Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book released from Fiction2Collective in the US on November 12th, 2024. 

Vanessa Saunders’ The Flat Woman is a piercing, experimental novella that explores a speculative world where women are scapegoated for the climate crisis. In this surreal yet unsettlingly familiar dystopia, the unnamed narrator’s life is upended when her mother is imprisoned as a "gull terrorist," leaving her to navigate a hostile world defined by systemic blame, abandonment, and absurdity. Saunders crafts a story that is equal parts poignant and bizarre, merging poetic language with vivid imagery to create a haunting meditation on justice, autonomy, and interdependence.

From the moment the narrator wakes up with bird feathers sprouting from her skin, the novella immerses the reader in a world where nature and humanity are inextricably intertwined yet violently fractured. The symbolism of birds, both as victims and saviors, weaves through the narrative like an unspoken language, amplifying the story's ecological and feminist themes. Saunders’ prose is enigmatic and lyrical, compact yet resonant, balancing stark truths with moments of surreal beauty. 

At its heart, The Flat Woman is a searing critique of societal scapegoating and the ways power structures shift blame onto oppressed communities—in this case, women—while shirking accountability for global crises. The story interrogates the impossible burdens placed on women, whether through the narrator’s struggles with financial and emotional survival or her fraught relationship with her abusive boyfriend. Yet, even amid this bleakness, Saunders introduces moments of solidarity and care, often from unexpected places, such as the crows who save the narrator, creating a sense of righteous ferality and liberation.

While the novella’s experimental style and abstract symbolism may not appeal to every reader, fans of feminist speculative fiction will find much to savor. Saunders deftly walks the line between absurdity and sincerity, crafting a world that feels both eerily familiar and achingly strange. The Flat Woman is an evocative, thought-provoking exploration of blame, survival, and the possibility of forging care in a fractured world.

📖 Recommended For: Fans of experimental and feminist literature, readers drawn to surreal and symbolic narratives, and anyone who enjoys exploring ecological and political critique.

🔑 Key Themes: Systemic Blame and Scapegoating, Resilience and Autonomy, Care and Interdependence, Environmental Collapse, Feminism.