I really enjoyed this because it took Shakespeare (meh) and turned it into a more digestible story for me.

Lady Macbeth first dug her claws into me when I was 15. I had to perform a scene from Macbeth as a project in my English class and I chose the monologue in which The Lady cries to rid of the blood on her hands. Something about her desperation, cunning mind, even her lack of name ripped through me. While it’s cringy to say, after I did that project, it felt like The Lady had carved out a part of me and inbeded herself in. I never wanted to be rid of her and so I searched for resemblances of her throughout other pieces of literature. One of the places I found similar characters was through Ava Reid’s other books.

I have been a fan of all of Ava Reid’s works. Every single female character she wrote felt like she had flickering moments in which I could imagine The Lady to behave similarly too, even if her character never went as far in the play as the wolf girls and witches and fey touched woman did in theirs. When I heard Ava was writing a book about The Lady, I knew it would fill that desire I want out of so many books. Ava has a tone and a way of telling a story that I knew could handle such a well known but unknowable character. I was estatic to say the least.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid lived up to my every expectation and more. Ava has always had a talent for giving their characters stories that are harrowing and traumatic but still having the heart, mind, and teeth to survive it all and Lady Macbeth is no different. While a twist on the classic play but it also became so much more than that. It is a story not only about Shakespeares classic tale but also the generational trauma women face under the leering eye of power hungry men. It shines a lot on the ever changing thoughts and actions of a girl having to struggle and persevere through what she describes as a fate that has befallen thousands of woman before her. The Lady is a young girl who uses her cunning mind to survive a land and a husband who wish to devour her and turn her into a warning. But she prevails and she does it in some of the most heart breaking but satisfying ways possible.

I am not a person who is great with words. It is hard to describe in detail my every thought and emotion into this review. I am a newer reviewer and this will probably be one of the most lengthy reviews I will ever make and there is a reason for that. This story is art. It takes a historic piece of literature and, in my opinion, makes it better (blasphemy I know). Many people will not read this review but I hope to the one person that does that you see the beauty and horror like I did and love it all the same. That you too feel The Lady’s claws dig in and make a home in you cause this story made her hold on me so much deeper than she ever had before. She was given a name and she was given a story of her own. Thank you Ava.

Her wiring is amazing as it always is. I love the writing style, and I think it lends itself well to the historical vibes.

Having little understanding of the original MacBeth, I had no preconceived notions going into this book. One love Ava Reid’s Study in Drowning and Fable for the End of the World but didn’t care for Juniper and Thorn. Lady MacBeth falls into the Juniper and Thorn area of Ava Reid for me. It was a bit too creepy and gothic for me to get comfortable and I kept on the edge of my seat.
Ava Reid’s writing is extremely beautiful and poetic and I enjoy that aspect but this one wasn’t for me.

i really loved reading this book. this is my first ava reid book and i love how atmospheric it is. reid's writing is beautifullly crafted and gorgeously told. i wish some of the side characters were fleshed out better, but overall a great read

I liked this book a lot. I loved getting a look into Lady Macbeth's head, and all the little details really made the book for me.

This was my first Ava Reid book, and I’m not sure it was the best one to start with, but it is what it is. I love Macbeth, but I was able to separate Shakespeare’s version from this one, which I think worked in the book’s favor. Reid’s retelling definitely leans more into fairytale territory, with beautiful, lyrical prose throughout (I've heard this is standard with Ava Reid, and it was nice to confirm).

I appreciated the author’s exploration of various themes, though I do wonder if they would’ve felt more fully developed in an adult novel. At times, it came off a bit heavy-handed. Honestly, I almost wish the Macbeth framework had been removed entirely... I think this story might have stood even stronger on its own.

I love Shakespeare and as a lover of Shakespeare, I really enjoyed this retelling of it. The characters seemed true to the play with that gothic atmosphere and feminist edge that Ava Reid does so well. I highly recommend this to people who like the play because it will be a good time.

Ava Reid has quickly become one of my favorite authors after reading A Study in Drowning. While I enjoyed the more gothic tones and atmosphere of this story, I found it to be a bit slow. Ava always such a way of captivating you with her beautiful writing but unfortunately the story was lackluster and boring at times. All to say, I will continue to read anything this author writes in the future!

I really tried to get through this one.
It just didn't capture my attention the way Study did.
I will try again at a later time, but right now I just can't. :(

This one’s dark and gripping, with a slow burn that pulls you deeper than you expect. Reid’s take on the Lady MacBeth legend twists familiar themes into something raw and intense. The characters feel complicated and real, even when they’re brutal. It’s not an easy read, but it stays with you — the kind of story that lingers after the last page.

If Ava Reid writes it, I will read it! I first read Macbeth in high school but didn't really remember the details aside from the overarching plot prior to reading this book. That proved to be better for me reading this one because while this book is a reimagining of the original play, it is also a wholly original work. Reid has a writing style that is so distinctive across all her works and I feel like it really worked for this story. The lyrical prose really creates a very atmospheric read. Roscille is such an interesting character and I felt like she was very well developed. Her journey throughout the book was interesting to read about and lend to a great book club discussion. Even though I don't remember details from the original, I do know that this is a very different book and that might be polarizing for some, but I thought this book was really well done and it was a great read. Reid's writing style remains unique and I can't wait to read more!

Honestly really disappointed with this one. For being marketed as a Lady MacBeth retelling, it felt nothing like its Shakespearean counterpart. Ava Reid’s Lady MacBeth is watered down and a far cry from a “feminist version”. The only redemption for me was the beautiful prose; I just wish the same attention was paid to the plot.

4.25 ⭐️
Let them call you witch, as they do any woman who professes strength.

I've read a few of Ava Reid's other books and truly love everything about the atmospheric, gothic elements that are woven into this "retelling" of Lady Macbeth. This is an extremely loose retelling of Lady Macbeth's story - I have not read Macbeth, so I lack the context to compare the original work and this reimagining by Ava Reid. I loved the feminist take on this tale with Roscille taking charge as a conniving character, manipulating and punishing men who underestimate her. The question of WHO has control is the overlying theme. If you love the mental chess of different mind games, this is truly for you. The book is a bit low on actual plot, but the vibes are immaculate.

✨ Lush, haunting prose
✨ Reimagining of Shakespeare's most infamous woman
✨ High on VIBES
✨ Prophecies, breaking and enabling them

If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this. Vengeance.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for sending this book (Physical & eARC) for honest review.

I was really excited for this book and while I read the whole thing, it was more out of curiosity for where the story was going to end up. I love Ava Reid’s books, and have loved the very loose retellings of tales she’s written. However, I wasn’t sure what source material or older versions of Macbeth she was pulling from? As someone familiar with the play- this really went way out of left field and I felt a little taken out of the story because of it.

Really enjoyed this title! Loved the voice that Ava Reid gave to Lady MacBeth to create a unique spin on the classic tale through her perspective. There were some changes, such as making the main character French and adding more fantastical items that caught me off guard, but not in a bad way. Will for sure be picking up more titles from this author!

Thank you for the ARC of Lady Macbeth. This one wasnt too bad but it took me awhile to read it. I had to put it down a lot just because I wasn't all to into the story like i was hoping for. The plot of the story was easy to understand and straightforward but just fell kind flat for me.

The way I jumped up and down out of excitement when I first heard about this book! I love anything related to Shakespeare, and was so excited to see this retelling!

Atmospheric, gripping, haunting, full of gothic elements, and so much more, "Lady Macbeth" is an enthralling retelling of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" focusing on the character of Lady Macbeth (here called Roscille), both from the play as well as history itself. Ava Reid does a phenomenal job of weaving the various aspects of this novel together, focusing on Roscille's life with both themes from Shakespeare's original play as well as some new to this retelling, and I truly could not put this book down!

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the e-ARC of this novel, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Love Ava Reid’s books since The Wolf and the Woodsman, but I’m still deciding how I feel about Lady Macbeth.

I usually like Ava’s feminist take and her FMCs, but I don’t know how I feel about Roscille. Look I’m all about women taking power and punish men that underestimate her but in Roscille’s case she truly is manipulative and conniving character so it was a bit hard to root for her.

I also didn’t care about the romance in the book and the man came through at the end to somehow save the day.

I didn’t read Macbeth before so I can’t compare this reimagined story to Shakespeare’s work. I still love Ava’s writing and will always read her work, but not sure this one’s for me.

3.5 ⭐️

In recent years, Ava Reid has become one of my favorite authors. I've eagerly read every one of her releases. Her ability to blend folklore and classic fiction with a modern-gothic twist makes her one of the most promising new writers in the 2020s. I was very excited to receive a NetGalley ARC, and I read the book in one sitting. I've put off writing the review because as much as I love her writing, the book fell flat for me. I love feminist retellings of classic tales, especially with gothic under (or over) tones. Her ability to build atmospheric suspense is at its best in Lady Macbeth. The feeling of being trapped with a monster in the house, whether mortal or mystical, makes you question your sanity as the heroine does.  

I've struggled to characterize my thoughts about this book independent of her other releases. If viewed individually, I would give it a 4. If viewed within the canon of her other literature, especially in the order of the book's releases, I would give the book 2 stars. To be fair to the merit of this individual book, I chose to give it 3 stars. I appreciate Reid's attempt to do something new in the recent trend of feminist retellings. My rating I believe, is reflective not of Reid herself, but of the editors and publishing house which did not point out the similarities between Lady Macbeth and A Study in Drowning. I don't want to give away any spoilers. But there were repeated uses of tropes that made the experience of reading the books very similar. In The Wolf and the Woodsmen and Juniper & Thorne, Reid showcased her ability to use tropes and classic fairytale conventions in a new and innovative way. But I saw a lot of what I thought was original in Juniper & Thorne and A Study in Drowning in Lady Macbeth.

Another minor point of contention for me - the age of the titular character. I see the value in aging her down from the original matronly and cunning Lady Macbeth of Shakespeare. However, I did not like that she was 17. She could have been a few years older which would have made the romantic scenes a little easier to read. In regards to the romance, the slow burn of The Wolf and the Woodsman has given way to a rushed and unbelievably fast-paced romantic coupling. I simply didn't care to see the two romantic leads get together. They did not have enough page time or meaningful scenes together to make their connection seem anything but lust. 

One of the main points of gothic literature is to make one question their sanity. It seeks to make the main characters and the reader ask "Am I mad, or is everyone else?" In Lady Macbeth, Reid touches on this by reinventing some of the characters from the play to give them more agency. But like with the romance, she falls flat. Lady Macbeth remains an agent of men's desire for power, not her own. For this, I blame the editors for not pushing hard enough for more well-rounded character development. When there is a writer who has talent, I have to assume when a novel does not live up to the abilities of the author's prose and story crafting that the gap between talent and execution lies with the editors. Other gothic tropes like men turning into creatures (I don't want to give spoilers away but it will be obvious who I am referring to) were also only partially thought through and executed and didn't really add any real value to the plot.

I honestly wonder if this story might have been better off pitched as a standalone story outside of the influence of the Bard. There simply weren't enough similarities between the original Lady Macbeth and the girl of this one. I think readers should decide for themselves on if they should pick up this novel. I think there is a lot of good, but I agree with another reviewer who summed up her criticism as "What's the point?" I think if the reader can figure that out for themselves, they might enjoy this novel more than I.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me this digital reviewer copy in exchange my honest opinions.