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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
never added any of my thoughts when i actually read it, but i think this is my least favorite megan abbott book that i've read. if i had to rank them in order of favorites, i think it'd go:
you will know me
dare me
the end of everything
the fever
give me your hand
the reason this one takes last place for me is because some of the things that happen feel just a touch unlikely, and it kind of took me out of the story. some of the events had me going, really? because the odds of it happening in reality were slim.
it was, of course, engaging and well-written, but i had a hard time suspending disbelief for some of the events.
you will know me
dare me
the end of everything
the fever
give me your hand
the reason this one takes last place for me is because some of the things that happen feel just a touch unlikely, and it kind of took me out of the story. some of the events had me going, really? because the odds of it happening in reality were slim.
it was, of course, engaging and well-written, but i had a hard time suspending disbelief for some of the events.
This is a 3.5 rather than a 4, and it was almost a 3/5, but I'll get to that.
This book does a great job as a character study of 2 characters over the course of multiple moments in their lives. Something happens about a third of the way through that in the moment I read it, felt so ridiculous (even though it was fully set up earlier in the book) that I almost put it down and returned the digital copy to my library immediately, it pulled me out of the plot that much.
And yet, I continued. Partially to confirm my hunches about what the secret that connects the two main characters was (I was right) and something I was sure that would happen before everything tied itself up (again, I was right). But as I kept reading, the book stuck to the level of crazy it had raised itself to, stuck with it, and nailed the landing. This one kept me turning the page after my train ride home so I could see exactly how things ended. I'm glad I stuck with it, even though it felt like this went to crazytown, because it stuck the landing.
This book does a great job as a character study of 2 characters over the course of multiple moments in their lives. Something happens about a third of the way through that in the moment I read it, felt so ridiculous (even though it was fully set up earlier in the book) that I almost put it down and returned the digital copy to my library immediately, it pulled me out of the plot that much.
And yet, I continued. Partially to confirm my hunches about what the secret that connects the two main characters was (I was right) and something I was sure that would happen before everything tied itself up (again, I was right). But as I kept reading, the book stuck to the level of crazy it had raised itself to, stuck with it, and nailed the landing. This one kept me turning the page after my train ride home so I could see exactly how things ended. I'm glad I stuck with it, even though it felt like this went to crazytown, because it stuck the landing.
It's time to admit that Megan Abbott is just..... not for me. Her books are at best fair-to-middling. They are too predictable. They are filled with people who concoct over-elaborate cover-ups for accidents and under-react when there's an actual murder. I definitely didn't care for the nasty undercurrent of 'bitches be crazy' in this one. There's always a 'twist' at the end which is meant to be a surprise but is so plainly telegraphed in the first few chapters that it just makes you roll your eyes.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first half of this book taunts you with a big secret that the main character already knows, which feels so forced since it’s written in the first person. The second half takes a completely unbelievable turn. I did not buy ANYONE’S choices even a little bit.
IDK how I really feel about this book and I don't think I'll reread it ever again but I'm glad it exists. This is ugly and fucked up and Diane's mom's letter at the end hit me like a punch in the stomach. Good stuff :')
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My only complaint about this book is that I read it too fast.
I've loved Abbott's work ever since I picked up Dare Me a few summers ago - all of her mysteries dealing with women in-depth, with each other and how the world treats them compared to men. Even though the main event that gets things going is almost always a murder, Abbott seamlessly incorporates feminist themes so well into the characters and the varying-in-complexity plot.
This reminded me of Dare Me in the sense that both focus on two women who, at times friends, tied together in a toxic bond that refuses either of them to rest. I did predictthe ending based on the ending of Dare Me - both Beth and Diane sacrifice themselves in a final move rather than continue on , but the moment still felt as full of power as if I had no inkling what was to happen.
Don't be fooled by the start-end reading dates (I got my wisdom teeth out in the middle). Abbott does this thing where you think you know what's happening, and she gives you a little bit, and then completely hits you over the head. Like You Will Know Me, I read this over a few sittings, determined to keep going once she had me in. Like all of her works, the plot isn't as simple as it's introduced, and I loved the way things came together in the end.
I loved all of these complex female characters, Kit and Diane interwoven in each other's lives, and Dr. Severin, their boss, all of their morals on the table against those of their male coworkers. I thought the study of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) as the background was fantastic - the same as gymnastics, and cheerleaders, Abbott focuses in on something inherently feminine to analyze her women. In this case, it's when we do horrible things, and what that does or does not do to our psyche, and where we place women in our own minds.
This reminded me of her noir - I think just because the actual plot was more similar to those than some of her contemporary books, though the setting is unmistakably 21st century. The ending punched me in the gut - but it hit so hard because of what Abbott construed before it. If this is your first Abbott book, I'd highly recommend it along with running through the rest of her bibliography.
This reminded me of Dare Me in the sense that both focus on two women who, at times friends, tied together in a toxic bond that refuses either of them to rest. I did predict
Don't be fooled by the start-end reading dates (I got my wisdom teeth out in the middle). Abbott does this thing where you think you know what's happening, and she gives you a little bit, and then completely hits you over the head. Like You Will Know Me, I read this over a few sittings, determined to keep going once she had me in. Like all of her works, the plot isn't as simple as it's introduced, and I loved the way things came together in the end.
I loved all of these complex female characters, Kit and Diane interwoven in each other's lives, and Dr. Severin, their boss, all of their morals on the table against those of their male coworkers. I thought the study of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) as the background was fantastic - the same as gymnastics, and cheerleaders, Abbott focuses in on something inherently feminine to analyze her women. In this case, it's when we do horrible things, and what that does or does not do to our psyche, and where we place women in our own minds.
This reminded me of her noir - I think just because the actual plot was more similar to those than some of her contemporary books, though the setting is unmistakably 21st century. The ending punched me in the gut - but it hit so hard because of what Abbott construed before it. If this is your first Abbott book, I'd highly recommend it along with running through the rest of her bibliography.