It’s hard not to feel frustrated when, in 2025, women’s rights are under attack and the manosphere is glorifying violence against women. Given the state of things, feminist rage is not just justified – it’s necessary. So, if you’re looking for a novel that lets you sit with female anger – without moralising it, sanitising it or demanding it be palatable – these books will more than deliver. From Lisa Taddeo’s Animal to Jesmyn’s Ward’s Let Us Descend, dive deep into the fury, pain and resilience of women fighting against oppression and injustice via these books, which embody the full, raw and necessary scope of female rage. Time to let it burn...
Animal by Lisa Taddeo
“An electrifying gut-punch of a novel that drags you through the darkest corridors of trauma, desire and vengeance. It follows Joan, a woman who has been relentlessly used, hurt and shaped by men. She finally snaps after witnessing a violent suicide and flees to California in search of answers, catharsis, or perhaps just more destruction. Taddeo doesn’t shy away from the grotesque and the messy – she revels in it. A raw, unfiltered scream of feminine rage.” – Samantha de Haas, Creative Production Manager
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
“Inspired by a real-life case, Butter follows a journalist investigating a woman accused of seducing men to their deaths through food. As the protagonist unpacks misogyny, desire and power, she’s forced to confront the ways women’s lives are controlled and judged. Yuzuki masterfully blends mystery with a searing critique of societal expectations, making Butter a perfect read for those ready to embrace their anger (and their hunger).” Samantha de Haas, Creative Production Manager
The Power by Naomi Alderman
“When women develop the ability to generate electricity from their bodies, the world shifts – violently. Through multiple perspectives, Alderman dismantles power structures, exposing how oppression isn’t about gender but who holds control. Brutal, thought-provoking and unflinching, The Power forces readers to confront deep-seated inequalities and is an electrifying reimagining of gender dynamics.” – Lisa Harvey, Editorial Director
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
“A haunting, furious reclamation of the silenced ‘mad woman in the attic’ in Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea gives voice to Mr Rochester’s first wife, Bertha – here imagined as Antoinette Cosway. Set in the sweltering Caribbean, Rhys exposes colonialism, patriarchy and madness as tools of control. Antoinette’s descent isn’t inevitable; it’s forced upon her by a husband who strips her of identity and agency. Lush and devastating, this novel seethes with the injustice of a woman erased. Wide Sargasso Sea will break your heart – and ignite your fury.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
“Following Annis, an enslaved girl forced on a brutal march south, Ward crafts a haunting meditation on survival amid unimaginable cruelty. Infused with ghostly echoes and unflinching reality, the novel rages against the dehumanisation of Black women while honouring their strength. Ward’s prose, raw and unyielding, burns with sorrow, fury and the pain of history.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director
