AustLit

'Though it never quite coheres, The Feather in the Web takes some sharp digs at contemporary society and is bolstered by an excellent cast. By Alison Croggon.' 

'The Bass Rock opens with a memory, or a dream, where six-year-old Vivianne, whose adult self is one of the narrators of the novel proper, discovers a woman’s body in a suitcase, washed up on the beach near her grandmother’s house. The memory is important, not only because it is a formative experience for Vivianne and one that haunts her adult life, but also because it sets up The Bass Rock’s central concern: this is a novel about the centuries-long history of violence committed against women, and the legacies this might leave.' (Introduction)

'Named for the Greek myth about a race of people who indulge in hedonism rather than dealing with the realities of life, Emily Clements’ memoir follows two time lines: the author throughout adolescence, and the author, aged 19, living in Vietnam, having just fled from her toxic best friend. The earlier memories show a girl desperate for social approval, self-conscious about body image and hungry for male attention – even when it’s interlaced with danger or disquiet. The impact of Clements’ experiences as a girl mirror her life in Vietnam where, after years of conditioning, she sees her body as a powerful tool that can easily betray her – and finds herself in a terrifying situation that is the catalyst for an empowering personal shift.' (Introduction)

'Wayne Marshall’s debut collection of short stories is a book that can be wholly judged by its cover. On it, a burly bloke embraces a kangaroo who wears a Carlton footy vest – a queer romantic scene that is backlit by the gentle glow of a telly. Marshall’s schtick is injecting Australian tropes with fabulist twists: everything is not what it first seems.' (Introduction)