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The Thornbacks
We didn't do anything at first. It was just an idea that grew in the dark, like a mushroom. Some pale, round spore of a thought finding form in the darkness. In your mind. And yours.
It's Friday night, date night, and two women are getting ready to head out. But it isn't them who Luka - lawyer, thirty-three - is coming to meet. It's Poppy, an angelic blonde who has been dead for more than a year.
Behind her profile are two morticians, Gertie and Tabitha. By day they pump the blood out of bodies, replacing it with formaldehyde, water, alcohol, and raspberry-coloured dye. They sculpt, sew, and paint on shades of Light Natural Tan and Warm Rose Bisque makeup until a face that is almost too perfect looks out of an open casket. They take their work very seriously, and treat their targets on the dating apps with the same scrupulous care. But as they swipe their way through Luka, Zeke, Joshua and Angus, their carefully constructed routine begins to fray.
In The Thornbacks, bodies are objects of care and of violence, tools to coerce and control. As the two women work on bodies laid on the slab, and perched at the bar, we are left to to what extent can we really shape our own lives? What does justice look like in a world of flesh, deception and desire? And how can humanity's bycatch - its most overlooked, undervalued specimens - find a means to rebel?
Told with a blistering wit, The Thornbacks is an exhilarating, acutely observed story of appearances and their subversion.
It's Friday night, date night, and two women are getting ready to head out. But it isn't them who Luka - lawyer, thirty-three - is coming to meet. It's Poppy, an angelic blonde who has been dead for more than a year.
Behind her profile are two morticians, Gertie and Tabitha. By day they pump the blood out of bodies, replacing it with formaldehyde, water, alcohol, and raspberry-coloured dye. They sculpt, sew, and paint on shades of Light Natural Tan and Warm Rose Bisque makeup until a face that is almost too perfect looks out of an open casket. They take their work very seriously, and treat their targets on the dating apps with the same scrupulous care. But as they swipe their way through Luka, Zeke, Joshua and Angus, their carefully constructed routine begins to fray.
In The Thornbacks, bodies are objects of care and of violence, tools to coerce and control. As the two women work on bodies laid on the slab, and perched at the bar, we are left to to what extent can we really shape our own lives? What does justice look like in a world of flesh, deception and desire? And how can humanity's bycatch - its most overlooked, undervalued specimens - find a means to rebel?
Told with a blistering wit, The Thornbacks is an exhilarating, acutely observed story of appearances and their subversion.
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Published May 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 18, 2026
A thornback is a spiny bottom dwelling ray - and also a pejorative term for an older unmarried woman. As I expected, this book is very clever - literary fiction at its finest.
It’s written in the dual perspective of twins:
“Glass of water” I asked “Absolutely” I said.
Very clever, so perfectly executed, the novel follows Tabitha and Gertie, two morticians, who are not twins, but stepsisters. Fun with makeup, but on the dead, juxtaposed with an influencer they watch, who they went to art school with.
Their experiences with men are told, which are not a surprising path to where we find them, scrolling dating apps with a photo of a dead girl as their profile. She of course never turns up on the dates, (she was murdered by her boyfriend - he got away with it), but the sisters do.
Witty as well as sad, tautly written and a little disturbing, but in a super satisfying way, as the social commentary is so rich. It’s what I’ve come to expect from Wilson’s short stories. It’s fun, it’s macabre and it’s very clever. It’s very original, but if it reminds me of anything, it’s early Margaret Atwood. High praise!
Please become prolific Chloe Wilson!
It’s written in the dual perspective of twins:
“Glass of water” I asked “Absolutely” I said.
Very clever, so perfectly executed, the novel follows Tabitha and Gertie, two morticians, who are not twins, but stepsisters. Fun with makeup, but on the dead, juxtaposed with an influencer they watch, who they went to art school with.
Their experiences with men are told, which are not a surprising path to where we find them, scrolling dating apps with a photo of a dead girl as their profile. She of course never turns up on the dates, (she was murdered by her boyfriend - he got away with it), but the sisters do.
Witty as well as sad, tautly written and a little disturbing, but in a super satisfying way, as the social commentary is so rich. It’s what I’ve come to expect from Wilson’s short stories. It’s fun, it’s macabre and it’s very clever. It’s very original, but if it reminds me of anything, it’s early Margaret Atwood. High praise!
Please become prolific Chloe Wilson!
Read
May 3, 2026Wilson employs a double-voice narration where the sisters respond and interact with each other – I cannot think of another book I have encountered such narration. These two weirdos had me in their spell and their obsession with etymology, cocktails and bodies were explored in ways both humorous and horrific. I loved Wilson’s stories in Hold Your Fire and here she uses all her short form skills to great novelistic effect. Her writing has such a strange and transfixing quality to it that has to be experienced. This book is a wonder.
Read
April 5, 2026still in the process of collecting my thoughts over this one but it was definitely a fun read!
July 5, 2026
This was a very special read!
And I don't really know what else to say about it. I have no idea what it was about, who the characters were, or what the point was. But I really liked it!
The way it's written is unique enough. A sort of duet of first person plural, with a bit of second person thrown in. The content is weird - there's a lot of dates that seem to have an ulterior sinister motive, but I never understood what that was. Also there is a lot of mortuary scenes, with detail about dressing and making up bodies for funerals. Then there's some stuff about thornbacks - a kind of ray I think.
So I don't know how to recommend this or what to tell you about it. But I thought it was a fun experience, so give it a go.
And I don't really know what else to say about it. I have no idea what it was about, who the characters were, or what the point was. But I really liked it!
The way it's written is unique enough. A sort of duet of first person plural, with a bit of second person thrown in. The content is weird - there's a lot of dates that seem to have an ulterior sinister motive, but I never understood what that was. Also there is a lot of mortuary scenes, with detail about dressing and making up bodies for funerals. Then there's some stuff about thornbacks - a kind of ray I think.
So I don't know how to recommend this or what to tell you about it. But I thought it was a fun experience, so give it a go.
July 6, 2026
The writing style in this book is strange and usual, much like the plot BUT somehow it works and while at no point did I know what to expect or what little tangent of knowledge would be dropped next, I was so invested in Gertie & Tabitha. These sisters matched each others freak in a way that was hazardous to the general public and it was equal parts horrifying and fascinating.
One wouldn’t want to say too much and spoil anything but this is among other things - a darkly humorous, beautiful exploration of the effects of loneliness, of being overlooked, of a codependent and insulated sisterhood - I loved it.
One wouldn’t want to say too much and spoil anything but this is among other things - a darkly humorous, beautiful exploration of the effects of loneliness, of being overlooked, of a codependent and insulated sisterhood - I loved it.
May 31, 2026
Deliciously macabre, The Thornbacks is the debut novel of Melbourne-based award-winning author and poet Chloe Wilson. It was the book description that beguiled me into reading it.
I hope you noticed that most unusual narration in the second paragraph. Jaclyn at Goodreads described it as "a double-voice narration where the sisters respond and interact with each other" but I'd never heard of this, so I went exploring. I don't want to quote the AI answer — after all, you can find it yourself if you just ask Google 'what is 'double-voiced narration?' — but what I gather from its answer is that the technique is used to offer two (or more) contrasting perspectives, to show both sides of a situation or to lead the reader to question which perspective is the truth. That, I think, is common enough.
But The Thornbacks is doing something different. The nearest novel I know that uses a similar narrative technique is Pip Adam's Nothing to See (2020) which depicts one person morphed into two. (Not two personalities, but rather two people who were formerly one person but now physically separated into two, but two who think alike.) As you can see in the second paragraph of the description, Wilson places nothing to signal that the narrator has switched from one to the other. You may not even notice it some of the time. It's a little disorientating at first, but then comes the realisation that these two think so much alike that it doesn't matter which one says what. Gertie and Tabitha are almost like symbiotic twins. They do everything together.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/05/31/t...
I hope you noticed that most unusual narration in the second paragraph. Jaclyn at Goodreads described it as "a double-voice narration where the sisters respond and interact with each other" but I'd never heard of this, so I went exploring. I don't want to quote the AI answer — after all, you can find it yourself if you just ask Google 'what is 'double-voiced narration?' — but what I gather from its answer is that the technique is used to offer two (or more) contrasting perspectives, to show both sides of a situation or to lead the reader to question which perspective is the truth. That, I think, is common enough.
But The Thornbacks is doing something different. The nearest novel I know that uses a similar narrative technique is Pip Adam's Nothing to See (2020) which depicts one person morphed into two. (Not two personalities, but rather two people who were formerly one person but now physically separated into two, but two who think alike.) As you can see in the second paragraph of the description, Wilson places nothing to signal that the narrator has switched from one to the other. You may not even notice it some of the time. It's a little disorientating at first, but then comes the realisation that these two think so much alike that it doesn't matter which one says what. Gertie and Tabitha are almost like symbiotic twins. They do everything together.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/05/31/t...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There are times when you finish a novel and you just need to set it aside for a while and allow what you have read to wash over you. For what is on the page is so unique and clever, that you just sit there and go wow, in a really good way.
This is a story about two women, Gertie and Tabitha, who make a meagre living as beauticians for the dead. They take the utmost care to ensure the dead are presented in the possible way for the living. They have curated their lives into a routine, shopping at night to avoid the crowds, watching a beauty influencer on Saturdays and Friday night is date night. Gertie and Tabitha love to swipe right, under the assumed identity of Poppy. They are looking for a particular man, a victim and no man can resist Poppy. As she is everything Gertie and Tabitha are not, she is blonde, young, pretty, and dead. Their carefully managed world begins to fray and though they can sense what is coming, they are unable to stop.
The first thing is the voice of the novel, it is a double hander and in my long reading history I have never come across this, so it was a great reading challenge. I was out of my comfort zone and loving it. For the voices really do work well together. They bounce of each other, there are jokes, insights, they respond to each other, and I did wonder if there was one or two women at times. It really kept me intrigued.
Wilson carefully unfolds the world of Gertie and Tabitha, how they have come together, their past romantic interactions, and their dysfunctional family environment. It allows us to understand the motivations of the characters and how their behaviour has formed. The character of Nan is an absolute piece of work, and her manipulations are a masterclass. How Tabitha and Gertie interact with Nan is really interesting as it seems to be more a sense of obligation and duty.
There are so many layers that are wonderful to wallow in as you try wrestle with ambiguity of actions and consequences. Gertie and Tabitha are their actions revenge, and education, or their curiosity? At the conclusion you have empathy for the two women and what they have endured. They have hurt no one, they have not done anything really bad, or have they? If you flip the story to a couple old men does the outcome mean something different? It all comes down to perspective and will have many a book club in heated discussion. I really enjoyed the story, becoming immersed in the world of Gertie and Tabitha who are two of the most intriguing characters I have met.
Chloe Wilson’s debut is extraordinary, dual narrative, vibrant characters, moral ambiguity, wit smart humour, and masterfully realised.
This is a story about two women, Gertie and Tabitha, who make a meagre living as beauticians for the dead. They take the utmost care to ensure the dead are presented in the possible way for the living. They have curated their lives into a routine, shopping at night to avoid the crowds, watching a beauty influencer on Saturdays and Friday night is date night. Gertie and Tabitha love to swipe right, under the assumed identity of Poppy. They are looking for a particular man, a victim and no man can resist Poppy. As she is everything Gertie and Tabitha are not, she is blonde, young, pretty, and dead. Their carefully managed world begins to fray and though they can sense what is coming, they are unable to stop.
The first thing is the voice of the novel, it is a double hander and in my long reading history I have never come across this, so it was a great reading challenge. I was out of my comfort zone and loving it. For the voices really do work well together. They bounce of each other, there are jokes, insights, they respond to each other, and I did wonder if there was one or two women at times. It really kept me intrigued.
Wilson carefully unfolds the world of Gertie and Tabitha, how they have come together, their past romantic interactions, and their dysfunctional family environment. It allows us to understand the motivations of the characters and how their behaviour has formed. The character of Nan is an absolute piece of work, and her manipulations are a masterclass. How Tabitha and Gertie interact with Nan is really interesting as it seems to be more a sense of obligation and duty.
There are so many layers that are wonderful to wallow in as you try wrestle with ambiguity of actions and consequences. Gertie and Tabitha are their actions revenge, and education, or their curiosity? At the conclusion you have empathy for the two women and what they have endured. They have hurt no one, they have not done anything really bad, or have they? If you flip the story to a couple old men does the outcome mean something different? It all comes down to perspective and will have many a book club in heated discussion. I really enjoyed the story, becoming immersed in the world of Gertie and Tabitha who are two of the most intriguing characters I have met.
Chloe Wilson’s debut is extraordinary, dual narrative, vibrant characters, moral ambiguity, wit smart humour, and masterfully realised.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Thornbacks is the first book I have read without traditional quotation marks. There were sometimes no line breaks to signal speech, and sometimes it was full stops to signal character dialogue change.
This does not affect my rating, but it did take a while to wrap my head around. I think it is important to mention in my review, as some readers may not be willing to read when knowing of the writing format.
Chloe's writing is descriptive and captured the natural flow of the character's thoughts and actions. At times, with Chloe's writing, they used "we" instead of "I", so it felt as if I was the second main character sometimes. I also appreciated the look into their personal lives, how they grew up and how the family is functioning now.
Our main characters care very much about presentation, and this is mentioned throughout the book, from the materials of clothing and shoes to the practicality of such items.
As someone with an interest in learning anything and everything, I found Gertie and Tabitha's profession deeply fascinating. The descriptive, detailed chapters of the mortician's process show that they have the utmost respect for their patients when preparing them for one last send-off, but that they are also extremely knowledgeable. I am not grossed out easily, but I can definitely see some readers with queasy eyes as they read.
I think the humour went straight over my head. Although I laughed in Chapter 2, I did not notice the funny wit, but that was just me!
We have some flashback chapters which add so much context, and if you are confused, those chapters put everything into perspective. At first, I struggled with the "message" of The Thornbacks, there wasn't a clear-cut answer within the storyline, but when I take a step back, I can see that The Thornbacks isn't really about a plot or our characters, but at the crux, it is about the autonomy to care, the autonomy of violence and the power of not underestimating.
I want to thank Penguin Random House Australia & Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my rating, but it did take a while to wrap my head around. I think it is important to mention in my review, as some readers may not be willing to read when knowing of the writing format.
Chloe's writing is descriptive and captured the natural flow of the character's thoughts and actions. At times, with Chloe's writing, they used "we" instead of "I", so it felt as if I was the second main character sometimes. I also appreciated the look into their personal lives, how they grew up and how the family is functioning now.
Our main characters care very much about presentation, and this is mentioned throughout the book, from the materials of clothing and shoes to the practicality of such items.
As someone with an interest in learning anything and everything, I found Gertie and Tabitha's profession deeply fascinating. The descriptive, detailed chapters of the mortician's process show that they have the utmost respect for their patients when preparing them for one last send-off, but that they are also extremely knowledgeable. I am not grossed out easily, but I can definitely see some readers with queasy eyes as they read.
I think the humour went straight over my head. Although I laughed in Chapter 2, I did not notice the funny wit, but that was just me!
We have some flashback chapters which add so much context, and if you are confused, those chapters put everything into perspective. At first, I struggled with the "message" of The Thornbacks, there wasn't a clear-cut answer within the storyline, but when I take a step back, I can see that The Thornbacks isn't really about a plot or our characters, but at the crux, it is about the autonomy to care, the autonomy of violence and the power of not underestimating.
I want to thank Penguin Random House Australia & Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2026
New weird book for weird girls!
This book isn't for everyone, but it was absolutely for me.
Gertie and Tabitha are morticians, and they take great pride in their work. When they aren't working, they're catfishing men using 'Poppy', a dating profile using the picture of a young woman who was killed, Gertie and Tabitha believe by her partner.
Once they've selected their target, 'Poppy' and the man set up a date, and the pair wait for their moment.
The first hurdle for readers will be the chosen narration style. Wilson has both Gertie and Tabitha narrating in a conversational style, as if there is a discussion happening between the reader and the two characters. Initially, it isn't always obvious which of the pair a line belongs to, but as you settle into the style and get to know the characters, it becomes an effective character-building tool.
Like all the best weird books, Wilson respects the reader's intelligence and trusts in them to either keep up, or at least go with the flow. The casual prose makes it easy to breeze through the story, but an inattentive reader might find themselves unsure of what, exactly, Gertie and Tabitha are doing with their targets.
The author's strong control of structure and voice make this a delight to read, and honestly, the details about preparing a body for an open-casket funeral and how embalming works were genuinely interesting.
If you're looking for something fun, literary, and unapologetically strange, you'll love The Thornbacks.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
This book isn't for everyone, but it was absolutely for me.
Gertie and Tabitha are morticians, and they take great pride in their work. When they aren't working, they're catfishing men using 'Poppy', a dating profile using the picture of a young woman who was killed, Gertie and Tabitha believe by her partner.
Once they've selected their target, 'Poppy' and the man set up a date, and the pair wait for their moment.
The first hurdle for readers will be the chosen narration style. Wilson has both Gertie and Tabitha narrating in a conversational style, as if there is a discussion happening between the reader and the two characters. Initially, it isn't always obvious which of the pair a line belongs to, but as you settle into the style and get to know the characters, it becomes an effective character-building tool.
Like all the best weird books, Wilson respects the reader's intelligence and trusts in them to either keep up, or at least go with the flow. The casual prose makes it easy to breeze through the story, but an inattentive reader might find themselves unsure of what, exactly, Gertie and Tabitha are doing with their targets.
The author's strong control of structure and voice make this a delight to read, and honestly, the details about preparing a body for an open-casket funeral and how embalming works were genuinely interesting.
If you're looking for something fun, literary, and unapologetically strange, you'll love The Thornbacks.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
July 2, 2026
A debut novel, The Thornbacks (2026) by Chloe Wilson, is a general fiction tale about two stepsisters. Gertie and Tabitha are morticians specialising in make-up. The narrative is a dual first-person perspective, with the somewhat dull lives of the sisters highlighted by their Friday ‘date nights’. Using a photo (on dating apps) of a young dead woman named Poppy, the sisters take turns to select their next date. A flowing story with flashbacks to explain the protagonist's oddity and some graphic mortuary descriptions makes for an interesting contrast. Although intended as some kind of commentary on a variety of issues, this is a macabre, comedic attempt disguising a sinister undertone, with a surprise ending. It’s a difficult book to rate, given the initial reading pleasure but later realised grimness, making for a three and a half star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I could not put this book down! It took me a couple of pages to realise that the two main characters are telling a story to the reader, about themselves, about what happened and then the narrative style became clear. The plot didn't quite match the blurb, it was much subtler and cleverer. I found it fascinating, as it slowly dripped the facts and history into the story. And the end, so good! As a bonus it was clearly set in Melbourne, even though no city of suburb name is ever mentioned. It had such a strong sense of place.
This book is so thoughtful and clever that I wish I was part of a book club so I could make everyone read it and discuss it with me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin random House Australia for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book is so thoughtful and clever that I wish I was part of a book club so I could make everyone read it and discuss it with me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin random House Australia for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2026
Loved this book! The writing style was so different, and I confess it took a bit to get used to. But I loved the cleverness of it (which can be irritating sometimes, but not to me, not this time). These step-sisters are so well synchronised, even the reader can almost anticipate the "mind reading" between them. (You know. Finishing each other's sentences, that sort of thing.) I didn't know this author, but will surely seek her out for more stories.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 The Thornbacks
✒️ Chloe Wilson
💫💫💫
Thank you to Penguin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book absolutely messed with me. It was so mind boggling that somehow I enjoyed it but also feel a little bit creeped out... The Thornbacks is a very uniquely written story that you question everything you read.
📚 The Thornbacks
✒️ Chloe Wilson
💫💫💫
Thank you to Penguin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book absolutely messed with me. It was so mind boggling that somehow I enjoyed it but also feel a little bit creeped out... The Thornbacks is a very uniquely written story that you question everything you read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was so fun! I have never read anything that was written like this - the singular perspective but of two people at the same time? I felt like I was a single brain-cell bumping around between their minds. I read this so fast and once again, I will always support women's wrongs as much as their rights.
April 2, 2026
This was so confusing. I didn’t know who was talking and the lack of quotations really spun me out. The non-linear timeline made it hard to keep up. I didn’t understand the purpose for what the two women were doing and some of it was quite violating to read. The only good thing I can say about this is that it was a quick read that did somewhat hook me in to keep reading.
May 26, 2026
3.5. Man, I felt like this had such potential. The blurb got me intrigued - could this be my next Weird Girl book? I read the first page and loved the writing style, so I dove in. And it was intriguing for quite a while, but then.. nothing happened? No major plot point? I am left feeling a bit confused and underwhelmed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It was a somewhat unusual story with some creepy moments. I did enjoy the book and the added humour. With so much thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC.
May 9, 2026
This was so obscure and I loved it. The narration was an adjustment and the lack of quotation marks was hard to get used to. But in the end it added to the overall vibe of the book and I enjoyed it!
I’ve never read anything like it.
ALSO can we talk about how gorgeous the cover is 😍
I’ve never read anything like it.
ALSO can we talk about how gorgeous the cover is 😍
May 17, 2026
This one was such a fun read! Razor sharp wit and two odd mortician sisters obsessed with etymology and cocktails. 🍹
I couldn’t put it down. Such an easy, addictive read that I flew through!
Thank you Penguin Books Australia or my review copy.
I couldn’t put it down. Such an easy, addictive read that I flew through!
Thank you Penguin Books Australia or my review copy.
May 19, 2026
The writing style took me a while to adjust to though, especially with the lack of quotation marks and unusual dialogue formatting. Some of the humour also went over my head a bit. Overall, it was a strange but memorable book that I’m glad I picked up.
Read
June 25, 2026Look this is a clever premise about women exacting revenge against men and dating apps. It’s an interesting writing style with the multiple voices of the sisters but it’s just too weird for me . I feel like a missed a chapter or two because I completely missed the point of this book
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was do disappointing. I loved Chloe’s first book, but this was not it.
May 16, 2026
I found the writing unclear and repetitive and the story didnt really go anywhere. The premise was engaging, but overall a disappointing read.
June 7, 2026
Interesting style that took me a few hours to adjust to on audiobook with two characters conversing.
June 7, 2026
Wow. Just wow. If Caitlin Doughty started writing fiction and voiced it as The Twinnies.
I listened to this book in under 24 hours. Today I bought a copy. I’ll be rereading it. Soon, I hope.
I listened to this book in under 24 hours. Today I bought a copy. I’ll be rereading it. Soon, I hope.
June 9, 2026
A creepy little book. Really enjoyed it, but it did leave me slightly unsatisfied.
June 11, 2026
Brilliant. So different with a sudden twist at the end
Read
May 29, 2026Released back to bookstore
June 23, 2026
- contemporary, weird girls fiction
- I think it took me a while to adjust to the lack of quotations in this novel, overall an interesting and slightly disturbing read.
- I think it took me a while to adjust to the lack of quotations in this novel, overall an interesting and slightly disturbing read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews