The Push by Ashley Audrain

Book Review

Just casually reading a book instead of the brunch menu because I could not put this one down. 🤩

What would you do if you thought your child might be evil? That’s essentially the premise of The Push. Blythe is convinced that something is wrong with her daughter, Violet, however, her husband is certain that Blythe is imagining things. When their son, Sam, is born, Blythe worries for his safety. While Blythe has no trouble loving Sam, her inability to love her daughter will keep you guessing as to the true nature of the distressed mother’s sanity.

Technically this is classified as a psychological thriller, but it reads more like a psychological drama. It certainly kept me guessing until the last page, however, the book also manages to deeply explore the complexities of motherhood and mother-daughter relationships.

If you read and enjoyed Verity by Colleen Hoover, this one is definitely for you… so long as you can handle the trigger warnings (see below). While Verity reads more like a traditional thriller, there are many overlaps between the two stories.

Shoutout to Viking Books for sending me this gifted copy. As soon as I heard the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it and it did not disappoint... although, it did leave me feeling slightly terrified to have children. 😅

TW: Difficulties of motherhood, postpartum depression, death of a child, suicide, adultery, miscarriage, neglect, child abuse

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

What was the last book you read that kept you guessing until the final page?