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dwinareads's review against another edition
3.0
In a word: YIKES. This story is a disturbing, psychological thriller about smart women, damaged minds, and dangerous secrets.
It took me a little bit to get into this, but like a lot of books, once the second half hit, it did not let up. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. There were a few moments that made my jaw UNHINGE, and I’m here for it! I also enjoyed the sciencey bits, it gave the story cold and clinical vibes and it WORKED.
If you’re a thriller lover, a feminist, and a fan of psychotic characters… this might be a good pick if you’re looking for something less mainstream! A solid read.
3.5 stars!
It took me a little bit to get into this, but like a lot of books, once the second half hit, it did not let up. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. There were a few moments that made my jaw UNHINGE, and I’m here for it! I also enjoyed the sciencey bits, it gave the story cold and clinical vibes and it WORKED.
If you’re a thriller lover, a feminist, and a fan of psychotic characters… this might be a good pick if you’re looking for something less mainstream! A solid read.
3.5 stars!
lauraborkpower's review against another edition
4.0
I read this on the heels of Tana French's The Witch Elm, and the two make a lovely pair: both stories hinged upon the infuriating reality that men don't listen to or believe women. And sometimes, tragically, other women are guilty of it, too.
And Abbott's story (my third first-person novel in a row; I've forgotten how good this p.o.v. can be when done well!) makes every woman a real, fully formed, sympathetic, and compelling character. No one is guilty; no one is innocent; everyone is real.
And the main conflict is embedded within a story about successful women scientists researching the severe effects of Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). So, that's awesome.
And Abbott's story (my third first-person novel in a row; I've forgotten how good this p.o.v. can be when done well!) makes every woman a real, fully formed, sympathetic, and compelling character. No one is guilty; no one is innocent; everyone is real.
And the main conflict is embedded within a story about successful women scientists researching the severe effects of Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). So, that's awesome.
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
2.0
On good grief, this book irritated me. In it, we see 2 bright girls rise up in their chosen field of biochemistry, from Podunk high school, to highly respected post-doctoral fellows. Along the way, one does something unspeakable, and when the other tells she isn't really believed (because adults be that way apparently). So when they meet up later, the potential for an explosive denouement is there in the back of your mind.
Except it doesn't happen. Sure something does happen, but it's in no way comparable to the original incident, and the reporter of said original incident has very little agency anyway. She is the epitome of Victorian victimhood feminism. Put upon at every turn. And don't tell me she has some form of imposter syndrome. She's worked her way into one of the most prestigious labs in the country from backwoods America. She beat ivy-league students to the position. And to get there, she's had to achieve this repeatedly. So no. She's just as ruthless as the rest of them, but if she didn't seem put upon, we'd have no story.
So, all in all, not fun. I really couldn't get behind the lead character.
Except it doesn't happen. Sure something does happen, but it's in no way comparable to the original incident, and the reporter of said original incident has very little agency anyway. She is the epitome of Victorian victimhood feminism. Put upon at every turn. And don't tell me she has some form of imposter syndrome. She's worked her way into one of the most prestigious labs in the country from backwoods America. She beat ivy-league students to the position. And to get there, she's had to achieve this repeatedly. So no. She's just as ruthless as the rest of them, but if she didn't seem put upon, we'd have no story.
So, all in all, not fun. I really couldn't get behind the lead character.
hollidayreadswithme's review against another edition
2.0
How should I begin?
I just finished this book and already forgot what the main character’s name was. Kit, I guess. I have so many issues with the characterization of all of the characters in this book.
Kit is a pushover. A giant freaking pushover. She keeps playing the victim and goes along with whatever Diane says because she envies her. Or because she has the world's lowest self esteem. There is this big secret that Diane tells Kit when they are seniors in high school and it severs their friendship because she is just not down with being friends with someone who does something like that. It’s hinted in the book what it is and the reveal is so ill-placed that I almost missed it.
Diane is the quintessential psycho. She is a product of her environment. Of parents who didn’t really want her. Does that turn into a crazy person? I don’t know. I don’t think so but Abbott wants you to think that. Diane is just unmistakably in charge of her own actions but acts like it’s not her fault. Nothing is ever her fault. She is so oddly managed. She’s all together and then she’s falling apart. She can’t move and then she’s got all this energy.
Their relationship literally makes no sense. Unless Diane has a big fat lesbian crush on her, but that’s not the case. It’s heavily hinted at but not confirmed.
The other issue that I had with this book was that Kit’s internal thoughts are just kind of ridiculous. She just goes on and on and it takes up so much space in the narrative, her making assumptions about people and about Diane and what’s she thinking. For someone so brilliant, she’s really stupid.
The book was also way too long for the overall plot, even the last page felt like I had to just be like “why”. There was nothing there except the full circle meaning of the title. Which at that point I didn’t care about. It should have stopped at the last twist.
I originally gave this a three star ebavsue the premise had potential but I’m going to rate it for the book that it was and not what I hoped it would be.
2 / 5 stars.
I just finished this book and already forgot what the main character’s name was. Kit, I guess. I have so many issues with the characterization of all of the characters in this book.
Kit is a pushover. A giant freaking pushover. She keeps playing the victim and goes along with whatever Diane says because she envies her. Or because she has the world's lowest self esteem. There is this big secret that Diane tells Kit when they are seniors in high school and it severs their friendship because she is just not down with being friends with someone who does something like that. It’s hinted in the book what it is and the reveal is so ill-placed that I almost missed it.
Diane is the quintessential psycho. She is a product of her environment. Of parents who didn’t really want her. Does that turn into a crazy person? I don’t know. I don’t think so but Abbott wants you to think that. Diane is just unmistakably in charge of her own actions but acts like it’s not her fault. Nothing is ever her fault. She is so oddly managed. She’s all together and then she’s falling apart. She can’t move and then she’s got all this energy.
Their relationship literally makes no sense. Unless Diane has a big fat lesbian crush on her, but that’s not the case. It’s heavily hinted at but not confirmed.
The other issue that I had with this book was that Kit’s internal thoughts are just kind of ridiculous. She just goes on and on and it takes up so much space in the narrative, her making assumptions about people and about Diane and what’s she thinking. For someone so brilliant, she’s really stupid.
The book was also way too long for the overall plot, even the last page felt like I had to just be like “why”. There was nothing there except the full circle meaning of the title. Which at that point I didn’t care about. It should have stopped at the last twist.
I originally gave this a three star ebavsue the premise had potential but I’m going to rate it for the book that it was and not what I hoped it would be.
2 / 5 stars.
jellyjello's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked You Will Know Me, but this one just left me cold. Spoilers ahead.
I found this book very disjointed at times, particularly in the beginning, to the extent that I sometimes had trouble following it.
The dynamic between the two women needed more work. I could understand Kit being freaked out by what Diane told her, but their relationship didn't seem fully formed to me. It would have made more sense had their relationship come across as codependent instead of one sided. Kit's continuing to be haunted by what Diane told her would make more sense to me had the two women had a very close relationship before the revelation. I would have preferred it had the book condensed more of Kit's opening narrative to allow more space to flesh out her relationship with Diane instead of just telling it in a few tiny flashbacks designed to lay all the pieces in line for the plot.
I very, very much disliked the explanation for what Diane did what she did. That trope is so tired. I'm dismayed by how often thrillers conclude with "because s/he was crazy" as an explanation. It's not only lazy writing, it's a damaging and misleading depiction of mental illness. The truth most of us don't want to acknowledge--and that so many authors of buzzy thrillers seem unwilling to challenge themselves to write about--is that most crimes are committed by people without mental illnesses for a variety of reasons, many of them mundane. I really long for mystery and thriller writers to write complex character portrayals that expose what motivates crimes rather than whipping out the "crazy" trope. Abbott obviously did a lot of research about working in labs, but I wish she'd spent more time on her characters and less time on lab details, something I know she's capable of doing because she did a much better job of it with You Will Know Me.
One other thing: I find it so annoying the way authors structure suspense novels of late, coyly hinting at some terrible, terrible secret for scores of pages before the big reveal. This technique works well when the hints are subtle, but when they're as obvious as they were with this book it's not hard to figure the secret out long before it's revealed. That cheats the reader of the payoff that makes the teasing worthwhile and instead makes the teasing annoying and tiresome.
I found this book very disjointed at times, particularly in the beginning, to the extent that I sometimes had trouble following it.
The dynamic between the two women needed more work. I could understand Kit being freaked out by what Diane told her, but their relationship didn't seem fully formed to me. It would have made more sense had their relationship come across as codependent instead of one sided. Kit's continuing to be haunted by what Diane told her would make more sense to me had the two women had a very close relationship before the revelation. I would have preferred it had the book condensed more of Kit's opening narrative to allow more space to flesh out her relationship with Diane instead of just telling it in a few tiny flashbacks designed to lay all the pieces in line for the plot.
I very, very much disliked the explanation for what Diane did what she did. That trope is so tired. I'm dismayed by how often thrillers conclude with "because s/he was crazy" as an explanation. It's not only lazy writing, it's a damaging and misleading depiction of mental illness. The truth most of us don't want to acknowledge--and that so many authors of buzzy thrillers seem unwilling to challenge themselves to write about--is that most crimes are committed by people without mental illnesses for a variety of reasons, many of them mundane. I really long for mystery and thriller writers to write complex character portrayals that expose what motivates crimes rather than whipping out the "crazy" trope. Abbott obviously did a lot of research about working in labs, but I wish she'd spent more time on her characters and less time on lab details, something I know she's capable of doing because she did a much better job of it with You Will Know Me.
One other thing: I find it so annoying the way authors structure suspense novels of late, coyly hinting at some terrible, terrible secret for scores of pages before the big reveal. This technique works well when the hints are subtle, but when they're as obvious as they were with this book it's not hard to figure the secret out long before it's revealed. That cheats the reader of the payoff that makes the teasing worthwhile and instead makes the teasing annoying and tiresome.
missyjohnson's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this at my favorite book store, Book People in Austin. It was on a staff recommended mystery section and is a signed copy. It certainly kept me interested as I read it very quickly. I enjoyed the backdrop of the chemistry and scientific research labs. I had never ready anything that had a focus on PMDD and how the menstrual cycle affects the brain. I could relate to entirely too many of the issues expressed. It got a little sloppy toward the end and I had to extend belief a bit. the psychological aspects of what we know of others and what we think we know, then what we make up in our own heads that motivates actions is an interesting bit. The author did do a good job of keeping it suspenseful.
youmeandem's review against another edition
4.0
megan abbott has a way of making you fall in love with the girl you shouldn't fall in love with because she'd ruin you completely, and yet here i am once again rooting for diane fleming over the book's protagonist kit.
probably because kit is a whiny bitch that doesn't deserve all the good things she gets even though she thinks she does and everyone around her seems to agree
but diane deserved much more!! who cares if she's a psychopath she still had a lot of feelings!!! maybe if someone cared about her she would've been okay!!!
probably because kit is a whiny bitch that doesn't deserve all the good things she gets even though she thinks she does and everyone around her seems to agree
but diane deserved much more!! who cares if she's a psychopath she still had a lot of feelings!!! maybe if someone cared about her she would've been okay!!!
veganheathen's review against another edition
5.0
Megan Abbott has such a way of captivating me with her books. She always seems to add those little details of things that are inconsequential, but stand out in your memory when you recall certain events. The way she writes is beautiful, with complex and realistic characters. This book was about a complicated friendship intertwined with relentless ambition.