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A review by storyorc
The Push by Ashley Audrain
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you haven't read/watched We Need to Talk About Kevin or any other books of that ilk, this will be revolutionary. One clear advantage this book has, however, is being written by a mother. Every intimate detail of birth and childrearing is put to work here to dig us into the pit of a soured motherhood which forms the cradle for the rest of the narrative. The Push cultivates a sense of mounting dread and paranoia that slips us right into Blythe's shoes as she tip-toes through her taboo heartaches.
Blythe's daughter, Violet, is the stand-out character, as fascinating as she is unnerving. She gains the most depth in her moments of vulnerability, especially when they align with the rare occasions Blyth wins the upper hand in their wretched dynamic. Near the end in particular, it felt that we were building up to some form of reckoning but the delivery on that front did not quite satisfy hours of build-up. Nothing changed as a result ofViolet's confession through the window. Also, I feel more clear lines could have been drawn between Blythe's intergenerational trauma and how that manifests in her and Violets' behaviour.
The plot lacked enough unpredictability to be classified as a thriller in my opinion. For example, it didn't even occur to me until reading other reviews that I was intended to question whetherViolet had murdered her playmate and baby brother. It could also have pruned out about 50 pages of miscellaneous life events as some of those vignettes only belaboured points that had already been adequately made. Also, I kept waiting for the cops to get involved with Blythe's pseudo-stalking but the consequences never arose. Wasn't sold on Blythe wanting another baby either. That said, what we got was moody and intense enough that I finished the book in a single sitting.
Quick appreciation also that every woman in this book is complex and treated with empathy, including the abusers and a character who, in another story, would be relegated to the ditzy other woman role. Highly recommend reading the testimonies of real women in Regretting Motherhood after.
Blythe's daughter, Violet, is the stand-out character, as fascinating as she is unnerving. She gains the most depth in her moments of vulnerability, especially when they align with the rare occasions Blyth wins the upper hand in their wretched dynamic. Near the end in particular, it felt that we were building up to some form of reckoning but the delivery on that front did not quite satisfy hours of build-up. Nothing changed as a result of
The plot lacked enough unpredictability to be classified as a thriller in my opinion. For example, it didn't even occur to me until reading other reviews that I was intended to question whether
Quick appreciation also that every woman in this book is complex and treated with empathy, including the abusers and a character who, in another story, would be relegated to the ditzy other woman role. Highly recommend reading the testimonies of real women in Regretting Motherhood after.