New Animal by Ella Baxter “‘I think you might be trying to get away from those things, because of your sadness, which is so uncomfortable that it’s almost unbearable—but I promise you, running away from that sadness is like trying to run from your own shadow.’” When New Animal was published, it was salaciously (and,…
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen At first, Amanda registers it as a dog or a bear, but it looks almost human, its contours twisting into an expression that is equal parts hunger and despair - a deep, almost prehistoric longing. The critique of books as “lightweight” or “women’s fiction” tends to be veiled…
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth “He’s not like his mother because he has me, and I will save him. We’re special, Ralph and I. I can cure Ralph. Because it’s what I was born to do. Remember that, Abby, vanquishing this depression is your true calling as a wife.” The strange, almost twee setting of Ainslie…
Chrysalis by Anna Metcalfe “She has a power over the people who find her; once you’ve known her, it’s hard to go back to a time before.” While there is always an attraction to a manic, frantic, crisis-led novel, Chrysalis instead unfolds in a still, calm, and even slow manner. This works to maintain an…
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder “To what identities do women turn when those available to them fail? How do women expand their identities to encompass all parts of their beings?” Explorations of female rage always make for an interesting read, to me - but Nightbitch managed to pique my interest further. What if rage became so…
The Pisces by Melissa Broder I, like many others before me, first came to The Pisces by Melissa Broder because of the promise of sex scenes with a merman. And if you, too, are intrigued by that simple premise, then you won’t be disappointed in this engaging and exciting novel. But the truth is, The…
