Beware the Woman

by Megan Abbott

Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy has everything she ever wanted. When she and her husband, Jed, go to visit his father in his remote cottage, Jacy feels bathed in love by Dr. Ash, if less so by his housekeeper, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt.

Then Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, all eyes are on Jacy's condition, and whispers about Jed's long-dead mother seem to be intruding upon the present. As the days pass, Jacy feels trapped in the cottage, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is this -as is suggested to her-a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions to protect her unborn child? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Horror, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2023

About the author

Megan Abbott is the Edgar®-winning author of the novels Die a Little, Queenpin, The Song Is You, Bury Me Deep, The End of Everything, Dare Me, The Fever, You Will Know Me and Give Me Your Hand.

Abbott is co-showrunner, writer and executive producer of DARE ME, the TV show adapated from her novel. She was also a staff writer on HBO's THE DEUCE. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Believer and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Born in the Detroit area, she graduated from the University of Michigan and received her Ph.D. in English and American literature from New York University. She has taught at NYU, SUNY and the New School University and has served as the John Grisham Writer in Residence at The University of Mississippi.

She is also the author of a nonfiction book, The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction and Film Noir, and the editor of A Hell of a Woman, an anthology of female crime fiction. She is currently developing two of her novels, Dare Me and The Fever, for television.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware of the man who wants to protect you; he will protect you from everything but himself. - Erica Jong

Oh my god, this was terrifying.

As with the other Megan Abbott novels I've read, I'm not sure how to categorise Beware the Woman. Like the others, it is... sort of a contemporary about women and the shit we go through. But it's also dark enough that it sits comfortably in the mystery/thriller section too.

Though, going with my gut, it felt something like a horror to me.

It starts off eerie and unsettling. A pregnant woman called Jacy and her new husband Jed head off into the wilderness of Michigan to the place Jed grew up. There, a creepy housekeeper seems to lurk in every shadow, a mountain lion roams the forest nearby and everything Jacy's father-in-law says and does seems to have a hidden meaning that she can't quite grasp.

Even the mundane seems sinister in Abbott's hands. It's hard to know whether you're reading a contemporary about a young couple or whether you've stumbled into Rosemary's Baby territory... but it is damn effective.

What starts off as a nagging unsettling feeling gradually builds into a suffocating anger and fear. There is a point in this book where I was a living horror cliche-- edge of my seat, heart in my throat, holding my breath without even realising it --needing to know what happens.

There's no need for a plot summary beyond what the blurb tells you, but I'll just say that this book perfectly captures the suffocating feeling of being ignored, dismissed and controlled for your "protection" and "your own good". It's about men taking ownership of women's bodies and excluding them from the conversation about their own rights and needs. There is not a word strong enough for how frustrating it is to have a man talk over you and insist they know what you need better than you do.

This book was maddening and frightening, especially as too many parts of it didn't feel like fiction at all.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay! I was so close to enjoy this slow burn, creepy, claustrophobic, psychological novel! Feminism vibes against old school- extra traditionalism and extremely chauvinism approach was intriguing concept for me! Rebecca meets Rosemary’s baby theme crashes into an irritating house in the middle of nowhere theme also worked brilliant for me, too. The problem was abrupt ending. I felt like I got the wrong copy. I think that book needs a prologue that gives us closure we need.

That’s why I lowered my stars to 3 still solid, promising stars! The tragic story, the dysfunctional family drama were well executed. I found Jacy a little naive and Jed extremely unreliable. Dr. Ash and Mrs. Brandt gave me creeps.

Let’s take a look at the plot: Jacy has awful taste in men. That’s what her mother thinks and her past experiences also verify that assumption.

When she falls too hard for Jed: creative artist designs neon signs, she finds herself married with him in a few months and without waiting any further she gets pregnant. Jed thinks it will be good to her to rest at his estranged father’s secluded cottage and hormone fueled-confused- emotionally unbalanced Jacy accepts it! Oh Jacy why you let your man make entire silly decisions for you.

Dr. Ash-Jacy’s father-in law lives at Iron Mountain, with its bus-tling seven thousand residents, but two dozen miles further, deep into a dense, mossy forest that eventually stretched into Wisconsin. The secluded house is cut out from civilization. You may guess there’s also no phone reception and Wi-Fi cause her father in law is too old school with so many unusual thoughts about women’s place in the earth which should be urgently upgraded. He still grieves for his wife he’s lost during Jed’s birth( 30 freaking years) and their mysterious, prying caretaker Mrs. Brandt taking care of entire house.

As soon as they arrive at the house, Jacy gets frustrated of her father in law’s overprotective manners about her baby as if she’s not capable to take care of him/ her and she starts seeing different face of her husband Jed she is deeply in love with. Mrs. Brandt gives her suspicious vibes and their family friend Mr. Hicks thinks she shouldn’t be here!

Could Jacy put herself and baby in danger by coming this house? What kind of the secrets this dysfunctional family is keeping away from her?

Overall: as I told I had no problem with slow burn mystery but in my opinion this book yegen needs an additional chapter to wrap things up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM , G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

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[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan Abbott has outdone herself with her latest book and her venture into adult horror territory. Now don't go thinking ghosts, monsters, or knife wielding madmen, oh no, this horror is much more realistic making it even more terrifying.

Jacy, a recent newlywed and just going into her second trimester of pregnancy, goes with her husband Jed to visit his father, Dr. Ash, in upstate Michigan. To call this place off the beaten path would be an understatement. No wifi and no cell signal seems almost quaint and peaceful at first until it no longer does anymore.

Dr. Ash is charming, charismatic, and he welcomes Jacy with open arms, gleaming smile, and twinkling eyes. She can't believe her luck at having married Jed and now having Dr. Ash as her father-in-law.

After Jacy experiences a medical scare things begin to change.

"The finest woman has some filthiness in her. She can't help it. Eve's curse."

The sense of menace in the air is thick as sludge. The claustrophobia is palpable. The disorienting nature had my head spinning, wondering, what in the actual fuck is going on?!?!? 😵

I realize this book isn't going to be for everyone. It's weird as hell and won't appeal to the masses, I don't believe so anyways, but this was damn near perfect for me. If I had to compare this reading experience with another book then I'm Thinking of Ending Things is the first one that comes to mind minus all the philosophical back and forth. It's the feeling, the vibe, and all the what the fuckery Abbott so gladly puts her reader through that makes them similar. This one starts out on the slow side but, be warned, you had better buckle up before she puts the pedal to the metal.

The ending was fantastic even if it does leave the reader hanging a bit. An epilogue may have been nice but that is really my only complaint and not a big enough one that I'm willing to even deduct a star for it.

This book had me seething with my heart racing and my blood pumping. Now that's my kind of cardio! Beware the woman, indeed! ALL. THE. STARS.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group - Putnam for my complimentary copy.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was weird. I felt like a good 90% of it nothing was happening and when it finally started to pick up, the book ended. I wanted more from the ending. There are some trigger warnings about abortion and a few graphic scenes. I think the book was supposed to explore the relationship between mother and child as reflected by the mountain lion. However, I was not a fan of this at all.

Jacy and Jed were the fools that rushed in. They got married quickly and not too long after, they got pregnant. Four months into their new lives, they visit Jed’s father Dr. Ash. Dr. Ash lives in an isolated house surrounded by woods and ferocious animals.

At first Jacy is flattered by the reception she gets from Jed’s father and tries to ignore her husbands odd expressions. But things quickly get weird as Dr. Ash becomes increasingly overprotective and controlling over her. He becomes consumed with protecting his unborn grandchild no matter what the cost.

Beware the Woman is available May 30,2023.

Thank you to netgalley and penguingroup for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion alert. This book did not work for me at all. The flowery writing was meant to make this an atmospheric thriller but it made it entirely too long and even more boring. The weird parallels between Jacy and her baby to the mountain lion and her cubs didn't make much sense for me and added nothing to the story. I listened to this on audio and my biggest writing pet peeve was very prevalent through out the book. Constant repetition. Shush shush click, shush shush click. Or Jacy replaying things other characters had said over and over and over ad nauseum. I felt like nothing happened at all except Jacy observing all the sights, smells, and sounds around her with more adjectives than should be legal until the last 30 minutes of the audiobook where we get a Scooby Doo style telling of what happened in the past to explain what was happening to Jacy in the present. The ending was abrupt and not at all satisfying but honestly, I was just glad it was over. Thank you to PRH Audio for my complimentary ALC.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently at a 3.37 Goodreads’ rating?????



Seriously though. Haters, man.

My friends gave this high marks . . . which is why I keep my friend count next to nothing. I’m assuming everyone who disliked this is still busy creaming their jeans over the new Riley Sager. And the shout-out to Todd is intentional here. While I have developed an appreciation for his ability to make a mint writing knockoffs, Megan Abbott’s newest (although probably not inspired by it at all) gave me all of the creepy Rosemary’s Baby vibulations. You know from the start that something is up with Jacy’s father-in-law . . . it just takes a long time to get there. This one is all about the ominous feeling you get while turning the pages. It is a slow roller, but one that confirms why I pick up every single new thing Megan Abbott puts out. She’s amazing.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Off the charts Suspense!

The story starts off as a slow burn, but that only adds to the growing sense of suspicion and unease. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Dr. Ash plays an important roll and I questioned his true intentions, a very odd character.

What I liked most about this book is how the suspense is presented. It subtly builds, leaving a sense of unease. Trust issues come across strong and I kept questioning the true nature surrounding these characters. I am disappointed with the ending and wished for a bit more information to close it off.

The twists and turns are perfectly placed, ensuring that the tension keeps pace. I would have preferred a slightly faster pace at the beginning, but I do understand why Abbott crafted this novel the way she did.

[Kate Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosemary's Baby meets #MeToo as a pregnant wife and her doting husband come for a Fourth of July getaway at her father-in-law's remote woods cabin. At first showered in love and care from the two men, she comes to feel more and more like the broodmare for their cherished next generation, especially when a health scare gets them acting increasingly high handed "for your own good." Megan Abbott expertly layers the dread almost line by line in her signature noir prose, as her heroine's rage rises and the men's grip clamps down. I raced to the finish on this one, yet didn't want it to be over.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When newly pregnant Jacy and her husband Jed visit Jed's father on Michigan's north penninsula, When her father-in-law starts saying and doing odd things, is it pregnancy hormones or something more sinister?

I've largely fallen out of reviewing actual books since my son was born in 2019. Now that he doesn't require total attention all the time, I requested this from Netgalley and they approved. Netgalley still thinks I'm somebody, I guess.

I wasn't sold at first. It seemed unsettling and I was horrified to think Jacy would end up banging her father-in-law. Spoilers, she doesn't. The craziness comes in baby steps so things sneak up on your. Reading this on the heels of Lock Every Door, Megan Abbott succeeds with the psychologic suspense where the other book failed. It helps when the characters have some personality and seem pretty fleshed out.

Like I said, I wasn't thrilled with it at first but when I started sensing the wheels would come off at any moment, it was very hard to put down. Four out of five stars.

[Sierra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know why I do this to myself, reading Megan Abbott novels. The first one I read was “You Will Know Me,” and it was good enough, in terms of giving me something to read - my favorite of hers so far (although I’ve never read so much about a character’s deformed toe in my entire life). The next one I picked up was “Dare Me,” which was just awful. But I figured that one might have just been a fluke, so I went on to read “Take Me by the Hand,” (interesting in ways but ultimately a bit meh) and then “The Turnout,” which was better except for a poor ending. Then I checked this one out, Megan Abbott’s newest.

Y’all. Never, ever again.

As others have mentioned, the constant repetition was tedious. Especially towards the end of the book, it seems that Abbott indulges her penchant for repeating words simply for the purpose of making the story last longer. Jacy (ugh, that name) uses words and phrases over and over, almost obsessively, and does the same for quotes from stories or conversations that she hears. If these parts had been removed, the book would be a good bit shorter (and perhaps sound a bit less like a YA novel, which, I like a few YA novels, but only when, you know, the book actually IS a YA novel).

As for the actual story, I have issues there as well. Jacy’s entire personality was just.. her being pregnant. That’s it, that’s Jacy. That’s all you need to know. I guess there’s slightly more there, in that she has a good relationship with her mother - or is it not so good? who knows - and she is wildly in love with her husband.. when he isn’t violently assaulting her in bed and being a dick on their honeymoon.

The abuse by Jed, the husband, is never examined in any way. There’s no explanation, no resolution, nothing beyond the one or two stray memories that Jacy shares of those incidents. Similarly, it’s never revealed why Dr. Ash was insane, either. Why the creepy sexist bullshit and the “all women are worthless whores” mentality? Again, who knows.

And, since I’m from northern Michigan.. I don’t know if the author drove through the region for a single day and randomly decided to set her next novel there or what, but she got a lot of things wrong. It’s true that Iron Mountain isn’t a bustling metropolis, but if you are anywhere near that town, you definitely don’t need to make the long, long drive to Marquette for supplies of any kind. Like. Just head to Walmart, boo. Walmart is about all you’d find for shopping in Marquette as well, so idk what “supplies” they’d be hoping to get there really. And flying out of Marquette (the airport there actually isn’t even in Marquette itself, but research is hard I guess) wouldn’t necessarily be what you would do if leaving Iron Mountain, either, depending on where you’re going.

Also, little things were inaccurate, like descriptions of day trips to see sights that are nowhere near Iron Mountain, and would be long, planned out, all day affairs with a ton of driving. Miner’s Castle is not at all close to Iron Mountain, and some of the towns mentioned are definitely not in proximity to Iron Mountain either. I know, I know - Jacy is only “near” Iron Mountain. That doesn’t change anything.

Mountain lions don’t behave the way they are depicted here (CAN they? Sure, I guess. But are they LIKELY to?). I can forgive some artistic license on that front for the sake of a plot, but since this part really didn’t amount to much in the book it just kind of feels like more ignorance and stereotyping about wildlife in the Upper Peninsula. There are so many interesting species roaming those woods; Abbott could have at least picked something more common to the area, like a bear or coyote, to make this threat more believable. I know we’re supposed to connect the mountain lion and its cub to Jacy and her pregnancy somehow, but all references to that were a bit nonsensical and were kind of out of nowhere.

And let’s talk about the main demographic makeup of the region, shall we?

Guess what?

It’s Finnish. So, so many Finns. So many. Sooooo many (now who’s engaging in word repetition? Save me). And there’s even more people with German ancestry, I believe! I’m not saying there aren’t people of Cornish descent there. I’m not saying there’s no one else or that those other groups are invisible. Heck, I’m not even saying that aliens don’t come zooming out of the sky and settle their fancy UFOs to eke out a new community for themselves in between the scraggly pines deep in the Michigan forest. But I AM saying that you can’t throw a pinecone without hitting a Finlander in Iron Mountain/Marquette/Petosky/Munising/wherever Abbott thinks we are from chapter to chapter.

It’s about details. Research. Character development!

But, you know, Jacy is pregnant (in case you missed it) and her father-in-law really likes babies, so from out of the dark Michigan woods a thin plot is born (and kept on life support).


P.S. Cudighi is not pronounced “coo-dee-gee,” it would be more like “could-ih-gey” (ih kinda like if, and gey like key), and no that isn’t perfect but it’s certainly not COODEEGEE. I will not be okay unless I put this out into the universe, so there it is.

[Marybeth Taranow · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have dnf’d this book. I have read other Megan Abbott books and this was nothing like her previous. This was so implausible it made me laugh. The main character is so meek, I wanted to shake her at multiple points and tell her to grow up. But the one thing that drove me the craziness was how many times the phrase”she put her hands on her belly” was used. I really wished I had counted because I bet it was at least 75-100 times. It made no sense since she is thirteen and a half weeks pregnant and the baby is the size of a plum. There is no belly to put her hand on!!!!
As a pregnant woman at thirteen and a half weeks she and everyone else thought she was made of glass. This was awful.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 1⭐️

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Abbott never misses and her streak continues. I am not sure how to classify this, not really a crime novel, not really a thriller exactly but close to both of those. Maybe that old descriptor, A Novel of Suspense. Although, really, this novel and many of Abbott's novels I find are about the perfect slow burn of dread, building and building.

Jacy and Jed are two years married, still in the honeymoon phase, and once we know they're heading out to Jed's father's isolated cabin we know something is going to be Not Right. Jacy is 13 weeks pregnant, and while everyone is very excited there's an undercurrent of worry, since Jed's mother died in childbirth. For much of the novel everyone is kind and good to Jacy, and yet, there is still this feeling that something is off. Something is wrong. You just can't put your finger on what.

Gradually you can put your finger on it, and the way Abbott slowly takes us from "Oh what a nice person" to "Oh no this person is evil" is very well done. Most stories can't manage it, they opt instead for a reveal, for a villain to take off a mask and make it clear that everything that came before was an act leading to a nefarious end. Abbott doesn't do that. Instead she lets us slowly start to see what may be hiding behind what seems like niceness. And even better, you are never quite sure who is still being nice and who is not, whether you can trust this person but not that one.

There is also an excellent Mrs. Danvers-esque character here, a kind of housekeeper, who mostly keeps her mouth shut but manages to sneakily appear with some little tidbit at the best/worst moment. Is she the one ally Jacy has, the other reliable woman? Or is she trying to sabotage Jacy and lead the men to turn on her? It is impossible to say for much of the story.

Abbott addresses many present day fears and concerns here without buzzwords or hot topics, she gets at what's underneath. Sometimes I bristle at the pregnant protagonist used as a representation of vulnerability, while also representing the promise of new life, but Abbott knows exactly what she's doing and she uses Jacy's very real vulnerability to drive home the story. Being pregnant is terrifying, it is vulnerable, it is the time you are most at risk of violence and loss both from within and without and Abbott ramps up the stakes perfectly with all of that. (I will forgive her for having many of Jacy's pregnancy symptoms align much more with a woman who's around 20 weeks than one who's at 13.)

[Kate Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosemary's Baby meets #MeToo as a pregnant wife and her doting husband come for a Fourth of July getaway at her father-in-law's remote woods cabin. At first showered in love and care from the two men, she comes to feel more and more like the broodmare for their cherished next generation, especially when a health scare gets them acting increasingly high handed "for your own good." Megan Abbott expertly layers the dread almost line by line in her signature noir prose, as her heroine's rage rises and the men's grip clamps down. I raced to the finish on this one, yet didn't want it to be over.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yall this book put me through it.

As you know I often don't fully read the synopsis and it can go well or it can be a disaster....in this case it went well.

I feel like this book intentionally lulled me into a false sense of complacency. I was reading this book and I was kinda feeling like nothing was happening. I actually reread the synopsis at the halfway mark because I wasn't sure what the hell this book was about. I even considered not finishing it....and then before I knew it I was smack dab in the middle of a horror movie. Megan Abbott did that on purpose. She put the reader in the same headspace as the the main character. We were just minding our business when suddenly we were in grave danger.

I think it's best to go into this book blind. You need to feel the atmosphere and plot unwind around you. As I was reading this I kept thinking about the movie MOTHER! you know that super confusing movie starring Jennifer Lawrence. The plots aren't similar but the unsettling feeling is the same.

Beware the Woman is an exploration of a woman's right to control her body and patriarchal power. It's a haunting tale and it reminded me that I need to read more Megan Abbott in the future. This book is terrifying in a subtle way which I think is what makes it scarier.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Lord, I thought I had posted a review months ago. Clearly I did not. In any case, I devoured this wonderful new novel from Megan Abbott. A powerful, chilling, tale of a woman "kidnapped" by her own family because she is. . .wait for it. . .pregnant, and years earlier had had an abortion. The thriller is smart, timely, and -- like all of Abbott's book's -- a page-turning slow burn of a tale. Just fantastic.

[SVETLANA · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

Not my type of book.

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made me furious.

[Alwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow-paced, gothic piece that gradually shifts gears to become a breathless, psychological thriller. Artist Jed and art teacher Jacy married after a whirlwind romance, now she’s pregnant and they’re finally visiting his childhood home where his father Dr Ash still lives along with his housekeeper, the stern-faced Mrs Brandt. But once there Jed’s personality seems bizarrely different, obsessed with the memory of his mother who apparently died in childbirth, and soon Jacy has reason to wonder if she might be heading towards a similar fate. Megan Abbott’s novel is laced with familiar tropes, not unexpectedly since tales of brides who begin to wonder if their husbands aren’t quite what they seemed are a well-established subgenre. Abbott plays on this by deliberately including hints and echoes of earlier narratives revolving around suspicious husbands and isolated houses from Rebecca to Ira Levin’s Stepford Wives and Rosemary’s Baby although Abbott’s scenario isn’t ultimately as arresting as these. I also found her style off-putting at times, it tilted too much towards overwrought for me, the plot’s a bit overblown too, but Abbott’s ability to create an atmosphere of sustained tension and dread compensated for the less-appealing elements - by the time I reached the half-way point I was utterly gripped. Like Levin’s, Abbott’s work also features an underlying political message. Here connecting to the rise of a particularly controlling brand of toxic masculinity and the threat this poses for women, particularly vulnerable ones - her narrative’s an effective sideways commentary on the arrogant male attitudes towards women’s bodily autonomy that’ve contributed to the appalling restriction of women’s reproductive rights in present-day America.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Virago for an ARC

Rating: 3 to 3.5

[Lackof_shelf_control · Rating 4 out of 5]

‼️ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ‼️

ᴍᴇɢᴀɴ ᴀʙʙᴏᴛᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ɪ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴍ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏғғ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ʜᴇᴀʀ sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴜʀɴs ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. sʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴᴏᴜᴛ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀɴ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʀᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴏᴍɪɴᴏᴜs ᴛᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇɢ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ. ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴛ ᴊᴀᴄʏ ɪs ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀᴀᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ, ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀʟᴏᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴇxᴜᴀʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴛᴏɴᴇs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴᴏᴜᴛ ᴡᴀs. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴍʏ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ɢʀɪᴘᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴʏ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴏғ sᴍᴜᴛ. ʜᴜɢᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴜᴅᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ! ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴀᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴘʀɪᴀᴛᴇ ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛ ᴏғ sᴇx ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғᴇʟᴛ ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ.

ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ᴄʟᴜᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ 𝟼𝟶% ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ- ᴀɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ɢᴜᴇssᴇs ᴀs ᴛᴏ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴜɴғᴏʟᴅ.

ᴛʜɪs ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴏᴠ - ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴛʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠs ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛғᴜʟ ᴏɴᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴘᴏᴠ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ sᴇᴇᴍ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ʀᴇʟᴇᴠᴀɴᴛ - ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴄᴀʟʟʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ.

ɪ ᴛʜᴏʀᴏᴜɢʜʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴍᴇɴ ᴠs. ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴊᴀᴄʏ ᴡᴀs- ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴜɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜᴇs. ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴍʏ ɴᴇᴡ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ʙʏ ᴛʜɪs ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ.


📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @ᴘᴜᴛɴᴀᴍʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀɴᴅ @ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

[Alisonbookreviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I didn't get this book.
Jaycee is pregnant and married to Jed. They decide to go and stay with his Dad for a while in a remote area.
Each day was repetitive to me with a mediocre ending.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you have ever read any gothic fiction or even seen a woman-in-peril Lifetime movie, then you don't need to spend time with this book. At every unsurprising plot point, I could think of other books and movies that had done it better. This book, on the other hand, was tedious and flat.

It's never good when a book starts with a protagonist monologuing about their worldview. This thin, lifeless character was shocked to learn -- in her 30s -- that some white men feel things like shame and doubt and other normal human emotions. (All of the feminist themes were heavy-handed and felt more #girlboss than actual feminism.) Why this couldn't have been three scenes to get me invested into the characters, I don't know. Possibly because whenever the characters are alone, they just have rough sex instead of anything that really gives them dimension. The characters don't get more interesting.

Then there was the plot, which thought it was clever, but only if you think a maze on a diner kid's menu is clever. The protagonist came across as paranoid because she assumed everything happening or being discussed was about her. It was because that furthered the plot, but it felt inorganic. Why couldn't the characters in the know just be up front with her? Because plot. Why did she keep forgetting key details? Because plot.

Some of my favorite bits of poetic language in this novel:
"...cracking his knuckles raw."
"His teeth were like little bones."
"The mountain lion moved like a wild thing."
And I didn't even bother to record the number of times something was awkwardly mentioned twice like, "I pointed the gun to the ground and then dropped it on the ground."

This author has a doctorate in literature.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honey, she said, we all marry strangers.

This is Abbott back to her taut, tense, menacing best as this book mashes up a modern version of Rosemary's Baby with a whole Gothic tradition that puts women in jeopardy from the predations of men - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and The Yellow Wallpaper were especially prominent for me. I also felt traces of Rebecca, Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories as dreams and nightmares merge with memories, and an old Dickens story takes on an eerie life within this book.

Alongside the more fantastical elements which Abbott tames to make them feel realistic within the confines of the book, there are also insights into mother-daughter, father-son relationships. This didn't quite get a 5-star rating as at times the slow burn becomes a bit too glacial. Also the denouement requires some changes in personality from characters which were way too convenient.

Nevertheless, one of the punctuating phrases comes from the cynical view of Jacey's mother: 'Honey, we all marry strangers.' And there's probably nothing scarier in real life than that.

Many thanks to Little Brown/Virago for an ARC via NetGalley

[Ranjini Shankar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ick this didn’t work for me. The writing style made me uncomfortable, the story is weird and nothing happens for a very long time. I couldn’t wait for it to be done.

The Tory follows Jacy and Jed who have gotten married quickly and had a child quickly and are now headed to Jed’s father’s place for a visit. Things start going weird and Jacy is suspicious of Jed’s dad’s intentions but has no one to turn to.

I just don’t need a 300 page reminder of creepy patriarchy. I’d rather it have been a 300 page book on how she defeated the patriarchy but that’s not what we have. Even at the end she doesn’t really save herself, it just happens to her. Don’t even get my started on the style of this book with no quotation marks, weird repetition and ridiculous prose that made me want to scream. Clearly not a good fit for me .

[Carla Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

09/2023

I guess no state could be more Gothic than the state of pregnancy. So female, so Terrifying. Productive yet Claustrophobic, everything is happening inside the body. I appreciated the reference to the Yellow Wallpaper.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho ly

I swallowed this down in a day, with my heart in my throat.

[Liza Franklin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%. I cannot hear one more description of her touching her belly. I can’t.

[Theo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book about some pregnant lady who likes to burble her words, eat copious amounts of fish, and have anal sex. It was exhausting and tedious to read her gushing for pages and pages and pages about how wonderful everything was. It was a third of a way into the book before anything but gushing occurred. I didn’t have to Google to check if the author had an MFA/PhD in Lit. I knew.

I was so confused about how pregnant the narrator was. SO CONFUSED. She said 13 weeks but then the DOCTOR she was staying with asked if the baby was moving ???? And there was so much focus on her belly, it seemed as though she was trundling around with a huge stomach. So then I thought, okay, I guess she’s 13 weeks from her due date. But then she finally said something about barely being in her second trimester. I was totally gobsmacked. I was also confused about how long the couple had been together. It was described as a short time, something about each day learning someone new about each other. But they’ve been together over two years, so I’m not sure how they’re both so oblivious.

There were a lot of puzzling word choices, thanks to higher education. Like, what does a “clean voice” sound like? She “rested her hands on her womb”??? That doesn’t sound appropriate for general company. “Wishing for more milk like a four year old”? What? “His cologne whispering in my ear”. Ehhh? Language was juggled to make it seem more interesting, I suppose. She’s not sweaty, she’s “sweat wetted”. Everything was wet and sticky. And everyone had a chipped tooth.

I found this book very boring and the writing overwrought. I started to roll my eyes every time I read the words “wet”, “sticky”, and hands on bellies. I rolled my eyes a LOT. I finally decided I couldn’t stand it another minute with the forty-hundredth “hand on the belly”, a bit past the midway point. It’s so rare I do this but I just DNF’d this.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope.

Also why is the female version of the Incredible Hulk on the cover? She looks like a plant…Poison Ivy dupe? Is this supposed to be the main character who is a HUMAN pregnant mother ?

Initial thoughts… more to come when I can figure out what I just read.

💭Did anyone read this and love it? If so can you let me know what you enjoyed?

#bewarethewoman #meganabbott #newrelease #newbookrelease #bookreview

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abbott's latest brings the reader to the Upper Peninsula where a pregnant woman and her new husband stay with his father. She feels trapped, out of control, and uncomfortable. Much of the book is given over to her growing sense of creepinesses and the weird environment she finds herself in. Nevertheless, this novel (which perhaps should be only a novella) is not quite in the same universe as Abbott’s other work.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m struggling with how exactly to feel about this, so I think I’m settling at a solid 3 stars (it was a 4 star until the ending). It’s difficult to give this a genre or really know what type of audience to recommend this book to, but I would say the most similar thing that I’ve read recently would be something like Nightbitch, although this one doesn’t really get ‘weird’. It’s a slow build literary psychological story with hints of thriller and horror but it never really commits to either - as a result, it seemed like lots of build for little pay off at the end.

I did enjoy following the story of Jacy and the mystery of why her husband, father-in-law and cohorts were acting so strangely about her pregnancy. she instantly begins to feel distrust and paranoia towards them and so it’s interesting as a reader to try and figure out if there’s actually something more going on. The one thing I really enjoyed about this book was Abbott’s writing- she really took us down the rabbit hole of feelings that Jacy was experiencing. I think that’s one reason why I am underwhelmed with how the story ultimately fleshed out. I personally was hoping it would just go off into the deep end of weird/speculative, but it ultimately doesn’t. It’s also a very feminist story which I appreciate; however, I just thought a lot of the points it was trying to make were a little too on the nose