What do you think?
Rate this book
The Flat Woman
In The Flat Woman, women exclusively are blamed for the climate crisis. Seagulls drop dead from the sky, and the government, instead of taking responsibility, scapegoats a group of female ecoterrorists. When a girl’s mother is incarcerated for climate crimes, she is forced to raise herself alone. As a young woman, she begins a romance with an environmental activist whose passion makes her question her own role in the world. By turns hilarious, deadly serious, and completely absurd, The Flat Woman asks who gets the right to call themselves a good person in a world ripe with disaster.
Driven by complex academic and moral questions, The Flat Woman is certain to appeal to fans of feminist and experimental literature, as well as fans of Margaret Atwood, Renee Gladman, Bhanu Kapil, Maggie Nelson, Kelly Link, and Anne Carson.
Driven by complex academic and moral questions, The Flat Woman is certain to appeal to fans of feminist and experimental literature, as well as fans of Margaret Atwood, Renee Gladman, Bhanu Kapil, Maggie Nelson, Kelly Link, and Anne Carson.
149 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2024
4 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Saunders
1 book6 followersVanessa Saunders is a feminist writer from San San Francisco.
Her novel, The Flat Woman, won the Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize with Fiction Collective 2.
Her writing has appeared in Seneca Review, PANK, Western Humanities Review, Los Angeles Review, Passages North, Nat. Brut, Stockholm Review of Literature, as well as many other journals.
She works as a Professor of Practice at Loyola University New Orleans.
Her book is forthcoming from University of Alabama Press and Fiction Collective 2.
Her novel, The Flat Woman, won the Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize with Fiction Collective 2.
Her writing has appeared in Seneca Review, PANK, Western Humanities Review, Los Angeles Review, Passages North, Nat. Brut, Stockholm Review of Literature, as well as many other journals.
She works as a Professor of Practice at Loyola University New Orleans.
Her book is forthcoming from University of Alabama Press and Fiction Collective 2.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 17, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.
My reading tastes are leaning toward the strange, the uncanny, the bleak future brought on by the climate crisis and an increasingly unstable governmental state. Hum scratched this itch quite well, as did The Flat Woman (albeit, perhaps not as much because spoiler: Hum might be my favorite book of the year). This is a novella I know I need to revisit in the future; I appreciate what it’s doing and I understand what it’s going for, but so much of this story is symbolic and not fully drawn. I like strange stories that are just strange, no excuses. And this story is certainly that! But maybe I could’ve done with a bit more meat on the bone. Still, a solid 4-star read.
My reading tastes are leaning toward the strange, the uncanny, the bleak future brought on by the climate crisis and an increasingly unstable governmental state. Hum scratched this itch quite well, as did The Flat Woman (albeit, perhaps not as much because spoiler: Hum might be my favorite book of the year). This is a novella I know I need to revisit in the future; I appreciate what it’s doing and I understand what it’s going for, but so much of this story is symbolic and not fully drawn. I like strange stories that are just strange, no excuses. And this story is certainly that! But maybe I could’ve done with a bit more meat on the bone. Still, a solid 4-star read.
August 18, 2024
If you have been wanting to read a novel that synthesizes the lost art of Elvis impersonation, the existential threat to humanity posed by climate change, and fascist state capture, then boy do I have a book for you! The language and imagery used throughout The Flat Woman is incredibly vivid, and reading the novel reminds me of David Lynch's LOST HIGHWAY or MULLHOLLAND DRIVE. There's an air of mystery that pervades the world and characters of The Flat Woman, and just being able to experience this new and unique universe for the slice of time depicted in the novel is incredibly rewarding. All that being said, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that I was given a pre-publication copy by the author, who also happens to be my spouse. Of course, I'd still recommend The Flat Woman even if I had no connection to the author.
November 9, 2024
I think I understood this and I think I liked it. For such a short story I feel it was dampened by the slower start. The hypocrisy and ignorance highlighted here once the story got going was. whew. 3.5 stars.
November 7, 2024
some early reviews have been mentioning that this book may not be for everyone, and that may be true—but it ABSOLUTELY was for me!
eerie, evocative, slightly off-kilter, told in delicious little fragments. twin peaks–y, but also all its own. my first instinct upon finishing it is to turn to the beginning and start it all again.
keep an eye out for this one if you like the strange and haunting, and you're down to let the atmosphere of a novel gradually wash over you!
eerie, evocative, slightly off-kilter, told in delicious little fragments. twin peaks–y, but also all its own. my first instinct upon finishing it is to turn to the beginning and start it all again.
keep an eye out for this one if you like the strange and haunting, and you're down to let the atmosphere of a novel gradually wash over you!
January 23, 2025
Wow! Seldom has a book invoked such anger in me! I am analyzing it for my Master‘s Thesis on climate fiction and I am very much looking forward to the analysis.
The book is based upon an uncanny or even weird storyline.
However, I thought it was a good representation of how white males in politics are trying to find an easy fix for the climate crisis and (as portrayed by the book) fixate on women as scapegoats.
The book is based upon an uncanny or even weird storyline.
However, I thought it was a good representation of how white males in politics are trying to find an easy fix for the climate crisis and (as portrayed by the book) fixate on women as scapegoats.
August 14, 2024
I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard one to give review for.
Did I like this book? Yes.
Did I understand ALL the underlying messages? Probably not.
Would I recommend that you read this book? Absolutely.
Could I tell you what it's about? Not without giving spoilers.
I would love to re-read this as a bookclub pick once it is published to discuss it with others though.
This is a hard one to give review for.
Did I like this book? Yes.
Did I understand ALL the underlying messages? Probably not.
Would I recommend that you read this book? Absolutely.
Could I tell you what it's about? Not without giving spoilers.
I would love to re-read this as a bookclub pick once it is published to discuss it with others though.
November 12, 2024
The Flat Woman is hands down my favorite fiction book of 2024. The story strikes a rare balance: it's both delightfully quirky and deeply relevant, blending laugh-out-loud humor with moments that make you want to hold back tears. The prose is poetic yet refreshingly accessible. I can’t recommend this book enough—10/10!
February 13, 2026
The yellow house the yellow house t h e y e l l o w h o u s e
September 14, 2024
Aahhh I give this one 3 stars with a very heavy heart. I wanted to love this so much. In fact, I went in with the pre conceived notion that I'll love it - I mean just look at the cover & the blurb!
The Flat Woman balances 3 primary themes of environmental disruption, feminism & mental health simultaneously, but it is certainly not limited to these. Heavy symbolism written with a surreal narrative immediately sucked me in.
Pink jumpsuits in prisons?! Hell yeah! (but also no because women blaming bad)
P.S. 128 pages of fever dream like narration? Yesss!!
As much as I wanted to read more about seagull terrorism, the book moves on quickly in the second half to a (weird?) man who I absolutely did not like (that's the point, I know) but I also thought they plot might've been better without him at all.
I actually loved references to therapy, anxiety, leaking & the Woman's generally worst case scenario approach to life. I was looking forward to more of it as to me, the 'self fulfilling prophecy' climax might've have made more sense then.
Despite it's shortfalls (me losing interest after Elvis shows up), this book is EXACTLY the kind of weird, unique, creepy PINK experience that I crave in books (think Metamorphosis x Bunny x Eleanor Oliphant and you've barely scratched the surface).
To me, this author has a lot of potential. Looking forward to more from her.
The Flat Woman balances 3 primary themes of environmental disruption, feminism & mental health simultaneously, but it is certainly not limited to these. Heavy symbolism written with a surreal narrative immediately sucked me in.
Pink jumpsuits in prisons?! Hell yeah! (but also no because women blaming bad)
P.S. 128 pages of fever dream like narration? Yesss!!
As much as I wanted to read more about seagull terrorism, the book moves on quickly in the second half to a (weird?) man who I absolutely did not like (that's the point, I know) but I also thought they plot might've been better without him at all.
I actually loved references to therapy, anxiety, leaking & the Woman's generally worst case scenario approach to life. I was looking forward to more of it as to me, the 'self fulfilling prophecy' climax might've have made more sense then.
Despite it's shortfalls (me losing interest after Elvis shows up), this book is EXACTLY the kind of weird, unique, creepy PINK experience that I crave in books (think Metamorphosis x Bunny x Eleanor Oliphant and you've barely scratched the surface).
To me, this author has a lot of potential. Looking forward to more from her.
September 7, 2024
The Flat Woman is a novella with a compelling premise, exploring themes of climate change and polarization. These are subjects I typically find engaging, so I was excited to read this novella. However, despite its intriguing concept, the story did not fully resonate with me.
The story’s weirdness and surrealism were notable and provided a unique reading experience. Yet, I felt that the novella fell short in terms of depth and development. The potential of its themes seemed underutilized, leaving me wanting more substance and exploration. While the novel’s originality was appreciated, I was left with a sense of unfulfilled promise. Overall, while The Flat Woman has its merits, it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Thank you Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the ARC!
The story’s weirdness and surrealism were notable and provided a unique reading experience. Yet, I felt that the novella fell short in terms of depth and development. The potential of its themes seemed underutilized, leaving me wanting more substance and exploration. While the novel’s originality was appreciated, I was left with a sense of unfulfilled promise. Overall, while The Flat Woman has its merits, it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Thank you Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the ARC!
December 31, 2024
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.
Content / Trigger Warnings: Blood (minor), Animal Cruelty (minor), Police Brutality (minor), Vomit (severe), Animal Death (minor), Domestic Abuse (minor), Physical Abuse (minor).
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.
Content / Trigger Warnings: Blood (minor), Animal Cruelty (minor), Police Brutality (minor), Vomit (severe), Animal Death (minor), Domestic Abuse (minor), Physical Abuse (minor).
March 17, 2025
I think that this is absolutely fantastic, but I can't help myself. Before anything else... wtf is going on with that cover? I can see that the publisher's going for the "disposable woman" elements of the text, but no one seeing this on a shelf is going to think "climate fiction".
They should. It is. Yes, it looks at climate through a gendered lens - in this world, women are deemed the primary cause of environmental degradation, and the protagonist's mother is jailed for an apparent attack on seagulls. It's classed as environmental terrorism, but of course the actual dystopian outcomes here are pretty much as they always are: the result of unregulated capitalism. The wider social relationship between women and climate blame is illustrated, in miniature, by the main character and her Elvis impersonator boyfriend, who talks a good game about environmental issues but is exhibiting increasingly exploitative behaviour himself. The end of that relationship is a clear oncoming trainwreck, not that the protagonist does anything to get herself out of it... but then she's distracted by the fact that her body periodically takes on the characteristics of the failing world around her.
It's metaphor layered on metaphor here, and it's fascinating. I'm so glad that novellas are doing so well - especially in science fiction - these last few years, because this is short and punchy and would not be served at all by being dragged out to a longer word count.
They should. It is. Yes, it looks at climate through a gendered lens - in this world, women are deemed the primary cause of environmental degradation, and the protagonist's mother is jailed for an apparent attack on seagulls. It's classed as environmental terrorism, but of course the actual dystopian outcomes here are pretty much as they always are: the result of unregulated capitalism. The wider social relationship between women and climate blame is illustrated, in miniature, by the main character and her Elvis impersonator boyfriend, who talks a good game about environmental issues but is exhibiting increasingly exploitative behaviour himself. The end of that relationship is a clear oncoming trainwreck, not that the protagonist does anything to get herself out of it... but then she's distracted by the fact that her body periodically takes on the characteristics of the failing world around her.
It's metaphor layered on metaphor here, and it's fascinating. I'm so glad that novellas are doing so well - especially in science fiction - these last few years, because this is short and punchy and would not be served at all by being dragged out to a longer word count.
December 30, 2024
Publishing date: 12.11.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Fiction Collective 2 for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
When I picked up this book I expected more of a "concrete" story with a very clear beginning, plot, and end. This seems more abstract than it is, and the writing style is mostly at fault. It has this verbose and conscious style. Like prying into the mind of someone who thinks too much. The story is both too personal and also not personal enough.
I also think I expected something a little different. My expectation was a story where a person gets to observe more directly what effects climate change have and how women get treated for that.Yes, we do see a few cases of exactly that. But not enough. There isn't enough "women at fault" compared to what the blurb got me expecting. We do see how climate change affects the world, but even then it is reduced to an almost "normal".
I just wanted more focus on these different themes.
Otherwise, this is a weird book with weird themes and weird events. It is very much black and white. Filled with hypocrites and "bad" people.
Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, B tier. Not really for me. I think this has a very specific audience it will click with, but I am not with them. I enjoyed my time with it. Not much more to say than that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fiction Collective 2 for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
When I picked up this book I expected more of a "concrete" story with a very clear beginning, plot, and end. This seems more abstract than it is, and the writing style is mostly at fault. It has this verbose and conscious style. Like prying into the mind of someone who thinks too much. The story is both too personal and also not personal enough.
I also think I expected something a little different. My expectation was a story where a person gets to observe more directly what effects climate change have and how women get treated for that.Yes, we do see a few cases of exactly that. But not enough. There isn't enough "women at fault" compared to what the blurb got me expecting. We do see how climate change affects the world, but even then it is reduced to an almost "normal".
I just wanted more focus on these different themes.
Otherwise, this is a weird book with weird themes and weird events. It is very much black and white. Filled with hypocrites and "bad" people.
Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, B tier. Not really for me. I think this has a very specific audience it will click with, but I am not with them. I enjoyed my time with it. Not much more to say than that.
September 21, 2024
4 stars
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
what an interesting premise! after having studied a unit on perspectives of the future for my english class, a future in which the government pretends that the climate crisis is the fault of women doesn't seem too unrealistic to me. i really enjoyed the unique writing style of this novel - each chapter/section felt like a new scene in a script for a tv show (if you know what i mean). the language used by the author was vivid and conjured very strong imagery. it's a style of writing that one of my teachers would refer to as "economical" - the author doesn't have to say much to convey meaning.
that being said, i think the ultimate message of the novel went over my head. i understood the themes, but what saunders was trying to say was ultimately lost on me. i also missed the significance of the title.
overall though, a fantastic read! what a great pick for my first advanced reader copy of a book!
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
what an interesting premise! after having studied a unit on perspectives of the future for my english class, a future in which the government pretends that the climate crisis is the fault of women doesn't seem too unrealistic to me. i really enjoyed the unique writing style of this novel - each chapter/section felt like a new scene in a script for a tv show (if you know what i mean). the language used by the author was vivid and conjured very strong imagery. it's a style of writing that one of my teachers would refer to as "economical" - the author doesn't have to say much to convey meaning.
that being said, i think the ultimate message of the novel went over my head. i understood the themes, but what saunders was trying to say was ultimately lost on me. i also missed the significance of the title.
overall though, a fantastic read! what a great pick for my first advanced reader copy of a book!
November 22, 2024
Literally have no clue what I just read? 😭
🕊️ An unnamed girl’s mother is accused of « seagull terrorism », taken by the police and thrown in jail. Now a grown woman, the girl goes to university and experiences episodes of « her boundaries leaking » - which I didn’t get until later were episodes depicting mental illness. She visits her mother in an ashy « Pops Cola » jail and declares she is moving out with her boyfriend, who works at the « All Elvis Enclave ». The Flat Woman deals with themes like the climate crisis, mental health, abusive relationships, capitalism and many more.
It is certainly one of a kind. I don’t think ever read or ever will read anything quite like it, so if you’re into refreshing and wtf novels, this might be for you. It’s very much giving unhinged 😮💨
I don’t really think it was for me though, I struggled grasping the whole plot and the message behind the woman’s story. Some of it was quite straightforward but I wish the book explored more of the climate change aspect, the whys and hows of the Pops Cola monopoly etc. I was expecting a bit more for such an interesting premise. That said, if you’re into dystopias, magical realism, and wtf novels, this is the one 👇🏻
Thanks to the University Press of Alabama for providing this Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. This was released on November 12th in the UK, happy first week of shelf life to The Flat Woman 🥳
#arcreader #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #theflatwoman #uoa #bookstagrammer #bookstagramuk #booksbooksbooks #unhingedwomenbooks
🕊️ An unnamed girl’s mother is accused of « seagull terrorism », taken by the police and thrown in jail. Now a grown woman, the girl goes to university and experiences episodes of « her boundaries leaking » - which I didn’t get until later were episodes depicting mental illness. She visits her mother in an ashy « Pops Cola » jail and declares she is moving out with her boyfriend, who works at the « All Elvis Enclave ». The Flat Woman deals with themes like the climate crisis, mental health, abusive relationships, capitalism and many more.
It is certainly one of a kind. I don’t think ever read or ever will read anything quite like it, so if you’re into refreshing and wtf novels, this might be for you. It’s very much giving unhinged 😮💨
I don’t really think it was for me though, I struggled grasping the whole plot and the message behind the woman’s story. Some of it was quite straightforward but I wish the book explored more of the climate change aspect, the whys and hows of the Pops Cola monopoly etc. I was expecting a bit more for such an interesting premise. That said, if you’re into dystopias, magical realism, and wtf novels, this is the one 👇🏻
Thanks to the University Press of Alabama for providing this Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. This was released on November 12th in the UK, happy first week of shelf life to The Flat Woman 🥳
#arcreader #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #theflatwoman #uoa #bookstagrammer #bookstagramuk #booksbooksbooks #unhingedwomenbooks
November 13, 2024
I loved every sentence. Every sentence is visceral, unexpected, startling, and a little gross, but not too gross. The language is just slightly off. It's destabilizing. It's disturbing to read but it's a little funny even so.
For instance:
Her aunt bends to light her long white cigarette on the stove. A zigzag of smoke. The girl follows her outside to the patio beneath a night sky pushed with stars.
"Her aunt bends" is nicely direct, and then you come to "long white cigarette" which hits with a lovely spondee-plus-dactyl rhythm: –, –, – ◡ ◡ ; and it seems the two adjectives are there just for the rhythm, bec. almost all cigarettes are white, and also they are as long as cigarettes are long...and next comes this odd sentence fragment, of a ZIGZAG of smoke...can I see a zigzag of smoke? Not exactly--bec. smoke doesn't have sharp angles...but I love it, for the way it distracts me, but only a little, and it doesn't snag me long enough to keep me from reading on...and then in the next part of the sentence I'm asked to to imagine "a night sky pushed with stars."
I don't want to leave the impression that this is hard work to read. It zips along, one concrete verb after another. Scenes are full of vivid sense impressions.
But always there is something a little off, a little disquieting, and that's what makes this a wonderful and upending read.
For instance:
Her aunt bends to light her long white cigarette on the stove. A zigzag of smoke. The girl follows her outside to the patio beneath a night sky pushed with stars.
"Her aunt bends" is nicely direct, and then you come to "long white cigarette" which hits with a lovely spondee-plus-dactyl rhythm: –, –, – ◡ ◡ ; and it seems the two adjectives are there just for the rhythm, bec. almost all cigarettes are white, and also they are as long as cigarettes are long...and next comes this odd sentence fragment, of a ZIGZAG of smoke...can I see a zigzag of smoke? Not exactly--bec. smoke doesn't have sharp angles...but I love it, for the way it distracts me, but only a little, and it doesn't snag me long enough to keep me from reading on...and then in the next part of the sentence I'm asked to to imagine "a night sky pushed with stars."
I don't want to leave the impression that this is hard work to read. It zips along, one concrete verb after another. Scenes are full of vivid sense impressions.
But always there is something a little off, a little disquieting, and that's what makes this a wonderful and upending read.
September 7, 2024
Highly recommend this book. The prose is stunning, especially the way certain lines conclude a wave of thought with a succinct punch of image and truth. It manages to create a highly specific and evocative world that parallels our own but offers surreal explorations of its less savory aspects that highlight the absurdity and comedy of some truly tragic elements of our society. I thought it managed to be haunting while also quite funny in moments, and there are lines that have sunk particularly far into my consciousness. This book is sophisticated and winding, worth reading and rereading to fully unpack the layers and revel in the language. Would recommend especially for fans of Anne Carson and Maggie Nelson.
December 2, 2024
This was such a short book and at the same times it felt so long… ok maybe I wasnt the intended reader for this book, that star of the book dragged and left me wonder how legal would be for a child to be alone… if the house of the aunt was so unfit why didn’t she move with the niece? Basically she had to fend for herself… I wish this book had made more sense for me than it did.
I had to brave through the story to finish, and if you ask me what did I retain from the story? Pretty much nothing… it wasnt for me, for a short novella it felt like the size of war and peace…
Thank you NetGalley and Watkins Publishing, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
I had to brave through the story to finish, and if you ask me what did I retain from the story? Pretty much nothing… it wasnt for me, for a short novella it felt like the size of war and peace…
Thank you NetGalley and Watkins Publishing, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
September 7, 2024
Uh okay thank you NetGalley for the arc
I think this was just maybe not meant for me? I found the writing style to be extremely rough and choppy and the lack of quotations and clear markings of who was talking and when was really confusing and odd. I unfortunately don’t feel like this was what I expected to read based off the description. I’m not sure if the formatting was intentional but if not the editor needs to reevaluate the grammar and punctuation. The sentence structures were poor at best.
Just know this won’t be for everyone.
I think this was just maybe not meant for me? I found the writing style to be extremely rough and choppy and the lack of quotations and clear markings of who was talking and when was really confusing and odd. I unfortunately don’t feel like this was what I expected to read based off the description. I’m not sure if the formatting was intentional but if not the editor needs to reevaluate the grammar and punctuation. The sentence structures were poor at best.
Just know this won’t be for everyone.
November 5, 2024
This book will definitely not be for everyone, but I did like things about it. Some things felt almost too on-the-nose: evil government, evil corporations, ignoring climate change and real climate solutions. But I thought a lot of the themes of hypocrisy in activist spaces were interesting and chilling. Unfortunately, the surreal writing style will definitely put some people off. Also, there is some intense body horror and just overall really gross descriptions that I did not enjoy.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
November 12, 2024
1.5⭐️ thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I was so excited by the premise of this but I was left feeling confused a majority of the time. While I caught some of the messages that the story conveyed, I think there was a lot that I missed or was unable to connect to. For it being a novella, I thought the pacing was also lacking. If interested in reading this, I recommend checking the trigger warnings ahead of time.
September 28, 2025
Mix a narrator who has bird feathers sprouting from her skin with an Elvis impersonator and I'm all the way in. This fast-paced novel is both surreal and all too real, like waking up from a strange dream only to find out it's even stranger outside your bedroom window. Complete with evil corporations, seagull terrorism, relationship struggles, and one hell of a quirky aunt, The Flat Woman has it all. A great debut novel.
June 6, 2025
I really loved the world of this book, and I found myself so intrigued by the odd things that existed in that futuristic place. However, I was a little unsatisfied by the conclusion because I felt like there were so many elements in the book that I wanted Saunders to expand on and discuss even more. But despite that, the book was so striking as a whole that I still really enjoyed reading it.
August 29, 2024
Really interesting.. I find it hard to put in words this reading experience. I was drawn to the story line, definitely an unusual writing style. I am really glad I read it, not sure if this style is quite for me. Try it. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
November 13, 2024
Tremendously enjoyed this novel. A cloud (smog?) of depersonalization hovers over the main character in a way I found really compelling, a coming-of-age in which the becoming is arrested by patriarchy and late stage capitalism. Thought-provoking, incisive, uncanny and oddly fun.
December 26, 2024
Surreal near future speculative fiction where the US in particular decides to lean in to misogyny and scapegoating as the solution for the climate crisis, and where the actions of someone leading to the death of a bird may cause murder charges. Interesting holiday read.
February 6, 2025
4.5 stars as I found the final pages just the tiniest bit disappointing (a bit too predictable). Overall, though, this is a stunning book-urgent, vivid, and disquieting. I read it all in one go as I could not bear to put it down.
October 8, 2025
Very strange, kind of gross. I was confused by the inconsistent logic at first, but I think the narrator is illustrating the cognitive dissonance everyone experiences while existing in capitalism and knowing the horrors too. The Elvis impersonating boyfriend was so icky and really shows how many men can feign progressivism but act the complete opposite in their closest relationships to women without even realizing it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2025
I bought “The Flat Woman” recently after reading an intriguing review. It’s a rather bizarre dystopian story, where the main character’s “boundaries” are not quite fixed when she is under stress. Corporate ash is killing off birds and polluting everything, but obviously women are to blame! Early on, the protagonist’s mother is arrested for “killing” hundreds of birds in a “terrorist” act.
This is not an easy read, especially the ending, but it is a biting critique of the climate crisis.
This is not an easy read, especially the ending, but it is a biting critique of the climate crisis.
December 31, 2024
“When I rewrote this piece, I tried to create a text that demanded a new kind of reading experience. One that expresses our absurd, fast, and unpredictable modern world filled with screens, disasters, and polarization.” —Vanessa Saunders
Reading this short novel feels like entering a surreal dream. It's the weirdest you can get before starting to be pretentious. The characters feel distant, the story fragmented, and the symbolism blunt but bizarre - yet somehow it all works together and it is gripping from the first line.
It reminded me a bit of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Philip K Dick's Ubik. You won't find any answers here, but quite a few conversation starters - would definitely recommend for a more experimental book club and anyone interested in surreal cli-fi.
Content Warning for domestic abuse and violence against animals.
Thank you to Vanessa Saunders, University of Alabama Press/Fiction Collective 2, and NetGalley for the ARC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews