Full disclosure: this book may make you angry.
In this all-too-relatable tale, Sam Beckbessinger traverses all the vagaries of modern urban womanhood — too many responsibilities, incompetent husbands, moody children, dismissive bosses, being overlooked, unseen, unheard — and spins them into a darkly comic horror novel where one woman finally, finally gets to release her rage.
The novel centres mostly around Ellie, a woman in her mid-40s who constantly has "The List" of all the things she has to do running on a ticker tape in her brain.
To her horror she realises the strange symptoms she’s started having — irritability, body hair, insatiable appetite — are the onset of perimenopause. Or are they?
As the novel progresses and Ellie’s symptoms get more and more alarming, the narrative is interwoven with the story of Brenda, an elderly, perpetually enraged woman who has made it her dogged mission to find out who has been killing domestic pets in her neighbourhood.
Beckbessinger has written young adult novels before but this is her first adult novel, and that previous experience is abundantly clear in Femme Feral. The prose is sure and precise, growing especially evocative when describing scenes of London, where Femme Feral is set.
The braided narrative, flicking between Ellie and Brenda, heightens interest without confusing the reader. Both are infinitely engaging.
Ornery, foul-mouthed Brenda doesn’t give a toss what anyone else thinks, and we love her for it. Ellie, on the other hand, is painfully recognisable as a woman drowning in responsibilities.
Her complete inability to establish boundaries is part of the internal conflict of her character and, while understandable, may be frustrating for the reader. It does make her moments of violent catharsis very satisfying!
On occasion, it feels as if Beckbessinger has tried to fit a little too much in.
In an attempt to capture the fury of a woman today, she may have slightly overfilled her cup.
But women like Ellie and Brenda have a lot to be mad about, and the overflow of issues and themes supports the feeling of overwhelm that Ellie feels — and the victorious satisfaction when she finally lets out her inner beast.
A good, if infuriating, read.
Feby Idrus is a writer, musician, and arts administrator
