not want to spoil to much of the book for anyone. This book has been everywhere on bookstagram and came highly recommend led to me. I have to admit that the beginning was a bit slow and went into great detail about the pregnancy and Blythes struggles of being a new mother. As a male who does not have children I struggled to relate and almost gave up on the book. However, as I continued on I really liked the aspect of Violet being an evil and creepy child and found the second half of the book to be enjoyable.

I received an advanced copy of this book and really enjoyed it (so much so, that I bought a copy for my Kindle after reading just a few chapters of the ARC copy). It is a haunting story that traces four generations of women and their dysfunctional relationships as mothers and daughters and the devastating consequences of those relationships, particularly for the protagonist, Blythe, and her troubled daughter, Violet.

The book is marketed as a thriller, but I struggled to find anything thrilling about it. That’s not a criticism of it - the book is so much more than just a thriller. It is a heartbreaking book about a woman struggling to be a good mother to a difficult child and the unraveling of a family following an unthinkable tragedy.

The Push is a gut-wrenching examination of family, love and loss and the writing style suits the disjointed nature of the story. The chapters are short and the story jumps between generations at a jarring rate. Usually this style of writing doesn’t appeal to me, but it really suited the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely read more by this author!

Thank you @netgalley for letting me read an arc of The Push by Ashley Audrain. This book was released on January 5, 2021 and is definitely worth buying. 👍📚

I do not know if I would agree with this being called "as suspenseful as any thriller" as it was by the Toronto Star, but it is described as a psychological drama and that it definitely is.
The Push is an exploration of motherhood. It explores how and if past and present relationships and treatment collide. It treads a line between is the mother-daughter relationship between Blythe and Violet negative because of Blythe's own relationship with her mother or is Blythe's vision of Violet real. This is where I felt the possible suspense was being pushed by the author; however I think Violet's real character is shown early on and the novel was more of an exploration into Blythe's own personal battles and guilt. Is she just a bad mother because that is all she knows or is she going crazy imagining the worst. I thought the author did a great job in showing Blythe's struggle and making us the reader feel for her inner struggle. Is she projecting negativity? Is she seeing her daughter a certain way because of her own biases? Is the guilt of not having that connection to her daughter that she expected causing her to spiral?
I took off a star only because I found that the jumping between past and present was at times confusing. I did feel it was necessary in order to to get into Blythe's mental state and also to create the suspense; however, I found sometimes lacked in what it was meant to give. What I mean by that is, I felt the author jumped back to try and add to the story but what was written didn't actually explain or add to what was happening in the present.

Great read and highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me a copy for review purposes.

I liked this exploration of motherhood, but it was more of a character study rather than the frightening thriller aspects

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded great! But I was disappointed. It reminded me a lot of the book You because of the perspective. But when written like this and having multiple characters I found it hard to figure out who was talking (I read thE ARC so may have been laid out better in the actual finished copy). There was only one part where my heart was actually beating out of my chest lol. The rest was kind of slow. And even the ending is it a cliff hanger or is it leaving room for a sequel? I just feel like there were a lot of unanswered questions. The synopsis lead me to believe that the main character maybe was the crazy one (I was expecting a Shutter Island feel) and the daughter also is? Or are they both or are neither and just random terrible things happened? I don’t know just too many loose ends for me.

I'd like to thank the publisher via NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was blown away by this book. The relationship between Blythe and Violet was absolutely chilling and I was haunted by the happenings that Blythe kept experiencing. Throughout the whole book I was unsure if all of these things were in her head even though I had a nagging feeling that they weren't. The very last line of the book confirmed what I thought was actually happening between Violet and Blythe; Violet just isn't right. The writing kept me hooked throughout the whole story. I am so glad I got the chance to read this book. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait for more from Ashley Audrain.

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Ashley Audrain for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

The Push is one of those books that would stay with me for a long time. It was intense read, at times I literally cringed and wished for the story to be over, at the same time, wishing for more, couldn’t stop turning pages in the search of What’s Next?!

The mother-daughter stories (Blythe-Violet, Cecilia-Blythe) are heartbreaking and distressing. Their relationships create many questions regarding motherhood and raising children. It makes you contemplate about childhood traumas in parents creating childhood traumas in their own kids, about the emotional presence of parents during crucial time of raising their children, parents ability to adapt to certain situations, etc.

The Push is thought-provoking and challenging. It is one of those books that is very disturbing and hard to review. I can’t say I loved it, possibly due to the sense of the novel and it’s subjects; at the same time, I couldn’t put it down, kept turning pages till late at night with no regrets. I did enjoy the writing style of The Push. The novel was told by Blythe to her husband, Fox, in a very intimate and personal way. At times, I felt like an intruder snooping in someone’s private journal.

Overall, The Push is a memorable and provocative story, a strong debut in literary world. I am looking forward to more work by Ashley Audrian.

I received an Arc of "The Push" from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada and I absolutely loved this book. My attention was immediately captured and I finished the entire book in one sitting within a few hours because I could not put it down. "The Push" is a thriller that reminded me of "The Omen".

Blythe's childhood was less than ideal as her mother was distant and she was eventually completely abandoned. When she becomes pregnant, Blythe is determined to be the best mother she can possibly be for her daughter Violet and to give Violet the life she never had as a child. Blythe struggles at first and she has trouble forming an attachment to Violet as an infant. As Violet becomes a young girl their relationship continues to be strained and Blythe begins to wonder if something is wrong with Violet.

Her husband Fox does not see any troubled behaviours from Violet and he dismisses Blythe's thoughts surrounding their daughter. When their son Sam is born, Blythe immediately forms a bond with him and all appears well within the family dynamic. Something is still not quite right about Violet though.

Blythe's life begins to crumble around her, and after a divorce, her relationship with Violet and Fox become even more fractured. She becomes paranoid and infiltrates Fox's new life.

"The Push" kept me on the edge of my seat as it's plot was a thrilling action ride with a very disturbing storyline and fantastic character development. I enjoyed everything about this book and I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy the thriller genre. "The Push" is perfect for book clubs as it will most definitely encourage discussions.

The main storyline is Blythe telling her journey through motherhood and how it is nothing what she expected. When her first child is born, she's convinced there's something wrong with her for not feeling what she's "supposed" to feel. But once her second child is born, all is right in the world, it feels like a do-over to her and everything with him is perfect! When an accident occurs and her life falls apart, she can't help but think it all has to do with her first born.
This story was good and I enjoyed the backstories that provided an obvious link to why Blythe feels the way she does. Ashley Audrain's debut was well written, and definitely doesn't shy away from the trials of motherhood, but also shares the joys that it can bring as well. This being noted as a psychological drama is the best way to describe what goes on in this book. A deep look inside one mother's thoughts of what might be wrong with her, or perhaps her child.

Every now and then a book comes along that completely captures the attention of the reader, telling a story like no other. The Push by Ashley Audrain is just that kind of book. It makes you want to read it in one sitting but you will dread the turning of each page. This psychological thriller will stay in my memory for a long time to come. And the subject is simply motherhood. Not much can be divulged about the details so as not to reveal the plot. A young mother, Blythe, is expecting her first child. She soon realizes that her new daughter, Violet, is not bringing out her maternal instinct, only making her feel guilty and inadequate. Her husband does not see the problem and makes it worse by not being supportive. Years later, her son Sam is born and she falls madly in love with her second child. But you must read The Push to find out what happens. I recommend the book highly to readers of psychological fiction and family drama. It is a difficult read but is absolutely worth it. The characters are flawed but interesting, the plot is uniquely original and completely mesmerizing. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blythe and her husband Fox are expecting. He’s thrilled, but Blythe is hesitant as the women in her family have a history of being “bad” mothers. We learn about Blythe’s traumatic and abusive childhood and see how this trauma flows through generations of maternal relationships in her family.

This is a well-crafted psychological drama that brought out so many emotions for me as I read. It’s raw and will constantly have you questioning what you’re reading and your reactions to it.

Blythe can’t connect with her daughter Violet and doesn’t feel the maternal “ideal” that is pushed to new mothers. But as Violet grows, Blythe becomes more and more convinced that there is something fundamentally wrong with her daughter, while Fox makes her feel paranoid & unreliable with her feelings.

The Push goes to dark places and puts conversations about motherhood that many people don’t want to entertain out in the open. It’s uncomfortable, disturbing and real. It’s this realness that really makes you feel unsettled. This isn’t the boogeyman in the closet, but something so close to home.

This is not an easy read and will be triggering for some readers (I had my moments). But for those that are able, I highly recommend this book. I’ve included trigger warnings in the comments and happy to chat with anyone about anything specific.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC. Supporting debut Canadian authors is so important to me.

I was unsure about The Push for the first quarter to one third of the book. It has a slow start, but, stick with it because it becomes compulsively readable! After a certain point I could not put this down!

Blythe and Fox meet in university, fall in love, get married and decide to have kids. Blythe is initially nervous about this as her own mother was neglectful and abandoned her at a young age. However, she decides that she will commit to motherhood, and form a bond with her child that she never was able to with her own mother. Though when her daughter Violet is born, Blythe finds that she cannot connect with her in the same way that Fox can. She is sure something is wrong with Violet, but Fox denies her concerns and gaslights her. This novel is written as a letter to Fox, years after heartbreak and change occur in their marriage.

I loved the writing and found this story to be SO realistic and suspenseful. I could feel Blythe struggling and really experienced all of her emotions. It is a dark and heavy as it involves a troubled child, grief, postpartum depression and marital problems. It's not so much a thriller as a contemporary or literary fiction novel about motherhood. There are some shocking twists, but it is very personal and difficult to read at times.

Though I loved this book, I would have preferred less time spent on flashbacks to incidents in Blythe's childhood as well as in her mother's. I could tell early on that a cycle of abuse lead to some of the emotional aspects of Blythe's character, and I rushed through these later sections to get back to Blythe's current family drama.

I'm still thinking about this story and would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a page turner! Literally read it in one day! Blythe is the main character. It’s goes through the generations of the women in her family - her mother and her grandmother. Blythe doesn’t think she’s a good mother to her daughter Violet when she gives birth and through her toddler years.. things get a little easier when she’s about 5. Violet has some physiological issues that only Blythe sees, her husband Fox thinks it’s in her head. They have a second baby- a little boy and everything seems great, till it’s not. I don't want to spoil anything so that’s all I’m saying. Enjoy the book, it’s really good!