The Push, by Ashley Audrain {Book Review}

Did the #momlife come naturally to you? I definitely don’t think that it did for me…I know I had so many concerns, some that genuinely scared me. You may just feel like you have ZERO maternal instincts.  We may picture this newborn baby life to be picture perfect, and the reality can honestly shatter you! Also, I think our relationships with our own parents can probably influence our feelings as well. The Push is a novel based around motherhood, expectations, failures….and boy did it give me a lot of food for thought!

Quote from The Push:

‘This is pretty hard some days, isn’t it? This whole motherhood thing.’
‘Sometimes. Yeah. But it’s the most rewarding thing we’ll ever do, you know? It’s all so worth it when you see their little faces in the morning.’ I studied these women closely, trying to find their lies. They never cracked. They never slipped.

What is Push about?

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 you will read in a sitting, 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.

My Review

Storyline and characters

We are introduced to 3 generations of mothers in this book…. Blythe as a mother to Violet, as well as her own life with her mother (Cecilia), and then her mother’s life…with her mother (Etta). These scenes and stories really make you pain and empathise with Blythe. She obviously wants so much more from life with her kids, but is it genetic? Do the ‘good mothering’ genes just not run in her family?

The other scenario presented, is that Blythe is not the problem….Violet could be the problem. She may be difficult. Perhaps she’s inherently evil? Or is Blythe projecting and making things up?

My Thoughts

The Push, as a storyline and a plot is a breath of fresh air. A scary breath, but a breath nonetheless. The silent thriller so many mothers potentially live through. Audrey really captures the conundrum that is motherhood so well in this book! Yes, this child is my entire world! But also, my world is miserable many many times a day.

The writing flows well and it’s really immersive and gripping. Many times I found I was smiling, nodding along, remembering my own journey. This psychological drama/thriller this was definitely a page turner for me, a book I read in one sitting. It evoked a lot of emotions and also just made me want to have discussions with other moms. I actually did… with my book buddy Nadia who thankfully also read this book! (Check her review out over HERE).

Rating

The Push has a Goodreads rating of 4.22 stars and it’s definitely a 4 star read for me as well! A compelling and raw read that investigates the relationship between a mother and a daughter…. and the impact that that relationship has on other relationships. Add in punchy, short chapters, and we’ve got the makings of a page turner! There was one scene that absolutely BROKE my heart….but you’ll have to read for yourself to find out what that was! 😉 I can’t wait to read what Audrey writes next.

You can get your copy of The Push at all leading book retailers.

Disclaimer: The Push was sent to me by Penguin Random House SA in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.