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Title details for Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott - Available

Beware the Woman

by Megan Abbott
Brittany Pressley
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
An NPR Best Book of the Year
By the "master of thinly veiled secrets often kept by women who rage underneath their delicate exteriors" (Kirkus Reviews), Beware the Woman is Megan Abbott at the height of her game.
Honey, I just want you to have everything you ever wanted. That’s what Jacy’s mom always told her. And Jacy felt like she finally did. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband, Jed, embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Dr. Ash, in Michigan’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive at the cottage snug within the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Dr. Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt.
But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy’s condition. Suddenly, whispers about Jed’s long-dead mother and complicated family history seem to eerily impinge upon the present, and Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it simply paranoia, or cabin fever, or—as is suggested to her—a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 30, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593742037
      • File size: 265154 KB
      • Duration: 09:12:24

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 6, 2023
      In this spine-tingling suspense yarn from Edgar Award winner Abbott (The Turnout), pregnant second grade teacher Jacy learns there’s plenty she still doesn’t know about her taciturn artist husband Jed or the family he rarely mentions—maybe a dangerous amount. The action unfolds during the couple’s summer road trip from New York City to visit Jed’s father, a retired physician, at his cottage on Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula. At first, Jacy feels transported by the surroundings and her father-in-law’s near-courtly solicitousness. (His brusque caretaker, Mrs. Brandt, is a different story.) But things shift when Jacy has a miscarriage scare and, in the aftermath, Jed aligns with his father’s alarmingly old-school notions about women and pregnancy. Rightly or wrongly, Jacy starts to feel like a prisoner. Manipulating the sense of menace like a virtuoso violinist, Abbott expertly foreshadows the wrenching family secrets that are exposed in a ferocious finale. Sinewy prose and note-perfect pacing make this a masterful and provocative deep dive into desire, love, and gender politics. Readers will be left breathless. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Brittany Pressley captures a young woman's fear as her world closes in on her. Newly married Jacy and Jed are traveling to meet his parents. On arrival, the parents are excited to learn of Jacy's pregnancy. But soon things start to feel off. Jed's father, Dr. Ash, starts to take an uneasy interest in Jacy's pregnancy. Jacy struggles to maintain control of her medical history, while Jed appears too willing to excuse his father's increasingly controlling behavior. Pressley's voice provides the perfect mix of mounting terror and rage. She creates a progressively suffocating environment that makes for a diabolical character and a very satisfying listening experience. S.P.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Jacy has the picture-perfect life her mother always wanted for her. She's newly married to a handsome man, has a baby on the way, and is traveling with her husband, Jed, to visit her father-in-law on Michigan's remote Upper Peninsula. At first, the visit is idyllic, but then Jacy has an accident, and things take a turn for the worst. Confined in the house, Jacy begins to feel suffocated by stories of Jed's dead mother and the weight of complicated family dynamics. With dangers all around, Jacy doesn't know if her fears are in her mind or if something truly sinister is happening. Abbott's (The Turnout) latest is a novel of feminist horror, relaying the stifling story of a woman who has lost her freedom. Brittany Pressley offers a pitch-perfect narration of Jacy, bringing out her optimism as a mom-to-be and her creeping horror as she loses her agency. She also provides distinct and effective characterizations for secondary characters. VERDICT A great fit for fans of psychological horror with social commentary, as it touches on autonomy and reproductive rights.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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