Give Me Your Hand (novel)
| Company type | Publishing company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
Give Me Your Hand is a 2018 thriller novel authored by American writer Megan Abbott. The plot centers on Kit Owens and Diane Fleming, two postdoctoral fellows researching premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), as they deal with the consequences of a mutual secret. The storyline shifts between their high school days and their current laboratory environment.
Released on July 17, 2018, by Little, Brown and Company, the novel incorporates aspects of Gothic fiction and alludes to figures such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth, physicist Marie Curie, poet Sylvia Plath, and Lizzie Borden. Drawing inspiration from the 2009 homicide of graduate student Annie Le and the intense rivalry typical in research labs, the book earned critical praise including starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. Critics highlighted its innovative take on themes like the hysterical woman, shifting focus toward issues of gender, social class, and intricate female dynamics.
Plot
Kit Owens is a postdoctoral scientist working in Dr. Lena Severin’s laboratory, preparing to launch an innovative PMDD research project. Among five postdocs—Zell, Juwon, Maxim, Alex, and Kit—only three slots are available for the study when Diane Fleming joins the team. Flashbacks reveal Kit first met Diane at a cross-country camp before their sophomore year, during which Kit confided a secret about a sexual encounter with an adult known as Stevie Shoes. After her father’s death, Diane transfers to Kit’s high school and partners with her in AP Chemistry lab. Diane motivates Kit to apply for Severin’s STEM scholarship aimed at women.
Diane admits to Kit that she killed her father to return to live with her mother. Although Kit rejects Diane’s friendship, she follows her mother’s advice and reports this confession solely to the school counselor, who then alerts Severin. Kit secures the scholarship and enrolls at Severin’s university.
In the present timeline, after an evening out with Alex during which Kit reveals Diane’s secret, Severin announces that Serge, the lab technician, has been awarded one PMDD study position; Diane claims another. When Alex threatens to disclose Diane’s secret to Severin, a confrontation ensues resulting in Alex’s accidental death. Diane suspects Kit’s involvement and instructs her to leave the scene but removes any evidence linking Kit.
Alex’s body vanishes; only Eleanor, his fiancée, appears concerned. The police investigate Alex’s disappearance and question Kit regarding their relationship. Kit realizes that Zell has informed law enforcement and learns Diane had previously been rejected from a PMDD study. A confrontation between Kit and Diane leads to a struggle with Eleanor inside the vivarium; during this altercation, Alex’s body falls through the ceiling. Serge admits he concealed it under Severin’s orders; Diane then poisons Serge with cyanide. Severin proposes blaming Serge for Alex’s death but Diane confesses to murdering Alex, Serge, and her father. As authorities take her into custody, Diane commits suicide.
A decade later, Kit remains employed by Severin when she receives correspondence from Diane’s mother revealing skepticism about Diane’s initial confession regarding her father’s death. The letter includes a photograph indicating Stevie Shoes was Mrs. Fleming’s boyfriend—clarifying why Diane became estranged after exposing his affair with Kit.
Background and publication
Megan Abbott developed Give Me Your Hand around the concept of secret-sharing, initially envisioning a story about teenage athletes before shifting her attention to a statement by physicist Marie Curie: "My head is so full of plans that it seems aflame." Her research included exploring the competitive nature of female scientists in laboratories, drawing on her own PhD experience at New York University to shape the character Severin.
Abbott’s interest in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) was sparked after discovering its use as a criminal defense. She incorporated elements from a 1996 Texas Monthly piece about Marie Robards, a high schooler who poisoned her father with barium acetate; unlike in the novel, Robards confessed and was arrested. The narrative also alludes to the 2009 murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le, whose body was hidden inside a lab wall.
The book was released on July 17, 2018, by Little, Brown and Company in the United States and Picador in the United Kingdom. The title is inspired by a line from Lady Macbeth spoken before her sleepwalking scene. This work marks Abbott’s ninth novel. The audiobook version, narrated by Chloe Cannon, was produced by Hachette Audio. Before the book’s release, AMC acquired rights for a potential TV adaptation.
Themes
Give Me Your Hand resonates with elements of Gothic and noir genres while challenging conventional female archetypes—Kit identifies with Hamlet rather than Ophelia. The novel references literary classics such as Wuthering Heights and Carrie, along with films like Casablanca, and cultural icons including Juice Newton and Lizzie Borden. Abbott also weaves in Sylvia Plath’s poetry and draws inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s style, evident both here and in her 2016 novel You Will Know Me.
The character Severin represents a composed contrast to women experiencing PMDD, symbolizing themes of female loss of control and resistance to gender stereotypes. Written during the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle, the story comments on societal perceptions of female anger and ambition, responding to controversial statements from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Abbott confronts clichés such as hormonal hysteria and the femme fatale myth, depicting femininity as multifaceted rather than restrictive.
Focusing on close-knit environments, the novel uses the confined laboratory setting to emphasize ambition and pressure among postdoctoral researchers. The plot prioritizes interpersonal relationships over its vague American town setting. Critics have described it as a "slow-burning Match Point–style psychological tension" rather than a traditional mystery, noting that the workplace atmosphere could represent any high-pressure professional space. Kit’s unreliable perspective masks the toxic environment within the lab, which influences employees’ ethical choices.
Social class distinctions play a significant role: Diane’s affluent background contrasts sharply with Kit’s working-class origins, shaping their goals and viewpoints. Diane’s refined demeanor stands against Kit’s diligent reality, highlighted through details such as differences in their mothers’ social status indicators. Class tensions further manifest in workplace interactions, exemplified by moments that reveal social gaps between Kit and wealthier colleagues like Alex.
Reception
Give Me Your Hand garnered widespread critical praise, earning starred accolades from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly. It was recognized as one of the standout books of 2018 by numerous publications, including Cosmopolitan, Financial Times, Marie Claire, The Observer, and Refinery29. According to Entertainment Weekly, it ranks among Abbott’s most significant and highly reviewed works to date. The audiobook adaptation also received commendations, particularly highlighting Cannon’s narration. The novel secured a nomination for the 2018 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Mystery/Thriller and was shortlisted for the 2019 Anthony Award for Best Novel as well as the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.
Reviewers emphasized the book’s meticulous attention to detail, gripping tempo, and a believable antagonist. The Financial Times praised the writing for its "cinematic vividness." Karen Brissette from the Los Angeles Review of Books lauded its eerie atmosphere and complex portrayal of female relationships, which Publishers Weekly described as "intimate and feral." Ruth Ware of The New York Times noted that despite shifting away from adolescent sports themes, the novel continues Abbott’s exploration of female friendship and rivalry evident in her earlier works. Additionally, Newsday highlighted how effectively the narrative captures the transition from teenage years into adulthood among its characters.
Although the initial revelation about Diane's secret was regarded as somewhat foreseeable, subsequent plot twists were deemed surprising. While The A.V. Club appreciated the depiction of women’s darker facets, it found the story’s opening third to be slower in pace. Ware observed that certain character motivations felt "opaque" and some actions were perplexing, potentially reflecting Abbott’s deliberate narrative choices.