I love the way this book talked about a wife's role in life. It talked about the mundane functions she has to perform to keep the house running and the husband happy only to be betrayed by the husband she's doing it all for. I love a good revenge story and this book started off strong. Unfortunately I found it didn't go as dark as I wanted. It just kind of wavered a bit at the end.

Wow. Just... wow. I was immediately pulled into this story. I wasn't sure where the author was taking me but I was happy to go along.

This is a fairly short book but it packed a big punch for me. I did feel like it dragged a bit in the middle but I listened to the final chapter twice because I wasn't quite ready to be finished.

Very satisfying. I nearly forgot to mention how much I enjoyed the author's writing style and language choices. And the narrator was fab! I can definitely see myself reading The Harpy again.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook!

The Harpy is a story of infidelity and its effect on the member of the family. Hunter's prose is lyrical and poetic. The main character, Lucy, is a fully developed and complex. However, I found myself bored with this book. I was so focused on the characters that not much else seemed to happen. I usually like character driven books, but even for me, this was too slow.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the voice acting.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a lot of things that I love in a story. An overarching dark, consuming atmosphere. Morally grey characters. References to mythology and magical realism components. But despite all this, it just didn't really hit the mark for me personally.

The pacing of the story felt odd and inconsistent. For such a small story, this book definitely felt dragged out in places.

It did something, that I typically love in weird, dark books - focuses in on small mundane moments and makes them into something engaging and tangible. And yet, this style of writing mixed with a more domestic plot-line was just not something for me. Instead of getting wrapped into these moments, I simply did not care.

I also struggled with understanding the intent of the story. Our main character is grappling with marriage issues and motherhood. And yet the sadistic nature of the character's actions just left me feeling confused.

This is not just a story about the husband's infidelity and an agreement that the wife will hurt him three times to make it even, then eventually turning into an evil man-hater (which in itself is a great character arc). This is not just a book about how complicated marriages are. There were some great exploration of the problematics of the patriarchal society and the unequal distribution of power within it, but that discussion was introduced towards the very end of the book, so there simply was not enough page time to really make it a visible point in the novel. So I though the way this book analysed these themes was interesting, but they could also have been deeper explored. The writing style was no doubt beautiful, very poetic, full of metaphors. Despite some of the positive aspects, I didn't feel invested in the story that much. I would recommend it if the premise sounds interesting, however, you should go into it expecting literary fiction, not a thriller.

Ugh. This book... I am not really sure about this book. I liked it... kind of... I have feelings. The concept was really interesting. Lucy and Jake are a married couple with two young children. One day a man calls Lucy and tells her Jake is having an affair with his wife. Lucy proceeds to spiral into a dark place of revenge that she struggles to navigate.
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Don’t get me wrong. The story was really well written. The writing was beautiful and had a blend of past and present timelines as well as a magical Harpy story wound throughout. Lucy’s reaction to her husbands infidelity and her inner dialogue felt realistic. However, none of the characters were likeable. I felt like there was not much world building. We visit a few scenes and besides saying “here we are” I could barely picture any of them.
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The parallels drawn between Lucy and a Harpy were beautiful and captured the feeling of betrayal and a loss of trust really well.

Sorry, I thought I would not be able to listen and review this title, but t still appears on my bookshelf on my NG app, It may be due to me sampling the start of the narrator.  I will update my review once I finish listening to it (over my holiday break).

thank you

The Harpy is the story of Lucy & Jake, a married couple with 2 small kids, in an English neighborhood - by all accounts a very normal family and a very normal life. Except, right at the beginning we learn there’s been some major infidelity. What follows is the couple’s challenge...to keep it all together or let it fall apart. They decide on a resolution that is maybe unconventional or maybe not - we discover the normalcy in the messy. We all have that in our lives in some way or another. But then things do get quite unconventional for the couple. Told  from Lucy’s point of view, her feelings are so real and raw - from being a wife and mother to being spurned by her husband. The narration was hypnotic. 

”Sometimes I question whether anyone can know what it's like before it happens. Marriage and motherhood are like death in this way, and others too: no one comes back unchanged.”

Lucy is intrigued her whole life by the idea of a “harpy” - a mean, foul-tempered woman- and she envisions herself becoming such a thing as she grapples with the conflict in her marriage. I found the whole concept of the book very intriguing, the repeated reference to the harpy seemed very symbolic - women endure so much, I kept thinking we all have the right to be a little harpy-ish! It was well written too but whoa, it went off the rails a bit at the end and it lost me. A disappointed finish. 

Still, this is a short book and worth the time as the themes of marriage and motherhood are really well developed. I loved 3/4 of the story.

It's another routine day in Lucy's life when she gets the call.  Lucy lives in a small town in England with her husband, Jake and her two sons, Paddy and Ted.  After the boys came, Lucy scaled back her work and now works from home, writing copy for various enterprises, from manuals to articles to editing someone else's content.  Jake is a professor at the local university in biology.  All in all, a routine life that a myriad of women are living.
Then the call comes.  It is the husband of a woman who Jake works with.  He informs Lucy that Jake is having an affair with his wife, Vanessa.  Lucy doesn't really remember how she hung up.  She slowly takes in the news, reeling emotionally.  Now she remembers late nights at work or casual mentions of lunches and dinners with Vanessa.  Vanessa isn't even some young exciting woman; she is probably ten years older than Jake and Lucy.

When Jake comes home, he doesn't deny it.  He is appalled that Lucy knows and contrite, willing to do anything to make things right.  He insists he will end it immediately.  Lucy is furious but wonders if leaving him is the right thing to do for the boys.  She moves him to the sofa while she decides what comes next.  When Lucy was working on her doctorate she studied the classics and was drawn to the story of the harpies.  Vengeful, powerful figures, they stole and ravaged and did whatever they wanted.  She sees something of them in herself and vows to solve this crisis as a harpy would.

The solution occurs.  She will do three hurtful things to Jake.  He will not know in advance what they are or when they are coming.  They will appear out of the blue and he is not allowed to complain or do anything in retaliation.  Perhaps then they can find a way out of the morass of pain and hurt.  Jake agrees.  The first occurrence comes quickly and takes Jake by surprise.  He cannot say anything but must soldier on through the pain while Lucy finds that she feels more powerful and in control, that the inflicting of pain on another eases her own.  Will she be able to stop herself before she does something irretrievable?

Megan Hunter has written a searing novel that explores the pain that infidelity can create in a relationship and the diminution that marriage and family can cause to a woman.  It explores the dynamics of marriage and how children change lives as their needs must inevitably come first and how those needs are still met primarily by women.  I listened to the audio of this novel and the clear, crisp diction of the narrator added to the experience and provided depth to my mental picture of Lucy.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Many thanks to Grove Atlantic, Megan Hunter, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

About the audiobook: The narrator was phenomenal, her performance suited this story so well, she captivated our main character's essence perfectly, a really talented narrator, bravo 👏
Audiobook quality 5⭐

About the book: This story was beautifully written. I don't read a lot of domestic thrillers, as a matter of fact, this one might be my first, and I enjoyed it, I have to admit that this story irritated me, it got a guttural reaction from me from the beginning, like all stories about infidelity and suffering accepting partners.
Did I want different reactions and a different outcome? Of course I did. I wanted bad things to befallen that mofo, but it's not my story to dictate, it's Megan Hunter's and I really liked it.
The story : 3 ⭐
The writing style: 5⭐

I love this story so much! I had already read it, but was excited to hear the audiobook as well. Yep, even better narrated! The narrator does a great job. This will be one I will relisten to.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. Here goes.. Sigh...This was a dark, dark fairy tale. Lucy and Jake are a couple with two young boys. Jake a businessman and Lucy a stay at home mother. Lucy finds out that her husband has had an affair through the mistress’s husband. The story is from Lucy’s point of view and how she dealt with this discovery and also her feelings about her life as a mother and wife. This story was not for me. Maybe I just didn’t read it at the right time, but I found it very disturbing and the narrator not likable. It seemed as if she did not love her children or her husband. The term sociopath kept coming to mind when I thought of her. I might have understood her feelings and actions more if things had changed after the discovery of the affair, but she didn’t seem to be a devoted wife or mother in the beginning.

This was a relatively short, but powerful story. While this is not normally the kind of book I read, the description intrigued me enough to give it a chance. And I’m glad that I did. It was a dark, twisted book, but it made me think.

I do wish, however, that there would have been more in the way of magic. The book was described as being a fairytale-like story, and there were definitely elements of that. But I would have liked more. Admittedly, I understand that magic and the fantastical elements weren’t really the point of this story. So I understand why they weren’t focused on.

I found the characters to be fascinatingly flawed. Perfect characters tend to be pretty dull and I would certainly not call any of the people in this book perfect. But they were all unique and interesting in their own way. I enjoyed learning about them and seeing their developments—both the good and the bad. I found myself getting frustrated sometimes with them, but I still appreciated the way they were written.

If you’re looking for a feel-good story, I wouldn’t recommend this book. But, if you are prepared for a dark fantasy that touches on a lot of very real issues, I’d suggest giving it a read.

2.5 stars
The Harpy follows Lucy and Jake, happily married (or so we thought). Until Lucy receives a phone call claiming that Jake is having an affair. To get back at Jake, Lucy is allowed to hurt him three times, with disastrous results.

The premise was what really intrigued me and pulled me into listening to this novel.  I found the writing to be stunning and lyrical, however, I was bored most of the time. Lucy would go on and on about her past and this detracted me from engaging with the story and characters. I wanted to learn more about Lucy and her family. I did enjoy the allusions to Greek mythology and harpies, as well as Lucy's slow descent into madness, but that was not enough for me to engage with the novel. The ending was also very open-ended and unsatisfying, which brought my rating down because I was confused about what happened.

In terms of the narration, it was so well done! Clare Corbett did a wonderful job of bringing Lucy to life, voicing her anger and concerns.

Overall, it was a solid read. It had so much potential to be better though!

The Harpy is a stunning story about marriage and infidelity about love and revenge. It is a wife's reflection on her marriage, womanhood, and motherhood. The story keeps you engaged from the beginning to the end, and it's a quick read / listen. I liked the writing and the story.

I had previously read the novel in an ebook format, and now I listened to it as an audiobook. I was fascinated the first time, and it was an equally great experience this time. Narration is outstanding, and it suits the story completely.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

4/5⭐️ 
Lucy leads a routine life devoted to her two boys. But one day she learns that her husband Jake, had performed adultery from a mysterious man. She becomes furious and she confronts her husband. He apologises of course, but she wants him to feel her pain. They decide on a revenge “plan” that Lucy can hurt Jake three times to call it even. Three times is specific, thats the same amount of time a Harpy, mythical bird takes to hunt down men. The Harpy according to Greek Mythology is half-bird half-woman creature that tends to hold grudge, especially towards men. A part of Lucy metamorphoses into Harpy each time she hurts Jake. 

The Harpy, is a simple yet intense multilayered novel about trust issues. I assumed, at-least tried to understand that Lucy had multiple-personalities. She is Lucy when around children, but when revenge strikes, she is Harpy!! I hated Jake right from the start, he is shallow and unfaithful. In a way he deserves his “punishment”. Its a beautiful book if you’re looking for a profound story that mixes both reality and fantasy. 

Thank you Netgalley, Grove Press, Recorded Books for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Harpy – 4 Stars **Contains spoliers**

I finished this fantastic book about a week ago – and have been mulling over exactly how to put my thoughts into a review.

To start off with I absolutely loved Megan Hunter’s writing style within this book. I really look forward to going back and picking up her earlier book, ‘The End We Start From’ (of which I have already heard excellent reviews for). 

The narration of the audiobook was superb, the voice of Clare Corbett was very well suited to the character of Lucy expressing her spiral emotional state throughout the book in an extremely engaging manner. 

I found the overall plot of the novel started off very strong introducing the tired yet resolute mother, Lucy and her two children, Paddy and Ted as they navigate the twists and turns of the family-destructing reveal of Jake’s affair. The premise of the ‘Three Times’ agreement was both intriguing and suspenseful adding to the overall outstanding engagement Hunter demands from the reader. The raw emotion expressed through Hunter’s prose – kept me entirely at the edge of my seat - through (almost) the entire novel. 

This takes me to ‘almost’ exception, the ending for me brought this unfortunately down from a top tier 5 star read to a 4. I found that it wrapped up rather abruptly leaving unanswered questions about Lucy’s hospital ridden husband and her two small children (who she spends the majority of the book focusing on in some form or another) who are suddenly shoved not even to the sidelines but entirely out of the story altogether. It felt like I had started reading a completely different book, the attitude even the prose was so drastically different to what I had been ‘told’ so far that that last couple of chapters really jarred me out of the story.

I feel like had the author explored the more ‘physical’ changes present at the end; earlier in the novel, rather than just mentally and emotionally it would have made the final ‘transformation’ far less disjointed.

Regardless of my opinions on the ending - this was an intensely interesting and engrossing read that I highly recommend to both fantasy and phycological and domestic literary readers.

The Hapry was a great book. I enjoyed listening to this story. I will be recommending this book to my book club.

The Harpy is a book I've been thinking about the last couple of days, and in the end, I'm still not sure where I should rate it. While I was listening with interest, I found the story to be a sort of dull rant. But simultaneously... do I enjoy rants with very sarcastic protagonists? Maybe. 

I will also acknowledge that this might be my favorite cover I've seen this year! It stands out and perfectly matches this dark vibe you get while reading Hunter's writing. Speaking of the writing, I was definitely impressed by how well the author could mix something sort of eloquent and fancy, with almost constant cursing. 

I'll be very interested in Hunter's upcoming work, but the plot for The Harpy didn't go to the places I was expecting and did let me down in the end. I think a lot of other readers might connect to the main character, considering she speaks from a very emotional and undoubtedly honest part of herself.

This was such an unusual book, I don't know where to begin on reviewing it. The plot was full of OMG moments and the writing was beautiful. It was so unique but well worth reading.