The Push

by Ashley Beegan

One teenage decision destroyed Louise Pendle's childhood and most of her early adult life. Now living in the city, she has rebuilt her life with the help of anxiety medication and loneliness

That is until her past comes back to haunt her. When she bumps into her teenage crush, she's thrilled that he wants to go for drinks. He isn't the only person from her past lurking around though, and Louise ends up face to face with the person who wronged her.

But both women are far more dangerous as adults, and neither will come out unscathed.

43 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2022

Reviews

[Nisha Joshi (swamped, will review whenever possible) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story about two girls - Rose and Grace - who are not the best of friends in school. After a horrific incident, both the girls move to different places and live different lives.

But their paths cross once again and they are not sure how to handle this situation. It seems old hatred dies hard.

I liked this story as it packs a punch in just 40+ pages. There are some switches between names that I am sure the author can iron out with some proofreading. The ending was amazing. The twist was superb.

This book was the perfect selection after a long book last week.

4 stars.

[Lin Perrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Ashley Beegan for the kindle copy in exchange for a honest review. Rose and Grace are just teenagers when a horrific incident tears their world apart. This story os full of twists and turns as their paths cross as adults. They have both changed their names and are trying to make a future for themselves. A great short read. Really didn't want it to finish.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teenager, Louise made one decision that changed the course of her life forever. She has tried her hardest to move on from that decision. Then she runs into her past and is met with the person who wronged her. Another decision is made that changes the course of her life once again.

This was so good but I wanted more! As a very short story, it is a quick and engaging read. It is something different from this author, and it’s a great plot line. I really wish it was longer. I don’t want to give anything away, but after the event towards the end of the story, there are so many questions left opened. Bravo Ashley Beegan, on another interesting read!

[Nirmal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in a book rut when The Push turned up, and it was exactly what I needed. Holy crap, I couldn’t put it down! I had no idea where it was going, and I NEEDED to know! And knowing it was a short book made it harder to leave unfinished. So I sat and I read… all of it. Unexpected twist. Totally recomendable. Happy reading!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a short read but packs a lot of emotions and feelings in its 32 pages.
I couldn't put it down until I had devoured all of it in one sitting.
The ending threw me for a loop. I'm now left with questions but I highly recommend this if you are in a book rut or need to cleanse your mental palette.
I'm excited to see what else Ashley Beegan has to offer. Enjoy!

[Stacey Feehley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greta short read with a plot twist! Left me wanting more because I got hooked into it!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick short story that can be enjoyed in one sitting. An interesting story with an unexpected twist. I would have loved a little more character development and maybe a little more to the story, but for a short story it was interesting enough and had me looking forward to the end.

[Gem Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish this had been more than a 40 page short story. It was interesting, but we didn’t know enough about the character’s to really appreciate the twist. Enjoyable enough, but needed more

[Vicky Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great short story. I'd have loved a longer version!

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested enough to read all but would have like more.

[Alysse Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick read ( finished it in less than an hour and that’s with me stopping to do other things quick).

I hate when there name changes and it goes from the * real name to the new name* then back again. That’s just me, I had to go back and skim it so I could understand who was who. Once u finish it, and go back and skim a bit then your like oh so and so is this one.

Not a book that really pushed me but it was also a short story. Over all the description of the story was spot on and very interesting

[Emma Schembri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by Ashley Beegan in return for an honest review.
This is a short story about a horrific accident that takes place among a small group of friends during their teenage years. Jumping ahead to their adult lives where two of the girls have changed their names, the trauma continues. It's a great page turner with twists and turns throughout, giving the reader a constant want to know more. It finishes with an open ending which leaves you wondering.

I thoroughly enjoyed this super quick read, and I look forward to reading more books by Ashley Beegan in the future!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this short story this morning. It’s exactly what I needed in between the 300+ pages of the other novels I’ve been reading.

I give this book 3.75 ⭐️. I really enjoyed the writing and the plot twist at the end. I loved the shortness of it as well but I do wish it was a little longer with a little more backstory on the characters. I will definitely be on the look out for more books by this author! Thank you Ashley Beegan for the free ebook for an honest review!

[Connie Charron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book a little strange and confusing. Storyline wasn't the problem, it was the jump from present to future that had me confused me. With the original characters changing their names it's up to the reader to figure out who's who. This is an author I had never read before. I will give her another read before passing judgment though.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting twist part way through. Short story with two well defined characters. I rated 3.5. It had potential to be a longer story as I was thoroughly invested in the after effects of the pivotal moment.

[Justis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick read.

A young girl moves to a new town and catches the eye of a well liked boy. What was supposed to be a day of fun results in a horrible accident. Or was it an accident? Their past comes back making them question everyone’s true intentions.

[Bri Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short story. Kept you guessing until the end. Looking forward to more stories and even more so to short short story collection someday!