Push was the most disturbing book I have ever read. I thought A Color Purple was tame compared to this. I’m really glad this book was fiction although it scares me to think that things like this I’m sure have happened in the world. I feel like every harmful and hurtful thing that could possibly ever happen to someone happened to Precious. I think I still am severely disturbed by the idea that she was being molested by her mother. I’ve heard about girls being molested by their fathers and although the thought frightens and troubles me, I’m no longer as phased by it. The part on page 21 where Precious describes the sexual interaction between her mother and her still nauseates me. I first read it when I was in my bed about to fall asleep and then I had to get up and put a Disney movie on to take my mind off of it.

I was equally appalled by the description on page 135 where we hear Mama’s confession and learn that Precious was being molested by her father since she was a newborn. I can’t wrap my mind around this concept. I hated Mama. I knew she was just a character but I still hated her and blame her for the disasters in Precious’s life. Mama was jealous of her own newborn daughter when her father molested her. I can’t even believe the mentality of someone like that. It seems that her entire life Mama held this against Precious and enslaved her as punishment. Even the descriptions Precious uses when describing her Mama’s appearance are vulgar. She is fat, disgusting, dirty, smelly, greasy, eating a whole ham hock. When she opens her legs it reminds Precious of a can of haddock left open on the counter on a hot summer’s day.

The book is very graphic. Nothing is simply implied. And the broken English and Ebonics contribute to the pain of the character. After finishing this book I thanked god that I didn’t have to deal with any of the trauma that Precious did in her life. Ultimately it was a success story but Precious had to go through a lot of rain to find some kind of rainbow.

I think my favorite part of the book was the end when we got to read all of the girls’ stories written in their own language. This helped to further develop their characters and allow the reader to experience what they had.