As a survivor of childhood abuse and trauma, I was looking forward to this book by debut author Ashley Audrain. It’s been described as a psychological thriller but it’s not that; it’s been described as an “examination of the expectations of motherhood and post-partum depression” but I don’t think it’s that either.
Audrain tackles inter-generational child abuse and trauma along with parental mental illness, and I admire her for it. Her writing is powerful, lyrical, and shocking. I loved every page of the book right up until the ending. I realize that this book is getting 5-star reviews everywhere, and I truly wanted to give it one, However, an enormous book that tackles BIG issues like this deserves a BIG ending–one that is commensurate with the entire storyline. 
I wanted to see Blythe, the principal character, triumph at least in getting some decent therapy. Her two relationships with weak and ineffectual men weren’t a surprise given her father, but she deserved to find a happiness of some kind near the end. 
Spoiler alert, but if Audrain wrote that high school ending in favour of possibly getting the book sold for TV or moviemaking, it ruined it for readers. It felt like a complete cop-out. If Violet is to get what’s coming to her, let’s see it on the page.

I don’t remember the last time I fell this deeply into a book, one that rooted itself in my subconscious, slunk in the back of my mind while handling my day-to-day, preparing for my son’s second birthday, icing cupcakes and shivering at where I thought the plot might lead. This was everything I want in a book: sharp writing, difficult muddy characters, psychological suspense, and a plot that seemed inevitably to be heading downhill toward a predictable dark climax but is still somehow shocking, heart-rending to the very last word.

I loved almost everything about this novel. I loved wading hip deep into the muddy minds of reluctant apathetic mothers whose inability to mother their daughters and various trauma are passed down generation to generation resulting in our main character Blythe and her daughter Violet who she just can’t connect with, and is it because of this disconnect that Violet becomes a more and more unnerving child, or was it in her nature, to become a sociopath? Blythe tries so hard to be a mother, and fails, fails to love her daughter how she needs to be loved, fails to be what her husband expects of her, and fails her own expectations. It’s only when she has a second child, a son, that she finds the instinct for motherhood, connects with and loves him in the way all mothers expect to love their child: immediately, fervently, as a part of you.

Then tragedy strikes. And in the wake of losing her son, Blythe’s marriage continues to fall apart, her life goes off the rails, and we don’t really know exactly what happened in the accident that kills her son Sam, although we think we do.

Every chapter is a heart in your throat exercise at walking directly toward the scariest shadowiest part of your mind and trying not to flinch, not knowing exactly what you might find, but knowing it can’t be good. I could not stop reading this book. It’s taking up so much space in my mind, turning over just how brilliantly it was executed, how much it resonated with me. I haven’t loved a book this much in years.

The rights have already been optioned for a movie, and it’s been done by David Heyman who did Marriage Story, so I can only imagine how good a film version will be. All the hype is well deserved. An amazing debut novel, from a Canadian author whom I’ll definitely be watching for in the future.

I really enjoyed this intense and unsettling exploration of motherhood, grief, and what happens when women aren’t believed. The Push is surprisingly gritty and touches on a lot of difficult topics, so it isn’t necessarily a book I would recommend to everyone. If you are up for it though, I think it is a well-written and compulsive read.

Delightfully disturbing. A raw look at motherhood and marriage, this tense psychological thriller was at times uncomfortable to read, but I couldn't look away! So many layers to unpack; nature vs. nurture, grief, truth, trust, mother/daughter relationships, etc. Recommended for readers of compelling psychological suspense or novels with complicated family relationships.

This book is like hitting a home run! Wow! Loved it! Now I know what all the hype was about. Did not disappoint. I will highly recommend this book to everyone!

This is a somewhat confusing book to read until you catch on to who all the characters are and the authors writing style. I also didn't card for how the book ended almost a cliffhanger. Other than that the story was amazing and kept me reading as the suspense was gut clenching.I think Blythe is a great main character and she really captured my heart, I can't imagine having to live with all the things she did. I liked her husband Fox in the beginning but even putting myself in his shoes, I felt he lacked compassion for his wife, but of course this is what the author wanted. There are some great supporting characters and some that really needed a therapist. This is the first book I have read of this authors but I would definitely read more.
I received a free download of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Geez Louise! I read this one with one eye open and one eye closed. I couldn’t put The Push down and I didn’t really want to know what was coming next. And finishing it left me in a strange mood. No point saying much about the plot other than it’s a tense tight story about motherhood. Is there something wrong with Blythe as a mother? Is there something wrong with her daughter Violet? No holds barred in plumbing the dark side of maternal self-doubt. Audrain knows how to write. There is depth to the characters and nuance to the emotions and story. But... I’m not sure what the “but” is. Bad mother and bad children books leave me feeling creepy, even when they’re well executed. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Canadian author Ashley .Audrain’s first novel is about, the realities of motherhood that many of us can relate to.

Although excited about having her first baby Blythe was scared.  The author intersect with memories of Blythe’s childhood depicting cruelty; her mother left when she was 11.  Would her daughter be like her and her mother?

After a difficult birth Blythe found it hard to love and take care of her daughter, she begrudged her life being disrupted and sometimes left baby Violet crying for hours because she was writing a book and didn’t want to be interrupted.

Her husband loved Violet and so Violet grew loving her dad more, and saying at times that she hated her mom.   If Blythe mentioned something negative regarding Violet to her husband, he always played it down.  As Violet grew Blythe became more and more paranoid believing her daughter was capable of horrendous acts.

A bestseller for sure, my only comment is the trasitions back to Blyth’s childhood are not alway smooth, but you do catch on.
Highly recommended.   For a first novel the writing is exceptional and once you pick up this book you won’t want to put it down.  So excited to see it made Canada Reads top 5.

This was an interesting psychological drama about some of the darker sides of motherhood that raises questions of "nature vs. nurture" and whether it's possible to break away from our past.  It was a very sad and twisted tale.  I was expecting more of a "thriller", but it definitely kept my attention.  Although the subject matter was difficult and parts of the novel were very hard (emotionally) to read, I felt compelled to keep reading.

I flew through this - it was impossible to put down! A very tough read at times, but I couldn’t turn away. Audrain’s short chapters really work to tighten the screws as the story accelerates, and even though I knew I was in the company of a potentially unreliable narrator, I couldn’t help but side with Blythe and her perspective. Knockout final line, too!

The Push is a story of a woman’s struggle to be a better mother.  This is a sad story and I wouldn’t recommend this book.

This book reminds me of the book, We Need to Talk about Kevin. This is about a woman that is so afraid of turning into her own mother and grandmother, that no one believes her when she says there is something wrong with her daughter. Some women should never have children. Sometimes hereditary can follow generations of families. Blythe felt from day one, that she had no connection to her newborn, Violet. Violet loved her father, Fox, but was miserable with her mother from the day she was born. Blythe, thought at first that it must be her. Her mother and grandmother, were horrible mothers. Maybe she was following in their footsteps. Then her son  Sam was born. It was so much easier with Sam. Fox still didn't see what she saw, concerning Violet.  The Push, is a truly remarkable story about family dynamics, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

This book has been getting all kinds of hype and honestly, I can understand why. I was totally intrigued from the opening pages. But make no mistake, this is not a happy book. This book is dark, gritty, raw, unsettling and deeply disturbing. But it was done so well that I loved it. It's a book that still has me thinking about it and it's one I won't soon forget. There are multiple trigger warnings in this book including mental illness, divorce, abuse and infant death. 

This book was written mostly from the perspective of the female main character, Blythe. As a new mother, she had a very hard time connecting with her daughter Violet. She was tired, stressed and felt unable to nurture due to her own traumatic childhood. But she was determined to be a better Mother than she ever had growing up. She was convinced that something was wrong with Violet, as she cried all the time and craved only her father's attention and as Violet got older, things only got worse. Then she had a second child, a son named Sam and she finally felt like the Mother she was supposed to be. But strange things kept occurring and her husband insisted she was over reacting. Suddenly a traumatic event occurs, calling in to question the behaviour of the characters. 

This was a compulsive read which explored the darker side of Motherhood. It also explored the relationship between a husband and wife. My heart broke for Blythe. It was a wild ride that was a times difficult and hard to read. I noticeably cringed on more than one occasion but I could not put this book down. It's hard to believe that this is the author's debut novel. This was a fantastic and thought provoking read and I cannot wait to see what the author comes out with next.

This book is about Blythe Connor, a woman who is determined to be a better mother than her own. But when he daughter Victoria is born she just can’t shake the feeling that maybe she wasn’t cut out for motherhood. Until her son Sam is born where she finally knows what it feels like to love unconditionally. Of course there is heartbreak and twists and turns along the way. I loved this book it kept me coming back for more. A great mix of past and present. I found myself really feeling for Blythe through the whole book. I could put myself in her shoes. Just read it you won’t regret it, I would recommend it to anyone.

Blythe and Fox have what is almost a perfect marriage. The only problem - Fox wants children and Blythe is reluctant. Women in her family seem to lack the mothering gene. Still, Blythe loves her husband and finally agrees. Her only hope is she'll somehow prove that she isn't like her mother and grandmother. But when their daughter, Violet, is born, Blythe can't seem to bond with her. Violet isn't an easy baby and Blythe feels guilty. On the other hand, Fox and Violet seems to have created an immediate attachment and Fox assures Blythe that she is just exhausted. But as time passes, nothing seems to get better between mother and daughter and the strain begins to affect the marriage.  For Blythe, the question she wants desperately to answer- is she the problem, unable to escape the bad parenting of the other women in her family or is there something terribly wrong with Violet. 

The Push, a psychological suspense novel by Ashley Audrain is one of the most highly anticipated books of 2021 and it's easy to see why. It is well-written and grips you from the very beginning. It is also Audrain's debut novel and what a debut it is.The story is told in the second person by Blythe mainly as if she is talking to Fox with occasional memories describing her relationship to her own mother and grandmother. The book is, at times, emotionally hard to read and more than once, I had to put it down just to deal with some of the happenings in the story but I was always pulled back, needing to know what happens next.

My one criticism - it was fairly obvious fairly quickly where the story would lead. However, given the impact of the rest of the story, this had a much smaller effect than it would have had in a less well-written novel. Overall,  despite the havoc it sometimes played on my emotions, it definitely kept my attention even late into the night. I am definitely looking forward to reading anything by the author in the future and recommend it highly.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

I read another review that said they expected people to either love or hate this book. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either, it was just okay for me.

I was expecting a psychological thriller but feel I got a character-driven story about mental health, the uncertainties of becoming a parent and the breakdown of a marriage. I could see where the story was going so wasn't really surprised with the ending. The story is narrated by Blythe and infers that she was writing a book about her experience but didn't really wrap up that way.

Others really enjoy this story based on the many 5 star reviews, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Hot Emotional Diggity Dang! If you haven't read this one, it is one you don't want to miss! Put on your lounge pants and lock yourself in a room because you won't want to put it down once you start it. It's one you will want to talk about!! It is a book I am so excited to share with everyone. I want to stand in a book store and hand it to everyone who comes in and tell them they have to read it. It has been a long time since a story has made me feel like this one did—that feeling of being spent emotionally yet completely satisfied. It's the best way to feel after reading a book.

We are expected or think we are good mothers, have the perfect children, and the ideal relationship with them, right? Well, Ashley Audrain boldly challenges that expectation here and shows us a compelling, complex story that explores the bonds of mother and daughters and motherhood's dark, uncomfortable, emotional realities. The things we hide, burying our heads and don't push by talking about it. She weaves a well-layered, emotionally intelligent story with suspense elements to create an absorbing psychological drama that is not to be mistaken for a psychological thriller. I went in thinking this was going to be a dark, twisted, entertaining psychological thriller and I started to worry it would go in the direction of those bad mother and psychology tropes and that the over thinker in me would come raging out. Thanks to my reading twin Jen who picked up on some things I didn't, I started thinking differently about this one. Thank you, Jen!! I had nothing to worry about! It would be easy for this story to fall into those harmful tropes; however, Ashley Audrain pushes for better here.

The story is told almost entirely in second-person narrative from Blythe to her husband, Fox. Ashley Audrain creates one of the best opening scenes I have read to set up suspense, a sense of foreboding, and an ominous feel to the story. I wished from the start I would have checked that thriller mind of mine and paid more attention to Blythe's tone to the story and picked up more of her feeling of self-doubt. Blythe is a relatable character and Audrain does a good job of putting us in her shoes allowing us to feel with her.

The title is brillant and worth thinking about and we spend some time talking about it and how it relates to the story.

There is so much more to this story to talk about, and so much I want to say, but I will leave it at this. I recommend this one to readers who love a well, developed psychological drama with depth layers.

This was a Traveling Sister read and one we all highly recommend!!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever read a story that stays with you for days? THE PUSH continues to occupy my thoughts and is one of those books for me. It is a compelling and tense tale about the dark side of motherhood that will consume readers long after the last page is turned. Definitely not for the faint of heart, The Push absolutely shattered me. The pathos that permeated the narrative was so heavy and at times became too much. 

Full disclosure: after finishing the book I was feeling unsettled and dare I say, low. And let me explain, I don’t mean that as a criticism at all—I was utterly captivated and given that I can’t stop thinking about it, it is definitely a book I would recommend and would read again. 

THE PUSH is a tense, page-turning psychological drama that is told through the lens of motherhood. It is about the making and breaking of a family, about a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for and everything she feared. 

Audrain’s debut is an immersive novel, a tour de force that you will read in a sitting. It will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed.

5+++ outstanding stars!

“A mother’s heart breaks a million ways in her lifetime.”

Blythe struggles to connect with her newborn daughter and worries that her own traumatic childhood has damaged her ability to properly bond and nurture as a parent.  She battles these thoughts on a daily basis and pushes herself through the endless stress-filled days of parenting a young child. Things seem to be easier once her son is born.

Emotionally draining and compulsively readable. This is one of the most intense and amazing books I’ve read in years.  I was quite literally addicted to this book....to this mother’s pain and her struggles.  I was rooting for Blythe.  My heart broke every time hers did which was a constant ache from start to finish.

The writing!  I don’t know how to adequately describe the beauty of the writing.  The writing flowed directly into my heart and had me feeling as though I was experiencing the heartache and struggles right alongside Blythe.  My connection and investment in Blythe’s situation was so strong due to the exceptional writing that I felt as though it was happening to me.  Quite simply — I was Blythe while I read this.  I have no personal experience with what Blythe went through but I feel like a changed person after reading this.  This moved me so deeply.  

This is not a happy book.  It is brutally honest and raw.  It will rip your heart out. It will make you feel the pain of a mother fighting her own thoughts and worries.

I know it’s very early in the year, but I think this will be my favourite book of 2021.  This will be extremely hard to top.  I usually move right on to the next book once I finish reading but the intensity of this one forced me to take a break to think and truly absorb the situation.  Major book hangover!  I feel bad for whatever book I pick up next....

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!

This is AVAILABLE NOW!

This story grabbed me by the throat from the first page and didn’t release its grip until I came to the end. I don’t usually read psychological thrillers because they really get into my head and won’t leave for days and days, and“The Push” did not disappoint. Written in the first person, I wondered from the start if the narrator could be trusted, or not. I won’t give it away — suffice to say that the author kept me in suspense and I could barely manage to put it down to see to basic human needs, such as sleep and sustenance. Highly recommended.