Cover Image: Give Me Your Hand

Give Me Your Hand

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This book had a very interesting premise which got lost along the way in one of the most convoluted stories I have ever read. The ending ,instead of clearing anything up, did just the opposite. I really think it was a story of schizophrenia- dual personality in the guise of hormonal problems.

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Much suspension of belief required here. This is a dark one.

Free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Megan Abbott is a great storyteller, and an even better writer. GIVE ME YOUR HAND is another example of that truth. Kit Owens and Diane Fleming have a tenuous and complex relationship, which began when they were briefly school friends. When a secret was shared. A secret that changed the trajectory of each of their lives. Told back and forth in time, between THEN and NOW, the story reveals the dark angst of both women, first as high school girls and later when they are unexpectedly reunited as brilliant and accomplished post docs in the dog-eat-dog world of biomedical research. Abbott is a master at tapping into the dark psyche of her characters and revealing the deep motivations for their actions. GIVE ME YOUR HAND in her latest, and maybe best, example. The twists and turns in this tale collide in an ending that is both shocking and inevitable. Once you climb on this train, one that you know somewhere, somehow will jump the tracks, you can’t put it down.


DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly thriller series

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3.5 stars.

"I guess I always knew, in some subterranean way, Diane and I would end up back together. We are bound, ankle to ankle, a monstrous three-legged race. Accidental accomplices. Wary conspirators. Or Siamese twins, fused in some hidden place. It's that powerful, this thing we share. A murky history, its narrative near impenetrable. We keep telling it to ourselves, noting its twists and turns, trying to make sense of it. And hiding it from everyone else."

When Kit and Diane became friends in high school, for the first time, Kit recognized her intelligence as an asset. Diane encouraged her to believe in herself, believe she could accomplish anything she wanted, that she wasn't destined to attend college in her hometown and never amount to much. The two grew inseparable, challenging and pushing each other, both hoping to achieve a prestigious internship. Kit always felt as if she were one step behind Diane, but that didn't stop her from wanting, from trying.

One night, Diane told Kit a secret she had kept hidden from everyone. This wasn't just any secret—this was the biggest secret Diane had, about the worst thing she had ever done. Kit didn't understand why Diane had to tell her this, and it completely destroyed their friendship. Any time she looked at Diane, Kit felt the weight of the knowledge she had about her. She knew she should tell someone, but she can't bring herself to, but she can't escape knowing, either. Still, she hopes that once they graduate high school she'll never see Diane again.

Years later, Kit is where she wants to be—working in a lab under one of the most formidable female scientists, who is just about to receive major grant funding for a project looking at a once-taboo, misunderstood, "female issue." Kit is hoping to be one of the people chosen to work on this grant. And then, unexpectedly, Diane arrives, brought into the lab specifically by Kit's boss.

"Everyone always likes the best, wants the most, admires deeply, the girl who's just out of reach. The girl no one can touch, really. We don't know why we're drawn, but it's unstoppable."

Without warning, Kit faces the same feelings about Diane she had hidden away after high school. All she wants to do is work, but suddenly she's competing with Diane again, trying not to think of what Diane told her all those years ago. But in a moment of weakness, Kit makes a mistake she can't take back, and suddenly Diane is there, protecting Kit, keeping her secret.

Can Kit keep both of their secrets? Is Diane a threat to her, professionally and/or personally? How far will things have to go before Kit feels secure in her work, and her life—or will that ever be a possibility?

Megan Abbott has created some of the best "mean girl" characters in fiction over the last few years, in novels like The Fever, Dare Me, and You Will Know Me. In Give Me Your Hand it's more "crazy girl" than "mean girl," but her work is equally memorable—and unsettling.

This is an interesting story of female intelligence, friendship, rivalry, and relationships, and the challenges women in academia (particularly in science) face to get ahead. It's also a look at how far we would go for a friend, if there's a secret that we'd consider too big to keep for someone, even if we care about them.

Even though this book is fairly predictable, I couldn't stop reading it. I needed to see how far Abbott would take her plot and her characters, hoping she wouldn't go completely off the rails. Give Me Your Hand isn't the strongest of Abbott's books I've read—I think that goes to Dare Me—but it's still entertaining, and it will be difficult to get out of your mind.

NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

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As always, Megan Abbott has written about complex women doing complicated things. Very loosely based on a true crime, Give Me Your Hand follows the friendship of two type-A scientists as it breaks down due to a shared, terrible secret, then re-connects on the job many years later. Along the way, she explores the lives of women working in an arena dominated by men, and accepting the layers of ambivalence, envy and admiration within friendship between women, and the messy process of supporting and helping other women.

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There are many reviews that have outlined the plot of this book. Therefore, I will not repeat what has already been said. But, what I will say is that I found Megan Abbott to be a remarkable writer. She is thoughtful, introspective, descriptive and very much a wordsmith.

However, I also found the feeling of the book to be one of frustration and prevailing doom. The characters are focused and extremely intelligent but they lack a sense of humility and maybe even humanity. Their entire life (even those with a family) are centered on their work and gaining a coveted research position. I understand the need to achieve, but it’s still jarring to read about a group of people who are willing to sacrifice so much for that promotion. Some of them are using work to avoid the real world while others are trying to forget childhood memories and people who hurt them or left them. All in all, I found all the characters very sad.

The plot itself reminded me of high school. Everyone has endured that growing up period. But, unlike the characters in this book, most of us move on and leave that part of our life behind us. Admittedly, the teenage memories in this book are a lot more serious. Nevertheless, the way they are dealt with is more like a teenager and less like a true adult.

As a result, I found it difficult to empathize with the characters and I simply looked forward to some sort of conclusion. But, because of Ms Abbott’s beautiful writing, I will give her latest book 3 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

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For some reason the middle of this book dragged for me. I was interested in the characters and knew some of the things that were doing to happen. Foreshadowing was done perhaps too obviously. I would still recommend because the story is unique and leaves you wondering about nature vs nurture.

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I really like Megan Abbott. This book wasn't the strongest for me, but there were still so many things about the story that I enjoyed. I particularly appreciate how she is able to weave timely issues into her narratives, especially topics that are important to women. This isn't your typical "man does horrible thing to woman" and someone hunts him down. I'll always look forward to a new Abbott publication.

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I've loved everything Megan Abbott has published and this is no exception.

Since high school, Kit has worked hard to forge her career in science. Unfortunately, when Kit has the opportunity to work on a new research grant, her old high school friend/rival Diane threatens to take it all away.

I've never worked in a lab or had any inclination to read about them, but this plot kept me riveted. Also, the interpersonal dynamic between the two main characters (and their parents) is expanded through alternating "then" and "now" chapters.

Highly recommend.

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Fans of Megan Abbott, Give Me Your Hand will NOT disappoint. It follows similar tropes to her other stories, and the writing style is similar, but the story will hook you in and not let you go until you are through.

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My favorite Megan Abbott book so far - it was fast-based and twisty, I loved the focus on the science lab and I thought it was part of a very timely conversation about women and their anger, professional advancement, etc.

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Kit Owens has her eyes on the prize - a coveted spot on a research team with the potential to make her career as a scientist. Nothing else matters, and nothing can stop her focus - until Diane Fleming enters her lab. And suddenly Kit's reminded of the secret that uprooted their friendship so long ago, that threatens to destroy everything Kit has worked for. Suspenseful, complex, and dark, Give Me Your Hand offers readers a slowly unfolding story through past and present that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Characters are flawed and intriguing, and the storyline keeps you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended.

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I liked this book but I can't say that I loved it. Probably the same with her earlier book, You Will Know Me.

The story was good but what I would say was better is how she writes women, women relationships, and women's reproductive issues! I would almost call this a feminist book but that would be a stretch. The paragraph that stuck with me the most is [SPOILER] when after Diane and Kit are chosen for the new team, Kit mentions that if it were the guys chosen, they'd whoop and holler and brag that they "won." But since the women were chosen, they graciously accepted their "win" because of the notion that they were chosen only because they were women. That's current day life.

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Dark and mysterious. One of Abbott's best yet. Her writing is seductive and evocative, her characters fascinating and believable. This was an absorbing and compelling read. Can't wait to see what Abbott does next.

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Megan Abbott's Give Me Your Hand is a story about two complex and flawed female characters told in Kit Carson's POV. The story alternates between 12 years ago, and the present. 12 years ago, Kit was a fairly smart student who stumbled her way through high school, while also working part time at the local burger joint since it is only her and her mother. Over summer, Kit met a girl by the name of Diane Fleming and they seem to hit it off remarkably well. Months later, Diane arrives for their Senior year. Diane sees something in Kit that Kit failed to see in herself; passion and untapped ambition.

She pushes Kit like she's never been pushed before. Kit goes from a girl who is smart, to a girl who challenges herself to apply for a much coveted Severin Scholarship to work alongside Dr Lena Severin, a genius in the area of PMS. The scholarship would mean so much for Kit since it would pay all of her tuition, her room and board, plus stipend. Then one day, Diane tells Kit the worst secret that anyone has ever told her. Kit's conclusion becomes that Diane is a horrible person. Diane & Kits relationship cools, and they end up going their separate ways. To be fair, Kit also told a secret to Diane when they were at summer camp.

12 years later, Kit is working as a research scientist for Severin Labs which has received an NIH grant to study *PMDD. Kit believes her goals are finally within her grasp. Then the shocking news that Diane Fleming has been hired by Dr. Severin. Diane and Kit will be vying for the same position working under a brilliant scientist whom they both idolize. Dr. Severin is once again front and center of a major grant that will change the lives of women who most doctors refuse to believe or understand. Can Kit and Diane resolve their past issues, or will Diane's presence push Kit over the edge?

From the first moment we meet Diane, she is a lock box filled with secrets. She comes from a well off but dysfunctional family. She is sent to alternately live with her father and mother then her grandfather. Diane is brilliant, strange, and extraordinary. But, for Kit, she is an unwanted distraction that she no longer needs in her life. For both women, they have each excelled through the years. One of the things Diane states is, "Remember, you don't have a self until you have a secret." For Diane, her secret revealed destroyed a friendship. Will her return into Kit's life destroy Kit's hopes and dreams?

Abbott is really good at getting into the minds of females and ripping out their deepest, darkest feelings, and motivations. We often associate the worst things a person can do to men, but forget that women are often much more cunning when getting away with murder, or stabbing someone in the back. Women often go through depths and lengths that men can't touch to get what we want. Even when it comes to friendships, or job offers, or wearing the same dress and then going on Twitter or Facebook and shaming our once best friend. I appreciated that Abbott drives her story towards the sciences. More young women need to apply for these positions. Yes, it is still a male dominated world, but a great majority of women are now graduating from college and the future looks bright.

*By the way, PMDD is a real disorder and I encourage you to go online and see for yourselves. Women who suffer from consistently severe mood swings during their menstrual periods are now being diagnosed with mental illness. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), sometimes referred to as 'PMS on steroids', is formally recognized in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

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Set in a research lab, the first person narrator, Kit, tells her story through a series of flashbacks to the near and more remote past. This is a story about secrets, but also a story about control, influence, and uncontrollable urges and rage. This is also very much a women's story: Kit is haunted by her past friendship with the cool Diane. Her own mother has passed away, and Diane is estranged from her own mother--her father is dead, and under strange circumstances. Both women want a spot in a prestigious study (of PMDD) with the women who has inspired both their careers in science. But things go terribly awry, when Diane reappears in Kit's life. and her lab.

This is a thriller, but I feel that the lab setting, as well as the study the main players are involved in, are fascinating and informative. I love the way Abbott studies the minds of both Kit and Diane, and all the other female characters too. We all keep secrets. Some are more serious and sad than others. This is a very timely book. It will be a great book group read, too.

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I appreciated the science aspect of this novel. The characters had depth, and the antagonist, with tendencies towards cruelty was beautifully fleshed out. A fun thriller. You

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Twelve years ago when both girls were seniors in high school, Diane Fleming tells Kit Owens a secret about something terrible she had done. Years later, Kit is working in a lab studying a severe form of PMS. Kit is shocked when Diane is hired to work in the same lab. In high school, Kit and Diane brought out the best in each other but what will happen now, since Kit knows a secret about Diane when she was at her worst.

This story is told in the first person, narrated by Kit, and alternates between the past and present. The most interesting part of the book is the fact that friendship and then the secret forever changes things between the two girls and in their lives. The book is fast-paced, tense, and suspenseful. There were times I was afraid of what would happen next, especially in the present scenes. As the story goes on, some things get confusing and somewhat over the top. However, things become more clear-cut when surprising truths are revealed giving the reader more information about the two women. I liked the ending of the book and think this was a great summer read that fans of Mary Kubica would enjoy.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Little, Brown and Company. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

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I'm at 42%. I'm saying this one got the best of me. DNF



Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

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4 Stars.

Kit and Diane met while in High School and became fast friends. As fellow runners, they drove each other to become better. When Diane transferred to Kit’s school during their Senior year, their friendship continued and both excelled in school and in running, until one day when Diane divulged a terrible secret to Kit. One which destroyed their friendship and which Kit was sworn to keep forever.

Years later, Kit is a Research Scientist in a lab, working for her idol, Dr. Severin. Kit’s goals are finally within her grasp and then Diane walks in - she is the new member of the team and from that point forward everything goes boom. If Kit thought her relationship with Diane was complicated before, she was wrong.

In Give Me Your Hand, Megan Abbott creates an interesting story with characters whose lives are quite complicated and whose stories draw you in. Unfortunately for me, there was just a little something missing here.. perhaps it was an intensity - that I had come to expect from Ms. Abbott’s prior novels, which left me wanting more. Regardless, this was an easy, enjoyable read and it held my interest throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown and Company and Megan Abbott for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.21.18.

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