The Push: Mother. Daughter. Angel. Monster?

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• The Push hinges on Blythe’s unreliability and thus her uncertainty about her daughter’s guilt. Do you believe that Violet is a killer? Did your opinion on her guilt change over the course of the novel?
• The Push was Ashley Audrain’s debut novel. Did you enjoy Audrain’s writing style? Why or why not?
• Do you tend to like thrillers? Why or why not? How does The Push compare to other thrillers you’ve read—particularly those that center heavily on women’s experiences, like Mary Kubica’s The Good Girl (2014) or Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects (2006)?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The Push suggests that society has unfair expectations of mothers while demanding relatively little of fathers. Do you think this is a fair assessment? How does it reflect real-world family dynamics you’ve encountered?
• On that note, how much responsibility do you think Fox bears for the novel’s events, and why?
• Evil or frightening children appear with relative frequency in the thriller and horror genres. Why do you think readers find this character type so fascinating? To what extent do you think children can be morally responsible for their actions?
• How would you react if you discovered someone close to you had done something terrible? Does reflecting on this change the way you perceive Blythe?
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