#Netgalley #Gifted

Cut & Thirst is a short story from literary legend Margaret Atwood, of The Handmaid’s Tale fame.
I enjoy a quick read like this every so often and am a fan of the author, so this felt like a given for me.

Three old friends; Myrna, Chrissy, and Leonie, meet once a week to sample delicious cheeses, enjoy a drink, and reminisce about former professors, and later, colleagues.
Lately though, the conversation has veered towards their mutual close friend and former 4th of the group; Fern, whose health has recently taken a bad turn. The women feel a particular man is at fault for the way Fern’s life has turned out, and they start to plot their revenge on her behalf.

I loved the first half of this; I was hooked. Dark and witty, I loved all three women and was fully on board with their Shakespearean level plotting.

Sadly, the story ended abruptly and for me, it felt like a bit on an anti-climax after such a good start. I’d have loved a full, meatier version of this tale with some real revenge!
That said, this was an amusing and clever read, and I did fly through it. The audio was excellent. I’d probably leave this one until it’s available from borrowbox though as it’s so short you’d have it read super fast on your phone!

With many thanks to @netgalley and @brilliancepublishing for my audio copy of #CutAndThirst, available to buy now.

I love Margaret Atwood books and am a huge fan of The Handmaid’s Tale. So, I was easily attracted to this book, especially once I read the blurb and understood the premise. Although, I requested it without realizing it was a short story, that didn’t bother me once I found out.
I absolutely love a good plot with female characters and do enjoy well written revenge stories. In Cut and Thirst, four women meet on a weekly basis to discuss their lives and the past over drinks in a restaurant. Their conversation turns to plans to avenge their other friend, Fern, whose health is rapidly declining after a smear campaign by a fellow writer ruined her literary career.
Cut and Thirst wonderfully touches upon important topics like professional jealousy, ageing, friendship, loyalty, and revenge. The audiobook narration was well done. It was a pleasure to listen to the friends discuss their plans for revenge.
Overall, this was a quick and entertaining listen. If you enjoy revenge arcs with interesting characters, and love short stories, then this one is for you!
Thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very quick read and it’s fine as a short story, though probably not enough to stand on its own as it does here rather than as part of a collection.

I loved the premise of this but it never really gets to where it claims it wants to go, and while it’s charming and the dialogue is snappy, I thought it would be funnier, and was expecting a sharp and clever finish, which I didn’t really get.

It’s about a 20 minute listen on audio if you listen at 2x so it doesn’t require much commitment, but it also doesn’t quite deliver. It’s tough to do a revenge plot in such short format, and that’s evident here.

A little weird, a little dark, and a little quirky, this audiobook took me roughly 30 ish minutes to get through (listening at 2x speed) and kept me engaged from start to finish. I like Margaret Atwood's style of writing because I always think I've figured it out just to realize I haven't. A super fast listen that will have you laughing.

Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the gifted ALC.

I loved this short story Cut & Thirst by Margaret Atwood! It’s about three older women who hatch a plan to murder their nemesis. As they reminisce about the past they tell stories and the humour is superb! I enjoyed this book so much I read it twice. The audiobook narrator Joyce Bean was excellent! Atwood is such a great storyteller. I’ve enjoyed several of her previous books and I’ll continue to read her work.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the free audiobook.

✨ My thoughts:
It’s a very quick listen, I think it took me a little over an hour? Some of it was fun but I have a weird relationship with short stories. They’re either a hit or a miss and ultimately this one fell flat. I wanted more and it ended so sudden… I felt like I was being hurried out of somewhere. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, I just wanted more.

Happy reading 📖

Cut and Thirst is a blend of dialogue-heavy storytelling, wit and drama. It introduces readers to a trio of women who gather weekly to reminisce about their past lives as professors and to plot revenge against a group of male poets who have wronged their friend, Fern.

The writing is solid and occasionally witty. However, though it is just 34 pages, I found the story to be a bit of a slog. I never imagined I would have a negative thing to say about Attwood's storytelling, but maybe this one just wasn't for me.

I did, however, enjoy the audiobook. Joyce Bean was a perfect choice and voice for this tale.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing and Amazon Original Stories for access to the arc.

This little story from Margaret Atwood is perhaps more meaningful for the writers among us, but I found it absolutely delightful. From the characters (older women we don’t see enough of in literature, especially ones which so much intelligence and spunk), to the premise (let’s kill a few people), to the surprising and completely inevitable ending, I was completely engaged and amused. I loved these women, and hope Atwood has in mind to give us more of them. Thanks for the early listen. I will certainly be recommending it.