It made me consider the importance of bonding as something that we can take for granted with children. There is definitely a lot of truth in a lot of it and many take-away points. Of course some of Blythe’s emotions are outrageous and so far removed from my own, equally the same with Violet and my son. The neediness of newborns, the struggle of toddlers… It all rings true. The honest portrayal of birth and motherhood is startling. I also liked the use of short chapters which matched the snappy perspective of Blythe. Although there is no time indicator for this, it’s quite a nice surprise to not know what to expect from one chapter to the next. Her account jumps from her own family, to her as a child and back again at intervals. It’s written so well and I felt like I was really inside Blythe’s mind.

The history and learning of how Blythe came to meet Fox and have their daughter Violet was great character building. Etta and Cecilia’s are told through third person dated intervals, which I felt suited the style and filled in a lot of the blanks and key pieces of information between the timelines and their relationships. I won’t give away why that is – you’ll have to read it to find out! Her account is in a matter-of-fact, descriptive style which I enjoyed and I felt drawn to her as a character (although I’m not sure I necessarily liked her!).

Blythe is the main character and her account is in the second person which I really enjoyed as it’s an unusual perspective to write in. The book is told through multiple timelines Etta, Cecelia and Blythe. The descriptions are so vivid, I could almost visualise the scenes in front of me and the raw emotion at times was breathtaking. The storyline was brilliant and the writing equally so. Where to start with The Push! I really couldn’t put this book down, it was a complete page turner! Dark, unsettling and unbelievably addictive. Is it her? Or is it me? Is she the monster? Or am I? Review He tells me I’m nothing like my own mother, and that Violet is the sweetest child.īut she’s different with me. I had always known that the women in my family aren’t meant to be mothers. But as soon as I held her in my arms I knew something wasn’t right. The arrival of baby Violet was meant to be the happiest day of my life. It’s dark and psychological elements cinched it for me and becoming a mother I’ve found myself more drawn to books where motherhood is a feature. As soon as I saw the buzz on Twitter surrounding The Push by Ashley Audrain, I knew I had to order it.

The push by ashley audrain synopsis