I eagerly awaited reading this novel as soon as I heard that the author had got signed to write it. Her original essays were available online, and the essay on the Furies, published on Catapult.co was one of the first pieces I reviewed on this page, so now reviewing the book feels like coming full circle.

Each essay in this book draws us to contemplate the various female monsters of antiquity-- the sphinx, the furies, the sirens, scylla, the harpies, and more-- and ask whether they were actually monsters or just exhibiting behaviours that men don’t like seeing in women. For example, the essay on the Furies examines their anger and rage. Was it monstrous in and of itself, or simply just unattractive in women to show so much anger? 

Jess draws upon her own experiences as a woman in the modern world, and one who does not meet the many, many, many ideals placed upon women of all ages. Her experiences, along with anecdotes from others, research, and assorted interpretations of ancient stories build out each essay into something that many women will be able to sympathize and connect with. 

In a preamble to the book, Jess makes note of the use of the “we” in essays to mean any cis or trans woman, or any other people who may present as a woman. And if one “we” does not connect to you, hopefully another will. I appreciated this note, as somebody who has always had thin privilege, and generally met many of the markers of conventional attractiveness, I did not have first-hand experience with some of her anecdotes. But that does not mean the essays were lost on me either. I could always find my own story to reflect on.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent book! I fell in love with the concept the first time I read her essays four years ago, and it was executed perfectly in this book. I can see myself revisiting the book as a whole, or individual essays, in the future as my own life changes and I need that assurance that a little monstrousness isn’t so bad sometimes.