A small, but entertaining nonetheless, story about friendship, age, and mistreatment.

We follow three friends set on taking revenge on the men who mistreated the fourth of their group all those years ago.

It's short, it's random, it's awaking and it's funny.
But, it brings the spotlight on things that matter, like the way women are treated. Yes, are. not were. It was even more difficult all those years ago, for a woman to be good at a male-dominated job, and keep her professionalism, while facing harsh judgment and mistreatment.

While Fern didn't want to stir the waters and get in deeper trouble with the jealous men who tried to ruin her career, her friends are prepared to kill for her.

~“'Revenge is a dish best eaten cold,' says Myrna.
'Fern would say it's a dish best not eaten at all,' says Chrissy, a little sadly.”~

It is a fast book, but I would love to read a full story with these characters.

Cut and Thirst is a short story following three women as they meet every Thursday to rehash their past. The most prominent conversation being getting revenge for their friend Fern.

The plot was promising but the story was too short. I really really wanted this to have been a novel. As a short story, I just wasn’t able to connect to any characters. The events that unfolded felt a little too abrupt. I was just left wanting more.

Fast short story. I was approved for this story months after it was released. This was a fun story between friends.

This was a bit of a hard sell for me. I read the handmaid’s tale for the first time this year and it was difficult not to compare. I did find the main characters warm and easy to become attached to as a read. from the description and title, I think I anticipated that the book would have a little more grip or urgency to it, but despite the content and tension, it actually was a little more easy to read, and I didn’t hate that at all.

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood is a witty, darkly humorous exploration of aging, friendship, and the complexities of revenge. Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy, former professors with a shared past, embark on a cleverly plotted scheme to right the wrongs done to their friend Fern by a group of male poets. Atwood’s sharp prose and keen insight into human nature elevate this tale of redemption and retribution, blending moments of lighthearted camaraderie with a deeper reflection on the costs of vengeance. The novel’s sharp wit and Shakespearean undertones make it a thought-provoking read, balancing humor with poignant observations on justice, loyalty, and the passage of time.

Such a fun and quick read!

The relationship and dynamic between the women were hilarious and lovely to read.

I really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend!

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood is a haunting exploration of survival, power, and humanity's fragility. With vivid prose and deeply flawed characters, Atwood crafts a dystopian world that feels uncomfortably close to reality. Tense and thought-provoking, this novel is both a gripping story and a stark reflection on societal choices—a must-read for fans of literary dystopia.

this was so confusing and then when it started to make sense, was super anticlimatic. It was basically just 3 old ladies all talking over each other, about different topics, and repeating themselves to where it just becomes dissonant squabble

This was not as great as other Atwood. I feel I would have loved it better in long format. It needed more character details and depth for me to connect with them

nice short story about older characters and their typical days and life happenings.
it’s well enough done and a good quick read but i personally enjoyed other short stories by this author more -for example “my evil mother” was a much better done story in my opinion.

but as this is, it’s a good story especially as a palette cleanser and something quick and easy.

This book was disappointing, in the sense that I was looking for something deeper, more stimulating. The millennial speech did not translate well on paper, but might be enjoyable as an audiobook

Amusing short story about a group of older ladies plotting revenge on behalf of their friend. I enjoyed the witty dialogue and the references to locations in my hometown Toronto made me feel right in the middle of the story.

It was an entertaining read, but it's too short to really get to know the characters. When I was really getting invested in the story, it ended. Still it is worth the try, cause it won't take a lot of your time anyway.

It's hard to rate this as it was quite short, and it's hard to not use her other work as the marker of expectation, but being that it;s a short story I tried my best to rate it according to what I know of short stories, which is not much.

This was a fun, short, quick little read. I have no real complaints for what it was, but it didn't knock my socks off either, very middle of the road, but I will of course continue reading Atwood's work.

I have really enjoyed the longer books I’ve read by this author but this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. It had some good humor but I just couldn’t stay engaged with the story. However, I like this author enough that it won’t turn me off from trying her next book!

I absolutely love this author, however this story fell a bit short for me. The idea of revenge with the past professors for one of their own was comical as I am picturing them as older and not as capable. The revenge itself ended up being laughable after all the plotting. I got where it was going, but wish the journey would have been more satisfying. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This fell a bit flat for me.

It was a really interesting story that captured Atwood’s style well, but it was a little half finished for me. I just didn’t love it!

Good short story. Good story of friendship, love and support. Feel like it wasn’t long enough. I love Margaret Atwood and would read anything she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this short story.
It's always a pleasure to read a Margaret Atwood story, and this one is no exception. It's short and sweet and full of her tell-tale wit.

This was quite a fun short story. I was initially sceptical that it would be any good because of just how short it is. It does however end a bit too abruptly in my opinion.