Spoilt Creatures: A Review
an in depth review
I’ve really been leaning into writing single book reviews. Before I enjoyed writing about a collection of books, but I think this was driving me to force myself into being overwhelmed. Trying to read 5 over the same theme, when this isn’t easy unless it happens to flow. After my last review Blob I really liked having a bit of a deeper dive into my thoughts and experience with one book!
Spoilt Creatures neither blew me away or had a huge impact, what it has done though is made me want to talk about it. Whilst reading it bought up lots of thoughts and questions that I needed to air! It is also the perfect book to talk about whilst stepping into the summer season. The majority of the book recaps during the summer where it is sweltering and hot. If you’re a seasonal reader like me it is the ideal book to match the raise in temps!
Synopsis -
Fierce and unapologetic, Spoilt Creatures is an intoxicating debut about transgression, sisterhood and the seductive nature of obsession. It pulls back the skin of patriarchal violence and examines the female rage that lurks beneath.
Thoughts -
What I loved about this book was the sense of language, Twig chose some really interesting words and phrases to evoke such a vivd world in which Iris lived in. There was a lot I liked about the book, but I couldn’t help feel frustrated or wanting more. I heard myself asking “why?” going back and rereading incase I had missed something. I wondered whether the author left things to the readers imagination on purpose. But I feel that it wasn’t actually intentional.
The author was constantly on the cusp of a really great novel, the scenarios stumbled on were exciting and inviting but they only ever scratched the surface. There was a constant eeriness that I just wanted to fall into, and felt frustrated that everything always stayed very tame. Very surface level.
Iris flicks between the present and the past, her now self being in her 30s. I liked this Iris, she was stilted and naive, she definitely came across as someone who was rebuilding her life and lacked self awareness. Despite this I don’t think having her future self tell the story really added anything. She hadn’t done anything since Breach house, nor uncovered anything additional in present day.
The author I think had a really good sense of plot, and I think that it was clear how they wanted the story to progress and get from A to B. I loved how much Twig spoke about food and gluttony, how food was constantly rotting and sickly sweet. Food in literature always makes my tummy turn and this was no different in a really good way.
My biggest confusion was with the characters, other than Iris, who I really loved as a protagonist I felt the more secondary characters lacked the depth or motive to make them feel real. Blythe the cult leader was interesting but also I couldn’t tell why others followed her, she lacked charisma on the page. The same goes for most of the other women at Breach house.
A cult of women wronged by men going feral together is such a fun intriguing novel, there are a few scenes where we start to see the characters letting go and then all of a sudden it tapers off before it goes too far.
Even the ending when it turned into a lord of the flies situation, I wanted to be repulsed and shocked by the women, again the author didn’t need to do much. She was so close constantly, which although at times frustrating I’m interested to see where she goes next.
I would actually really enjoy watching an adaptation of this novel as it had a really great plot, all the over arching themes were really enjoyable that I think it could lend itself to a TV show really well.
I also would read more from Twig, although Spoilt Creatures isn’s a perfect novel it definitely is a good book. I look forward to see how the authors voice develops.