Beware the Woman

By: Megan Abbott

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

An NPR Best Book of the Year

By the "master of thinly veiled secrets often kept by women who rage underneath their delicate exteriors" (Kirkus Reviews), Beware the Woman is Megan Abbott at the height of her game.

Honey, I just want you to have everything you ever wanted. That’s what Jacy’s mom always told her. And Jacy felt like she finally did. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband, Jed, embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Dr. Ash, in Michigan’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive at the cottage snug within the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Dr. Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt.

But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy’s condition. Suddenly, whispers about Jed’s long-dead mother and complicated family history seem to eerily impinge upon the present, and Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it simply paranoia, or cabin fever, or—as is suggested to her—a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?

©2023 Megan Abbott (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of CrimeReads Best Crime Novels of the Year
One of LitHub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023
One of CrimeReads’ Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2023
One of Paste Magazine’s Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2023
One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Summer Reads 2023
One of TIME's Best Books of May 2023
One of CrimeReads’ Best Psychological Thrillers of May
One of USA Today’s Hottest New Books
One of Philadelphia Inquirer’s Best New Books of June
One of BookPage’s Best Thrillers of June
One of Orange County Register’s Must-Read Mysteries

"Abbott writes gripping thrillers, and a story about how pregnancy intersects with privacy, self-determination and safety–even for women in “good” situations–could not have come at a better time.”—Linda Holmes, NPR’s “Books We Love”

"Beware the Woman takes romantic suspense to the far edge of melodrama. . . . Abbott’s storytelling talent is on fine display here. We’re gripped from the first page and soon in the spell of an enchantment. . . . Abbott has undeniably given us a story we’ll never forget.”—Wall Street Journal

"In Megan Abbott’s Beware the Woman, entrapment creeps in stealthily. . . . [Abbott] inhabits the unique literary space she’s created with specificity and febrile intensity."—Air Mail

Much Ado About Nothing

While the themes of female disempowerment & patriarchal medicine are appealing, this story is repetitive and features the most passive heroine I’ve encountered in a book. I appreciate the gothic setting & Abbott’s precise prose but the story without the atmosphere & good writing is just boring.

The ending

I gave up on this book several times. I slept through chapters because it seemed so monotonous- was I going on a ride of pregnancy with a good belly sentimental crazy person. Pregnancy, Pregnancy, pregnancy- enough all ready.
If the rest of the book could have conveyed just a little of what the ending was going to bring that energy & excitement- the last hour and a half of the book made it worth the listen.

I tried.

Made it through 2/3rds of this story. Found it difficult to tolerate the female lead character!

Boring

This was silly and trite. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
I need to remember this narrator is very nasally too, not a fan.

Not my favorite, Good narrator.

Not my favorite novel by my favorite writer. If you are new to Megan Abbott, start with something else. This one is heavy on symbolism and foreshadowing and repetitive adjectives, and takes a long time for things to happen. It does have a slow burn creepiness but I also got frustrated.

Kinda dull

I only finished this one because I always finish what I purchase. But, that said, I really can’t say I enjoyed it much

Bizarre, far fetched & depressing

If you can suspend belief you may enjoy this dark story. It reads a bit like a horror novel- think the exorcist. With the abrupt personality changes & vacant eyes, I expected the main make character’s head to swivel. Wish I had returned it

Not worth the time

I had heard that this was a popular choice for a summer read, so I thought I’d try it out. I finished it but it left me hoping for a better story the longer I got into it. The characters were not believable and the story and the descriptions were repetitive. The ending also felt unfinished.

Horrible

I really tried to like this book but it was horrible.Do not waste credit and time on this book.

Strange and unsatisfying

The concept was a good one, but doesn’t really work out in this narrative. The twist was interesting, but the lead up and the inner dialogue of the main character was incredibly frustrating.