#BlogTour: The Push by Ashley Audrain #ProvidedForReview #5Star #CoverLove @MichaelJBooks @audrain #ThePush #BookHangover

The Push is everywhere!

Or at least I keep seeing it everywhere and I’m so glad I was invited to join the blog tour because I loved it. I read The Push in JUST two sittings, which for me is very, very unusual. I just didn’t/couldn’t/ wouldn’t (all of those apply) put it down.

It was a slow burn, character driven, open ended, dark, very dark and bleak look at motherhood. It left a mark.

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The Push is a dark, disturbing and raw look at motherhood and some of the more negative feelings that can surround being a parent. There was a passage – that I should have highlighted but didn’t – that really resonated with me, it was all about feeling less of yourself and more like only a cog/machine that keeps the family going, nobody needs you for you but for what you can do, i.e., clean the dishes, feed the baby, wash the clothes, cook the meals, hoover the floor, change the baby – the mundane. It tackled societal expectations of motherhood and how the role often fails to live up to the expectations. Blythe, as with many new mums struggled. And rightly or wrongly so she felt unhappy in her current situation. But she also felt a darker, deeper disconnect from her baby daughter than I ever did – it’s hard to give too much away without spoiling any of the plot. And I hate spoilers. But I thought The Push was utterly unsettling, sad and so, so very readable. I was hooked. Even a week later after I turned the last page I still find myself thinking about the book and the ending. That ending – WOW.

I would be surprised if The Push turned out to be universally loved – it was a book that didn’t shy away from some uncomfortable topics and the chapters dealing with Blythe’s grief at losing her precious baby was heart-breaking. I also think that I wouldn’t have felt as invested or as interested if I wasn’t a mother, or maybe that’s not quite true but a bit more grown up. I can’t imagine my twenty year old self enjoying it or finding it quite as compelling. But maybe I’m wrong. If The Push appeals to you then I suggest you pick it up.

The Push by Ashley Audrain gets the FULL 5 stars from me, but I did find it took a few chapters to get into and I thought the pacing nearer the end seemed a little off – small, small criticisms.

The Push was clever.

It was well written and the characters although they were not always likeable they were all very memorable. I was invested. I loved the small snippets of the story showing Blythe’s mother Cecilia and her great grandmother Etta. Anyone interested in the nature versus nurture debate might be interested in picking The Push up as it was a look at the multigenerational impact of dysfunctional motherhood roles on subsequent generations. As I said – it was clever, clever writing with an even cleverer plot. It was a book that left me looking around for someone to discuss it with.

I found this a really hard review to write – always another sign I loved the book. The Push just left me feeling a bit bruised, a bit sad and a little shocked – I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Blythe or Violet. Ashley Audrain left me wanting more and with a bit of a book hangover.

I believe The Push is going to be made into a TV series or film and I think the plot is very well suited, I will be watching.

Have you read it? Do you want to?

I received a copy of The Push by Ashley Audrain from the publisher – Thank you! It is available to buy in the UK now.