Sierra’s review of Beware the Woman

** spoiler alert ** I don’t cognize why I do this to myself, reference Megan Abbott novels. The first 1 I publication was “You Will Know Me,” and it was bully enough, successful position of giving maine thing to publication (although I’ve ne'er publication truthful overmuch astir a character’s deformed toed successful my full life). The adjacent 1 I picked up was “Dare Me,” which was conscionable awful. But I figured it mightiness person conscionable been a fluke, truthful I went connected to publication “Take Me by nan Hand,” (meh) and past “The Turnout,” which was marginally amended isolated from for a mediocre ending. Then I checked this 1 out, Megan Abbott’s newest.

Y’all. Never, ever again.

As others person mentioned, nan changeless repetition was tedious. Especially towards nan extremity of nan book, it seems that Abbott indulges her penchant for repeating words simply for nan intent of making nan communicative past longer. Jacy (ugh, that name) uses words and phrases complete and over, almost obsessively, and does nan aforesaid for quotes from stories aliases conversations that she hears. If these parts had been removed, nan book would beryllium a bully spot shorter (and possibly sound a spot little for illustration a YA novel).

As for nan existent story, I person issues location arsenic well. Jacy’s full characteristic was just.. her being pregnant. That’s it, that’s Jacy. That’s each you request to know. I conjecture there’s somewhat much there, successful that she has a bully narration pinch her mother - aliases is it not truthful good? who knows - and she is wildly successful emotion pinch her husband.. erstwhile he isn’t violently assaulting her successful furniture and being a dick connected their honeymoon.

The maltreatment by Jed, nan husband, is ne'er examined successful immoderate way. There’s nary explanation, nary resolution, thing beyond nan 1 aliases 2 stray memories that Jacy shares of those incidents. Similarly, it’s ne'er revealed why Dr. Ash was insane, either. Why nan creepy sexist bullshit and nan “all women are worthless whores” mentality? Again, who knows.

And, since I’m from bluish Michigan.. I don’t cognize if nan writer drove done nan region for a azygous time and randomly decided to group her adjacent caller location aliases what, but she sewage a batch of things wrong. It’s existent that Iron Mountain isn’t a bustling metropolis, but if you are anyplace adjacent that town, you decidedly don’t request to make nan long, agelong thrust to Marquette for supplies of immoderate kind. Like. Just caput to Walmart, boo (Walmart is astir each you’d find for shopping successful Marquette arsenic well, truthful idk what “supplies” they’d beryllium hoping to get location really). And flying retired of Marquette (the airdrome location really isn’t moreover successful Marquette itself, but investigation is difficult I guess) wouldn’t needfully beryllium what you would do if leaving Iron Mountain, either, depending connected wherever you’re going.

Also, small things were inaccurate, for illustration descriptions of time trips to spot sights that are obscurity adjacent Iron Mountain, and would beryllium long, planned out, each time affairs pinch a ton of driving. Miner’s Castle is not astatine each adjacent to Iron Mountain, and immoderate of nan towns mentioned are decidedly not successful proximity to Iron Mountain either. I know, I cognize - Jacy is only “near” Iron Mountain. Spare me, that doesn’t alteration anything.

Mountain lions don’t behave nan measurement they are depicted present (CAN they? Sure, I guess. But are they LIKELY to?). I tin forgive immoderate creator licence connected that beforehand for nan liking of a plot, but since this portion really didn’t magnitude to overmuch successful nan book it conscionable benignant of feels for illustration much ignorance and stereotyping astir wildlife successful nan Upper Peninsula. There are truthful galore absorbing type roaming those woods; Abbott could person astatine slightest picked thing much communal to nan area, for illustration a carnivore aliases coyote, to make this threat much believable.

And let’s talk astir nan main demographic constitution of nan region, shall we?

Guess what?

It’s Finnish. So, truthful galore Finns. So many. Sooooo galore (now who’s engaging successful connection repetition? Save me). And there’s moreover much group pinch German ancestry, I believe! I’m not saying location aren’t group of Cornish descent there. I’m not saying there’s nary 1 other aliases that those groups are invisible. I’m not saying aliens don’t travel zooming retired of nan entity and settee their fancy UFOs to eke retired a caller organization for themselves successful betwixt nan scraggly pines heavy successful nan Michigan forest. But I AM saying that you can’t propulsion a pinecone without hitting a Finlander successful Iron Mountain/Marquette/Petosky/Munising/wherever Abbott thinks we are from section to chapter.

It’s astir details. Research. Character development!

But, you know, Jacy is pregnant (in lawsuit you missed it) and her father-in-law really likes babies, truthful from retired of nan acheronian Michigan woods a bladed crippled is calved (and kept connected life support).

P.S. Cudighi is not pronounced “coo-dee-gee,” it would beryllium much for illustration “could-ih-gey” (gey for illustration key), and nary that isn’t cleanable but it’s surely not COODEEGEE. I will not beryllium okay unless I put this retired into nan universe, truthful location it is.