I didn't really want to read this book; however our f2f book-club wanted to. I could tell from the previews of the movie that this wasn't going to be an easy read as far as the topics. It was an easy ready as far as it was quick not very long. The subject is intense... but the character is interesting Precious becomes more herself as she learns to read and write. She has a voice and she eventually learns to use it. ( )

Despite all the horrific things that happen to the main character in this story, I always felt a thread of hope because Precious was so determined and resilient, so open to learning, and always fighting against her situation. I really came to like Precious and wanted to read more of her story. Unfortunately, the book goes far too fast, skipping over months, and giving us little more than the circumstances Precious was living in. I would have liked the author to expand on Precious's experiences at the alternative school, her interactions with Ms Rain and her classmates, how did she cope with her troubling home life, and what happened afterwards. ( )

I read Push when I was in the 9th grade and reading it a second time still didn’t change my view on how awesome this book was. It deals with child abuse so if that’s a trigger for you then I suggest you don’t read. My review may contain some spoilers.

The story is about a girl named Precious that is failed by the system. She is 16 years old, still in middle school, has a 4 year old daughter, pregnant again, abused by her mother, raped by her father (who is the father of her children), she is poor, illiterate, and HIV positive.

Precious is still a child herself yet she has to overcome all of this and try her best to push forward with the cards that life has given her. I couldn't imagine dealing with all of these things at the age of 16 and to me that made Precious strong.

The only reason why I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because I had a hard time believing that the schools truly didn't care. Growing up in Queens, NY I understand that the public school system isn't great, but Precious was purposely urinating on herself, she wasn't speaking, and she would come to school with semen stains on her shirt. Did anyone not report this? Things like this are supposed to get reported. Also she gave birth at 12 years old... why weren't the police called? ( )

This book was so very hard to read. I can't tell you how many times I teared up while reading this. This is about a teenage girl named Precious Jones who has been mentally, physically, and sexually abused her whole life by both her father and her mother and gets pregnant not once but twice by her own father. She is illiterate as well, but wants desperately wants to learn and to make a better life for herself and with the help of an amazingly caring teacher, she learns how to write and so much more. It really is such an emotional story! I give this 4.5 stars. ( )

This is a super hard book for me to review....
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First of all, it has every trigger warning you could imagine... Rape, domestic abuse, child abuse, incest, racism, homophobia, murder, self harm, suicidal thoughts, drug use, graphic violence, shame over body image... And the list goes on.
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This was some serious Misery Porn. And by that I mean everything bad that could happen pretty much did. Things are looking up? Kick you in the gut again. Does the book have a hopeful ending? Yes, but wrought with anxiety for the future. This book does not let up.
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It's hard to imagine that people like Precious exist, and yet they do. People who have been abused, raped, had their childhoods taken from them... whose families, schools, communities, and government fail them... who struggle, often in vain, to find a glimmer of love and hope. People who grapple with terrible, traumatic memories that overtake their mind and leave them disconnected from the world. And the fact of the matter is, a disproportionate amount of these people are Black. The system is against them. We need to change it.
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This book was so gut wrenching. I rooted so hard for Precious, and I did like seeing her learn and grow. But holy moly was it rough.
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**This is a book to consider for those who wish to diversify their reading list, with the caveat of doing so at your own discretion due to its graphic content** ( )