Book Review: "The Push" by Ashley Audrain

I don’t think I’ve ever had a more "Bookstagram Made Me Do It" book than Ashley Audrain's new novel, The Push. Seeing all the raves from friends I had such FOMO, even though some said, "Larry, I don't know if this one is for you!" But boy, did it live up to every ounce of the hype I had built for it in my head—and then some!!

“You know, there’s a lot about ourselves that we can’t change—it’s just the way we’re born. But some parts of us are shaped by what we see. And how we’re treated by other people. How we’re made to feel.”

This is a story about motherhood. It’s about the beautiful moments when you’re blissfully in love with this life you’ve helped to create. But it’s also about the difficult moments—the exhaustion, the pain, the fears, the sorrow and even resentment when you feel your spouse has more of a connection with your baby than you do.

But what happens if you feel your child doesn’t like you, and you’re not sure that you don’t feel the same? Is that even possible, or is it indicative of a larger problem you're having? What happens if you start to think your child may actually be dangerous? What if no one believes you? Are the things you're seeing really happening or have you convinced yourself they are?

This is such a tremendously powerful, suspenseful, slightly creepy book I stayed up until nearly 1:30 a.m. to finish because I couldn’t put it down. It packs quite a punch as you catch glimpses of three generations of mothers, each affected in different ways by the lives they live and those who came before.

I’ve read some good books so far this month but I hadn’t yet found a 5-star read. The Push sure did fit that bill for me. It’s definitely one I won’t forget anytime soon, and I’d imagine it would be great discussion fodder for book clubs!