The Push by Ashley Audrain had me intrigued, especially after seeing so many reviews praising it as an intense and dark psychological drama.
A quick synopsis: The Push is “a tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family – and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for, and everything she feared.”
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Viking/Pamela Dorman Books) in exchange for an honest review.
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The Push by Ashley Audrain: My Thoughts
I am SHOOK. This was beautifully written, devastating, and utterly engrossing.
Let me start with this: The Push is not an easy book to read. It’s dark and emotional, and it gets under your skin. But it was also nearly impossible to tear my eyes from the page. Legitimately gave me chills.
Essentially, this story is about motherhood and nature versus nurture. But it’s also about so much more. I won’t go into the synopsis more, because I think it’s best to go into it blind.
It takes a minute to get used to the writing style, but after that, you won’t be able to put it down.
I wouldn’t consider this a horror book, but it was terrifying all the same. I’m not a mother, but this felt SO real, like I was experiencing everything the main character went through. There were honestly moments where I had to remind myself to breathe.
I do recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading this one. I can’t say I ‘enjoyed’ this in the typical, pleasant sense (i.e. don’t expect too many warm & fuzzy feels), but it’s a remarkable, skillful, and shattering debut that I doubt I will ever forget.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars
Release date: January 5th, 2021
If you read and enjoy this book, you might also like her more recent release (that came out in 2023): The Whispers. It’s a domestic suspense novel about a group of families that live nearby, and an awful incident that affects all of their lives.
Be sure to check out these exciting 2023 thriller books, too!
A novel that I am now eager to check out after this review. The Push seems like a psychological thriller that will make you think and one I am now adding to my reading list. Thanks Taylor!
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s very well-written and such a gripping story.