Kit is a scientist on the brink of achieving career success when the sudden appearance of an old friend throws everything into chaos. Kit knows Diane is a brilliant scientist but she also knows her secrets--and some of them are terrifying. As the past encroaches on the present, Kit begins to suspect that her life is in danger.

I was generously offered an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an objective review.

Megan Abbott is one of those rare authors who manages to do many things equally well. Over the years, I've read her books which range from riffs on classic pulp noir to stories of high school backbiting to elegant and twisted mysteries. Everything she writes maintains her signature style despite the genre. Give me Your Hand is no exception. As always, the writing is top-notch and the story moves along at a brisk clip. Abbott explores the nuances of female friendship, co-working relationships, competition and the weight of secrets. Her chosen backdrop (though it's more important than a backdrop really, almost a character itself) is an esteemed research lab. This setting felt very relevant and contemporary, providing a glimpse into the lives of several women working in the STEM field. What I like best about Abbott's book, and this one in particular, is that you really don't know where you're going when you start reading...you just go. At times, you're not sure why you're still following these characters through their story but you absolutely can't turn away. And then, BAM. There comes a reason that reveals why you've invested yourself in the story and now you simply can't rest until you reach the end.

DNF at 40%

I have tried to like Megan Abbott's writing. I feel like I should like it. I just don't. This is the 3rd novel I have picked up. I really should have liked the last one since I've always loved gymnastics. This just is not my jam. It's a lot of other peoples' style and That is fine. It's just not mine. Sorry. I promise I wanted to like it.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kit Owens and Diane Fleming have a complicated past. Before Diane transferred into her high school chemistry class, Kit was just a regular student. Diane's brilliance pushed Kit, and the two became friends—that is until Diane confessed a chilling secret to Kit that changed everything between them and almost derailed Kit's life.

Fast forward more than a decade and Kit is a scientist working in a lab. Her past collides with her work when she learns that Diane Fleming is her competition for a highly coveted opportunity to work on a groundbreaking new study led by their idol, Dr. Severin. The two former friends find themselves once again vying to get noticed, only this time, they share a secret that could derail everything that they have worked so hard for.

Abbott is a master with imagery. The theme of blood is prevalent, both in the colour red and subject matter. I enjoyed reading about the PMDD study and the hysteria that ensues as a result. This makes for interesting subject matter as well as an interesting premise.

The girls have such an complicated dynamic that blurs between friendship and rivalry—an interesting relationship to explore in today's climate where successful women are often pitted against one another. Abbot further examines this by illustrating how difficult it is for a woman to succeed in a male-dominated field like the sciences. Her character study is amazing. Diane is a complete sociopath that oddly captivates everyone she comes in contact with, including the reader.

It was dark and twisty with just enough suspense that is built by consequence. Abbot does not reveal her hand, she plays her cards one at a time, her pace is spot-on! The writing is tight, she leaves nothing to the imagination which is refreshing.

This was a thrilling page-turner and I could totally see this being adapted into a movie. Congratulations, Megan, on another master of a thriller. Well done!

I don't know if it's possible to love Megan Abbott more than I already do. Her writing is always stunning and absorbing. Her depictions of the raw mysteries of girlhood and womanhood are second to none. Give Me Your Hand doesn't disappoint and I look forward to her next, as always.

I truly wanted to enjoy Give Me Your Hand; I wouldn't have requested Abbott's latest had I thought I wouldn't be intrigued and fascinated by it. Despite my initial interest, my connection to young Kit and Diane as well as their adult lives felt thin. I can typically finish a book of this length in a day or two because I can't put it down until the drama gets resolved; it took about a week to read Give Me Your Hand and I'm not surprised. The secondary characters aren't rounded out enough for the readers to truly grapple with what their deaths signify. The "surprises" which get revealed towards the end, I had already figured out from the beginning. This would've been better as an episode of television.

A gripping and intense novel about female friendships, murder, and what it takes for women to succeed.

If you have read and enjoyed books by Megan Abbott (author of The Fever, Dare Me, and You Will Know Me among others), then Give Me Your Hand is a sure bet. Like all of Abbott’s other books, this one focuses on the subtleties of female relationships and their dark undercurrents. It also uses her trademark sharp and precise prose. The novel follows Kit Owens, an ambitious scientist, who learns that her former BFF/rival, Diane, will be soon be working at her lab. When they were seventeen, Diane told Kit a secret that tore apart their friendship. Now that they have once again crossed paths, this secret threatens to overwhelm Kit. Then something awful happens at the lab that binds Kit and Diane even closer together – and ratchets up the tension. Give Me Your Hand is an intense, absorbing novel that unfortunately fell a bit flat at the end. Still, it’s worth a look for Abbott fans like me.

How well do you know someone else? How well do you want to?

Kit and Diane meet at a high school running camp, and the girls bring out the best in each other on the track. When Diane transfers to Kit's high school, the girls begin working together, pushing each other academically in search of a scholarship.

Finding solace in Kit and remembering a secret shared at running camp, Diane shares her own secret and the friendship ends.

Now adults, the woman find themselves in the same lab vying for a research position.

Megan Abbott does a nice job building the mystery and keeping the story moving, although I did find some of Kit's actions as an adult a little unbelievable.

All in all, this was a good story, well-written and a fun read.

After two long years, Megan Abbott is back with another excellent book in Give Me Your Hand. Lately, her books have focused on modern teenagers but this time the book focuses on the interactions of two women, partly when they are teenagers but mostly as current day professional scientists.

As teenagers, Diane Fleming is the smartest one in their school, but she and Katherine, “Kit” Owens are friends that push each other to be the best. They both compete for Valedictorian of the school and a special science-based college scholarship. However, Diane tells Kit a story that shocks and scares her so much she stops being friends with Diane. When Diane later shows up at the same lab where Kit works, Kit’s not sure what to do about what she knows about Diane, especially since they are again competing, this time for a special project led by Dr. Severin, the same woman who sponsored the college scholarship they both tried to get in high school. During some afterhours alcohol induced condition, she decides to confide in a co-worker, which she later regrets. When Diane finds out that Kit told someone, the tension increases to another level.

What I found the most interesting in this book is Megan Abbott’s ability to show the sides of three different women and how they deal with difficult situations. In Diane, you have a woman who is obviously not normal and acts in ways that most people would agree is wrong. However, it’s the actions of the other two women, Kit and Dr. Severin, that Megan makes you think about more. Are their actions appropriate? How would you act in the same situation? It’s the actions of these two women that still haunt me weeks after reading the book.

I did not know anything about Megan Abbott when I met her in 2008 at Bouchercon. Since her book Queenpin was up for an Anthony, I bought it and had it signed. She’s so nice in person and very impressive when she speaks on panels and her success has not changed her. I’ve since read all her books and she’s become one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown and Company for an ebook copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.

A psychological thriller about 2 friends who meet in high school and then again through work when they are in their 20’s.
Kit and Diane were best of friends when they met until Diane told Kit the most horrible secret about her.
When they meet again through work, the competition between them starts again and they find themselves in a dangerous game that might just destroy them both.

Megan Abbott's books are entertaining because of the at constant feeling of something more going on than you realize at the time. I love how things are revealed and how her characters are developed. Give Me Your Hand is no exception, in fact, I think it might be my favorite one yet. I love when I couldn't have predicted the next twist.

Meh. This book wasn't nearly as intriguing or fun to read as Megan Abbott's previous novels. In fact, I struggled to get through this one. The first half of the book is like wading through an endless morass of laboratory background and post-doc politics. By the time you get to something happening, you just don't care anymore.

I enjoyed the book as it rambled back and forth between the present and the past. You could see the character developing an unstable relationship with a high school friend. It had a very suspenseful ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers.

I can't decide how I feel about this book. I was engaged at the beginning but awards the middle I was so frustrated with the protagonist. Kit was supposed to be an extremely intelligent post-doc and yet she made poor decisions that undermined her intelligence. The last third of the book, though, was engaging and I found myself staying up late to complete it.

A thriller with a unique setting, this is the story of two high-school friends whose lives and secrets intersect again years after their troublesome parting. The imagery is clear, and the pace is fast, yet this story employs a number of coincidences that require a suspension of disbelief of the reader that may be hard to conjure. Will still happily recommend to Abbott fans, and voracious readers of this genre.

No one writes about female relationships like Megan Abbott. Admittedly, I was not initially as drawn to the world of these two female scientists as I have been to the worlds of Abbott's previous novels. However, it took only one chapter before any resistance gave way. Her writing alone is enough to make the novel worthwhile -- raw and edgy and lyrical all at once. But the plot proved to be twisty and delicious as well. And the whole story is underscored by a pervasive rumination on the science of femaleness, and what (if anything) biology has to do with female darkness and rage.

**Thank you to Little, Brown & Co., Netgalley, and Megan Abbott for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.**

How well do you know your friends? What are the ties that bind? What can pull two friends apart?

Kit Owens and Diane Fleming met when they are teenagers at camp. Then one day the Diane appears in Kit's chemistry class. Their friendship is sealed, and they soon become inseparable. Both girls become driven to do well not only in school but in life. Both are very intelligent, and both seem to have similar interests in science. Then one day, Diane shares a secret with Kit, a secret which changes their friendship forever. Kit shared a secret she had at camp, but it wasn't as big as Diane's secret. The teens drift apart and both go their separate ways.

As both were intelligent and had interests in the scientific field, they soon cross paths once again when they are both making names for themselves in their chosen fields. Diane is hired to work in the same lab as Kit and they learn that they are up for the same position working under a brilliant scientist whom they both idolize.

This both is told through "Now" and "Then" chapters filling in the gaps of their friendship. The reader finally learns the "secret" and the impact it has on the women's lives. At the same time the reader watches as those in the lab vie for the coveted position and things take a turn and yet again their lives are changed.

Part of this book takes place in a lab, but I did not feel that any of the scientific language or experiments got in the way of the story. It would be strange if the object of their study was not discussed as most of the characters were scientists. Yes, there is discussion about experiments being done on animals, so be warned! Some may not like these sections. For me this book was good not great. It was a fast read and well written but at the same time it failed to really "wow" me. I didn't really care for any of the characters, I didn't find anything to be too shocking or overly interesting. This is a book which I think had a lot of potential and it just fell a little flat for me. I still enjoyed it but was just missing that spark which would have made the book better for me personally.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start by saying I am a fan of Megan Abbott. Her books are always a guilty pleasure that I know I am going to stay up late reading. She has a great way of drawing the reader in and wanting to know more about her stories and characters. This one was no different. The prologue immediately makes you wonder what that one important thing is that they know about each other. It will keep you turning the pages til the very end!
3.5

This book was almost a struggle to get through towards the middle. I seemed like a lot of the climax action happened early. Coming from a lab background myself, some of the lab terminology was nice, but then it started to get excessive. I liked the way that the author cleaned everything up towards the end. And I enjoyed how the main character, Kit, was able to grow (especially in the epilogue).

Thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!