Blythe meets Fox in college and soon they become married and start a life together.
Fox starts to want a family, and while Blythe has reservations she eventually decides to have a child, determined to be a better mother than she had.

This book is about motherhood, but the things you don't typically hear about.
The everyday life of being a mother, the fear of not being good enough, of not being able to love your child. It touches on so many points that I'm sure many people can relate too. Which makes it all the more a gripping read.

I love that we get to see points from Blythe, her mother and then Bylthe's mother's mother. It really adds to the story and you get to see a full picture of the behaviors that have been passed down.


I was intrigued by this story as a 30(something) woman who receives the typical pressures of starting a family I thought I'd find this interesting. I know this one will stay with me for a long time.

It's very well written, some parts are not easy to read and I found some bits especially to be quite emotional. It's a very intense read with plenty of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next awful thing to happen!

I didn't put this down, it's dark and twisted and I was hooked the whole way through. This is definitely one that I will be recommending.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the ARC!

Wow, what an incredible book! Powerful and thought-provoking, it makes for compelling reading.

Motherhood is supposed to be a joyful time with a mother falling in love with her baby at first sight or so society would have us believe... but what if the reality is very different? Something seems not quite right about your baby from the start, but is it your baby or is it you? This is the dilemma that faces Blythe when she has her first baby with her husband, Fox.

Dark and disturbing at times, heartbreaking at others, this book is well written with believable characters. It will keep you up late at night reading it and then keep you awake thinking about it.

I look forward to Ashley Audrain's next book.

I cannot begin to explain how much this book unsettled me, which as someone who loves a dark, gritty thriller, is saying a lot. Ashley Audrain has crafted a perfect psychological thriller, emphasis on the psychological aspect. I instantly set about trying to find other people who had read it so that I could discuss the way it had made me feel.

Reminiscent of 'We Need to Talk About Kevin', The Push explores motherhood in a challenging, honest and unconventional way. Littered with throwbacks to Blythe's own mother and grandmother, it is primarily the story of Blythe Connor's relationship with her own daughter, Violet. Having a family history that certainly involves a noticeable lack of maternal instinct and mothering from one's biological mother, Blythe is quick to analyse her own relationship with her daughter, which is quite frankly nightmarish. The ultimate question is whether Blythe herself is a bad mother or whether Violet is in fact the problem.

I found Audrain's writing to be elegant, provocative and compelling - it is a book to race through, barely coming up for air until you've finished. And my opinion of Blythe and Violet flip-flopped constantly during the book, perfectly highlighting the nuances involved in any mother-daughter relationship but ultimately leaving the reader well and truly shocked. I can't recommend it enough and my only complaint would be that there isn't any further exploration of what happens in the last few pages. Be warned though, it is uncomfortable and difficult to read in places, touching upon the death of a child and emotional abuse, albeit all very well handled. A stunning debut, solidifying Audrain as someone I will be keeping an eye on to see what comes next.

What a book this is, raw and unsettling but totally addictive,, The experiences of motherhood is different for every woman and this storyline which explores the mostly hidden unsettling experiences of some mothers is one which rarely has a voice.

I became a mother at a very young age and it signalled a complete change of life and focus for me. I was so lucky to have a supporting family which included my mother and grandmother. This book had me questioning how I would have found motherhood, if I had not had such a strong network around me. Also the nature versus nurture theory was put into question for me. I remember vividly going to hospital to have my baby, blissfully unaware of what was ahead of me. The descriptions of childbirth in the book were very authentic and not sugar coated as they sometimes are.

I found some of the plot disturbing especially as I am so close to my three children. I had a fear of dread as I read each chapter, coupled with sadness at how families can crumble and how being parents is such a difficult job at times.

This novel touched me, the writing style was fantastic, hard to believe it is a debut novel I would definitely recommend this thought provoking novel Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read it.

This is a book to read in one sit, but the unsettling feeling can stay with you for days. Very dark, and addictive, and many have already referenced the similar feelings and themes of We need to talk about Kevin.

I think the author is also touching on whether it nature or nurture that leads to her daughter behaving like she does and what ends up happening is a self fulfilling prophecy as a result of not being able to bond with her child and her own mother and grandmother experiences of motherhood.

I have to say I think this is a marmite book, you will either love it or not get it's attraction at all. I am very sorry to say I fall into the second category .I deliberately have been choosing books recently that differ from the ones I usually read with a varying success rate .it has been an interesting experiment, but I think I need to step away from reading books that are too different to my norm I am not sure that is is fair of me to try and read books like this and then end up not liking them because they are too slow, or in this case too depressing, and I just really struggled with it.I am really glad that most other readers seem to have enjoyed this book, and can only say I am sorry that it wasn't for me.

It took me a while to get into this book with the three different but depressingly similar mother/daughter stories, but the gradually increasing tension between Blythe and Violet had me quickly turning the pages to find out what happened. I mean it as a compliment that its "We need to talk about Kevin" for a new generation
Thank you to netgalley and penguin Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book

The Push is an extraordinary novel, part thriller, part an examination of motherhood. I read it in two sittings gripped to the end. It is the story of three generations of mothers and their daughters. Were they destined to be "bad mothers"? Reminiscent of "we need to talk about Kevin", the story of Blythe and Violet is central. Is Blythe an unreliable unloved narrator or is Violet unlovable? I found Blythe's description of childbirth and motherhood both authentic and heartbreaking. The book is foreshadowed with doom, it's round every corner... the final chapters are heartbreaking and moving. The end, a cold, hard slap in the face

I began this debut novel anticipating that between the pages lay a story that would aim to unsettle the reader to the core but I’m truly glad I picked this book up despite my trepidation and initial reservations.
The Push is a brave, powerful and often harrowing read. I would suggest that the reader needs to be in a robust frame of mind when contemplating reading this as the subject matter is at times intensely dark, distressing and sinister. However if you can in some way compartmentalise the emotions this novel will inevitably provoke then you will find yourself held in thrall to some exquisite prose and one woman’s chilling account of motherhood. It’s the kind of storyline that grabs you by the throat and refuses to loosen its grip, no matter how unpalatable some of these scenes are. My intention was never to devour this in one sitting but that’s exactly what happened!

With an epigraph that is poetical and an introduction (by a woman you can naturally assume to be the protagonist Blythe) that is utterly compelling I knew that I would quickly become mesmerised by this storyline that is narrated solely by Blythe. The way in which Blythe meets Fox Connor and their ensuing romance and marriage is beautifully recounted so the reader is lulled into a very temporary state of calm. And it is quite literally the calm before the storm! As Fox and Blythe contemplate starting a family, that fact she is relatively circumspect when it comes to divulging details of her own background is enough to instil in you a sense of dread for all that will follow.

No one can predict how they will react to their first born or to motherhood in general. It’s also fair to say nothing can ever prepare you for that life changing moment. A certain amount of luck comes into play in terms of whether or not your baby will be of the easy or more challenging variety! Keen not to ruin anyone’s enjoyment (and I use that term loosely) of this novel I’ll simply say that Violet falls into the latter category. Blythe’s struggles to love this little girl in the same way Fox does is just the benchmark for every dark and provocative twist and turn the author engineers as family life disintegrates around them.

Through the experiences of three generations of mothers the author questions whether motherhood is a social construct rather than something that is innate and biological, rejecting the idea that all women possess the necessary attributes to become good mothers. Blythe’s lineage is crucial to a storyline that challenges her belief that she is predestined to be less than a good mother, that history will continue to repeat itself and she’ll be powerless when trying to break this cycle however good her intentions. The flashbacks to Blythe’s childhood with her mother Cecilia and in turn Cecilia’s childhood with Etta provide ample reasons for Blythe to doubt her overpowering instincts that Violet may be more than just a difficult first child. Whilst these passages are difficult to stomach they vividly portray experiences that are integral to Blythe’s state of mind. Fox and his mother seem complicit in perpetuating the belief that his wife’s genetic make up is responsible for mother and daughter’s inability to bond as opposed to other factors, refusing to believe Blythe’s version of Violet as a baby/child. I know where my loyalties lay but what and who will you believe????

The Push forces you to exercise your grey matter, the nature versus nurture debate always at the forefront of your mind, which naturally makes this an ideal novel for book clubs to discuss. I envision some heated debate occurring up and down the country next year when this hits the shelves!

For once I totally agree with the marketing hype surrounding this novel. The Push is a most astonishing, accomplished debut which I’m sure will divide reader opinion in the same way Lionel Shriver’s We Need To Talk About Kevin did. Granted the ending is predictable but it still sent chills running down my spine. If you’re not easily triggered by the content within these pages then I’m of the opinion it’s a must read of 2021. If I could award this novel ten stars I would. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Oh, my God, this book blew my mind. I loved every word of it. I got so engrossed in the book I didn’t want it to end. The Push is gorgeously written, completely immersive and both light and dark at the same time. I didn’t really know what was going on in the book or what would happen next. The Push is the kind of book that leaves you questioning everything as you read. The book is narrated in the first person by a mother and her voice is very strong and all-consuming. I had to many questions as I read. How did Sam really die? Is Violet evil? Is it all in her mother’s head? What’s the truth? What are the lies? I got child with this one. Completely brilliant!

An incredible, thought-provoking novel about motherhood and the relationship between a mother and daughter. I found it utterly terrifying in parts and was gripped from the first page.

There’s a certain toxicity around notions of motherhood. I’m not a parent, but friends have spoken of the horrors of the internet forum Mumsnet, where everyone has 101 opinions on the only right way to raise children. The pressure on mothers is a particular and peculiar kind of scrutiny that fathers, by and large, escape from. It is mothers who are under the microscope, bound to societal expectations of unflinching devotion and dedication.

In Ashley Audrain’s debut novel, Blythe is all-too-aware of the immensity of parenthood. And whilst her husband, Fox, has a picture-perfect mother to model his own parenting on, Blythe comes from several generations of mothers who are at best absent, at worst abusive.

The narrative flips between the present in Blythe’s voice, and back through the generations as Blythe’s mother and grandmother chart the dysfunctional and disturbing accounts of their own childhoods.

‘We are all grown from something. We carry on the seed, and I was part of her garden.’
It doesn’t have to be the same for Blythe, though – does it? Putting her misgivings to one side, she and Fox have a baby girl, Violet. With the arrival of Violet, Blythe struggles to remember who she is – feeling that her life is now devoted to taking care of a baby who appears to love Fox but recoil from her touch. There’s an expectation gap separating the ideal – gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes – and the real, a baby who screams constantly. And it is this lack of a bond with Violet that Audrain explores unflinchingly throughout the novel. When the pair have another baby, and tragedy strikes, things spiral for them all.

‘Motherhood is like that – there is only the now. the pain of now, the relief of now. the despair of now, the hope.’
It was intriguing and refreshing to hear a story that isn’t often told; one that sheds light on a darker and likely more common than we’d think phenomenon. Audrain explores the guilt and shame that Blythe feels, and yet she is also an unreliable narrator. We are so deep into her psyche that we can’t help but question the way she sees her daughter. And yet by casting aspersions upon her lived experience, we are no better than the reams of people in her life who do not believe her, who silently brand her a hysterical woman, a bad mother.

The second-person narration in Blythe’s narrative, addressing her account to ‘you’, her husband Fox, is cleverly-done. I felt that the flashbacks to the accounts of her mother and grandmother were somewhat lacking – they felt like they slowed down the pace without providing us with that much insight, beyond ‘traumatic childhood.’ This is very much a psychological drama, rather than a thriller, and should be treated as such – don’t go into it expecting twists and turns, as major plot developments are few and far between – which doesn’t help with the pacing. I liked the novel for exploring a lesser-seen experience of motherhood, but felt that the reading experience was hampered by the pace and the lack of depth to the narrative.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Michael Joseph for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, though I did find it difficult to get to grips with the to-ing and fro-ing between the generational timelines. Hopefully I won't spoil subsequent readers' enjoyment of this compelling story by clarifying the writing format in my description so you can avoid having to return to previous narrative as you read.

Blyth Connor, once an aspiring writer, is writing a letter to her ex-husband Fox, an architect. This letter traces her relationship with him and their daughter Violet and son Sam, from her point of view. In between we have narrative also from Blyth's point of view detailing her relationship with her mother Cecilia and father Seb; also back a generation to Cecilia's relationship with Blyth's grandmother Etta - with her first husband Louis and second husband Henry..
Cecilia tells Blyth that the women in their family "are different". Whilst Blyth and Fox appear to be living a carefree life, Blyth constantly relives her own childhood and that which she knew of her mother's when Violet is born. Can she ignore an innate nature? Can she really become a loving mother?
From babyhood to toddler to young teenager, Violet reacts favourably only to her father, Fox. He dismisses or excuses incidents which clearly involve his daughter - to the point of cruelty, and indeed, maybe more. Violet becomes manipulative, is unemotional and cold towards Blyth. Both existing in an atmosphere of contempt.

This story becomes progressively dark and sinister with some devastating consequences. The women of the family aren't meant to be mothers - are they? Or is mental illness actually a generational trait?

You decide. It's a really good story. On film it might be classed as a "horror".
It's well-written, has believable dialogue, is atmospheric and has good characters.
Great Read.

A very dark & harrowing novel that revolves around the topic of post natal depression. Having suffered with this i found it very hard to read at times. However that is just my personal experience flowing in to the book. A good novel never the less.

This is such a thought provoking story!
It’s hard to review without including spoilers but it follows Blythe and fox as they begin their family starting with baby violet.
Blythes family past isn’t the greatest and you definitely get the impression that this impacts greatly on her life in the present.. I felt both irritated and deeply heartbroken for Blythe in equal measure.
Overall a good story and I’d read a second one if it was released 😁

Ashley Audrain's debut is a hard to read, multilayered, complex and chilling family drama, the worst nightmares viscerally and vibrantly given life, a psychological thriller that ventures into horror territory. It is a multi-generational examination of the dysfunctional nature of many families, where the role of mother is not all its cracked up to be, breaking under societal expectations of motherhood, mother-child relationships and raises the dark questions of nature versus nurture when it comes to children. There are echoes of Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin in the story that unfolds that looks at the life of Blythe Connor, her meeting Fox at college, a relationship that develops into a marriage, seemingly set for a dream future with the expectation that they will have children. As we are to discover, this dream is set to be shattered into a million tiny pieces.

For starters, Blythe has a traumatic childhood, and as is made clear within the narrative, we learn that Cecilia, Blythe's mother, and Etta, her grandmother, were problematic mothers, unsurprisingly leaving Blythe with little confidence in her ability to be a good mother. As she contemplates the future, Blythe has good intentions when it comes her baby. However, when she gives birth to her daughter, Violet, she fails to connect with her, is exhausted, as nothing pans out as she imagines. Fox takes little notice of her concerns when it comes to Violet, who is an utter daddy's girl, but not like other children, and harbouring less than warm feelings towards her mother. Is Blythe paranoid, too unreliable and flawed to be believed? Blythe feels completely differently when she gives birth to her son, Sam, now she has the unswerving feelings of love and connection, all of her maternal instincts have kicked in and Violet appears to have accepted him.

Audrain writes a riveting and tense drama that documents the terrors of a family disintegrating in the most appalling ways possible. I have to be honest though, whilst this is a thought-provoking read, if I had any idea of what I was going to encounter in this novel, I would not have chosen to read this, and I do not think it is a book for everyone, there are multiple trigger issues. This is a unsettling and disturbing book of damaged characters, mental health issues, and the realities of families, mothers and children that are far from society's chocolate box expectations. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

I couldn't get into this book at first. I took me a while but I started to enjoy it and the storyline. I often got confused whose story I was reading and had to go back to reread once it was made clear who was "talking".

It hits on a very difficult topic, post partum depression and exaggerates it. I felt like I was waiting for something to happen all the way through the book but nothing did which was a little disappointing. Other than that it was well written and different.

A dark, powerful story of motherhood that had me hooked from the start. Like Blythe, we're never a hundred per cent sure about Violet, and the tension of that uncertainty is maintained beautifully throughout. A gripping, thought-provoking read.

Really sorry but here is my honest review.

I read somewhere that this was going to be big in 2021. It may be, but for a good publicist and hype rather than the content of the book.

I couldn't put the book down. The story was told well up to a point and then just stopped.
There was so much build up and foreshadowing of what was about to happen but nothing did. We did get a paragraph at the end which we all knew was coming but it was such a let down. A real big let down.

Could of been an explosive cracker but was more of a cracker with the cracker snap taken out.

The Push is the story of Blythe, a woman who strives to escape from the line of mothers before her. Her mother and grandmother being women who did not want, nor manage, motherhood and the devastation they left behind which carried down to Blythe.

Blythe and Fox meet, fall in love, marry and then follows Violet, their eldest child. Blythe struggles with motherhood for years until Sam is born. There follows new struggles and devastations. Is Blythe able to move away from what seems her destiny to follow in her mother and grandmothers footsteps?

I started reading this book late on a Tuesday night and finished in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down and read at every opportunity. It’s an honest, raw description of motherhood that moves away from the typical happy stories that we get bombarded with. Definitely worth 5 stars!