Review: Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Friendship, secrets, chemistry, and competition sums up this novel for me. This is what I'd describe as a slow burn thriller. It isn't fast-paced or full of twists and turns but it's a solid exploration of friendship and competition. Megan Abbott is so good at this sort of novel - it keeps you on your toes yet it's slowly paced and things are unveiled in a very Megan Abbott way (if you've read her other work, you'll know what I mean). I heard a few interviews with her on various podcasts which really helped me dig deeper into the themes of the novel after hearing her perspective of what she was interested in exploring with this book so you may want to seek some of those out after finishing the book. There is an amazing sinister feel to this novel and Abbott creates that sense effortlessly. There are really multiple narratives happening here -the one on the surface and several others that are under the surface but really make the book come together comprehensively. This novel was quite well done but it's not for those of you who need a fast-paced thriller ... this one is a bit slower and thoughtful. It's definitely worth a read! I definitely recommend this for Abbott fans - this is one of her best, in my opinion. And I also think this is a good starting place for Abbott's work if you haven't experienced her yet.

NOTE: Thank you to the publisher for a free ARC copy of this novel for an honest review.