The Push by Ashley Audrain
Fiction/Psychological Thriller
2021 Penguin Audio
Narrated by Marin Ireland
Finished on November 25, 2023
Rating: 4.5/5 (Excellent)
Publisher's Blurb:
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.
Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. But in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter--she doesn't behave like most children do.
Or is it all in Blythe's head? Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.
Then their son Sam is born--and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she'd always imagined with her child. 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.
The Push is a tour de force, an utterly immersive novel that 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.
Oh. My. Gosh. I could not stop listening to this suspenseful book, anxious to find out what was going to happen next. Marin Ireland does a superb job with the audio narration, and I was enthralled with the story. The further along I listened, the more I wondered if this was going to be another Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. Hearing only her side of the story, could I believe in the reliability of Blythe's account of events?
Without revealing too much, The Push is a disturbing (and at times sinister) psychological drama, but it's also a smartly told narrative about motherhood (particularly that of a new mom), unconditional parental love, as well as the genetics of mental health, all posing the question of nature vs nurture. This is one to talk about and would make for a terrific book group discussion. Avoiding the usual tropes of this genre, Ashley Audrain knocks it out of the park with her debut novel. I can't wait to read her new book, The Whispers.
I haven't read a psychological drama in a long time, it s sounds very good. May add it to my '24 book list.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I took a long break from this genre, so it was pretty exciting to read one that was so entertaining and compelling. Highly recommend, but I should preface that with trigger warnings. There are a couple of incidents involving young children and accidents...
DeleteOh this sounds good. I remember when "everyone" was reading it and I didn't. But maybe I needed time. I can totally understand not connecting with one's child immediately. I figured there was something wrong with me for many days. But at about a week it clicked. I can't imgaine it going on and on.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I remember when everyone was reading it, too, but don't see any reviews by my personal friends to compare thoughts.
DeleteI'm glad you and your daughter bonded. It's obvious to us now, but I'm sure it was worrisome in those early days.
Thank you for this review. I'm glad to see how much you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I'm still thinking about the main character. I really did enjoy the story!
DeleteSo many people love this book! I think I stopped reading anything that made me tense or anxious during the pandemic. Now it occurs to me that I am still avoiding them...
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, I can understand the need to stay away from books that cause stress or anxiety. Between the pandemic and the hurricane damage, you probably don't need to read anything that makes you tense!
DeleteIs something wrong with the child or the mother? I remember listening to this one in 2021 ... the audio narrated by Marin Ireland is quite good. I looked at my review to see what I thought ... I liked it but maybe not loved .... https://www.thecuecard.com/books/april-showers-bring/
ReplyDeleteSusan, the child could probably be diagnosed as a sociopath. The mother was raised by a woman who had a neglectful mother and was also neglectful, but the main character (the child's mother) was not neglectful. She just didn't bond with her strange child. I liked it an awful lot, but it feels weird to say I loved it since there were some pretty disturbing aspects to it.
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