darkly witty and compelling short story that I found to be a remarkable read. Atwood’s mastery of language and her sharp insight into human nature shine through in this tale of loyalty, ambition, and retribution. The story of three women plotting to avenge their friend is not only engaging but also thought-provoking, leaving me to ponder the complexities of friendship and the lengths we go to for those we care about. It’s a testament to Atwood’s storytelling prowess that she can pack such a punch in a short format. A must-read for any Atwood fan or anyone who appreciates literary fiction with an edge!

The only previous Margaret Atwood book I've read is The Handmaid's Tale, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this new short story. But I was pleasantly surprised by this and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. What starts as an amusing story of 3 retirees plotting the murders (maybe) of the men who were cruel to their friend turns into a deeper, somewhat morose, but reflective story on life and how the idea of revenge changes towards life's end. I would recommend it for those looking for a short, thought-provoking read.

Thank you to Amazon First Reads, Netgalley, and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Golden Girls meets The Thursday Murder Club for a short little dialogue-heavy snippet with publishing industry and cancel culture commentary.

Pre-reading:
I just read Thirst, so let’s read Cut and Thirst. It is probably a crime that I haven’t read The Handmaid‘s Tale yet. I have not seen good things about this short story on socials.

Thick of it:
It immediately gives Golden Girls

Myrna’s a cunt lol

Hello princeling

It’s reminding me of The Thursday Murder Club.

I could be happy with coffee and reading the slush pile. I love the slush pile.

confreres

Is this just an old bitch laments cancel culture because I’ll have thoughts. (It’s not, but I saw so many negative reviews that I was prepping for the worst.)

salvo

This is getting bad reviews, but I’m live, laugh, loving.

They are such complete and distinct characters so quickly. AND it’s gossipy about the publishing world, and I’m always into that.

Title drop

Post-reading:
This was so cute! It’s a quick little wet-your-whistle of a story. The characters are immediately familiar and have distinct voices. They’re flawed and charming. It’s got enough kick with its gossipy bits about the publishing industry, academia, and cancel culture. The dialogue was zippy and believable. Just a fabulous little snippet.

I don’t think there’s enough plot for it to get into four-star territory, but it’s a solid little piece. It’s nothing I would go out of my way to read, but if you’re getting it for free anyway, it’s worth your 20 minutes.

Who should read this:
Character Study fans
Old People are cute readers
Bookish industry commentary fans
Fredrik Backman fans

Do I want to reread this:
No, but would def read more by the author

Similar books:
* The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman-ensemble cast, old people are cute schtick, cozy thriller
* A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman-ensemble cast, old people are cute schtick, contemporary
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-ensemble cast, bouncy narrative voice, contemporary
* We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard-contemporary, story told only through dialogue
* The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Caine-wannabe Ove
* Book Lovers by Emily Henry-cozy romance, publishing industry commentary

Loved it. Margaret Atwood at her finest with a tale of revenge gone wrong! Reminded me why I love her work.

I must admit this was not really what I was expecting...from what I have heard about Margaret Atwood I suppose this was a little disappointing. I assumed this was a cozy murder mystery sort of novella based on the synopsis, but a little disappointed. I am aware it is incredibly hard to contain a whole story under 100 pages so I am usually not so critical of them, but this just wasn’t it.
The only reason this has three stars is mainly because I found the characters' conversation mildly amusing and I liked how they still had each other’s back despite having wildly different beliefs and personalities.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super short story so there isn't much time for character development or too much descriptiveness but if you go into this story expecting that it may be enjoyable for you. I thought this was very funny and these characters are too cute and witty.
The beginning felt confusing to me but by the end I was rooting for these ladies (maybe not for the best, but whatevs, LOL) Their version of "revenge" with the brownies...... HILARIOUS

ALSO this was icing on the hilarious-ness cake ”Karma’s a bitch, except sometimes it gets the wrong address”

Had me laughing out loud several times and was quite entertaining :)

This was certainly not what I was expecting. I'm usually not so hard on short stories, but this one just didn't do it for me. The characters were unlikable (expect for Fern who we should've gotten more from) and the dialogue was very dull. The ending is what served the two states but even that couldn't save it.

Cut and Thirst is a fun and inventive short story from one of the world’s best loved authors.

Three ‘older’ (in their words) women plot revenge over G&Ts and cheese, for their friend who was blacklisted by academics back in the day. Now that her condition is deteriorating, they have decided it’s time to get even. But murder is harder than they expect…

This Amazon original short story from Margaret Atwood promises a lot with a hefty premise of a revenge thriller with Shakespearean levels of drama. At only 35 pages the end result is a fun and witty exploration of both academia and life as an older woman. It’s also a testament to friendship - who wouldn’t want friends who would be willing to kill for you?

It’s incredibly funny and a delightful little read. However, if you are here for murder, the story definitely under-delivers. Some of the humour comes from this plot device but you can’t help but want more from these wonderful characters - they feel short changed by the format and worthy perhaps of a series of stories or vignettes around their exploits.

Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy are incredibly well crafted given the brevity of their story, formed through the witty back-and-forth banter of friends who have known each other forever. They are a joy to read about and I just wanted slightly more for them.

Cut and Thirst is a short but sweet coffee-break read that focuses more humour and the idiosyncrasies of its characters rather than the promised plot of murder and revenge. However, despite it being somewhat oversold in premise, it is an enjoyable read that showcases Margaret Atwood's knack for storytelling and wit.

Revenge, including murder, is on the minds of three friends gathering to discuss the mistreatment of one of their own. Author Margaret Atwood explores the themes of aging and friendship well.

Considering the author’s reputation, I expected at least a little bit of excitement from this short story. I was left disappointed, though. None of the characters, besides the barely-on-page Fern, were likable and the ending felt even more unrealistic than 4 elderly women planning serial murder in a reality adjacent scenario.

My thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review and many others can be viewed on my Goodreads page at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/80102102-ana

Big thanks to @netgalley and Amazon publishing for this little ditty. I adore Margaret Atwood so much and was so happy to hang with the gang from her short story Airborne (Old Babes in the Woods) again. Myrna and the gang are at it again plotting the deaths of 8 (or is it 9) men from their past they feel wronged their friend Fern. Clever and dark humored as always Margaret always delivers on wittiness and charm. 5⭐️

Enjoyed this short story. I enjoy everything Margaret Atwood writes she is a genius. Highly recommended. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

A fantastic short story by an absolute icon.
Populated with her signature beautiful prose and a message that becomes deeper the more you read the story, I loved every minute of this.
Story of friendship, aging, professional rivals, And the way Carmen can find you when you’re not expecting it.
My only complaint is that it Isn’t longer.
Please find YouTube review on my YouTube channel.

Thank You, Netgalley for giving me the chance to read Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood.

I enjoyed reading this tale of 3 friends, 3 old friends who scheme to avenge their wronged friend. Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy meet every Thursday and dream about planning a murder that would avenge their dear friend Fern. I enjoyed their banter and their idiosyncrasies. The book is humorous and I wish it was longer, a full-fledged novel where something more drastic was done at the end but perhaps that is just me.

Still, I enjoyed the short form too.

Needless to say, worth a read.

Thank You.

It was so short that it not being captivating enough from the very first page till the end made it a very boring read. It took me a very long time to get through it. Just when it was getting better, the book ended.
I would only recommend this if you’re trying to reach your reading goal and need something tiny.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really wanted to like this story. I love Margaret Atwood and the synopsis sounded interesting. I just could not get into it. I debated not finishing it but only powered through because of how short it was. I found it confusing and hard to follow at first. And by the time it got better the story was over.

Cut and Thirst read to me more like a chapter or two torn from the middle of a full-length novel. It felt like being thrown into the middle of something and just staying there since the ending was so abrupt. The character development was strong, but even still I reached the end of this short story and struggled to differentiate the members of the friend group. I don't read anything by Margaret Atwood expecting comfort and convention, but even with that in mind, this novella missed the mark for me.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for gifting me with an ARC to review!

This was so horrifically boring. I know that the language is meant to be off as the protagonists are professors, but still that was bad.

I did not think I would ever say this about Margaret Atwood.

This is a very short read and I found it just didn’t have enough going for it to really make an impact.
It was boring at times as it is very chatty older women heavy. There are some funny moments though!

I thought that this was a clever book that may have been better if it was a bit longer. I struggled to get past the abrupt start to the book but really enjoyed the ending.