Welcome to Litsy!

This was a story that broke my heart so many times. It was unexpectedly depressing with how real and raw this felt. It‘s not a happy story, which I mean I wasn‘t exactly expecting, but it never had any moments of levity. I loved this story and appreciated it for what it was but I don‘t think I could ever bring myself to read it again. The only thing keeping it from a 5 was the abrupt ending even though it was an expected end.

#BookSpinBingo

Be careful what you wish for. I wanted a book I couldn‘t put down because of my slump and that‘s what I‘ve got. However the more I read the more bummed out I get. Any books that deal with toxic mother/daughter relationships or perceived mental illnesses in those relationships, always hits me harder than anything else. There‘s another aspect I wasn‘t prepared for as well. As my husband and I talk about having kids, I always find myself having ⬇️⬇️

I‘ve only read 2 books this month. Man this year has just been awful for reading. I ended last year with 117 read and made my goal for this year 150. Only done 80 so far this year. Feeling kinda bummed about it. However I only need 2 more books to get the socks from #BOTM so I‘m gonna start this one tonight. Hope it‘s good enough to hook me right away since I‘m in a never ending slump.

The elusive Mr Frank is my reading buddy tonight 🤗

Such an unsettling build up and a disturbing end, in the best way possible. Excellent writing. I liked that the pace was so quick. I couldn‘t settle into the story. Much as Blythe could never settle into her motherhood role.

Although themes like generational trauma, weak men who trigger family disintegration, parental strain in raising children have been approached by many authors before, this thriller is still enthralling and disturbing. I found the ending to be both expected and unexpected!
A realistic drama which has probably been experienced by many...

“Marriages can float apart. Sometimes we don‘t notice how far we‘ve gone until all of a sudden, the water meets the horizon and it feels like we‘ll never make it back.”

“We could have counted our problems on the petals of the daisy in my bouquet, but it wouldn‘t be long before we were lost in a field of them.”

#20in4 @Andrew65 #readathon

I always enjoy a good creepy kid story, and this one did not disappoint! 🖤 #TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon2021 #LittenListen #spookoweenreadathon #Anywayyoureadathon

Next up! 🖤 #TeamSlaughter

151 of 2021. Book 2 of #spookoweenreadathon . Wow! This book was crazy. I felt sorry for Blythe. ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐

Pages read: 680

@TheSpineView

#Publishedin2021
#FallTreasures
#TBR
#BOTM

📚🧡🍁

Today‘s reading 🥰🥰

A BOTM book I‘ve been dying to read. 😃 I have big expectations for this one. 😍 LOVE the cover!!
#thepush #ashleyaudrain #botm #bookclub #

WOW! I really felt bad for Blythe throughout the book.

#Two4Tuesday #ThePush #AshleyAudrain

1. Yes

2. Ashley Audrain

Can you play? @Bookishgal71 @Twainy #BookNightOwl

I read this over the course of today, literally could not put it down! Blythe thinks there‘s something wrong with her daughter but no one sees what she sees, is she going crazy or are her feelings about her own child true?
I loved the ending to this one, it felt really satisfying
4 ⭐️

I heard good things about this one! Hopefully it‘s good!

The last line of this book!!!😱 What a great psychological ride! Without giving any spoilers I think this book deserves an epilogue that goes like this:
Everyone visits the main character and apologizes to her for COMPLETELY blowing off her concerns and she just tells them “I told you so”. The end.

I read a lot of books last month.
These were my favorites.
#Julywrapup

I absolutely loved this book! Yes, a bit twisted but an interesting read about mother/daughter relationships (whatever they might be) through generations. It‘s still got me thinking about my own family and the dynamics between the women over the years. Very thought-provoking.

Wow! The bad seed meets mommy dearest. The ending…….great read.

#julyjourneys #parentsday
@eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Reading this slightly disturbing book about a young mother while enjoying the sunset and a boozy drink.

So bananas 🍌& lots of fun. Modern version of The Bad Seed. I found myself having to put it down for short periods because my heart was racing!

Five stars

I feel like I held my breath when I started this and didn‘t let it out till I finished. The type of thriller that borders on true horror, because of its familiarity and how close it knocks on your own door.

This is intense, involves trauma/death of children, and is *not* for everyone. But was incredibly well written.

As I have been reading more about Attachment theory (since it‘s part of my thesis), this story really resonated with my research. When Blythe has a hard time attaching to her daughter because of her past trauma & lack of attachment with her own mother it leads to (extreme) consequences. The book touches on the cycle of trauma and how it can be hard to break from. People think that parenting just comes naturally but this book showed a different

Reading Envy Podcast Episode 224: School's Out with Elizabeth

Elizabeth is back, and on a school break, when she can read more of the books she has been meaning to get to. We also solve a literary mystery before the end of this episode.

Listen and subscribe:
https://tinyurl.com/ReadingEnvy224

#kindledailydeal got this one today 👍🏻
And The Offing - which looked worth a read.

#BookReport 27/21

A decent reading week with two more countries ticked off for #ReadingAsia2021. And I really liked The Push!

Is her daughter a psychopath or is she herself just unfit to be a mother, like her own mother was? And the mother of her mother?
This psychological thriller about nature and nurture kept me guessing and turning pages. Good!
#Doublespin

This is definitely a 3 star for me. It was just a retreading of books that have been done before, only they were better, Baby Teeth, We Need to Talk about Kevin, The Bad Seed. I couldn‘t connect with anyone especially our main protagonist who I had to spend all my time in her mind with her thoughts. Ending was predictable, I was hoping it would wow me in the end and make it all worth my wild reading.

This book looks at a young woman, Blythe, who has it all until she becomes a mother to Violet and motherhood is nothing like she thought it would be. It is intense, thrilling, and creepy and I didn‘t want to put it down (or stop listening since I read via audiobook). Explores nature vs nurture regarding parenting kids who show evil tendencies.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Does it get better?? I‘m honestly bored.

Is it nature or nurture? Having survived a shitty childhood with a mother who needed help she never got, Blythe feels ambivalent (at best) about new motherhood. She soon becomes convinced her daughter Violet is capable of evil. A fast-paced non-literary We Need To Talk About Kevin

I have read books on the same topic: The Fifth Child and We Need to Talk About Kevin the most memorable. This novel was full of dread and uncertainty, but I enjoyed racing through it. The writing isn‘t as literary as the other two novels, but it was very engaging. The question of whether the child is inherently evil or if the child is just poorly parented is a fascinating one.

Page turning. Heart pounding. Thought provoking. Yikes. At every corner I questioned who was warped. But I will let YOU decide!! Get this book! (I waited four plus months for the library hold)

Another June #botm pick

Super fun #bookmail day!

Not a traditional thriller, but a twisted and drama filled book nonetheless. I heard rumors that a movie would be coming from this debut novel and I would be interested enough to watch it. A bit predictable, but overall an important portrayal of pieces of motherhood that is often untold with difficulty bonding with children, anxiety, and generational trauma.

Im so far behind in my reading schedule!!! Looking forward to this page turner!

I couldn‘t put it down! Basically, you have to figure out if the mother‘s crazy and a product of lineage or if her young daughter is a psychopath!!
So good!!!!

Book 64 A psychological thriller about a mother, unable to bond with her young daughter, who questions her daughter's capacity to cause harm. It was a very gripping and fast read. Written in second person perspective as the mother addressing the father, the writing is a little awkward. Very enjoyable. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well didn‘t see me even enjoying it. And when I finished it I swear I looked like this 😳 for a good hour afterwards. It‘s not my typical genre but I wanted something different. Being it‘s the authors first book I am extremely impressed! 5⭐️s from me for sure!! #thepush #bookspinbingo

This book was very good. I liked a lot about it, but I have to say it was just so similar to We Need to Talk About Kevin and Baby Teeth and I liked those books so much more. They were just more satisfying to me. I do like that in this one it leaves you questioning things. I think this book will stay with me. I did think it was very well written and I wish I hadn‘t read the others first because I think it would have changed my opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a thriller unlike any I have read before. Blythe is a mother who begins to question her daughters emotions and actions. A devastating event takes place that reinforces what she is thinking about her own daughter.

Finished in less than 24 hours! I enjoyed it - it‘s tense and complicated but a fast read nonetheless. Good if you don‘t mind unlikeable characters, and potentially unreliable narrators. Steer clear if motherhood issues are a sensitive topic for you. #botm