This is a riveting novel, difficult to put down, especially with the short chapters which made me want to read just one more, then just one more, then just one more ...

I think every mother will be able to relate to Blythe to a certain extent, motherhood being such a momentous change in a woman's life and scarily different from everything you learn in books and ante-natal classes. I really felt for her in her isolation with everybody around her refusing to listen and failing to understand her insecurity.

It's difficult to say all the things I like about this book without giving away the plot, so let me just say that I was totally convinced by the characters, I was swept along by the relentless development of the story, and I loved the complexity of Blythe's personality told through the background story of her family, her relationships, her reinvention of herself to create the type of mother she wanted to be, and so many more aspects.

This is a novel to keep you on edge. After the terrible event that came about half way through, I was constantly waiting to see what would happen next. I was holding my breath turning the very last page to find out what the shocking ending would be, and having read the last paragraph, I wanted so much to know what happened next.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this remarkable book and I look forward to more from Ashley Audrain.

The Push by Ashley Audrain was a fantastic read! So disturbing on many levels and a very credible account of potential failure to bond, personality disorders, dominance and submission and the power of your history and life experiences. Wow! What a twisty tale. Did I love Blythe and feel sorry for her (& frightened for her) or was there something weird going on with her perceptions? I’m going to leave that for the readers to decide. Suffice to say- I found this absorbing and chilling - oh and God Bless Mrs Ellington (May there be many of those ) A five star read for me!

This is a 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 for next year! ⁣
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I have been hearing some really positive buzz around this book since it was announced earlier this year and was dying to read it! I picked it up this weekend and read the entire thing in one sitting. ⁣
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I would class this as a kind of literary-suspense and I completely understand the comparisons to ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ now (although, for me, the writing style here was much more readable). It has a similar feel, in terms of the psychological feel and the literary style merged. In terms of the plot, I was expecting a much different story, but I really enjoyed it. It was fairly fast paced and very suspenseful.⁣
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I will post a more concise review closer to publication but I really enjoyed this one. If you’re a fan of more literary psychological stories, I urge you to check this one out. ⁣
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A unique story which is truly tense and terrifying!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

heart wrenching and a honest take on motherhood in all its glory...for some its the best feeling in the world but for others its a constant struggle

here is a raw account of motherhood and how it can turn, hard hitting and punchy..not for the fainthearted as this is more or less a true account of how it can turn out...

gonna be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

This was a very interesting read, emotional and at times quite disturbing, the book flowed well with great characters and a well thought out plot. I would be interesting in reading more by this author.

The Push follows Blythes journey into motherhood, dipping into her own childhood at times. Blythe worries about her capabilities as a mother due to her own upbringing.
Her daughter violet is born and has an amazing bond with her father Fox. Blythe struggles to bond with her daughter.
She thinks her daughter is different but only she can see it.
It was an interesting read, difficult at times due to what it is about. I would recommend this book. Thank you netgally for my copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Blythe is the mother to two children and this is her story. The Push is an unsettling book that left me considering the impact of adverse childhood experiences on a parent, and the damage done to the child when a parent is unable to bond with them and love them as they should.
This isn't an easy read, but it is well structured and powerfully written. It is brutally honest and intense. I would definitely recommend it and hope some of my friends read it so we can talk about it.
Thank you to Ashley Audrain, her publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. #ThePush

Oh my goodness what a magnificent read. It was difficult at times due to the subject matter but hard to put down. I was completely captivated as the story unfolded. This was a beautifully written story from beginning to the very end. What an ending. Very impressive.

Written in first, second and third person narrative, The Push is a story about motherhood which (compulsively) reads like a thriller. Although I try to read broadly and diversely, I haven't read a book like The Push in quite some time and so I had to adjust to the pace of the plot, which, for what is essentially a family drama, felt pretty high-speed. The prose is compelling, to the point of being addictive- I read the book in under twenty-four hours, and I have a small child to care for- but who needs sleep?! The chapters are short which makes you reach for the next bit of information and overall provides an adrenaline-fuelled reading experience.
Whilst the read was a bit of a thrill, I didn't really connect with the subject matter and was really hoping for a different twist that would throw a light on some of the subject matter which I found quite problematic.
Audrain writes about birth viscerally and gives a realistic representation of the early days with a small child, but other aspects of the novel are quite far-fetched and it felt like often the most outrageous choice for the narrative to follow was being made rather than one that might be realistic.
Without doubt the book will be compared to We Need To Talk About Kevin, though The Push deals a little more with a history beyond the family in the present which I felt wasn't fully explored and like WNTTAK, this book had such a great opportunity to discuss the subtleties of motherhood, rather than turning to a binary conversation about whether children 'good' or 'bad' innately and whether its because their mothers are 'good' or 'bad', which was a disappointment, because I felt the blurb pitched something that was a bit more rigorous in its exploration of the nature/nurture debate.
Although overall the book wasn't for me, I can't fault the writing and it is a quick and immersive read that will doubtless open countless conversations in book groups.

I couldn't put this book down. I loved the short, sharp chapters, like little stabs in the heart. It was dark, but honest and truthful. I can't wait to read whatever Ashley Audrain writes next.

The Push tells of a young woman named Blythe who falls in love with and marries a man named Fox, although we rarely actually read his name - Blythe's narrative is largely addressed, in the second person, to her husband. And then they have a baby, Violet. And that's where it all breaks down.

Blythe's never been confident in her own ability to be a mother. After all, her own mother, Cecilia, failed miserably in the role, and her grandmother, Etta, was even worse. (We see snippets of the lives of both of these earlier women.) Cliché though it's now become, its hard not to think of *that* Philip Larkin poem, as woman hands on misery to woman. Only lovely childhood neighbour Mrs Ellington provides an example of good mothering.

Frequent comparisons have been made with Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin, which I've never quite been able to bring myself to read. The relationship between Blythe and Violet is disconnected, with the girl clearly preferring her father from early on. But is the threat and violence Blythe perceives in her daughter real, or does she see only what she subconsciously expects to? It's never quite established.

The Push is a fascinating and compulsive read, acutely observed and very well written. It's also hauntingly dark and disturbing at times, particularly the devastating event at its core.

Wow, this book was extraordinary! I flew through it in a day as I was unable to put it down. Blythe is our protagonist, she had a very difficult and complex relationship with her mother who ended up leaving the family home when Blythe was still young. Now a mother herself, Blythe is struggling to form a connection with her daughter Violet but she’s not sure if it’s her or if something is very wrong with her child.
Ashley Audrain has written a heart-stopping psychological thriller, I felt as though I was constantly waiting for something awful to happen as the tension is so high throughout. The Push is about motherhood and it’s many different elements, those women who did not want children, those who desperately wanted them but then are disappointed with the reality of the experience; the constant guilt of not being enough as a mother; the loss of the person you were before; the strength of love you can feel for one person and so much more.
The Push follows three different mothers, Blythe, her mother and then also her paternal grandmother. Each are shaped by their childhood experiences and I think that this is something that is magnified when you have a child. The only experience you have to relate it to the first time round is the experience you had with your own mother.
I liked Blythe as a character, the tragedies that she has to live through are horrendous but even in her darkest hours she keeps trying and hoping; she makes mistakes along the way but she doesn’t give up at any point.
I think this book is going to garner a lot of attention on publication, it is so well written and thought out. It would be a fantastic choice for a book group as there would be a huge amount to discuss within the story.

Where to start - nature/nurture/instinct/inherent evil. Heart in mouth read, Are children born innocent? Does a mother know her own child or is Mum going mad? Gripping and insightful read.

A powerful, medatitive tale of Intrigue, sadness and motherhood. The protagonist is a triumph with the author succeeding in creating a sympathetic and yet at times, highly unlikeable character. A sometimes shocking story, it never shies away from shining a light on the uncomfortable truth. I found THE PUSH both unpredictable and satisfying and would highly recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

There are 3 generations of women -who do not seem to be capable of loving or caring for their children .
Each of them have endured cruelties from their mothers -only to visit the same cruelties on their own offspring.
Can Blythe break the chain and give Violet -her daughter -the childhood that she yearned for as a girl - is Violet capable of a loving relationship or is it too late ??

Brilliant Read -loved it !

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC in return for an honest review

The Push is a book that I read in one day because I just couldn't put it down.

It is a complex and compelling tense family drama/ thriller about motherhood and it had me gripped from page one to the very end. The plot is original and the characters are very well drawn.

Readers who enjoyed ‘We need to talk about Kevin’ will probably like this thought provoking book.

Blythe meets Fox Connor at college, they become inseparable and later marry. Blythe’s only example of good mothering growing up came from their lovely, kind neighbour Mrs Ellington as her mother Cecilia is neglectful and distant and her grandmother even worse. Can she ever hope to break the cycle, become a good mother herself with those awful childhood experiences? Does she carry a ‘bad seed’ or with the help of Fox can she become the mother she’d like to be? The story is told from Blythe’s perspective, interspersed with background on grandmother Etta and Cecilia.

This is a very well written, powerful and gripping novel about motherhood and how naturally maternal we are. I like how the author shows the impact of daughter Violet on Blythe and Fox’s lives and parts of the storytelling are shocking, examining the nature versus nurture debate. At times the novel is brutally honest, Blythe’s pain and guilt are almost searing in their depth and so it’s an emotional read. Violet is terrifyingly fascinating and you feel the tension every time she’s around. Fox and his mother are interesting characters and you question just how much Fox is to blame when things start to go wrong. This is not an easy read as at times it’s raw but it is also compelling. There are twists and turns, it’s most definitely an intense rollercoaster and there are moments of suspense when you scarcely dare breathe. The end is probably predictable, it’s certainly not unexpected but it highlights how the close the characters were teetering on the edge of a precipice.

Overall, you can’t say that you enjoy a book like this but it’s thought provoking and very much with reading.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph.

I really wanted to love this book, I think it had some really interested & complex themes - I couldn’t couldn’t warm to any character, it felt very grey which I suppose what demonstrably how Blythe felt of her world, but it didn’t make for a great read.

I do commend the storytelling and the central theme - I could have done without Etta & Cecilia, I don’t think they really gave enough to the story, for me.

This novel dives confidently into controversial territory which suggests some people are not fit to become mothers because of their hereditary propensity to fail at it, potentially causing themselves grief and their child possible harm. It’s not an easy topic to explore. The picture is cloudy because the main protagonist, Blythe, is very much in love to begin with.

This makes her hopeful she can grant her husband Fox’s request to start a family. Her pregnancy delights him, yet gives her lingering anxiety and pause for thought. She is determined to bring their daughter Violet up better than she had been herself, but struggles to cope when her daughter clearly prefers being with Fox rather than her.

This is enough to unsettle her soul. As the story alternates between the present day, her own childhood, and the slowly unravelling history of her mother and grandmother as they became mothers themselves, it reveals how confusion still exists between nature or nurture in affecting the maternal response.

She tries so hard to be a good mother, and when they have a son she’s determined to shower him with love and do things differently. However, Violet’s attitude and behaviour towards her deteriorates. It culminates in a push that spins their world on its head with tragic consequences as it brings into question issues of culpability, pure accident or sheer neglect.

Desperate for her version of events to be believed, yet fearing she might have got it all wrong, Blythe loses her husband to another woman. He fails to support her and distrusts her care of Violet. Bereft of husband, daughter and son, she resorts to getting to know the new woman in his life without revealing who she is.

This is a dark, disturbing, challenging but compelling psychological thriller which throws up more questions than answers. The ending suggests Blythe desperately wants to make amends and is not as crazy as she might seem to others. I ached for her throughout. Grateful thanks to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow, this was amazing! I loved it!

I read it in a couple of sittings. Loved the characters and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. I really felt for the main character and was rooting for her.

I was disappointed when it ended - would have liked to have known more, but then that's the hallmark of a great read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read such a wonderful story.